​Today, we continue to read about the life of David and continue to learn what it means to be men and women after God’s own heart. In Acts 13:22 Paul said that being a man after God’s heart meant that David did all God’s will. Doing all of God’s will means we know His will. To know His will we have to know Him. That means reading His Word, spending lots of time with Him, and abiding in Him. It means being God’s friend. David knew God’s will because He knew God.
2 Samuel 4 tells the story of how after hearing of Abner’s death Ish-bosheth became very afraid. He knew deep down, he wasn’t supposed to be king. He knew deep down David the rightful king had the right to usurp him or worse. But David had made a covenant with Saul that all his household and descendants would be safe from harm from David (1 Samuel 24:21-22). But not every citizen of Judah was faithful to King David. Some sought their own power and glory by doing what they imagined would please the king instead of knowing who the king was and doing what would please him.
This was the case with brothers Baanah, and Rechab. They decided it was time to kill King Ish-bosheth. The Beerothite brothers snuck into Ish-bosheth’s house while he was taking a noon time nap to steal wheat. But when they saw the king asleep in his bed they stabbed him in the stomach and cut off his head! They brought the head to David in Hebron, excited about the rewards they imagined the king would bestow on them. But since they didn’t know who the king was, the response they got was not the one they assumed they would get. Verses 9-12 read,
But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
Had they bothered knowing their king at all, they would have known what happened to those who had killed Saul and his other sons, they would have known that killing his last son was not David’s will and in fact was against his will. David knew God and knew that He could and would use the circumstances of the earth including the evil and hate which was against His will to bring about His purposes. God is Sovereign over all of us. He does not want the bad, He does not will the bad, but He will use the bad for His will and the good of those of us who are called to know Him. Romans 8:28-30 says it this way,
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
 
2 Samuel 5 continues the story of David’s life and describes how God’s promise and call was finally manifested after many turbulent years. Verses 1-5 read,
Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
 
The world believes the lies they’ve heard about God, they believe the propaganda not the truth. How often do we fall for the lies too instead of just turning to God? Cities, nations, and people came against Israel often. They didn’t know David and they didn’t know the LORD was with Him. They ignored David’s reputation and chose to believe lies about him instead of the truth. Verses 6-10 describes one such people.
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.”7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David's soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. 10 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
 
Instead of believing the song sung of David, “Saul has struck down his thousands,  and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7, 21:11, 29:5) they chose to believe that even the lame and blind could defeat him. They ignored the truth that the LORD was with David and prospered him in his endeavors. They ignored the history of what David had done. They refused to believe that David was made perfect in God because of faith. You too have been made complete because of faith lived out in the work of God you manifest. James 2:22-23 says,
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.”
 
David was a man after God’s own heart because he was a friend to God. He knew God’s will and plans and trusted God to carry His plans out. In John 15:14-17 Jesus described it this way,
You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
 
The Jebusites couldn’t defeat Israel because David was their king. David was complete in the LORD and the Jebusites were incomplete, blind to God and the truth and lame in their ability to please Him. They wanted to overcome His friend David; it is not God’s will to overcome or harm His chosen children. God wants good for His children. Jeremiah 29:11-14 says,
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[b] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
David was perfect, blameless in the LORD but he was still human and so imperfect until the Day of Resurrection. He took more wives against God’s will (Verses13-15), but God forgave him his imperfections. He was God’s friend, a man after God’s heart. God made sure David knew his throne had finally been established over Israel as some kings recognized David’s kingship and saw the glory of God in him. Verses 11-12 read,
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12 And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
 
You are either a friend of God or his enemy. You either care about God’s desires and make them your own or you care about your own desires. James 4:1-10 reads,
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
 
Whoever it was that came against David, he checked with God first for His will. David acted in accordance with what God wanted because he trusted God’s plans more than his own desires. Even when the Philistines came against David, he inquired of God first before acting. Verses 18-20 read,
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.”
David didn’t assume that God would automatically bless his every action, he checked in with God again and again. Verses 22-25 read,
And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees.24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.
 
How careful are you about doing what God wills over what you assume He wills? Do you ask God first, seek God first, and listen to God first? Or do you assume that God wants you to do something because it seems right? It seemed that the king would want his enemy King Ish-bosheth dead, but Baanah, and Rechab didn’t know David enough to know that it was not his will. Had they inquired of their king first, they would have been saved from death.
Believer, I encourage to be God’s friend. Hang out with Him, talk to Him honestly and sincerely listen to what He says. Seek to know him more and more and to love Him more and more. Read His Word, delight yourself in His Word, and abide in Him. Be God’s friend, His child with His nature and Spirit. Do what pleases the Lord and not yourself. He will soon enough make what pleases Him into what delights you!
Proverbs 37:3-6 says it this way,
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.
 

​David chose to seek God’s will and glory in everything he did. He was a man after God’s own heart. In Acts 13:22 Paul described David this way,
And when he had removed him[Saul], he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
Being a person after God’s own heart means we care about and do all God’s will. It means wanting what God wants and being active in glorifying God through doing His will.
Samuel had died. Saul and Jonathan had died. David had been anointed as the next king of Israel years earlier but he didn’t assume he should just march into Judah and take it, he sought God’s will. In 2 Samuel 2 we read about David’s becoming king. Verses 1-7 read,
After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,”5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
 
You see although Saul had made himself an enemy to David, David never became the king’s enemy. He remained loyal because he was faithful to the LORD. He trusted God and even through the hardship of so many years of living in hiding, running from constant death threats, and having to prove himself repeatedly he chose to remain steadfast in the LORD. He was even able to commend the men who had ensured Saul was properly buried. He honored Saul, because God had given him the title and job of king. God had anointed Saul and David always remembered that.
David did not have to assert himself to anyone as king, the men came to him and made him king. But some chose to forget who God had chosen and anointed. Some men, like Abner ignored God’s will and anoint whom he thought it would be. Remember who Abner was. He was he commander of Saul’s army who rather than stay awake and guard his king, had fallen asleep and left him open to being killed when David stole his spear and water jar and spared Saul life. Abner and the men of Israel who followed him judged by logic and themselves rather than seeking God’s will. Verses 8-11 describe it,
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
 
It was not God’s will for Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to be king. He had anointed David not Ish-bosheth. Verses 12-21 in The Message describe what happened because of the discord and disunity of Israel following their own king rather than the LORD’s chosen.
12-13 One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah, with David’s soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner’s group on one side, Joab’s on the other.
14 Abner challenged Joab, “Put up your best fighters. Let’s see them do their stuff.”
Joab said, “Good! Let them go at it!”
15-16 So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve soldiers from David’s side. The men from each side grabbed their opponents’ heads and stabbed them with their daggers. They all fell dead—the whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter Park. It’s right there at Gibeon.
17-19 The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten to a pulp by David’s men. The three sons of Zeruiah were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild antelope on the open plain, chased Abner, staying hard on his heels.
20 Abner turned and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
“It surely is,” he said.
21 Abner said, “Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating and be content with those spoils!” But Asahel wouldn’t let up.
 
