WHAT ARE OUR HIGH PLACES?

“THEN THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES IN THE PLAINS OF MOAB BY THE JORDAN OPPOSITE JERICHO, SAYING, ‘SPEAK TO THE SONS OF ISRAEL AND SAY TO THEM, ‘ WHEN YOU CROSS OVER THE JORDAN INTO THE LAND OF CANAAN, THEN  YOU SHALL DRIVE OUT ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND FROM BEFORE YOU, AND DESTROY ALL THEIR FIGURED STONES, AND DESTROY ALL THEIR MOLTEN IMAGES AND DEMOLISH ALL OF THEIR HIGH PLACES; AND YOU SHALL TAKE POSSESSION OF THE LAND AND LIVE IN IT, FOR I HAVE GIVEN THE LAND TO YOU TO POSSESS IT.”  NUMBERS 33:50-53

God’s instructions were explicit to the Israelites: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3) and “You shall not make for yourself an idol” (Exodus 20:4) are the first two of The Ten Commandments.  When the Israelites crossed over the Jordan and possessed the land flowing with milk and honey, they were to be careful to destroy every idol, every image and every high place that was dedicated to a false god. Instead of worshiping on the high places, the nation of Israel was to “seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God shall choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.” (Deuteronomy 12:5). 

The place that He ultimately chooses is the Temple built by King Solomon. When  the temple was built and dedicated by Solomon, “the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” (I Kings 8:11) It was to be the central place for sacrifice, worship, forgiveness of sins, and where “all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else’. (I Kings 8:60)

So were the high places torn down once the temple was built?  No.  Matter of fact, sadly years later when Solomon was old, his foreign wives turned his heart away from serving the Lord fully and he built a high place for the detestable idol of Moab which was “evil in the sight of the Lord.” (I Kings 11:6) Because of this, the Lord stated He would tear the kingdom from his hands.  And so He did.

So what were the high places anyway?   The Hebrew word for high place is “bamah” which translates: high place, ridge, height, mountain, battlefield, place of worship, technical term for cultic platform.  (#1116-Strong’s Concordance.)  It is also the very same word used by Satan when he declares: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:14). It is equating something else or someone else as equal to God, worthy of worship and sacrifice.

Then, for each king that ruled after Solomon, there is a summation statement on what they each did with the high places during their reign.  These kings, approximately 40 kings over a 500 year span, were divided into 3 categories:

·        BUILT UP THE HIGH PLACES: The majority of kings did evil in the sight of the Lord and sacrificed and burned incense on the high places to other gods.  “They rejected His statues and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them.  And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the Lord had commanded them to do like them.” (II Kings 17:15) THE APPLICATION FOR US TODAY: If you do not dedicate yourself to the Lord and His ways, you will worship something else in His place.

·         DID NOT TEAR DOWN THE HIGH PLACES: A small minority of the kings did right in the sight of the Lord “but the high places were not taken away.” (I Kings 15:14, 22:43, II Kings 2:3, 14:4, 15:4, 15:35).  THE APPLICATION FOR US TODAY:  You can worship the Lord and do right in His sight but still have something else competing in your life that robs you of not trusting Him with all of your heart.

·         TORE DOWN THE HIGH PLACES: There are only 2 kings listed who did right in the sight of the Lord AND tore down the high places:  Josiah and Hezekiah.  What did they have in common?

a.       Their personal walk with the Lord was affected.  Josiah’s heart was tender, he humbled himself before the Lord, and he tore His clothes and wept before the Lord.  Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, clung to Him, and did not depart from following Him.

b.      They both opened up the doors of the temple, working on cleansing and repairing the temple.

c.       They carried away and destroyed the foreign idols found in the temple.

d.      Hezekiah declared there was only one alter of sacrifice and worship before the Lord, and that was in the temple. (II Chronicles 32:12).  Josiah discovered the Word of the Lord there and read it to all the people. Hezekiah commanded that the priests “devote themselves to the law of the Lord.” (II Chronicles 31: 4) They both reinstituted sacrifice, worship and celebrating the Passover.  The worship was so contagious and joyous during Hezekiah’s reign that the people celebrated for an additional 7 days.

e.      As an outflow of true worship, the high places were pulled down throughout the countryside, idols were destroyed and alters smashed.

