A Martial Mindset

Posted on 2014/01/13 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 144 opens “Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.” (:1) This is another good reminder (see the devotion on “No Beds of Ease” here) that life is not about comfort, but is inevitably full of conflict. This Psalm instructs us that God is not training us for “retirement” but rather “trains my hands for WAR and my fingers for BATTLE.” J.I. Packer tells us in his lectures on the Puritans that those saints of old saw life as a spiritual battle — and we should too. Too often we seem taken by surprise when we encounter opposition, or find ourselves in spiritual conflict — but this is what the Christian life truly IS!

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Seeking God: A Different Direction

Posted on 2014/01/10 by Shawn Thomas

II Samuel 5:23 says: “When David inquired of the Lord, He said, ‘You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.” This is in the context of war. :22 says the Philistines had once again come out and spread themselves for battle in the valley of Rephaim. It should be instructive to us that :23 then says “WHEN David inquired of the Lord” — because that is what he was in the habit of doing! We see repeatedly in Samuel that David habitually inquired of Yahweh before he made any move. He didn’t seem to do anything without asking God for direction first — which is what WE should do too!

But it is of note that THIS time, when David inquired of the Lord, He told him to do something DIFFERENT.

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God WILL Give You More Than You Can Handle!

Posted on 2014/01/09 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 142:6 David makes his request to God: “Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.” Here David asks God for help, on the basis that He was his refuge and portion (:5). And in his request he indicates how deep his trouble was. He says: “I am brought very low” and asks the Lord to deliver him from his persecutors, “for they are too strong for me.” The introduction to the Psalm gives us a little more information. It says that the occasion of this Psalm was when David was “in the cave.” I Samuel 22:1 and 24:3 each describe such occasions, when David hid in a cave because Saul and his much larger army was hunting him. This is significant. David admits here that the enemies that he faces are too much for him to handle — that is why he so desperately needs God to act on his behalf, and thus the occasion for his prayer.

We surely know that we face similar situations in life —

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The Blessed Wounds of Godly Criticism

Posted on 2014/01/08 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 141:5 David prays: “Let a righteous man strike me – it is a kindness; let him rebuke me – it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.” Psalm 141 is evidently an evening prayer of confession for David. It seems that he is looking back on the day and praying about areas in his life in which he has fallen short: for example, in :3 he prays “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth.” Like many of us, he had probably said some things he shouldn’t have that day! It is instructive to us that one of the things he prays about is what is found here in :5 — that the righteous would rebuke him, and that he would not refuse it when they did.

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Abandoning the Inadequate

Posted on 2014/01/07 by Shawn Thomas

In II Samuel 5:21 it says that after David defeated the Philistines in battle, “They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away.” It is both Ironic and instructive that the Philistines cast aside those idols which could not deliver them in battle. Because they proved themselves to be powerless, they were left behind.

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No Beds of Ease

Posted on 2014/01/06 by Shawn Thomas

II Samuel 5:17 tells us: “When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David.” We read in :12 that David realized how God had established and blessed him as king over Israel. But here we see that this did NOT mean that it was all going to be “happily ever after.” The Philistines were coming up against him to go to war. God’s blessing on David did NOT mean there will not be conflict and difficulty. It was just that in his battles, he knew that God was with him, and would bless him. Continue reading →

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Hurtful Ways

Posted on 2014/01/03 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 139:23 David asks: “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Then in :24 he prays: “and see if there be any hurtful way in me.” “Hurtful way” here is literally, “way of pain.” Our sinful, or ungodly ways, are “hurtful”, “painful” to ourselves and to others.

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What Voracity Reveals

Posted on 2014/01/02 by Shawn Thomas

Hebrews 12:16 exhorts: “that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.”
This verse is very revealing, not only about Esau, but many people today as well. It teaches us that Esau was NOT a “good guy” who just didn’t happen to be God’s chosen ancestor for the Messiah. It describes him as “immoral” and “godless.” And what was the manifestation of that? He “sold his own birthright for a single meal.” His voracious actions betrayed his character. Continue reading →

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Christmas in Carolina

Posted on 2014/01/01 by Shawn Thomas

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Since two of our children are married with families, attending Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and one has a baby and the other is expecting, we needed to take a trip east if we were going to have all the kids together for Christmas. So following our church’s Christmas musical the morning of the 22nd, Cheryl, Paul, Michael & I headed out immediately to the east. Almost 24 hours later, we arrived, a bit weary, but so excited to see everyone that we had no trouble staying awake — especially when we saw little Corley Jane, whom we had missed greatly:

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An Edifying Syllogism

Posted on 2014/01/01 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 139:14 says: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made … wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” Here is a word of genuine, Biblical self-esteem. GOD made us, “wove” us in our mother’s womb (:13). We are “wonderfully made.” His works are “wonderful” – therefore, Biblical Christians should understand that because God has created them, they are WONDERFUL!
Here is the logic spelled out in a syllogism:

— God’s works are wonderful.
— God made me.
— Therefore, I am wonderful!

NOW: it is important that all of this be kept in a humble, Biblical balance. There has been too much promulgation in America of a gospel of “self-esteem” which is not Biblical. However, this does not negate the truth we find in this scripture. Each of us is indeed fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Undoubtedly, no small number of people today really need to hear this word: “God has made you; therefore you are wonderful!”

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