What began as a small sporting fight became a fierce battle. Abner continued to show his unworthiness for his position. And he tried to get Asahel to end the fight but he wouldn’t. Verses 22-28 read,
And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill.26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” 27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.
Abner didn’t ask Joab to end the fight out of understanding God’s will or even caring about God’s will. He was losing and asked Joab to end the fight because he didn’t want to die. But Joab heard what Abner said and was convicted. God doesn’t want His children fighting one another. Judah would have slaughtered Israel, they were winning. But they stopped the pursuit. Verses 29-32 record the outcome of the battle.
And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. 30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David's servants nineteen men besides Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner's men. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
The war had begun though and it would be finished. One side fought for national pride and a king chosen by men. One side fought for God’s glory. 2 Samuel 3 continues the story. What happens when a country or a person fights for self is that the people involved think too much of themselves, consider unimportant things as important, and otherwise mess up their priorities. This happened in Israel. Abner was proud of how hard he worked to protect Israel and Ish-bosheth. He was envisioning Saul’s line continuing because of him and he wanted some glory and power for his efforts. He went into the harem and took a concubine for himself. But Ish-bosheth was too obsessed with the idea of being powerful and didn’t give Abner and regard. Verses 8-11 in The Message read,
Abner lost his temper with Ish-Bosheth, “Treat me like a dog, will you! Is this the thanks I get for sticking by the house of your father, Saul, and all his family and friends? I personally saved you from certain capture by David, and you make an issue out of my going to bed with a woman! What God promised David, I’ll help accomplish—transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and make David ruler over the whole country, both Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba. If not, may God do his worst to me.”
11 Ish-Bosheth, cowed by Abner’s outburst, couldn’t say another word.
 
Abner could see that although he should have plenty of power, he would not be respected and would never have glory. He cared so much for himself that changing sides was just no big deal. Verses 12-16 read,
And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf,[a] saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” 13 And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned.
 
Abner had to prove himself to David by bringing Michal back to him. He had to pay a price. He did even through the agony of the husband she had been given when she was taken from David. Abner wasted no time in using his power in Israel to bring David into his rightful place as king. He didn’t do it out of obedience to God. He did it out of selfishness and self-pride. But God used his schemes to bring about His plan, His will, and His glory. He even used Abner’s anger and pride to eventually bring about his conviction and repentance. According to David, Abner had become a prince and a great man (Verse 38).
Verses 17-21 in The Message read,
17-18 Abner got the elders of Israel together and said, “Only yesterday, it seems, you were looking for a way to make David your king. So do it—now! For God has given the go-ahead on David: ‘By my servant David’s hand, I’ll save my people Israel from the oppression of the Philistines and all their other enemies.’”
19 Abner took the Benjaminites aside and spoke to them. Then he went to Hebron for a private talk with David, telling him everything that Israel in general and Benjamin in particular were planning to do.
20 When Abner and the twenty men who were with him met with David in Hebron, David laid out a feast for them.
21 Abner then said, “I’m ready. Let me go now to rally everyone in Israel for my master, the king. They’ll make a treaty with you, authorizing you to rule them however you see fit.” Abner was sent off with David’s blessing.
David was God’s chosen king. Although it does not say that he inquired of The LORD, I have no doubt that he did, since that was what he did before all his big decisions. He was a man after God’s own heart; a man who did all God’s will. He knew it was God’s will that Abner do what he did. But not every man loyal to David always remembered that God had anointed David and so they should obey David wholeheartedly as if they were obeying God. Verses 26-30 describe Joab’s reaction to seeing Abner, the man responsible for his brother’s death go free.
When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it. 27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.28 Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
 
Joab and Abishai avenged their brother and murdered Abner. They didn’t do it for God’s glory but for Joab’s pride. Joab made the plan and he would have to pay for the assumptions he made based on his own egotism. David mourned Abner publicly and privately. It was clear to the entire nation that David had nothing to do with Abner’s death. He fasted and refused to eat until the day was over. Verse 36 reads,
And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people.
David understood God’s will because he actively pursued a relationship with God; he consistently asked God what his will was and what he would have him do. He cursed Joab and his descendants and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” (Verses 28-30). And he said, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?  And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!” (Verses 38-39).
 
Tomorrow we will continue to read about how the Lord brought about His will and made David king of all of Israel. Believer, do you consistently pursue God’s will or do you like me too often assume your own will is the same as God’s? Our will can look right. It can seem like it would be what God wants. To Joab, it seemed God would want Abner to pay for killing his brother, but it was not God’s will nor David’s. Remember this, being a person after God’s own heart means we actively seek God’s will, God’s kingdom, and God’s righteousness. When we do that, God will take care of everything (Matthew 6:33). He is a big God. He is can do it.

​God will always have His way. We have the choice of doing His will and being a part of His work and ending on the side of blessing and justice or disobeying and ending on the side of wrath and vengeance. Today as we read more about David’s days as a fugitive from Saul, we will see how he was free to choose to glorify God in obedience or glorify himself in disobedience. Obedience to God is often a result of trusting Him. David chose to trust the LORD. In 1 Samuel 23 although David was on the run hiding from Saul, he still chose to be concerned for the people in the towns and cities of Israel. One such city, Keilah was under attack from the Philistines. So David inquired of the LORD who told him to attack the Philistines and He would give them to David. So David and his men saved the city.
When Saul heard, he completely ignored what David had done for Israel, what his own army should have done and considered the circumstances to be providential. David had inquired of God to see if saving Keiliah was God’s will. Saul assumed that God had made it so that he could murder David. Verses 7-8 put it this way,
Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
 
He had not been concerned about Philistia attacking Keilah, but he gathered his army to fight David who had just saved the city. Saul assumed he knew God’s will, he assumed the Lord was with him in his vindictive pursuit of David. David did not assume he knew God’s will. David prayed. And when he heard that Saul was coming after him, he used the ephod brought by Abiathar, the last remaining priest from Nob, and asked the Lord what would happen if he stayed in Keliah. The Lord told him that Saul was coming after him and that rather than let the king destroy their city the people would give David up to Saul. So David and his men left and hid in the surrounding country.
David was hiding in Horesh when Jonathan found him and encouraged his friend in the Lord. Verses 17-18 read,
And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” 18 And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
 
Jonathan knew David would be king and Saul knew it too. It was God’s will and He had not hidden His will from anyone. That is why Saul hated David so desperately. David was God’s chosen king, but Saul didn’t care for God’s will, he wanted his will. Saul’s will was for Jonathan to succeed him, even against his son’s wishes.
The Ziphites knew David and his men were hiding in the countryside and they told King Saul about it. Saul again assumed the Lord was on his side and even went so far as to bless the Ziphites in God’s name for the information they gave him. Saul chased David but had to call off the search when he learned the Philistines were attacking the land again. God would protect His plan to make David king. 1 Samuel 24 takes place after Saul finished dealing with Philistia. David was in the wilderness of Engedi with his 400 men. Saul took 3,000 men to capture him. Verses 3-4 take up the narrative,
And he [Saul] came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’”
The LORD had given Saul into David’s hand but what seemed good David was God’s will, sovereignty and lordship, not what seemed to make sense to his men. David could kill Saul or not. Verses 4-7 read,
Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. 5 And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
 
David could easily have killed Saul. His men could easily have killed him. But he cut off a corner of Saul’s robe and even that hurt him. He knew then killing the king was not what God would want him to do. He had treated Saul with disrespect. David was tired of running from Saul. He wanted it to end. He could have ended it by killing the king, but he trusted God and refused to harm God’s anointed king. Verses 8-15 in The Message read,
Then David stood at the mouth of the cave and called to Saul, “My master! My king!” Saul looked back. David fell to his knees and bowed in reverence. He called out, “Why do you listen to those who say ‘David is out to get you’? This very day with your very own eyes you have seen that just now in the cave God put you in my hands. My men wanted me to kill you, but I wouldn’t do it. I told them that I won’t lift a finger against my master—he’s God’s anointed. Oh, my father, look at this, look at this piece that I cut from your robe. I could have cut you—killed you!—but I didn’t. Look at the evidence! I’m not against you. I’m no rebel. I haven’t sinned against you, and yet you’re hunting me down to kill me. Let’s decide which of us is in the right. God may avenge me, but it is in his hands, not mine. An old proverb says, ‘Evil deeds come from evil people.’ So be assured that my hand won’t touch you.
14-15 “What does the king of Israel think he’s doing? Who do you think you’re chasing? A dead dog? A flea? God is our judge. He’ll decide who is right. Oh, that he would look down right now, decide right now—and set me free of you!”
Now it was up to Saul what would happen. David waited for the king’s response. Verses 16-22 read,
As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
 
