Saturday, April 10, 2021

WHITER THAN SNOW

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 11-12

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

 

Mount Hermon is the only ski resort in Israel and is located in the north. Even in Summer a snow cap can still be seen. King David prayed, “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7b).

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

 

Key Verse: 2 Samuel 12:7a

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!…”

In today’s Bible reading we learn that it is impossible to hide from God. God told the prophet Nathan all about David’s sin. David had tried to cover it up. God will rip the covers off in His time and for His purpose. Perhaps because David had been so blessed by God, he thought he would be an exception and that God would let him get away with his sin. When we read together the Psalms, we’ll see that David has a special relationship with God. Is it possible that David thought God would let him get away with adultery and the deliberate act of ensuring Uriah’s death? Perhaps David no longer feared God as he once did. Psalm 111:10 tells us, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” Jesus is quoted in each of the first three Gospels saying, “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed” (Matthew 10:26). This should put “the fear of God” into us. David, when he was caught, repented. He wrote Psalm 51 at this time. Let’s take time to read it together. In 51:7b he states his confidence that God washes away his sin and makes him “whiter than snow.” While God forgives, the circumstances don’t always forgive, as we will see in tomorrow’s reading.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I join King David in his prayer of repentance: “Have mercy upon me” (Psalm 51:1). “Cleanse me from my sin” (51:2b). “Create in me a clean heart” (51:10a). I pray this through Jesus, Who bore my sin on the cross and Who washes me clean in the blood that He shed (1 John 1:7b – let’s read all of 1 John chapter one). Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I believe that “repentance” is a constant in my life. John the Baptist began his ministry with the word “repent” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus did the same (Matthew 4:17). Is this a top priority for a believer? That’s for sure! To me, “repentance” means a 180 degree turn!  At 179 degrees, I’m still moving away from God. Daily Bible reading and prayer keeps me focused like the surveyor I saw with a transit scope the other day. I must not look away from God’s will for my life. David did, and look what it cost him.

On one occasion, I had the joy of skiing at Whistler, British Columbia. The lifts were full and I found myself sharing a three-person chair with two young ladies from Quebec. The move to separate from Canada was big then. They told me they would vote for Quebec as an independent country. I said, in my best French, “Look around you. British Columbia is your country now. It won’t be if you separate. How could you possibly give up all this beauty?” They answered, “We’ll think about that.” Then I asked them to think about Someone else… God. I quoted Job 38:22 – “Have you considered the treasures of the snow?” (that’s my rough translation from French). That opened the conversation for the next few minutes to talk about the Lord! Good seed was planted in their hearts. I saw them from a distance twice more that day, and they waved and gave me their biggest smiles. Perhaps they we’re laughing at my accent, but I think not! Je pense non! Oui?

Yours for “whiter than snow,”

David

P.S. Over a three-year period some 50 years ago, I read the French Bible daily in my time of devotions. I suggest that this is a great way to learn a language, holding in one hand the English text, and the French in the other. Here’s a link to a French and English parallel version of today’s reading (click here).

 

10 thoughts on “Saturday, April 10, 2021

  1. God sees and knows everything. Thank you God for your Holy Word, that we may learn. Thank you for your blessing on the world, today. Lift up our hearts that we may give you all the glory and praise. We place our trust in you. His love and light be upon you, fellow saints in the Lord. Amen.

    Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
    Psalm 51:10 ESV

    Keith Green – Create in me a clean heart
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD2PJ0xbAdY

  2. If we lie and think we can deceive God then we are extreme fools.He created us and knows our very thoughts.Our minds are like open radio signals to Him.We fool ourselves if we think He does not know our sins.That happens to many top preachers who start out doing God’s work faithfully but Satan temps them little by little until they give in to some ‘tiny part of sin’ but the door is then opened and the enemy keeps tempting them until they give in to bigger and bigger sins until Satan pulls the rug out from under them and God’s work comes crashing down.That is why Billy Graham followed ‘The Billy Graham Rule’.I think David Mainse did the same.May God bless

    Search Me

    Search me,oh Lord,I’m Yours,
    Remove the cobwebs that hide,
    Find out what my heart stores,
    Then put the wrong far to one side.

    Search again,oh Lord,for light,
    Let not darkness cloud my mind,
    That I may freely do what’s right,
    For I want a heart clean and kind.

    Search my soul,Oh Lord,for me;
    Don’t let me be vain and phony,
    For such get lost and can’t see,
    Then become the devil’s crony.

    Search my heart,oh Lord again,
    Leave no trace of greed within,
    Then I can show,without pain,
    The love betrayed by my sin.
    G W Marshall / 08-Nov-013

    Our Infection

    In the darkest shadows of our minds
    Is where we lock our sins away
    But He sees what His light finds,
    For He sees shadows as bright as day.

    In our closet are hidden from us
    What we can not fight on our own,
    But there is One called Jesus
    Who has the brightest light ever known.

    This light is free,from a ransom paid,
    To all those who will take His name,
    For in His torment He made
    A sacrifice when He had no blame.

    He knew,back then,of our infection
    And of the power we denied,
    So ignoring rejection,
    He left us the grace we had defied.
    (G.W.)Bill Marshall/11 July, 2016

    • Amen Beverlee. Such hope in this song which is taken from the Psalms.
      I am praying that I will have a right spirit in me always. Blessings this beautiful day. Eleanor M.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.