THE LORD SPOKE (May 5)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: II Samuel 7-8

At just the right moment, God brought another friend into David's life. Jonathan's death left a great hole in David's soul. Then God provided the prophet Nathan to fill it. What a friend! He jumped to encourage David (vs. 3) but then was spiritually sensitive enough to hear God's word (II Sam. 7: 4) and gently apply it as a balm to David. Take a look at the promises God gave David through Nathan:

• David wanted to build a house (temple) for the Lord but the Lord promised to build a house (dynasty) for him (II Sam. 7:5,11)
• David began as a "lowly" shepherd where he learned just the skills that the Lord required for governing the people of Israel (II Sam. 7:7-8)
• David heard the Lord say, "I have been with you...now I will make your name great...your kingdom will endure forever before me" (II Sam. 7:9,16)
• David received a promise that any father longs for - a son who would love the Lord (II Sam. 7:12,14)

And, did you take note of David's words on this day?

• "Who am I...that you have brought me this far?" (II Sam. 7:18-21) = genuine humility before God and man
• "How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you...." (II Sam. 7:22-24) = genuine praise from the depths of his soul
• "Do as you promised...[and] men will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God...'." (II Sam. 7:25-26) = genuine concern for others' spiritual state
• "Your words are trustworthy...for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken...." (II Sam. 7:27-29) = genuine trust in the Word of God

The Lord spoke a lot on that day! The Davidic Covenant (II Sam. 7:12-16) was not only a wonderful promise to David, it still rings with Messianic over-tones as we await the day when David's greater Son will sit on that throne in Jerusalem (Lk. 1:32-33; Acts 2:30f; 13:22-23; Rom. 1:2-4; Rev. 22:16).


New Testament: Romans 8

Being driven by desire will get you in trouble every time. Because that drive, whatever it is, will so easily blind you to other considerations, you end up not seeing clearly and, therefore, not judging correctly. Your focus on that particular desire will so quickly dominate all your thinking that you will fail to see otherwise perfectly clear road signs intended to keep you on the right path.

It can happen with a relationship, sports, a job, a hobby. It can be a perfectly good thing of itself but it’s the driven-ness of that desire that blunts your spiritual edge. This is what Paul means when he says “those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires” (Rom. 8:5a). It can be an addiction to food, to physical exercise, or to some other perfectly good activity but, because our desires focus so on that objective, it gets all our spiritual priorities out of whack. It begins to take over, to drive us, to make our direction other than God-honoring.

Being driven by desire will get you in trouble every time. But for one! Desiring God is the one desire that will balance and overcome all wrongly-directed desires. It’s what Augustine meant when he said, “Love God and do as you please.” This is the one desire that can’t be over done. It brings all other desires into their proper balance. Paul says, “those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Rom. 5:8b). The result is that you “are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit” (Rom. 8:9).

Now, that puts all other desires in right perspective. Many of those desires can be perfectly good things, unless or until they are in the driver’s seat. When they begin to drive us we lose the direction that God desires for us. In the second half of the chapter, Paul describes the power that is unleashed by desiring God.

First, sin no longer has sway over us (Rom. 8:10). We safely trust in God (our Abba Father) and no longer have reason to fear (Rom. 8:15). We have an increasing share in His glory (Rom. 8:17-18) and begin to produce the fruits of the Spirit (Rom. 8:23). We can overcome weaknesses in His power (Rom. 8:26) and experience an on-going cleansing of our hearts (Rom. 8:29). As we are “conformed to the likeness of God’s son” (Rom. 8:29) we grow ever closer to God and our desires become one with Him - like the sympathetic vibrations of a sound chord with a tuning fork.

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.