David stayed in his stronghold. He knew Saul too well to trust that he would remain penitent for long. I have a feeling that David wanted to inquire of God first before heading back to Saul’s place.
Every step of the way, David turned to God and asked God’s will. He knew Him well enough as well that the right thing, the good thing was what would please the Lord. That was to fight for a city, even if he wouldn’t win their loyalty. That was to spare the king even if it meant the king might kill him at long last. David was a man after God’s own heart. He wanted God’s will, not his own. He trusted God to take care of him and was not afraid to obey Him.
Believer, what about you? Do you concern yourself with seeking God’s will for each day of your life or do you assume God is great with all your choices because you know he loves you and chose you? God chose Saul and loved him, but Saul’s choices were not in God’s will but for his own satisfaction.

​Genesis 18
When we are in a relationship with God, it can become as intimate as we choose it to be. God is close and He will be as close to us as we are willing to let Him be.  That closeness, that deep familiarity and mutual affection we call fellowship or friendship is not always easy. It is fueled by faith and strong faith is not attained by an easy life.
Abraham had that kind of intimacy with God. His faith likely began when his father Terah raised him to follow the Lord. I am struck by the fact that Terah was seventy years old when he became a father to Abraham (Genesis 11:26). He had waited a long time for his sons and he had three. I think it is clear from who both Abraham and Lot became, that Terah raised his sons to follow God. His faith had grown from the time he first obeyed God and traveled from his home in Ur to Canaan. It grew more as he obeyed the Lord time and again over the years and it grew as He believed God’s covenant, God’s word to him about his future. Abraham’s road was not easy, his faith was massive, and his relationship with God was as close as any relationship could be. They were friends. The Lord enjoyed spending time with His friend so one day, He came by for a visit. (Remember He did not yet dwell in His people). Verses 1-5 read,
And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”
The relationship is initiated by God but it is not forced. God showed up and let Abraham decide if he would spend some time with Him. There were three men, The Lord didn’t need Abraham’s company, He has Himself for community. He wasn’t lonely. He wanted Abraham’s company so He offered the chance for a little time together. Abraham took the chance and asked the Lord to stay and rest and take a little food. So, they, The Lord said, “Do as you have said.” Did God need a rest? Was He hungry? No. He chose to relate to Abraham on a level Abraham could understand.
What would your reaction be to having the Lord God come and agree to have a bite with you? I think that depends on where you are on your walk with Jesus. Would you cower in fear, would you be all formal and speak to Him in flowery words to keep distance between you? Would you fall at His feet, hug him, or give Him a high five? I doubt any of us can answer that question with complete objectivity. We tend to answer how we hope it would go down. One day, we will see Him face to face and since we will have been made into the perfect image of Christ, our response will be perfect love and worship. But for now, believers know Him just a bit, partially and even that is bigger than most of us can grasp (1 Corinthians 13:12). By the way, God has offered you the chance to fellowship. In Revelation 3:20-21 Jesus says,
 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Abraham’s reaction showed his friendship with God as the LORD. He worshipped and invited Him to spend time with him. Then he rushed off to prepare the water and the morsel of bread. Verses 6-8 read,
And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
Abraham didn’t bring back a bowl of water and a morsel of bread. He had a feast prepared. He wasn’t doing this for the neighbor down the road, he was doing this for The LORD God Almighty. What difference does it make to you, when you are doing something for me and something for God? Do you do your best for God, do you give Him you best? Keep in mind that we are to do everything from washing a dish to serving a king as if we were doing it for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Remember that whatever we do for even the seemingly most seemingly insignificant of people, we are doing for the Lord. (Mathew 25:40).
A seah of flower was a little under seven and half liters of flour, more than enough for three little cakes of bread, but Abraham had Sarah use a seah each for the three. Then he went and had a calf killed and prepared with curds and milk. (Had this happened in the days of Levitical law, he would have prepared the Lord a non-kosher dish). How long do you imagine that takes? Does it take a few minutes or is it many hours? He was giving the Lord more than a morsel of bread, He was giving him a feast and as long as it took to prepare it, he got to spend that time with God. As long as it took God to enjoy it, he got to spend that time with Him too.
Don’t imagine that the only time you can spend with your Lord is while you are at church or in service or in a carved out quiet time. What about the time you are preparing for those times? What about the times when you are working, concentrating on a task, or relating to the people in your life? If you allow the Lord to be in those times as well as the others, you can enjoy all that time with Him as well.
Abraham was not the only person present. Sarah was there too. She knew the Lord was right outside her door. She had made Him cakes and she could hear the conversation. She chose to remain outside of that fellowship. She chose to stay by the tent door listening. The Lord knew she was there and He invited her into the conversation. He wanted her to enjoy the same closeness that Abraham was enjoying. Verses 9-12 read,
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”
Although the Lord spoke to Abraham, He addressed Sarah. His words were for her benefit and for her faith. She laughed, scoffed at the idea of having a child when she had not had her menses for such a long time. She wasn’t in menopause, she was long past it.  She had desired a child for so long and had accepted the fact that she would not have one, even in the face of God’s promise to her and her husband. She had been through many of the same things her husband had been through, yet her faith was not as strong as his. What was the difference? Abraham chose to have a relationship right up close with God and spoke to and listened to Him directly. Sarah chose to listen from afar and let Abraham speak to and for God for her.
I’ve been where she was. I have laughed at the idea of God fulfilling my desires because science and logic say it can’t happen. How did God respond to His precious daughter’s derision? Verses 13-15 read,
The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Once again the Lord spoke to Abraham but addressed Sarah and this time Sarah answered the Lord and let Him speak to her directly. This passage doesn’t say what Sarah’s response was. But we know that the Lord didn’t change His mind about the child. A year later Isaac was born. And God didn’t choose to remember Sarah for her doubt or her sins. He chose to remember her faith and her righteousness. Hebrews 11:11 is a testimonial memorial to Sarah.
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised
Intimacy with God, friendship with Him also lets us in on His plans. How many of us go through life wondering what God’s will is for us? How many times have you asked your friend what her prayer is and she has said, “I just want to know what God’s will is.” When you are friends with Him, He lets’ you in on it. Verses 16-22 read,
Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
 
The Lord wanted to share His will with Abraham. He wanted Abraham to be included in His work. God doesn’t work in mysterious ways. He is open with us about His will and His plan and He lets us participate. His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), but His work, acts, and plans are not mysterious. Jesus said it this way in John 15:14-15,
You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
 
Letting us into His plans gives us to join in His work. Amos 3:7-8 reads,
“For the Lord God does nothing
    without revealing his secret
    to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared;
    who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;
    who can but prophesy?”
 