 

THE APPLICATION FOR US TODAY:  Josiah and Hezekiah are our examples: we must humble our hearts and declare that there is only one way to worship God today, and that is through His Son Jesus Christ (John 14:6). We then need to spend time in His Word and allow His Holy Spirit to convict us and to cleanse us so there is no room for other idols on high places to creep in and rob us from loving Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It says in Ezekiel that “you made yourself a high place in every square” and “at the top of every street.” (Ezekiel 15:25-26).  Our idols are all around us, even if they are more subtle today than in ancient times.

How about you? What are your high places?  Where do you replace God and rob Him of His glory?

Here are some practical questions that might help you to identify some high places in your heart:

·         Where do I run for comfort? (II Corinthians 1:3-4) 

·         Where am I excessive with my finances, time, and/or energy? (Hebrews 13:5)

·         In what ways do I try to set myself apart from the “rest of the crowd”? (James 2:1-9)

·         Where in life am I highly praised or exalted?  (James 4:10)

·         Where do I store up my treasures? (Matthew 6: 19-24)

·         Where do I find my worth? (I Peter 2:9)

·         When is what I have never enough, always seeking more? (Philippians 4:11-12) 

·        What things do I think I must have for fulfillment and happiness that God is not going to provide? (James 1:17)  

·         When do I compromise my integrity in order to accomplish something else? (I Peter 3:13-17) 

 

·         What or whom do I love above all else?  (Matthew 22:37)

As He reveals and convicts you of the high places in your heart, then ask yourself: Can I give it up…Lay it down…Walk away…Set it aside…Put God back on the throne of my heart and lay it all at His feet? It says in Matthew 6:33,  “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

 This is a constant, subtle walk with the Lord.  Good kings who did right in the sight of the Lord still had the high places that were not torn down.  It is easy for something of this world or a good gift from God: your home, your family, your career, your belongings, to slip into the wrong spot or get elevated up onto a high place in our lives without even realizing it. High places can be beautiful to behold but they always ultimately rob you of time, money, affections, and energy, and they do not let you experience abundant, overflowing, outrageous worship in your relationship with Jesus Christ by allowing God to be Lord of ALL things in your life.

The last words of Moses before he dies were this: “Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, who is the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty!  So your enemies shall cringe before you, and you shall tread upon their high places.” (Deut. 33:29) Let Him tread upon your high places today.

 

 

 

WE CAN CHANGE EVEN THOUGH OUR CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT

“THEN ELI ANSWERED AND SAID, ‘GO IN PEACE; AND MAY THE GOD OF ISRAEL GRANT YOUR PETITION THAT YOU HAVE ASKED OF HIM.’ SHE SAID, ‘LET YOUR MAIDSERVANT FIND FAVOR IN YOUR SIGHT.’ SO THE WOMAN WENT HER WAY AND ATE, AND HER FACE WAS NO LONGER SAD.” I SAMUEL 1:18

We can be tormented by our day-to-day circumstances.  Such was the case of Hannah, first wife of Elkanah.  She was loved and honored by her husband, but she was also childless.  In the Old Testament, this was interpreted by others that you were not loved or blessed by God. 

So a second wife was taken…possibly because of Hannah being childless.  Peninnah produced sons and daughters for Elkanah but used her blessing to provoke Hannah to tears, causing Hannah to be so distraught that she would weep and complain and not eat at the annual sacrifice in Shiloh.  Words such as “rival”, “bitter”, and “irritate”, are used to describe the relationship between these 2 women.   Peninnah was relentless, tormenting Hannah year after year after year.  Hannah did everything in her power to make it stop, fussing and complaining to those around her, but nothing changed.

Finally she took it to God.  In her prayer to Him at the temple she was “greatly distressed” and “wept bitterly”.  Her spirit was oppressed.  She poured all her anger and frustrations and bitterness out before the Lord and made a vow that, if God would remember His maidservant and give her a son, then she would give that son back to the Lord all the days of his life. 

