David – A Study on Faith and Leadership

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. – 1 Samuel 13:14

These words of the prophet Samuel to Israel’s first king, Saul, are a fitting introduction to the life of King David, a man who to this day remains as, perhaps, one of the best examples of faith, loyalty, patience and humility. David begins his life in obscurity, seeking to please the Lord and to please his father and continues throughout his life time and again to show his understanding of the heart of God.

After being anointed by Samuel, David goes about his life radically and sometimes almost exasperatingly differently from virtually every other instance of those anointed as kings over Judah and Israel. Whereas others recorded in the Bible immediately seek to depose the current king, David serves him faithfully for years. He, time and again, models humble servant leadership while seemingly forgetting his anointing. The first example of this is his encounter with the giant, Goliath. In this instance he shows great faith that the Lord will prove faithful as those who will, offer themselves as examples to others, even when it may cost everything. David had no hope outside of God, no hope or desire for any glory but the Lord’s. From this he emerges a captain of Israel.

But here the blessings seem to end as David even as he serves faithfully, incurs the jealousy of his superior. This portion of David’s life exudes patience. Forced to flee his jealous father-in-law, king, David lives for years wandering and hiding in the wilds of Israel and the surrounding country. Life seems too much to hope for, much less the distant memory of an old man’s words over a shepherd boy. Even though David is loved by all but the king, he doesn’t use this fact to his advantage. Twice he has a perfect opportunity to destroy Saul and take the kingdom for himself, and twice he refuses to touch him. This modeling of loyalty, and the equity with which he deals with all around him, plants loyalty in the hearts of those who join him in his exile. These nearly 600 men remain David’s most loyal servants throughout his life.

Even when God finally deals with David’s enemies, David does not immediately assume that God’s time has come and try to make himself king. He simply asks God if he should return to Judah to live. It is the people of Judah who initiate his final crowning as their king. David shows this same lack of concern for his own position later on in his life when his own son rises up against him. Absalom deceives Israel into following him and David, rather than fight to hold his own, leaves Jerusalem that no blood should be spilled there. As David leaves Jerusalem, a priest named Abiathar brings the Ark of God as a symbol of God’s presence with David. David however tells him to return it to its place in Jerusalem saying,

Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation: But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. (2Samuel 15:25-26)

In doing this, David reveals a true humility of heart, showing that he doesn’t simply assume that God will be with him or should be with him. It is God’s will and purpose that matters to David here, not his own well being.

Of course, no study on the life of David is complete without looking at his reaction to reproof upon failure. He sinned gravely by stealing another man’s wife and indirectly murdering the man through treachery in battle. For a time those who have grown to love David’s heart are crushed and depressed by his fall. But when a prophet of God comes and confronts David about his sin, he quickly sees his error and humbles himself sincerely before the Lord. Unlike his predecessor, David makes no excuse, shifts no blame and pleads not for his own forgiveness but for the life of the son of his sin.

Perhaps above all the life of David gives hope to those who read his story; hope that though we are small, the Lord can use us; hope that though we are sinners, the Lord can forgive; hope that though we tarry long for the Lords leading, He will remain faithful; hope that although we are alone, God may still be with us. His story teaches us to wait on the Lord, though all seems lost, to hope in the mercies of God. All four of these qualities: faith, loyalty, patience and humility are the groundwork which God seeks to lay in forming a man called to be a leader, an example, but most of all a man after God’s own heart.

Matthew 7 - The narrow way

If you have time, or if you don't, listen to this...

YouTube Video - Matthew 7

Mark

A question for God

I asked God the other day...
"Why, God, don't you speak a little louder? I'd really like to hear your voice in a more tangible way. I grow weary of straining to hear your still, small voice. Why won't you just tell me what to do with my life?"

In my heart I could just barely make out a faint whisper, "I often speak quietly for your sake, my son. If I were to speak any louder would you be able to handle it? By my spoken word I created the heavens and with a single word the world came into existence. My words are not lightly cast about, they always accomplish a purpose. I know when you need a whisper and when you need more. Just trust me and live."

I thought about that for a while and realized its truth. Then I asked myself, "Why am I always asking God questions anyway?" He has already given so much to live by and for in His written word. What more do I need. What kind of a friend am I to constantly come asking for help but never seek His good in the relationship? Why can't I just come and sit with Him for a time, simply enjoying His presence? I think I'll try it again.

Psalm 29
3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The LORD is over many waters.
4The voice of the LORD is powerful,
The voice of the LORD is majestic.
5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
7The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.
8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, "Glory!"

Ice Upon the Wind

The winds of inspiration blow for but a moment...so listen as they pass.

Our lives are but the breath of God,

Upon a winter morn.

A vapor frozen in the air,

And hanging on the glass,

In which He fancies kings and serfs,

And wars in icy frames.

A picture here and gone anon,

But real because He speaks.

A word with God becomes our bone,

All worlds within His tongue.

And yet He came and died for us,...

...But ice upon the wind.

-MZ

So, for the first time in my college career, classes were canceled because of snow! Woohoo!



It's a good thing too, because I'm not sure if I would have been able to get my little cavalier out of that mess in a hurry!

...But I did waste some time doing other stuff...

...Just like the 8th grade. ;)

(Yeah, so I know it's only been a day and I usually wait a month between blog-posts, but then we don't get snow like this every day here in Indiana.)

Year 25

So here we go again! Another year. Another semester. Another chance to learn. Another chance to fall and pick myself up again.

This semester I'm only taking 3 biology lectures, 1 lab and 1 capstone paper. That all boils down to a puny 12 credits, but all the other classes that I need are scheduled in the wrong months or hours. So I just have to wait a little longer for this piece of paper that tells me I am worth a few more dollars to somebody...as long as the economy picks up again, that is.