God’s Word tells us His will and if we are in an intimate relationship with Him we’ll act. (BTW, God’s will is for the whole world to be saved, for your sanctification, a relationship with you and His glory 1 Timothy 3:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hosea 6:6, Isaiah 43:7).
Abraham responded to the news that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed for their wickedness by intervening to try and save them. The evil of these two cities was more than simple homosexuality as some would make us believe. It was ramped depravity, debauchery, and sexual immorality. It was hedonism to such a degree that the residents only care was their own pleasure. But Abraham had hope for them, because he had faith. He also knew his nephew Lot and was a righteous man living in Sodom with his family. Abraham stood his ground and spoke to the Lord as only a loving friend can. Verses 22-26 read,
So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
 
Can you imagine? He stood in the way of the Lord without letting Him continue onto His plan until He knew more and could convince God to save the wicked cities for the sake of the righteous men within their gates. He knew that the Lord was on His way, the two men went on to the cities but Abraham also knew God is sovereign and powerful. He wouldn’t have any trouble communicating with them.
He then had the boldness to go further. Verses 27-33 in The Message read,
Abraham came back, “Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master? What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of those missing five?”
He said, “I won’t destroy it if there are forty-five.”
29 Abraham spoke up again, “What if you only find forty?”
“Neither will I destroy it if for forty.”
30 He said, “Master, don’t be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?”
“No, I won’t do it if I find thirty.”
31 He pushed on, “I know I’m trying your patience, Master, but how about for twenty?”
“I won’t destroy it for twenty.”
32 He wouldn’t quit, “Don’t get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?”
“For the sake of only ten, I won’t destroy the city.”
33 When God finished talking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham went home.
 
God already knew exactly how many righteous men dwelled in those two cities, one man, Lot and tomorrow we’ll read about what happened.
How close are you to the Lord? Do you visit with Him, talk with Him, and give Him your best? Are you His friend who He can share His plans with? Are you still waiting at the tent door afraid that God will see your doubt? God knows your heart completely whether you choose to be aloof or not. Let Him make you into who you are meant to be, the sanctified righteous image of Jesus Christ. Go ahead join Him for supper, hang out with Him and walk with Him.

Esther 8
The exciting narrative of Esther continues today but first let me recap chapter seven’s events.  In chapter 7 Haman’s evil plot against the Jewish people was finally revealed to the king and he was hanged on gallows he had built to kill his enemy Mordecai. Chapter 8 begins there. Verses 1-2 read,
On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
The reward Esther and Mordecai each received was very nice. Haman had been very wealthy and his estate now belonged to Esther. He had been very powerful and now his power and position belonged to Mordecai. God gives us these things too. He has limitless riches and treasures and He showers them down on us. 2 Corinthians 8:9 reads,
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Believers do not need to seek money, we trust in God’s provision. We trust that our fellow believers trust Him as well and we are generous with one another. When we have, we give; when we need, we receive. Haman spent his time on earth seeking money not righteousness. He hated and used his money for hate. Esther spent her time seeking justice, seeking God. She loved and God blessed her. 2 Corinthians 8:14-15 says it this way,
your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
Like the king gave Mordecai his signet ring which allowed Mordecai to act and proclaim in the king’s name, The Lord gives us authority to pray and speak in His name. The signet ring is the king’s seal. It declared that Mordecai belonged to the king and spoke with his authority. We have the Lord Himself as our seal, The Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:19-22 says it like this,
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
To speak and act in Jesus’ name means we act in accordance with His will and whatever we do or say as His representative, in His name will be done. In John 14:12-15Jesus said it this way,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Haman used the signet ring for his own will. But it was not meant for his will, his glory, or his exaltation. It was meant to allow him to carry out the king’s will. The Holy Spirit indwells us, not so we can exalt ourselves and give ourselves glory but to glorify The Lord God, King of kings.
But the problem still remained. The day was quickly approaching when the people in King Ahasuerus’ 127 provinces would rise up and attack the Jews as they had been ordered to do by Haman’s edict. While Haman had made decisions and then told the king, Mordecai and Esther would not abuse the power and position they had in that way. Verses 3-8 read,
Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, 5 Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.”
Esther did not assume her will was also the king’s will. She entreated him, she let him know her will but asked for his. Mordecai had the signet ring, he could have written any edict he chose but he knew who the king was and where his power came from and so he waited for the king to make his command. The king gave Mordecai permission to write the proclamation required to save the Jews from annihilation. Verses 9-14 continue,
 The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods, 12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.
The proclamation of the king’s will, his commandments do no good if the people are not told. So once the decree was written, it was translated into the many languages of the people of the provinces and then taken out to each and every province, announced and placed where it could be read. You and I are the kings and queens of God our King of kings. We know His will that all people come to know Him (2 Peter 3:9). We can’t keep it to ourselves. We carry out His will, go out and tell them. We’ve been given the commission (the command, charge, and authority) to go out and tell the whole world. Jesus said it just before He ascended to Heaven in Matthew 28:18-20
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Mordecai and Esther wanted salvation from Haman’s evil plot for the Jewish people. They asked the king who wanted the same thing because he loved Esther. As servants of The Lord, we want what He wants and we will find that often what we want is also what God wants for us. I want nothing more than the people I love as well as people the world over to know God and be saved from Satan’s evil scheme. In God’s great mercy, He made the way for that Salvation through Jesus Christ. In His great wisdom, He gave us the ability to carry out His redemption through The Holy Spirit. He lifted us up and gave us honor, made us kings and queens and gave us His authority for His will. What an honor, what a reason to celebrate. Have you celebrated the salvation you’ve received today?  The joy you exclaim speaks volumes about the Lord. Verses 15-17 read,
Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
 
Believer, do you understand the privilege and honor God has given you? He has made you royalty. He has saved you and given you His Seal. He has empowered you to carry out His will. When He declared you His own and laid His sword on your heart, He did so in order for you to be able to take action. You can’t do that if you stay in your pew, in your closet, or under your bed. You do that by riding through the streets wearing your royal robes, rejoicing in God’s goodness, and proclaiming His love and salvation to the world.

​I was reading this morning in Mark 5 verses 1-20 about Jesus freeing the man from the demon called Legion.
Verses 1-6 describe the state of the man before he met Jesus.
“They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.”
It is not the man who speaks to Jesus, but the demon who recognizes Jesus, calls Him Son of the Most High God, and begs Him not to torment him. He then begs him not to send him out of the country but to send him into a herd of 2 thousand pigs. The demon was one demon but many and Jesus gave him permission to enter the pigs, which went over a cliff and drowned in the sea below. Verses 14-17 tell us what happened next.
“The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.”
The change in the man was so big that the people were afraid. Jesus power and authority was obvious. These were not Jewish people. They may have heard of Jesus and they may not have, but they didn’t know God or anything much about Him. Perhaps the fact that a herd of two thousand pigs had just run over a cliff and died carrying with them a huge amount of money scared them about losing any more money to this Jesus. But whatever the case, they wanted to stay in their sin and begged Jesus to leave.
There was a lot of begging, first the demon, then the people of Gerasenes. And Jesus gave them what they begged for. Verses 18-20 continue the narrative.
“As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”
I’ve been a Christian since 1977. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve read this. But this morning The Lord revealed something to me I had never caught before.
After the man has been healed, he begged Jesus to allow him to go with Him. This seems like something that would be God's will. Let me follow you, learn from you tell people everywhere that you are Messiah! Yet, Jesus told the man no. He said, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 
I can try to imagine, that I would be really disappointed, and knowing me I would wonder why I wasn't good enough to be one of his close followers. But this guy went home and he did what Jesus told him to do. He proclaimed what Jesus had done in the Decapolis, which was ten Greco-Roman cities located in Eastern Palestine.






