May 7 2 Samuel 13,14; Matthew 24

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These are a few of our SOAP notes from today’s reading. We encourage you to read and journal on your own first, then join us in conversation about what God revealed to YOU today. Click HERE to go directly to the daily reading if you wish. Our team would love the privilege of praying for you! Please share how we can lift you in prayer at DiscoverOneThingPrayer@gmail.com

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Life-Giver | Kelley DeAses

S~  “But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.”  2 Samuel 14:14b (NIV)

O~  I love finding an unexpected gem like this verse, which I don’t recall ever reading before, right in the middle of a narrative about the dysfunctional family dynamics of King David.  It can be very difficult to read the Old Testament, with all the wars and pillaging and plundering of all the various nations.  In today’s reading alone, we see lust, rape, incest, hatred, and revenge — nice, right?!  And this is the family of David, described as a “man after God’s own heart.”  Tough stuff, certainly, to read, to try to explain to an unbeliever, or to teach to our children.  So I was all the more grateful to hit upon this passage containing a transcendent aspect of God’s character — He is a life-giver (not a life-taker) and He is ever using creative ways to bring the banished/lost/dejected person into relationship with Himself.

A~ Our family is experiencing some financial strain right now and I have been tempted to let that steal my joy.  But a conversation with my husband this morning helped re-calibrate my thinking about God: He has always provided for us in the past, there is more to our existence than the amount in our bank account, and God can use this, if we allow Him to, to draw us closer as a family and in our dependence on Him.

P~  Lord, Thank You for giving me first, Your Word, and, second, my husband, who both remind me how much You love and care for me.

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God Pursues Us | Joni Tyner

S~  Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, He devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him.  2 Samuel 14: 14 (NLT)

O~ A wise woman from Tekoa goes to talk to King David. She is trying to facilitate King David and his son, Absalom, restore their relationship.  Absalom has been in hiding for 3 years because he killed his brother Amnon. (Amnon had raped his sister, Tamar.)

A~ We sin against God all the time. Like this verse,  “our lives are like water and spill out”. We can’t undo stuff of our past.  Still, God finds ways to bring us back to him. To restore our relationship with Him.  It is never His will for His children to be separated from Him.

P~ Dear Lord, thank you for pursuing all of us.  I know You use every circumstance in our lives to bring us back to You. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to me, but I trust You.  What great comfort that You always, always seek to have us in fellowship with You.  May my eyes and ears always be open to see You.

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Remain | Angela Kansou (***guest post*** Pearl City, Hawaii)

S~ Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:9-14 (NIV)

O~ Jesus’ disciples have just asked about the end times. Jesus responds by letting them know what the future holds for many who follow him. Near the end times, many Christians will be hated and will turn away from the faith and hate each other. Many false prophets will trick people into believing their lies. The love of most people will grow cold. BUT, the one who remains true and continues to believe will be saved. AND the gospel will be preached to the whole world and then the end will come.

A~ The end times can be scary. Jesus is pretty clear they will not be easy or comfortable. They will separate and divide Christians. Those who are willing to lay down their lives for Christ will be separated from those who seek Christ only for the blessing and power He brings to them. It will be a time of division and a time of deception. As I think of this, it makes it even more clear to me how important it is to spend time with God and in His word. If I don’t know his voice, I might be easily deceived. If I don’t understand the depths of His love for me and the grace He offers me, I may turn away from him when things in my life get tough…when he does not meet my earthly “needs.”  It also presses on my heart how important it is to teach my children and those I love about God and these practices of spending time in the word and with God. I will not always be there for my children, but God will, if I teach them how to seek him. They must be rooted in God so they are not easily deceived by the latest fad. They must know HIS voice. They must know His word so they know when the world “truths” don’t align to God’s truths. While it is important for me to teach them about the blessings God offers I must also teach them about the battle that is ahead so that one day we can together stand before Christ in Heaven seeing him Face to face…knowing we were not deceived, that we stood firm, that we shared the gospel no matter what was against us. Then our reward will be great and we will finally get to experience the true, unending, all powerful love of our God and Father.

P~ Lord, as I think about the end times, help me not to fear. Instead, let the end times be a motivation to me to spend more time with you and in your word. Let it encourage me to know you better, to understand you and to understand the depths of your love for me. Let the end times affect the way I interact with my family and others so that I seek, in whatever ways I can, to teach them about you and and encourage them in their walk with you. Show me how to re-prioritize my time so that I make time for learning and sharing about you with my family and others. Help me to put you first and clear away anything in my life that keeps you from that place in my heart. I want you to be my final goal…my one true love. I want to be willing to give up anything and everything for you and I want to teach my children and those I love to do the same. I look forward to the day when I will stand before you in Heaven singing your praises…when all nations bow down to you and call out your name. You are an amazing God and You are worthy of our praise!! In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

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God’s Word is Eternal | Susan Aken

S~ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

O~ All that we see around us and all that is beyond our sight will pass away, it is all temporary. But God’s word will never pass away. His words are eternal.

A~ What greater place to invest our time then in God’s eternal word. When I sit down to read the Bible, I am connecting with something eternal, something that will always be. I am connecting with God not just with words on a page. God’s word is alive.

P~ Thank you Father that you gave us the incredible gift of your word. Thank you that your word is eternal, it is powerful and it changes lives. Please use it in my life to change me, to make me more like Jesus.

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Be Ready! | Michelle Myers

S~ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time you don’t expect him.  Matthew 24:44 (NCV)

O~ Jesus is describing what the end times will be like.  He tells people to be ready.  This is where preparation really matters.  This is where I have true choice and control; unlike my daily schedule that will get knocked off track because of an accident or a declining 401K, because of an economic recession.  This is the ultimate preparation for those unseen circumstances.

A~ Many years ago, when I would read or hear about the “end times”, I would think that I would have to behaviorally get it all together.  I mean I don’t want Jesus popping up in my living room, while I am yelling at my kids because they, once again, didn’t put their clothes away.  I would rather He show up on one of my good days.  Those days when my kids have not done what I asked them to do, but I can calmly talk them through it and am walking away after giving them a hug.  Better yet, on one of those days that my kids have done what I have asked them to do, so I could appear to have it all together as a parent.

It took me a long time to realize that God sees me ALL the time, so I am not fooling Him.  It took me a long time to realize that I am never going to have it all together and am not a failure when I don’t.  It took me along time to realize that He forgives me for not having it all together or for yelling at my kids.

So, what does it mean to “be ready”?

I am sure I don’t have all of this figured out and probably never will, but I do know that, regardless of my behavior or feelings for the day, I have to continually examine my heart, ask God to adjust my heart when it is not right, press on doing what He has told me to do, and do my best to not let others, circumstances, the enemy, or even my own desires get me off track.  And every time I don’t get it right, I repent, He forgives me, and I move forward; ready, in case He does show up in my living room that day.

P~ Thank you God for not giving up on me.  Please continue to show me and help me be ready.

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Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Samuel 15,16; Psalms 32; Matthew 25

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