After her prayer “the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.” (I Samuel 1: 18) The next morning “they arose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord” (I Samuel 1:19) before returning to their home.  Hannah’s countenance completely changed even though her circumstances did not.  She was able to experience joy in the midst and able to worship the Lord despite being without child. Peninnah was still also in the midst of their family life with all of her children traveling back to Ramah, but oddly enough there is never the mention of her name ever again, either here or anywhere in the Bible.  She simply disappears from the forefront.  It’s because Hannah’s focus went from gazing at the circumstance and glancing at God to the opposite of gazing at God and worshipping Him and glancing at her rival.

Hannah’s bitterness turned into blessings instead.  Hannah’s name means “grace”.  She was able to extend unmerited favor to those around her.  How thankful Elkanah must have been that Hannah’s heart was no longer sad.  How mystified Peninnah must have been to hold no power over Hannah any longer.

Hannah learned the word CONTENTMENT.  Paul in the New Testament learned CONTENTMENT also:  “…I have learned to be CONTENT in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” (Philippians 4:11-12)

The word CONTENT is translated “autarkies” and means: 1) sufficient for one’s self, strong enough or possessing enough to need no aid or support 2) independent of external circumstances 3) content with one’s lot, with one’s means, though the slenderest.

Hannah was able to live independently of her external life because her internal life had been cleansed, altered at the alter.  In time her circumstances did change, because the Lord blessed Hannah by giving her a son named Samuel, one of the greatest prophets of Israel’s time.  But Hannah’s heart was already at rest.  The blessing of pregnancy only made her life all the sweeter.

By the way, the name Samuel means “God has heard.”  It is a reminder to us today that God hears our prayers, too!  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 6-7)

Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah kept her vow before the Lord and took him to the priest in Shiloh and left him there to be dedicated all the days of his life in service to the Lord.  This must have been so difficult to do. When she did, however, she did so with worship and praise, not knowing that she would be the mother of 3 more sons and 2 daughters. 

“My heart exults in the Lord;

My horn is exalted in the Lord,

My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,

Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

There is no one holy like the Lord,

Indeed, there is no one besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.”

 

(I Samuel 2:1-2)

Generations later, Mary, the mother of Jesus, would pronounce her own Psalm of praise, using some of Hannah’s very words intertwined with her own. 

How about you?  Have you ever been that honest and that open with God in prayer, crying out to Him, telling Him why you are bitter, angry, distressed?  God alone completely understands and wipes away your tears.  There is nothing to fear when you are open and honest with Him because “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all.”  (Psalm 139:4) 

And what about praising Him in the midst of your circumstances?  Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Him, then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.”  It says that it is a sacrifice to praise God in the midst of our circumstances, which means it can be a hard thing to do, but it allows us to be humble before the Lord and believe that He is in control of all things, working it out for our good and His glory to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. He does not promise us perfect lives, but He does promise us His presence in our lives, day in and day out.   Sacrifice to Him today by praising His name in the midst of the storm.

WHO GOES BEFORE YOU

“THE LORD YOUR GOD WHO GOES BEFORE YOU WILL HIMSELF FIGHT ON YOUR BEHALF, JUST AS HE DID FOR YOU IN EGYPT BEFORE YOUR EYES, AND IN THE WILDERNESS WHERE YOU SAW HOW THE LORD YOUR GOD CARRIED YOU, JUST AS A MAN CARRIES HIS SON, IN ALL THE WAY WHICH YOU HAVE WALKED UNTIL YOU CAME TO THIS PLACE.  BUT FOR ALL THIS, YOU DID NOT TRUST THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHO GOES BEFORE YOU ON YOUR WAY, TO SEEK OUT A PLACE FOR YOU TO ENCAMP, IN FIRE BY NIGHT AND CLOUD BY DAY, TO SHOW YOU THE WAY IN WHICH YOU SHOULD GO.”
DEUTERONOMY 1:30-32

God has an amazing plan for each of our lives!  We are simply to walk in it, trusting by faith. No fear.  No doubts.   He goes before us and turns to see if we are following in His footsteps.  How many of us are off the beaten path, wandering around and lost in the dark?  Actually, every one of us at some point or another: “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:6).

