CELEBRATE
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 14-15
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Across the Kidron Valley and Facing the Mount of Olives on the eastern side of the Old City of Jerusalem is the Golden, or Eastern Gate. Jesus celebrated with the people as He entered through the Golden Gate on Palm Sunday. Jewish religious tradition teaches that the coming Messiah will enter Jerusalem through this gate. To prevent this, the Muslims sealed the gate during the rule of Suleiman.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: 1 Chronicles 14:15; 15:16
And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines…Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy.
Scripture records more commendations for David than for any other king. Today’s reading may indicate the reason for that. Most of the time he kept in touch with God, listened and obeyed. In this story, David is under attack from the Philistines. Most military strategists would first enter a planning session, but not David. First, he began to pray! Before he did anything to defend his people, he inquired of the Lord. God gave him the battle plan, which resulted in victory. David honoured God, then God honoured him. Back in 1 Samuel 2:30b God says, “Those who honour Me I will honour, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.”
Is it any wonder that David and the people also knew how to celebrate, as we read in chapter 15? One who did not celebrate was David’s first wife, Michal, the daughter of King Saul. No doubt, in human terms, she had reason to be bitter. She started her marriage to David with great hope, then was given to another man by Saul. She was forced back to her first husband, David, when he took power. In the meantime, David had married another wife. Now David had more wives. It’s sad for Michal. Our attitude and our confidence in God can turn the most difficult circumstances around for good, and we can rejoice if we choose to.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, help me to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18). I pray that I will pray, listen and obey. Grant that my attitude will be one of celebrating other people’s joy, and that I will celebrate Your work in me also. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Back in the mid-nineties, I was not celebrating as I should. The lease on our downtown Toronto television studio building was not being renewed and we were forced to move elsewhere for the continued operation of Crossroads. God had clearly indicated to me, and all the others in leadership, that the right move was to buy land in Burlington and build, according to the vision God had given us for the future. The new Crossroads Centre was opened in May of 1992, the same year we built and financed an amazingly successful soul-winning outreach at the World Exposition in Spain. However, we were not having success in controlling the costs, and we ended up in humanly-impossible debt. Nevertheless, God had a plan.
First, he sent Norma-Jean and me to Argentina, with all costs paid for by a great Argentinian congregation. That church was experiencing a mighty Holy Spirit revival with thousands coming to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord. I expected to be in Church 24/7, but that was not to be. The Pastor’s daughter was having her “coming out party” at a local hotel the first night there, and we were invited. During one of the games, Norma-Jean was asked to get up and imitate an animal, and the guests were to guess the animal. She was moving like and elephant and they guessed right! Everyone was having lots of fun, except me. I thought, “This is foolish. We came down here to experience a spiritual revival, and now this?” Perhaps my attitude was like that of Michal. Then the master of ceremonies called me up and quietly asked that I, along with my table (they had separated Norma-Jean and me), should mimic a creature. The table decided on a crab. There I was moving sideways in a most awkward way. Initially, I was not happy. I thought, “Life is too serious for this.” Then God spoke to my inner being, and this is what I heard: “David, you don’t have fun any more. You’re too serious. I want you to be much more childlike and enjoy life. This is why I arranged for you to come to Argentina.” My attitude changed then and there, and I really got into the crab mimic routine (without being ‘crabby!’). We all laughed heartily and the celebration continued. That trip changed me forever. I came home rejoicing. A ten-year plan for paying off the debt was put in place, and right on schedule Crossroads became debt free. I’m still celebrating!
Yours for celebrating God’s plans and provisions,
David
Thanks, David, for that reminder. I, too, am far too serious in nature. Thank You God, for the moments David shares on this blog to enlighten us. Thank You for being there for us to pray to, Lord. In God we trust! Wishing all saints a blessed day!
In God We Trust, Eric Horner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAAsD2Sc6n4
Yes thank you for the reminder. And thank you to everyone who prayed for my request yesterday. Although it was a difficult situation, God was with me and buoyed up my spirit in a wonderful way. The situation will take a whole to work through, so would appreciate your prayers again. Thanks so much.
I remember posting one of my poems the first time we did this study, two years ago, but I thought it might be worth posting again because it still really fits with today’s reading and there might be new bloggers who missed it- who might enjoy it. Praise God for the gift of laughter.
Heart Psalm #30
When my lips taste the words of praise
I thank thee Lord for the gift of voice and speech.
When my ears hear the dove cooing in her nest
I thank thee Lord for the gift of sound and peace.
When my eyes sees the last drop of morning dew clinging to the leaf
I thank thee Lord for the gift of sight and faith.
When my hand holds the hand of human embrace
I thank thee Lord for the gift of touch and grace.
And when I breathe my last breath and smell death’s cold approach
I will thank thee Lord for the fragrant promise of new life yet lived.
But all these gifts pale and fade like the setting sun when your love
invades every cell of my body and reaches the depths of my being.
For then no taste, no sound, no touch, no sight or smell can capture
the Holiness of it.
All I can do is LAUGH.
Thanks for the story today David M, it put a smile on my face. 🙂
A bit of an update, thanks to all who prayed for a successful back surgery on June 1. Glory be to God, as those were the surgeon’s words to my husband. “IT was a success!”
Today’s reading reminds me that my thoughts need to be positive. Thankful for the songs He brings first from the birds and then in my heart a hymn or a tune from childhood.
A paraphrase from Pulpit Commentary on Proverbs 17:22, “a cheerful heart maketh a good healing.” Amen
Bring on the jokes, funny pictures, clips!
God Bless my blogger, buddies,
Anna
Amen
That would have been funny David and Norma-Jean! Thank you for your prayer yesterday Beverlee. I just reread the rest of the entries from then. Today, I was very involved in yard work for the season which I remember what you said once David that it was still a lot of work and it is for me too. God bless all of you.
God uses the most unusual means to help us to hear Him and to change our attitude…thanks for sharing…”a merry heart is like a medicine”
What a timely testimony!!!
I am in a few war fronts. Only the Lord can give JOY and turn evil for good and His GLORY.
Thank you. PTLA
David H.
I have been having a difficult time trying to post prayers, I have learned something and will pass it on:
I could not post a prayer request or reply to any of the prayer requests because something kept popping up called WORD PRESS > ERROR what that means is I needed to type my name and e mail address in the space where we can post a reply….and Thank God it worked….so, I hope someone else has been helped…..
so now, on to my prayer request:
please pray for a young Mom with 2 boys, she had a brain tumor, it was deadened by treatments but has returned. she cannot have anymore treatments!
pray the Lord will remove this tumor and hold it in His hands and heal the tumor and put it back on her brain, and she will be healed and will live a long, happy, abundant, prosperous life with her precious family! Please pray that God will look over the 2 boys and keep them safe! Again all I can say is “THANK YOU DEAR LORD FOR SWIMMING” as this is where I met the family. The boys are such a joy to talk to and watch them play in the pool and they always talk to me and I enjoy these conversations!The Mom is a beautiful gal, good sense of humour, works in the grocery store and is a fun-filled lovely gal who people enjoy talking to and sharing some laughs! I truly believe that God has something very special planned for her. She came to know Jesus Christ as her Saviour only a few years ago..
She has a wonderful family who are appointed the guardians of the boys! I believe that God will heal her and perform miracles after miracles in her life and those of her family. OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!