Nothing extremely new or exciting is going on at the moment, unless the forced exocytosis of a tetrahymena culture's food vacuoles by adding alcian blue interests you. I guess I'm a little excited about my new PU scope being mounted on my Mosin rifle, but nobody but Johnny Klotzle and precious few others really care about that so I won't bore you.

What am I learning right now? I was riding to school with Eric Frantz the other day and we got to talking about the presence of Christ with us, how He is in this very room and how great the implications of that truth are.

I also read part of a book by Ted Dekker based on Hosea. Although I decided in the end I didn't want to finish the book, one thing really struck me. That is, how much God passionately loves us. He took us out of our lives of rebellion and continues to show us mercy even when we constantly are running back to our other "lovers". I also see a little more clearly how much pain it causes Him when we turn away from Him - how much pain it would cause me if I had to go through what He goes through with me. The book made it just a very little bit more personal. So, thanks Fred, for reccommending it.

What else? I am slowly learning that God is speaking the truth when He says that men make plans but God directs paths. Even though I don't like to plan my life all out, the little things that I do try to figure out always seem to go other than as planned. (Finishing school this Spring, for instance.) But that's OK. Thankfully my life purpose is not just to finish college, or to make a bunch of money. Nope, it is just to follow my God today...and then, tomorrow to follow Him again. How does it go?"...to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly..."

Until next time...have a nice rest of the year AM-25. (Anno Marcus - that's latin, I think, for "In the year of Mark")

Love...as far as I can understand...(draft 1)

If you had to define love, what would you define it as? I think love is one of the most misunderstood words in our language. Most people have some sort of Hollywood version of love in their minds. Of course, most will also say that there are two types of love, one for friends and family and the other for "that special someone." The first type seems to be an affection with some kind of tolerance since it has to do with the relative unchangeable family status. The second is some ethereal feeling, something that you can "fall" into and sadly just as quickly out of. Since it is such a flighty thing society has reduced it for the sake of order to a contract. In essence if you will love me, then I will love you back and we will be married...or together...or whatever. Sadly, this contract perspective on love has had a devastating effect on marriages in our country. Our divorce rate has skyrocketed so that marriage "contracts" are perhaps less binding than business contracts. Even the Christian church has bought into the idea that love is a sort of feeling of goodwill towards another.

I am here to say that this idea of love is a load of...well, it's a lie! As I stumble my way through life I ask myself and I ask God, "What is love?", "How do we love?", and "Why is love important?" Here is a little of what I have been learning.

As for the first question, "What is love?", that one is relatively easy initially. I simply go to the Bible and ask God what He says about it? The first thing I find is that there are not two, but three forms of love. The first, phileo in Greek, is the affection of one person for another, like a brother or a friend, or even a spouse, but it has nothing to do with sexual desire. This type of love usually is dependent on reciprocation and does not usually hang around without a return of affection. The second form, eros in Greek, is where we get our word for erotic. It is romantic love and has everything to do with a man and a woman. This type of love, however, is even more fickle than phileo. These two types are what the world knows, and they aren't bad...but...they aren't all love is! The third type of love, agape in Greek, is used when describing God's love for the world when He sent us Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. This type of love is constant, it is a forever type of love. It does not require reciprocation. This type of love, I should also point out, is really hard to do. And I say "to do" because it is not a feeling, but a state of being and a constant conscious decision. You cannot fall in and out of agape. Agape is no contract. It is loving first and last; it is self sacrificing love even when the recipient doesn't care that you love them. This type of love, I must say, is impossible...that is for the world. I think Andrew Peterson says it well in his song:

Love is not a feeling in your chest.

It is bending down to wash another's feet.
It is faithful when the sun is in the west,
And in the east.

And this, I believe, is what it really means to find "True love". But how do you love like that?

That brings me to my second question, which by the way is a lot more difficult to answer. "How do we love (agape)?" To love this way means that a husband must love a wife that is unlovable. It means that a wife must love a husband that is impassive. A mother must love a rebellious child. A child must love an abusive father. Impossible, you say! That is true indeed, if you still are clinging to your Hollywood version of love which says that the way you love someone must feel good to them. This, however, is not the case with agape. Agape is a father telling a child he may not play in the street. It is not giving the loved one everything they ask for, but giving them everything that they need that you can provide. A child needs to be disciplined. A wife needs to receive affection. A husband needs to be respected. This is not Hollywood. This is love in real life...love as we have not had it for the ages since we lost it. How do you love? Love by doing the hard thing when it will fulfill the other's needs, even when it hurts. I should add that this cannot be accomplished in its essence by a non-believer. In order to love this way, you must come to understand and appreciate how God loved you this way. Then and only then, once you get a little picture of God's love (faithful, and totally other-centered) and learn to love Him back that way, can you hope to love others that way.

Finally I come to my last question, though I don't believe the previous two can possibly be addressed in so few words as I have used. "Why is love important?" Fundamentally, love (agape, that is) is important because as the Bible says, "God is love" and when compared to faith and hope, love is said to be the greatest. Besides these most important facts, though is the fact that love (agape) is a basic human need. It provides purpose for the complacent or shiftless life. It provides security through the hope of faithfulness. I is light in a dark, dark world. And it is more...but it is more that I will have to learn before you hear it from me, so with that my present thoughts on love end.

I've been trying to learn this love for the past months and the more I learn, the more I see how little I know of love. How little people in this land know of it. How greatly they need it. So do the world a favor. Go to God and ask Him to teach you His love no matter the cost. Trust me, it will most likely be a painful process. Jesus had to die, then love unrequited for nearly 2000 years waiting for me . Surely I can learn to love Him when He has already given His love to me; and surely I can fumble my way through waiting a while for others to love me back. It is, after all, what He has called us to do.