 That was God's will and I would venture to say that He brought many people to the knowledge that Jesus is the son of God. He followed God's will over his own will and God used him. The people in that area knew him as the demon possessed man that couldn't even be restrained with chains, who lived in the tombs and was crazy. They could see the change in Him after his encounter with Christ. His proclamations of God's mercy to him probably changed the lives of many people. If God had given the man what he begged for, I believe the only life changed may have been his. He would certainly not have had the huge impact on his home region.
Making Jesus our Lord means giving up our will for His, giving Him the right to be the Master of our lives. In Luke 9:23-25 Jesus says,
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”
What is it, you have begged for and The Lord has said no to? Have you considered that God has something better for you? Have you considered He has great plans for you? Isaiah 55:8-11 reads,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
We can be so disappointed sometimes when we do not get what we want, even when that thing seems to be something God would want. But trust Him. He knows what He made you to accomplish. He knows your gifts. He knows how to bring you to a place of strength and power in Him.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 says,
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
Go ahead and ask the Lord for what you want, but don’t give in to despair if He says no. His no is only a yes to something better and greater. 

Psalm 37

Does it sometimes seem like bad people have all the good stuff? They get rich. They have cushy lives and everything they want is theirs, even if they have to break the backs of the poor to have it. Believer, you do not have to want what they have. What we have is so much better. Verses 1-4 read,

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Exodus 20:17 tells us,

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

Those evil people do not have eternal life. All the joy they will ever experience will be during their 120 years on earth, and most of them won’t ever get to a full 120. David encourages us, not to concern ourselves with all they have but instead continue trusting God, living the life He has ordained for us and remaining faithful. He says that when we enjoy our relationship with The Lord, He’ll give us the desires of our hearts.

So does that make you ask why you aren’t driving a Maserati, living in a 16 room mansion with a super-model spouse and 2.3 perfect children? Are those really the desires of your heart if you are seeking God with all your heart? The desires of the heart of a person who delights or relishes, savors, and basks in The Lord doesn’t seek worldly material satisfaction. She seeks a closer relationship with God. She wants to be more like Jesus. She would like to commune closely with The Holy Spirit. She yearns for the Kingdom of God to be bigger. She desires God’s will on earth as it is in Heaven. And our Loving Father fulfills those wishes gladly and plentifully for His children who truly appreciate the greatness of it.

If we don’t yet have that full Spirit filled, Jesus glorifying life, David says, don’t worry, commit yourself to The Lord, stay faithful, and wait for Him. He will make you more like Jesus and He will not only align your will and His but fulfill that will. Verses 5-7 put it like this,

“Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!”

We do not have to stoop to hurting other people to get material gain. We don’t ever have to envy the wicked. We should really pity them. They only have this lifetime to enjoy, we have eternity. They only have themselves to count on, we have The Lord God Almighty. David tells us not to bother getting angry. He says not to throw wrath out the window. The acts of those people will be punished, they will be cut off from The Lord eternally when they die. But we will have eternity to bask in His love and worship Him. We won’t even remember the lost. Their lives will be as if they never happened. (Verses 8-11).

The wicked hate us. They judge us as hypocrites and constantly accuse us of being judgmental. They do that because their moral codes are based on lies, they don’t know any better. While they attack and constantly try to hurt us as they charge us with hatred and prejudice, we don’t have to fight back or defend, because God’s got this. We don’t have to fight them because we know that even through their schemes, assaults, and hatred, God loves them and wants them to know Him. We can love them and pity them because if they never humble themselves to acknowledge what Christ did for them, they will die and go to Hell forever separated from the perfect redeeming love of God.

There is nothing to be envious of. We do not have to covet what they have, because it is all temporary. We can revel in the greatness of what we have in Jesus. Verses 16-20 read,

“Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.

20 But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.”

As long as we put our trust in God rather than money, as long as we lean on the Lord’s strength rather than our own, as long as we have faith in Jesus’ righteousness instead of our feeble attempts we do not need to covet the wealth or power of men. This life is short. It is temporary. It is a tiny speck in the eternal timeline of God.

There is hope for the lost as long as they breathe. They can turn to Jesus, they can repent, and they can have the hope of eternity. How will they ever know unless our lives exemplify our Lord? Verses 27-31 read,

“Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
    his steps do not slip.”

Our concern with the wicked should not be with why they have “everything.” We know they don’t, because they do not have Jesus. They watch us, they look for any chance to prove us evil. Because they keep so close an eye on us, we can let our lives be a testimony to the greatness, goodness, and love of God. It isn’t we who should envy them, it is they who should want what we have. Verses 32-34 put it this way,

“The wicked watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.”

The wicked may be at war with us, but our war is not with them, it is with Satan. The Lord of Hosts, Jesus Christ leads the fight. We are safe against every attack in Him, our refuge. He already won the war and one day, Satan and all those who follow him, ignorantly or not will perish with him. Verses 37-40 say,

“Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.”

What are the desires of your heart? Do you want your children to be known for their faith? Do you want The Kingdom of God to expand? Do you want to be like Jesus? Do you want your life to be pleasing to The Lord? God will give you all that and more. That is so much better than a mansion built on the backs of the poor. Eternal life begins now and it surpasses the temporary pleasures of this world. Don’t hate the evil, instead pity them and love them enough to follow Jesus and be like Jesus. They have nothing worth your envy. You have everything worth theirs.

Psalm 33

God’s love is real. It is tangible, evidenced by the earth itself and revealed by those who trust Him. In what ways do we see The Lord’s steadfast love manifested? We see God’s love in our response to that same love. When we thank the Lord, praise Him and worship Him, His love reflected back to Him is experienced by all those worshipping and seen by the witnesses surrounding us. Verses 1-5 read,

“Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.”

When we sing Him a song it is because of His love we can do so. When we prophesy (speak His message and word to another) it is through His love. When we praise Him for His great works and thank Him for what He has done for us, it is by way of His love. When we pray for someone it is due to God’s love. When we do a kindness for someone or help them it is because of God’s love. God loves us deeply, consistently and continually. Because He loves us, we love Him. Because we love Him, we love others. Because we love others they see the love of God and they might fall in love with Him too. God’s love is a never ending circle of palpable love given and received.

God’s love is evidenced by creation itself. In His greatness He made this world. He did it by speaking it out of nothingness. Verses 6-9 say,

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.”

God’s word is powerful. He spoke and created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He speaks and His word makes it so. When God speaks His will becomes real. Jesus, the Son of God is called The Word of God. He is God’s will manifested in the flesh. It is through Jesus, the Word of God that the whole earth was created. John 1:1-3 puts it this way,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

God’s will is a relationship with us. God’s plan is salvation for us. God wants good for us. He has plans and those plans are promises that cannot and will not be broken.  How much better it is to lean on God, to choose His will and His plans over our own or worse over the plans someone else has for us. God’s plans cannot be ruined. Verses 10-12 read,

“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!”

It is an awesome blessing to be God’s chosen, to be able to rely on Him and know that regardless of what happens He holds our heart and soul in His capable and loving hands. We don’t have to rely on our own strengths. We don’t have to put our trust in the plans of men. We don’t hope in the armies or governments of any kingdom on earth. Ours is the Kingdom of God. Verses 13-17 put it like this,

“The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.”

