Thursday, April 11, 2013

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INCEST and MURDER

Suggested Reading: 2 Samuel 13

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Two Shepherds milk a sheep amidst the ruins of Jerash, Jordan. This photo is a reminder of the ewe in Nathan's story (II Samuel 12:1-4)

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: 2 Samuel 13:15a, 28

Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her…Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.”

In yesterday’s reading, we read that the prophet Nathan chastised David for his sin of adultery and arranging for Uriah’s death. Nathan predicted accurately what the future would hold. The sins of David were repeated in his children. Incest and murder, recorded here, provide a lesson on the true horror of sin. 2 Timothy 3:16 teaches us the reason for the inclusion of such a story in Scripture. It is “for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” King David did not have the writings of Paul as we do. The Apostle made it absolutely clear that, “Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption” (Galatians 6:7b & 8a). After eight more days of reading in 2 Samuel, we move over to the New Testament to read Galatians. Let us all be disciplined, as disciples of Jesus, and not give up our daily reading. We will reap benefits as a result of our faithfulness. Paul also says in the very next verse, Galatians 6:9, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not lose heart.”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray that I will pay closer attention than ever to Your “instruction in righteousness.” As Your child, Scott, reminded me yesterday at 6:09 a.m. in his blog comment, Psalm 119:11 teaches me to hide Your Word in my heart so “that I might not sin against You.” Please Lord, write Your Word on my heart again today, and every day. Keep me faithful in my daily reading of Your Word I pray. In the Name of the One who lives in my heart and who is always faithful, my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As I read today’s awful, tragic story, I thought of the tabloid papers that it seems impossible to avoid as I pass through the checkout counters at the grocery store. I try to avert my eyes so that I’m looking at my groceries and concentrating on my payment. Nevertheless, in the corner of my eye, there they are, filled with lurid headlines, half truths, outright lies, and awful pictures. I’ve spent a lifetime checking out Bible stories and have concluded that, while some of them are horrible, they are, unlike the tabloids, an accurate record of the human condition. In other “religious” writings, I find that the writers do not have their sins splashed across the pages as we find in the Bible. To me this honesty is a great proof of the fact that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). I believe that God is and that He has responded to diligent seeking hearts with truth. I’ve just taken the time to read a New Testament chapter, Hebrews 11. What an amazing gallery of God’s celebrities! It’s far more interesting than any tabloid, and there is one great advantage in reading the Bible… It’s TRUE!

Yours for making the Scriptures the vital component in our spiritual DNA,

David

 

14 thoughts on “Thursday, April 11, 2013”

  1. Sin was not our natural tendency, our original parents were pure and untainted until the ‘action’ of disobedience led to their fall in the Garden of Eden. As we see in today’s reading, incest and murder began as a seed in the mind of David and his sons and then came to full-out fruition in their disobedience to God and their subsequent evil actions. We too have an inclination to sin, who of us hasn’t been disobedient to God at some point in time? The good news is that there’s an answer! His name is Jesus. In Romans 3:23 Paul states that all have fallen short of God’s glory do to the sin of humankind, and in Romans 5:8 Paul states that Jesus died for such sinners. What does this mean? It means that we are forgiven if we believe upon Jesus as that sole sacrifice for our sin. Christ bore our sin in His sacrificial death that we need not worry about paying the price for sin any longer … Christ paid the price, there’s nothing we can do to shed sin on our own merit. Christ became the sin-bearer so that we can be clean and forgiven forevermore! There’s no better news than this for a lost and weary world. The world needs to know about Jesus and how He saves. Amen!

    Reply ↓

  2. Amen Scott!!! Once again we read of horrible things about taking things into our own hands. Praising God for saving us and thanking Huntley for the lessons each day on Christians and Demons….I urge everyone to watch each day.
    It would seem we are surrounded by sin these days and we Must continually be reading THE WORD each day to fill us with God’s goodness and plan for us and we will reap a harvest at the appropriate time.
    Bless you David for your faithfulness each day to bring us this blog.

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  3. Following through with this blog and reading the bible in the mornings has been a learning experience and inspirational. I appreciate all the comments and how the Holy Spirit is moving among the many readers involved. We are all God’s children and have a loving Father. Amen to all!

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  6. How sin takes over when we give satan a small foot hold , Our Lord Jesus
    always forgives us if we only humble our selves and ask for His forgiveness
    Thankyou all you bloggers and David M ., Sureenjoy all your comments
    I’m so blessed .R…

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  7. Thank you David for including an audio link every day with the suggested scripture reading. I have just started “listening” to the daily reading, and find that hearing the Word is a wonderful way of absorbing it into my spirit. I can close my eyes and concentrate on the message, rather than concentrating on trying to pronounce all the Old Testament names and places correctly! I would recommend this to other followers of your blog. God bless.

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  8. Thank you fellow bloggers for your comments and David for your faithfulness in sharing God’s Word.May we never take for granted His Word and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord.God Bless each one today!!!!!

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  9. Dear David and fellow bloggers
    Todays bible reading is a great testimony of our current world but the Good News is Jesus is alive and we can call on Him and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us. My prayer is for christians to take a leading role in spreading the gospel to a lost world who is in desperate need of what we have. Let our light so shine before men…and worship Our Father who is in heaven. King David had a heart for his son Absalom and longed for him. May we have a heart like King David. God calls him a man after His own heart. Many christians would judge Absalom and write him off, thank you Lord his father was not that kind of person. Thank you Lord that you love us just as we are and will forgive us whenever we call on you for forgiveness. I thank God for you David, for this blog which is a blessing to me everyday. May He continue to uphold you & Norma Jean with His righteous right hand. God richly bless you and please know your are in my prayers daily. Blessings to my fellow bloggers. xxxCarole

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  10. David’s quote “Let us all be disciplined, as disciples of Jesus, and not give up our daily reading.”
    Never fear ! :0) I’m not even tempted to skip reading my bible since starting reading along with you David ( and fellow bloggers ) It’s like oxygen to me !
    :0) I enjoy it so much….

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  11. Amen, everyone! I feel I have benefited from this daily reading blog already. Yesterday turned into a witnessing session and my cinfidence is greater than before. Thanks David and fellow bloggers.

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  13. I like to listen to the scripture and follow along reading the words at the same time. Thank you for this blog and the pictures and extra readings.

    Reply ↓

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