 Which is best: His way or our own way?  When you allow Him to lead the way, you can see from the verses above these blessings:

·         He will be in the midst of our lives.

·         He will carry us through hardships.

·         He will love us as His own sons.

·         He will provide for us when we are in the wilderness.

·         He will fight for us.

·         He will encamp with us.

·         He will show us the way we should go.

·         He will allow us to see His goodness in our lives.

Lack of faith in God causes us to go our own way, thinking we know best. Sometimes we simply run ahead of Him, but there are others in the Bible who have purposely cast Him behind their backs. Results from doing so are disobedience and rebellion (Nehemiah 9:26), hating the discipline of the Lord (Psalm 50:17), and calamity being brought into our lives. (I Kings 14:9-10)   

 There is a cure for all of this. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” 

(Proverbs 3: 5-6)  He does not say the path will be easy.  Any mountain climber or serious hiker will tell you that the trail you choose or the peak you climb is rough, filled with twists and turns, exhausting, and seemingly endless.  But the victory at the end is worth every cut, bruise, scrape, sore muscle, sunburned face or rain drenched body to make it to the top.  The view is spectacular; the journey complete. Many in life want the easy way out or the shortcut. Our God, however, is a mysterious God who uses the hard roads of brokenness and suffering to make our crooked paths straight. The blessings we experience along the way is that He will pave our paths with  faith, obedience and fellowship with Him, both here on this earth and forevermore in eternity.

 God goes before us in our circumstances.  But our great God and His Son, Jesus, have gone before us “in all things”(Colossians 1:17).  Here are a few examples:

·       BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: “Just as He choose us BEFORE the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him, in love He  predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”  (Ephesians 1:4)

·       BEFORE YOU WERE BORN:  “And when eight days had passed, BEFORE His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel BEFORE He was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21)

·       BEFORE YOU WERE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM:  “Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘BEFORE Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1:48)

·       BEFORE YOU IN PRAYER: “…your Father knows why you need BEFORE you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8)

·       BEFORE YOU IN BATTLE:  “Do not be shocked, nor fear them. The Lord your God who goes BEFORE you will Himself fight on your behalf…” (Deuteronomy 1:30)

·       BEFORE YOU WHERE YOU HAVE NOT GONE BEFORE:  “for you have not passed this way before…behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over AHEAD OF YOU  into the Jordan.” (Joshua 3: 4,11)

·         BEFORE YOU IN SUFFERING: “And He said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you BEFORE I suffer.” (Luke 22:15)

·       BEFORE YOU IN DEATH:  “Now BEFORE the Feast the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” (John 13:1)

·       BEFORE YOU IN RESURRECTED LIFE:  “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going AHEAD OF YOU into Galilee, there you will see Him…” (Matthew 28:7)

Not only does He go before us, He is also with us in the midst, and He encloses us from behind. “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.”  (Psalm 139:5) He is always with us!

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  He created all of life then experienced all of life as Jesus walked this earth.  He knows us.  He knows our needs.  Trust that He is already in the midst of your circumstance, working it out for your good and His glory.

 How about you?  Are you a follower of Christ?  If not, answer His call to fellowship with Him. “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me…” (John 12:26) If you are already a Christ follower, then are you allowing Him to lead the way?  Go to Him daily by humbling yourself before His throne, then opening up the pages of the Bible and experiencing that His word “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  (Psalm 119:105)  During this time listen through prayer for His still, small voice. “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the left or to the right.” (Isaiah 30:21).  Choose to follow Him daily and continually abide in Him; you will not be alone in the journey if you do.  “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27).

GOD'S FAITHFULNESS IS UNFAILING

 

“YOUR HOUSE AND YOUR KINGDOM SHALL ENDURE BEFORE ME FOREVER; YOUR THRONE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOREVER.”  II SAMUEL 7:16

Our God is a covenant keeping God.  He is faithful and true to His Word. Faithful means “firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness.” (#530-blue letterbible.org) It also means “to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold, nourish”. (#539-blueletterbible.org) He is all these things to us.

The Lord has just sent a message to David through His prophet Nathan.  It is an amazing promise to the king:  that David’s house, his throne, and his kingdom will be established forever.  This is known by scholars as the Davidic Covenant . David realizes the magnitude of this promise to him.  When David responds in prayer and praise, he is overwhelmed and he is humbled.  