It is God that created each person, it is He who made their hearts and ours. He is sovereign and though they are lost and try to fill their emptiness with wealth, fleshly desires, and earthly power they can’t be satisfied and they won’t be saved that way. No one will be saved depending on his own strength or means. The only way to salvation is Jesus Christ. For those of us who put our hope and faith in Him, there is salvation. No matter what we suffer on this earth God carries us through it. He is always with us. He is always The Lord God. He is always our Refuge, Provider, Healer, Savior, Comforter, and Father. Verses 18-22 read,

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.”

Do you trust in God? Do you truly depend on Him or do you rely on your own strength before you turn to God in hopelessness? Do you understand what it is that He loves you? It is a profound and immeasurable love. God’s love is not lip service but real. God is love. He demonstrated His intense love for you by living perfectly, giving up His life to pay the price, and raising from the dead to overcome sin once and for all. His love is your salvation. His love reflected back to Him can be the salvation of those lost who watch you. 

1 John Chapter 5 Verses 13-15

These verses are a wonderful promise. Verses 13-15 reads,

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

Prayer is powerful. God wants us to ask for anything according to His will and know that He hears us, and that if He hears us, of course He will give it to us. I wonder if I took this promise more seriously how different my life might be. Would I see people healed in every manner right in front of me? Would I see people giving their lives to Christ everywhere? Yes, I believe if I more fully lived the life God has for me and if I were more confident about asking anything according to God’s will, my life would more closely resemble Jesus’.

This is not the only place we see this promise. Jesus told us the same thing repeatedly. One of those times is in John 14:12-14

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

 

Even when He was teaching us to pray He told us to ask for God’s will to be loosed on earth. Matthew 6:9-10 reads,

“Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.”

What is God’s will? How is it in Heaven? It is God’s will that all people come to a relationship with Him, that everyone receives eternal life. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 says,

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

 

But there is more to His will than the beginning of the relationship. He wants us to have an abundant life that exemplifies Christ. The relationship with the Father, following Jesus, filled with the Spirit is lovelier and more amazing than people outside that relationship can know.

John 10:9-10 reads,

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Abundant life doesn’t mean Lamborghinis and Caviar. The life we have is the eternal life given to us by Jesus, lived now and always. We have life, while the lost have death. We know the way to life. Jesus is the door. Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). It is a relationship following Jesus, doing what He did loving people like He loved. And just like He gave us His life, we are to do the same for others. We have life so abundantly it is eternal, never-ending, deep, and awesome.

What is God’s will as it is in Heaven? It begins with that perfect relationship. In Heaven, In God’s house there is a place for you, prepared by Jesus. He is there and He will take us to Himself. God is our home, our sanctuary, our tower, and our place. Jesus made the way and takes us to Himself. Jesus is not only the path, He is the destination. John 14:1-3 says,

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Revelation 21:3-5 describes Heaven this way.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

The perfect relationship, including perfect peace and joy awaits us in Heaven and Jesus said we can have it now, here just for the asking. Heaven is not like earth. Satan is defeated. He has no power at all. Revelation 20:10 reads,

“and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Death and Hades or Sheol, (another word for the grave) are defeated forever. As is unbelief. Revelation 20:14-15 reads,

“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

 

That is God’s will. God’s will is for all of us to have that deep relationship with Him. He doesn’t want anyone to perish, but He says they will. He says that anyone who desires eternal life will have it but that the rest will not. Revelation 21:8 reminds us,

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

 

God doesn’t want that for them, but they chose it for themselves. If we want what He wants then we will ask for anything according to His will and He will hear us and He will grant it. So take the challenge I am taking. Be bold. Be confident. Ask God for miracles. Ask God to reveal Himself in you to the dying masses. Ask God to heal, to feed, and to reveal truth. God will hear you and like any loving Father, He will give you the good things you ask for.

The Beatitudes: Reasons to be happy I have decided to choose happiness. With prayer, the Holy Spirit led me to study the Beatitudes. According to Strong’s Concordance, blessed is translated from the word makarios which is defined as happy, blessed, and to be envied. The further explanation of the word is “properly, when God extends His benefits, the advantages He confers; blessed.” (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).

The Beatitudes begin the discourse known as The Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew. Jesus’ teachings were groundbreaking and shook the foundations of religious establishment. The beatitudes spoke to people who were struggling, living in poverty under a tyrannical government and a religious system that catered to ritual in order to honor God, but had left God out of the equation. Jesus told them that even in those positions they could be envied and considered fortunate and that they could be happy.

That was not the common view then, and it is not the popular opinion now. Let’s read them and you will see that it doesn’t seem a happy or good thing to be in any of the situations Jesus says are advantageous. Matthew 5:1-12 reads,

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

This is an example of the difference between the world and the Kingdom of God. It is very different in the Kingdom of God, those outside consider us foolish, crazy, and even evil. But they don’t understand, and cannot understand until they have the Holy Spirit to help them.

How is it good to be poor in spirit, mourn, or meek? Those qualities are not desired by the world. In fact they are disdained. These traits are only possible with the Holy Spirit as He conforms to the image of Christ. It is not an easy task to want righteousness so badly that it is akin to deep hunger and desperate thirst, a need. Being merciful is, for me something I have to work hard for. Being pure in heart in a foul and sinful world is a struggle analogous to climbing a mountain. Being a peacemaker means that somehow in the middle of strife, turmoil, and conflict that one cannot only maintain his peace but bring it to others. Being persecuted for righteousness? Well we all know that is no fun.

But Jesus says these are all reasons to be happy! He says these are good things and we are blessed even to be envied for those qualities. Believer, remember Jesus words, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

Blessed are poor in spirit “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 5:3

Remember that blessed is translated from the word makarios which is defined as happy, blessed, and to be envied. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).

This is the first of the Beatitudes. The word for poor in this verse is translated from the Greek word ptochos. The word is defined, "to crouch or cower like a beggar – properly, bent over; figuratively, deeply destitute, completely lacking resources.” (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). It is not merely poor but absolutely in need. In a position where one has no choice but to beg because he cannot fill his need on his own.

The word spirit is translated from pneuma which means spirit, wind, or breath. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). It is our life force. It is ourselves as we relate to God. It is in fact the same word that is used to denote the Holy Spirit when the word is preceded by the adjective holy.

Therefore, poor in spirit means destitute of spirit, begging in humility for spiritual needs to be met. Romans 5:23-25 tells us that we are all in spiritual poverty and that Jesus provides the way to meet those needs. It reads,

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

Although all have sinned and consequently every person needs Jesus, only some ever acknowledge the need. It is for those who concede it that the Kingdom of Heaven is given. Those people who recognize they are dependent on Jesus to meet their need, not just once but every moment of every day, who are given the joy of salvation, the joy of living in the Kingdom of Heaven even now while we walk on earth.

The more we understand how much we have sinned and how there is nothing we can do on our own, the more we admit our necessity and reliance on Jesus the more we are able to celebrate and be overjoyed at His grace and mercy. Romans 5:19-21 reads,

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Genuine happiness is not gained by pretending to be good. Authentic bliss is not achieved by justifying or ignoring one’s corruption. True joy is reached when we are able to recognize our sinfulness and ask Jesus, the only one who can to forgive us and make us righteous.

Choose happiness. Don’t close your eyes to your depravity, recognize it. Submit yourself to Jesus as the beggar you are and let Him freely give you the richness of His grace. Jesus turns the tears of mourning over your sin to gladness and praise for His salvation. Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 about Himself. Read verses 1-3 and see that Jesus will do it for you too.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified”

Let Jesus turn your mourning to gladness, let Him give you a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.

