THE LORD SPOKE (June 13)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: I Chronicles 10-11

"Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord...." (10:13)
"And David became more and more powerful because the Lord Almighty was with him." (11:9)

What a contrast between these back-to-back lives. David's exemplary leadership began in the shadow of Saul and it was years before he was free of that dark legacy. Although he had several opportunities to change that situation in his own strength, he refused to do so. Even though he knew he was the Lord's next choice, he refused to move himself to the front before the Lord's timing.

Look at the lives he impacted as a result. After words like "all Israel", "all the elders of Israel", and "all the Israelites", chapter eleven goes on to list the names of fifty individuals. And that list represents just the military inner circle - one small segment of David's influence. Similar lists could be drawn up of the ordinary soldiers, his 600 devoted companions, the Temple musicians, miscellaneous construction personnel, palace servants, and on and on.

This chapter gives us several examples, but you can be certain that every person on these lists had his own story to tell of his relationship to David - how he met him, something he saw David do, some moving words he heard personally from David's lips. David touched many lives and, through his writings, continues to do so to this very day. That is because he listened to the Lord's call to "shepherd my people Israel" (11:2). He was always sensitive to the Lord's direction in his life (11:19) and those few times when he left the Lord's side, he was quick to repent and return to the Lord. That's what it means when it says "the Lord was with him" (11:9). You know how the saying goes: "If you find yourself a long way from the Lord, there's no question as to who did the moving."

So, is the Lord with you today?


New Testament: Galatians 2

Some have called it “Luther’s book” because the Reformer used it so often to combat the dogmas of his day. In his classic refutation of Erasmus he quotes from Galatians extensively. He titled his book, The Bondage of the Will, because he recognized that any form of the so-called “free will of man” will result in a salvation by works.

Did you hear that? Any form of free-will theology will inevitably lead to salvation by works. If the choice is up to man, he will create some form of law that requires certain steps to climb up to God. He will fashion a system whereby man can make himself more acceptable. Free will leads to salvation by works in every instance.

Three times in Galatians 2:16 Paul dogmatically declares that it is not “ by observing the law” that we are justified and three times he powerfully proclaims that it is only “by faith in Christ”. Can it be said any more clearly than that? Need it be?

Apparently so, for Paul has to call no less than Peter, a pillar of the early church, to question on these issues. Not that Peter had himself fallen into a Judaizing spirit, but Peter had buckled to the demands of others (Gal. 2:11-13). Paul correctly saw this as “not acting in line with the truth of the gospel” and that it would ultimately result in Gentiles being forced to follow Jewish customs (Gal. 2:14). It’s not enough to have your own theology in order, you must demand correct theological practice within the ranks also. This may not be true on certain debatable issues but on something so crucial as the gospel it is not negotiable!

How do you wed such doctrinal fire and religious zeal? The two must not be held in abeyance. The standard has been set by the very Word of God and it is our duty both to proclaim it and to live it.

If with the zeal of the Methodists we can preach the doctrine of the Puritans, a great future is before us. The fire of Wesley and the fuel of Whitfield will cause a burning which shall set the forests of error on fire, and warm the very soul of this cold earth. - C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students