“NOW, O LORD GOD, YOU ARE GOD, AND YOUR WORDS ARE TRUTH, AND YOU HAVE PROMISED THIS GOOD THING TO YOUR SERVANT.  NOW THEREFORE, MAY IT PLEASE YOU TO BLESS THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANT, THAT IT MAY CONTINUE FOREVER BEFORE YOU.  FOR YOU, O LORD GOD, HAVE SPOKEN; AND WITH YOUR BLESSING MAY THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANT BE BLESSED FOREVER.”   II SAMUEL 7: 28-29

In his prayer he also mentions that God is speaking of “the distant future.”  God knows our futures as well as our pasts because He is our eternal, all knowing, all seeing Father.  Eternity stretches out before Him, and nothing surprises Him.

 So after this great promise to David, what surfaces in David’s very near future?  It’s not a pretty picture:  Adultery. An unwanted pregnancy. Deception.  Murder.    God’s anger.  Confrontation by the prophet Nathan, who previously had brought the good news of God’s covenant with David, but now is asked to bring the news of God’s displeasure and judgment.  David responds correctly with confession spoken but hard consequences were lived out during David’s remaining days as king, including the death of his child with Bathsheba after the baby  is born.

 Why would God make a covenant with such a man--with any man, for that matter?  Because God  alone is FAITHFUL. We are not, and He knows it, but He is, even when He already knows that we are going to stumble and fall in the near future. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The Lord is such a loving and gracious God that, when we do fail, He provides for the way back to Him and for fellowship to be restored. It says in I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is FAITHFUL and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”   

 So how is this covenant promise from God fulfilled?  David’s line on this earth reigns for a a number of generations, but ultimately his throne seemingly comes to an end.  Did God not keep His promise?  He always keeps His promises! No, His plan was much more long lasting and eternal than we could ever begin to imagine.  About  a 1000 years later, He sends this message through His angel Gabriel, who comes to “a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the DESCENDANTS OF DAVID”. (Luke 1:27) He says to Mary:

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.   He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”  (Luke 1:32-33)

Gabriel uses the same wording from II Samuel  7:16 in his wording to Mary: that her Son would preserve David’s house, his throne, and his kingdom forever.  It is a kingdom like no other, beyond our imagination. It is His very own Son being sent to us, Jesus, Christ, the Messiah,  which will usher in the New Covenant and a New Era. It is not an earthly kingdom built with human hands, but an internal kingdom built upon faith.  To accept Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior of your life is to dwell forever with Him for all eternity.  Jesus Christ becomes King of Kings and Lord of Lords in our hearts.  So what should our response be to this amazing promise?

RETURN TO HIM:  Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your FAITHFULNESS. (Jeremiah 3:22)

PRAISE HIM: “O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect FAITHFULNESS.” (Isaiah 25:1)

DECLARE HIM: It is good to give thanks to the Lord…to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your FAITHFULNESS by night. (Psalm 92: 1-2)

TRUST HIM: He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His FAITHFULNESS  is a shield and bulwark.  (Psalm 91: 4)

GROW IN  HIM:  “Dwell in the land and cultivate FAITHFULNESS.” (Psalm 37:3)

How about you?  Where are you in your journey of FAITHFULNESS?  Maybe you need to accept Him and experience for the first time His faithfulness to never leave you nor forsake you.  Maybe you need His restoration so you can experience His forgiveness lavished upon you and fellowship renewed.  Maybe you need to abide in Him, be with Him through prayer and studying His word daily so He can fill you up with faith…after all, that’s the only way we can be found FAITH-FUL—when we are FULL OF FAITH.   He even supplies the faith that is lacking when you ask Him for it, so ask Him for it.  “…I do believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

 Don’t miss out on God’s faithfulness!  Get up tomorrow morning and start anew, rededicating yourself daily to Him.

“THE LORD’S LOVINGKINDNESSES INDEED NEVER CEASE, FOR HIS COMPASSIONS NEVER FAIL.