Blessed are those who mourn Matthew 5:4 reads,

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

The second beatitude seems almost backwardly confusing. How can someone who mourns be happy? Mourning is expressing sorrow and grief. The Greek word translated to mourn in this verse is pentheó. Strong’s concordance defines it as “to grieve over a death or a personal hope that comes to divine closure. It is manifested grief so severe it takes possession of a person and cannot be hid.” (Helps Ministries Inc, 2011). Blessed means happy and to be envied. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).

How can lamenting that intense be something that give you happiness or a reason to be envied? Because they will be comforted. They won’t be comforted with clichés or empty words. They will be comforted by truth and love. They are comforted by God Himself.

What was your reaction when you realized the depth of your sin compared to God’s holiness? What was your response when you grasped what Jesus had done for you? If you are like me, even now, when you consider your sin there is a deep heaviness of your soul for a moment, a sadness so deep that it should overwhelm you. But the Comforter reminds you that Jesus loves you so completely that your sinful soul was healed by the wounds of His crucifixion and that because of that you are called a Friend of God and a child of our Awesome Father. He repeats to you, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). He tells you again who Jesus is and what He has done. Isaiah 61:1-4 reads,

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations.”

That is not only a reason to be happy but to be overjoyed, jubilant, and celebrate. It is reason enough to praise God for eternity.

And though we sometimes feel like all hope is gone, though we ache and strain for those we’ve lost and miss, though we sometimes think we cannot endure one more struggle, He reminds us of we do have hope. Eternity is waiting for us and with us now. Some of our loved ones have died and we miss them horribly, but this life on earth is not the end. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 reads,

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

The lost cannot be comforted by that truth. They do not have the hope of Jesus. There are no words that can comfort them. Only Jesus can bring them the consolation and succor they desperately need. But until they acknowledge it, feel it and express it, He will wait.

Blessed are the meek Matthew 5:5 reads,

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

When I imagine the earth belonging to someone in a worldly sense, I picture people like Alexander the Great or Attila the Hun conquering countries as their own. I envision strong powerful people with armies and weapons harshly attacking others.

Yet Jesus said the meek will inherit the earth. Meekness gives me a picture completely different than conquerors such as Napoleon, I see a person of submission and weakness, a person who doesn’t fight back when he is injured. But that isn’t exactly what the Greek word for meek means. The Greek word praus is translated to meek in English, but it is more than meekness. It means exercising God's power under His control. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). Praus means the strength it takes to turn the other cheek. It is gentleness. It is letting God be strong instead of you.

You do not have to fight on your own. There is no way to overcome the world without Jesus. Jesus died and resurrected and He beat the enemy.  You do not win the world, Jesus did that. You will inherit the earth. It will be given to you as an heir with Christ. It is yours because God bequeathed it to you. Jesus did what we cannot do. Romans 8:1-4 says,

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

The battle is in the future and the battle is now, but Jesus already won it. Instead of beating the air and making a weak and useless effort fighting the enemy yourself, let Jesus’ victory be yours.

John 16:33 reads,

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Deuteronomy 20:4 says,

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

You are in the fight! You are in the battle, but it is not your strength, weapons or abilities that are effective. It is God. Ephesians 6:10-11 reads,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

When you let God be your strength you are already a victor. When you rely on what God has done for you and the gift of His never-ending grace you are a conqueror. Revelation 3:12 reads,

“The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.”

God is giving you a whole new earth. It is all yours, you’ve inherited it already. Revelation 21:1-3 reads,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God”

What an amazing reason to celebrate because we are weak. It is in genuine and biblical meekness of complete reliance on God that we have victory. Jesus lived, died and resurrected for you. Vengeance is God’s. He has already written the last battle and the enemy loses. But those who are meek enough to rely on God are covered by Jesus’ blood and we are conquerors with Christ! Nothing can change that! Nothing can take the love of God from you. It may look like weakness to the world. It may look like the world is winning. But it isn’t true. Christ wins. Romans 8:35-39 reads,

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

Matthew 5:6 reads,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

The Greek word translated hunger is peina and it means to be hungry, needy, and desire earnestly. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).  The Greek word for thirst is dipsaó and it likewise means to thirst and desire earnestly. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). Imagine desiring righteousness as much as you want a glass of water when your mouth is parched, not just when it would be nice to have a drink but when you are thirsty, when you long for the cool water to slide down your hot throat and satisfy your need only the way water can. That is the way we should seek righteousness. Not just wanting it or thinking it would be nice, but needing it, craving it, not able to live without it as the sustenance of our souls.

Righteousness or dikaiosuné is defined as justice, justness, righteousness of which God is the source or author, God's judicial approval. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). Do you want God’s approval that desperately? Well, there is great news for you if you do.

Jesus said you can be happy because you will be satisfied. The Greek word for satisfy, chortazó means to feed, satisfy and fatten. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). You may be starving for righteousness, but Jesus will give you so much, you will be fat with it! You won’t have to be meager with goodness because Jesus will give you plenty to exercise.

Your yearning for righteousness will be fulfilled. He is the source of life, He is the source of eternal life and the only way to the Father. (John 14:6). Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that He was the source of living water and anyone who drank from Him would never thirst again. (John 4:14-15). Your longing for righteousness will be satisfied much deeper than you could imagine. 2 Corinthians 5:21 reads,

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In Jesus, you are righteous! In Jesus, you are righteousness! Yes, God approves of you! God loves you and Jesus made the way for you to be reconciled to the Father and be righteousness. You aren’t that old self anymore who craved self-satisfaction or worldly things. You are a new creation, you are righteous. You are blameless in the eyes of God. He doesn’t see your sin anymore, He sees your righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).

All you have to do is ask Jesus and it is yours. Free! Done! If you sincerely want it, Jesus gives it to you. Then you will find other things happening. You will want that righteousness to be evident in your life. You will want to demonstrate your love for God by wanting to be as good as He says you are. And you will want it for other people too. And as deeply as you want it, Jesus will continue to satisfy your desire for righteousness. You will seek it out. You will pursue that need, the way you go after food and water, not as a luxury but a need. And then you will strive for it above and beyond food or water, but that is okay because Jesus also promised that if you chase God and His righteousness above all else, the rest of the stuff would fall into place. Matthew 6:31-34 reads,

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Do you want God’s approval? Do you want Him to say you are good? He will if you simply ask Jesus to make you right. Jesus promised to satisfy your want for goodness. In fact not just meet the need to make you rich with it.

Blessed are the merciful Matthew 5:7 reads,

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

What is it to be merciful? The Greek word used here is eleéō. It means to have pity or show mercy as it aligns with God’s truth. It is to act on God’s terms in His covenant. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). Merriam-Webster’s defines merciful as treating people with kindness and forgiveness, not cruel or harsh, and giving relief from suffering.

Compassion for another person in such a way that you are able to forgive their flaws and be kind to them is what being merciful is. And being merciful is not always so easy. It is something we must choose to do deliberately. It is not a natural trait, but it is a characteristic of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23). It is one we can exercise because God is in us and we are operating in His covenant. It is also a quality Jesus expects us to implement. In Matthew chapter 6:14-15 Jesus said,

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

And what right do we have not to forgive people? What right do we have not to be merciful? Ephesians 4:30-32 says,

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Consider that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23). And the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). We deserve death. In fact before we came to Christ, we were dead. Ephesians 2:4-5 reads,

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“

We deserve death. We deserve not to have a relationship with God. But He is rich in mercy. He chose to forgive us and not give us death. By His grace, He gave us new life and a relationship with Him.

