THE LORD SPOKE (May 13)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: I Kings 1

I Kings 1:6a - "His father had never interfered with him by asking, 'Why do you behave as you do?'"

For all his greatness as a king, a leader of men, and a man who heard the Lord speak and imparted that to others, David failed miserably in his family relationships. His record with raising children can only serve us as a negative example.

It starts with the poor example of his mentor, Samuel. David did not learn how to discipline his children from this man. Instead, he observed a man who "failed to restrain them" (I Sam. 3:13; c.f. I Sam. 8:5). Samuel's sons became so contemptible that the elders of Israel went to Samuel and said in effect, "your kids are so rotten we don't want them to rule over us; we'd rather have a king" (though they were warned of what that would mean). Under inspiration, the author of the book identified the base problem of not disciplining your children: "Why do you honor your sons more than me...?" (I Sam. 2:29). When we fail to discipline our children, we betray a lack of respect and proper love for God himself. It's in that context that he goes on to quote God's own word on the subject: "Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained." (I Sam. 2:30).

David's children were a constant source of grief to him (note Absalom, Amnon, and Adonijah in recent chapters) and it was his own fault. It's not surprising that Solomon's example was no better. It's hard to break out of a mold. Solomon did know better, as evidenced by his Proverbs:

• Prov. 13:24 - "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him."
• Prov. 22:6,15 - "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.... Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him."
• Prov. 23:13-14 - "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with a rod and save his soul from death."
• Prov. 29:15 - "The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother."

It is possible to both know and do better. We must humbly and faithfully follow God's instruction manual for, indeed, "the Lord spoke" on this matter. Solomon also recorded for us the results of proper discipline:

• Prov. 29:17 - "Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul."

New Testament: Romans 16

“I want you to be wise about what it good and innocent about what is evil.” (Rom. 16:19)

Wise about what is good:

• Read Scripture to the point that you trade your own thoughts for God’s thoughts.
• Ask God to give you wisdom (Jas. 1:5). If we’re to be “wise about what is good” but we lack wisdom, this is the perfect opportunity to ask God to help us.
• Observe others who are wise (Prov. 13:20 - “walk with the wise”) and then imitate their ways (Heb. 13:7).
• Study the animal kingdom to be wise. We’re told to “go to the ant”, as well as coneys, locusts, and lizards (Prov. 6:6; 30:24-28) to observe and learn from their ways.

Innocent about what is evil:

• Get rid of your TV.
• Stop reading those trashy or value-less magazines.
• Develop a resistance to the advertising that bombards you; block it out of your mind by bouncing your sight away from it every time.
• Why do you want to know more about movie stars than you know about Peter, James, and John?
• Get out of those insipid conversations about silly subjects (that includes most talk radio).
• Soap operas? Don’t even go there. Oprah? Worse yet!
• Guard your Internet use with a holy passion for Christ.