THEY ARE NEW EVERY  MORNING, GREAT IS  YOUR FAITHFULNESS.” Lamentations 3:22-23.

GOOD ADVICE VERSUS GOD'S ADVICE

"...THE KING SAID TO NATHAN THE PROPHET, 'SEE NOW, I DWELL IN A HOUSE OF CEDAR, BUT THE ARK OF GOD DWELLS WITHIN TENT CURTAINS.' NATHAN SAID TO THE KING, 'GO, DO ALL THAT IS IN YOUR MIND, FOR THE LORD IS WITH YOU." 
II SAMUEL 7:2-3

King David and Nathan are sitting around one day. The king is aging.  The giants have been slain and enemies defeated.  David has been given rest on every side.  Maybe the "rest" is making him "rest"-less?  Maybe he needs a new dream to fulfill?  Whatever the reason, he throws out this idea to Nathan, "I have a beautiful palace to live in; why does the Lord not have a house to dwell in also?" (my paraphrase of II Samuel 7:2-3)   From the time of the Exodus until now, God's holy dwelling place has been the tent of meeting, a moveable structure designed by God, but still basically a tent.  Nathan agrees. "Sounds like a good idea to me!  God always gives you great ideas and is always with you, so do it." (my paraphrase of II Samuel 7:2-3)

A funny thing happens after Nathan leaves that night.  God comes to him and says, "No, your advice is wrong; go back and tell David not to build a temple.  I never asked him to do this for Me.  Instead, I will have his son build one for me. But also tell him this: David is trying to build something that will physically endure, but I will make his kingdom spiritually endure forever." (my paraphrase of II Samuel 7:4-17)

I wonder: How hard was it for Nathan to go back and say, "I am a prophet of God, but I was wrong?"  Prophets of the Old Testament heard directly from God and were never wrong or else they were not considered a prophet.  It says in Deuteronomy 18:22: "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.  The prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you shall not be afraid of him."  And that was exactly the trouble: Nathan had spoken presumptuously without hearing from God or seeking His counsel.

Nathan did not hesitate, however, after God spoke with him.  He was faithful, returned to the king, and repeated every word to David as God had commanded.  They were truthful words.  They stung a little but also held a great promise.  David would immediately go before the Lord, praising Him and questioning Him.  "Who am I, O Lord, God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?"  (II Samuel 7:18-29)

Sometimes good advice is not God's advice. We can get mixed up between the two, so how do we discern the difference?

SEEK GOD'S COUNSEL FIRST: His advice will not conflict with Scripture. "Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors." (Psalm 119:24) Sometimes it takes time to hear Him in prayer. Wait for Him. Abide in Him. Kneel before Him.

SEEK THE COUNSEL OF FRIENDS WHO ARE WALKING WITH GOD SECOND: "Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed." (Proverbs 15:22) Do you only want to be confirmed, or do you have relationships than can both admonish and rejoice with you? Many times well-intentioned friends can be misguided because they do not want us to suffer or they do not want the relationship to suffer by speaking the truth. A trusted friend will do both. Seek out wise counsel, then listen with discerning ears.

How about you? When someone asks for your advice, do you offer your opinion up on the spot all too willingly and hastily, or do you ask to pray about it and then come back with an answer? Then, if your answer proves to be wrong, are you willing to go back and admit it? Here are some things to consider when you are pondering on what to advise:

· Is your advice rooted in prayer before our Almighty God and Wonderful Counselor?(Isaiah 9:6)

· Is your advice rooted in the grace and truth of Jesus? (John 1:14)

· Is your advice rooted in the leading of the Holy Spirit? (Romans 8:14-15)

· Is your advice rooted in His Word? (Psalm 119:105)

· Is your advice trusting God by faith? (II Corinthians 5:7)

· Is your advice based on God's timing? (II Peter 3:8-9)

· Is your advice promoting the gospel? (Philippians 1:27)

· Is your advice based on what will bring God glory? (I Peter 4:11)

"For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowlege of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:9-10) 

Prove to be a trusted counselor by trusting in Him first.

HIS WORD IS A HIDDEN TREASURE - BUT YOU MUST DIG FOR IT

"HOW BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE WAY IS BLAMELESS, WHO WALK IN THE LAW OF THE LORD.  HOW BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO OBSERVE HIS TESTIMONIES, WHO SEEK HIM WITH ALL THEIR HEART." PSALM 119:1-2

In the beginning, God spoke and the world was formed. In Genesis 1 the phrase, "Then God said" is used nine times in the creation story.  Just think: He spoke us into existence!  HE IS THE SPOKEN WORD.

Then, thousands of years later, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14).  Jesus, the Son of God, came in bodily form, speaking truth and love and proclaiming the good news of salvation.  HE IS THE LIVING WORD.

Now, two thousand years later, we are waiting for Christ's return.  In Revelation 19 some of the names of Christ listed at His second coming are "Faithful" and "True" and "King of Kings" and "Lord of Lords", but it also says, "His name is called the Word of God." (Revelation 19:1).  HE IS THE REIGNING AND FINAL WORD.

In between, the prophets of old and the apostles of new recorded what they had seen and heard. It says in Hebrews 12: "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  HE IS THE WRITTEN WORD.

So, do we allow Him to pierce our heart with His Word daily?  Statistics say no.  Even though 90% of households in the United States own a Bible, only one in three of these households have opened and read this unique Book at least once in the last week.  We have settled for passiveness in the pews once a week instead.

The answer to this dilemma is found in the very heart and center of the Bible--well, almost. Here is a little Bible trivia for you to ponder:

Question:  What is the shortest chapter of the Bible?  Answer:  Psalm 117
Question:  What is the middle chapter of the Bible ?  Answer:  Psalm 118
Question:  What is the longest chapter of the Bible?  Answer:  Psalm 119
Question:  What is the theme of the longest chapter of the Bible? 
Answer:     Studying the Word of God.

One hundred and seventy six verses are devoted to being actively engaged with God's Word in Psalm 119:  His precepts, His laws, His testimonies, His commandments. It is filled to the brim with verbs--a call to action--to open up the Bible's pages and engage with the God of the Universe.  Here are a few examples:

• "How blessed are those who observe (a verb: to see, notice, behold, dig, discern, discover) His testimonies, who seek (a verb: to chase, delve, explore, inquire, investigate) Him with all their heart."(Psalm 119:2)
• "Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I will meditate (a verb: to contemplate, consider, deliberate, study, think) on Your wonders." (Psalm 119:27)
• "I shall give thanks (a verb: to express gratitude, be grateful, show appreciation) to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn (a verb: to acquire information, be taught, be trained, burn the midnight oil, master, memorize) Your righteous judgements."  (Psalm 119:7)

This is only to name a few!  Other verbs which call us to action are to walk in liberty, take delight, diligently keep, be taught, tell others, run the way of His commandments, speak and not be ashamed, lift up your hands, be a companion to others who keep His precepts, restrain and/or turn our feet from evil, take comfort in times of affliction, not forget and rejoice (a verb: to express great joy, celebrate, delight, glory, triumph).

How about you?  Where are you in the journey of opening up God's Word? If you have never done this before, consider taking this 14-day challenge.  Open up to a book in the Bible in the New Testament.  Pray before reading that the Holy Spirit will give you understanding.  Then read a passage--a chapter or two each day--until God prompts your heart.  Sometimes it feels like a verse is jumping off the page at you.  As God speaks to you through His Word, respond by talking with Him through prayer.  Next, take a notebook out, write down the date, the verse, and what it said to you.  If nothing occurs, then write down the verses you read and leave that portion blank.  Repeat the next day by starting where you left off.  If you miss a day, start over: Day 1, Day 2, etc.  See what happens and then tell someone about your journey. 

Then, a corporate way in which you can enjoy fellowship and teaching is to join a bible study during the week.  Delve into His Word with others and explore scripture together. Dig deep; there is buried treasure there to discover together.

What if you are already well on your way to studying God's Word, both privately and corporately?  I have a challenge for you also.  Prayerfully consider reading through the Bible in one year (or two!). Log onto www.oneyearbibleonline.com to sign up for a daily e-mail and begin the Journey with Jesus.  You will not regret it!  "Those who love your Law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble." (Psalm 119:165)