When you elect to forgive others and show them kindness you are opting happiness. You are forgiven, God decided not to make you pay for your sins. He paid for them instead. He chooses not to bring to mind your sin any longer. He asks the same of you. God was merciful to you. He has a never-ending supply of mercy. Be merciful and God shows you mercy. All those mistakes you make, God forgives them.

Deciding to forgive others, showing them kindness and compassion, letting go of the bitterness and anger over the wrongs done to you allows you to be happy. Emptying yourself of the right to hold onto the injuries inflicted on you makes room for the Spirit. He makes it possible for you to be joyful, peaceful, and merciful.

Blessed are the pure in heart Matthew 5:8 reads,

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

The Greek word translated as pure is katharos. It means without admixture, separated, purged and therefore clean. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). Heart is translated from the word kardia which is defined as the affective center of our being, the inner-self, the intention that establishes who we are. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011). So pure of heart means that our inner-self, our true self has been flushed out of everything that would make it unclean. A pure heart is forgiven, cleansed by Jesus’ blood and intends to follow Him. It is not an outward ritualistic cleanliness. God doesn’t want the outward show of looking religious. He wants the heart, the desire to follow Him in love.

In Psalm 51, David asked God for a clean heart. He knew the way to that end was the forgiveness of his sins. Verses 1-2 say,

“Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!”

It is only Jesus who can cleanse your heart. It is only His blood that can forgive sins. Hebrews 10:19-22 reads,

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

What is it to see God? 1 John 3:2 says that one day we will see God as He is. It reads,

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

And 1 Corinthians 13:12 reads,

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

So it is a promise of our future hope as we live in New Jerusalem in the presence of Jesus. But there is more to the promise. Every promise of eternity is also shadowed for us now in this life. One day we will see God clearly and fully, but right now we know Him incompletely. But we still seek Him. We still want to know Him and we strive know Him more deeply every day.  God wants us to know Him. He said so in Hosea 6:6

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Knowing God, having a deep relationship with Him was the reason He saved us. (John 17:3). Knowing the Father is done by knowing Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:15, John 14:6).

So how do we know God more deeply?

I’ve already established that you must have a relationship with Jesus first in order to have a relationship with God. That is done by making Jesus the Master of your life and acknowledging that only He can forgive your sins and reconcile you to God.

God will enter into you as the Holy Spirit when you ask Jesus to save you. The Holy Spirit then begins teaching you and transforming you. He shows you who He without barriers. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says,

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

And 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 reads,

“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”--

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

The Holy Spirit is God. He reveals His nature to us, He transforms us so that we reveal Him as well. That is one reason we need other Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Each one is indwelled with God and we speak to each other, teach, encourage, exhort, and edify one another through the Spirit.

We read the Bible, His word and learn more about Him. Psalm 119:105 says,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The Word of God will do work on us to purify our hearts and help us know Him more. Hebrews 4:12 says,

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

One day, we will see God wholly, but for now we seek Him and get to know Him as best we can in our flesh. If we seek and ask, He will reveal and answer. Deuteronomy 4:29 says,

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

And Matthew 7:7-8 reads,

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Is it the desire of your inner core to know God? Then you will know Him. Has your heart been cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Then you will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers Matthew 5:9 says,

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Peacemaker is from the Greek word eirénopoios. It is defined as pacific, loving peace, a peace-maker. A peacemaker, bravely declares God's terms which makes someone whole. The only time this word is used is in Matthew 5:9. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).

Eiréné the “peace” portion of peacemaker is defined as peace or peace of mind. Properly peace is wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; God's gift of wholeness. It was common and still is a common Jewish farewell to invoke the peace and sense of the health of an individual. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).

When we look at the word that way, we see the peacemaker as one who proclaims God’s message, the gift of Jesus’ grace and salvation to the lost in order to reconcile them to the Father and bring them peace with God.

Sons of God is another term I wanted to look at more closely. The Greek word huios means son, or descendent but it means more than that too. It is defined properly, as a son by birth or adoption and figuratively anyone sharing the same nature as their Father. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).

It is the nature of the Father to love. Love is more than God’s nature, it is who He is. 1 John 4:8 says,

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Because God is love, and He loves us so deeply He desires a relationship with every person. He wants us to be whole, healed in Him, no longer under the burden of sin that separates us from Him. He is patient and has withheld the final judgment so that more people will know Him. 2 Peter 3:9 says,

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

1 Timothy 2:1-7 reads,

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

 God wants everyone to be saved. He wants us to want what He wants. He wants us to do something about it. He wants us to proclaim Jesus to the lost. He wants us to bring them the good news that they can be made whole in God.

When we act on the love of the Father, loving people as Jesus loves us, we glorify God. We are being conformed to His image and more and more we reflect His nature by displaying the outcome of that transformation that is called the fruit of the Spirit. Displaying the fruit of the Spirit, loving people as Jesus loves entails us wanting what the Father wants. It requires us affirming and proclaiming Jesus to the world so that they too can be made whole and called sons of God. Eternal life comes from glorifying God. John 17:1-4 says,

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”

Glorifying God means reflecting His image. When people see you, do they see Jesus? Do they recognize God in you? That is being called a son of God. When they interact with you, they should be interacting with the Son of God and therefore even if they don’t exactly who it is they are dealing with they will at least know you are not like the world. You share God’s nature. His nature, His being is Love. Without that love, people can’t recognize you as having the spirit of God because without that love you can’t have the Spirit of God. Remember who God is. 1 John 4:8 says,

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

 

Blessed are those who are persecuted, reviled, and maligned The final two beatitudes are similar. Matthew 5:10-12 says,

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Really a person has to ask, how can we be envied or happy if we are persecuted, slandered and hated? Most true followers of Christ have dealt with vilification and loathing from people. Too many, mostly in other countries have been persecuted and even martyred for Jesus. And the problem grows. There will come a time soon when even in countries like the USA persecution will become more common and even more widely accepted than it already is.

Jesus described the end times. John, Paul, and Peter all described the end times. We can see signs of it now. But the fact is that persecution and revulsion of Christians has gone on since the church began. If you haven’t faced the hate of the world, perhaps you haven’t truly followed Christ.

Jesus told us people would hate us. John 15:18-19 says,

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

So let’s look at the fact that Jesus says we can be happy and envied for the persecution we will face as His followers. The word persecute in all three verses is the word diókó. Diókó is defined as to pursue, to earnestly desire to overtake, to aggressively hunt down. It is interestingly enough the same word used to describe Israel’s pursuit and passion for the Law in Romans, to describe the way we are supposed to pursue hospitality toward one another also in Romans, and the word Paul uses in Philippians chapter 3 to describe his pressing on toward the goal. But most often the word is translated with the negative connotation of persecution. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).

Righteousness is the same word from Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” The word dikaiosuné is defined as justice, righteousness of which God is the author. It is God’s approval. (Help's Ministries Inc, 2011).

So people who are persecuted, aggressively hunted down for God’s justice and approval are blessed because the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. The Kingdom of Heaven is described in the gospel of Matthew by Jesus through parables. Jesus mentions it in Matthew 13:11 in answer to the disciples’ question of His use of parables. “And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”

Those who believe in Christ are the ones who are able to have the faith and discernment to see the Kingdom of Heaven around us. A little further on in Matthew chapter 13 Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a farmer sowing good seed while his enemy secretly sows weeds in the farmer’s field. Rather than gather the weeds and risk hurting the good seed, the farmer says to wait until harvest time when the weeds will be revealed, gathered and burned. As followers of Christ we understand the secrets of the story, that false followers, false prophets, and false teachers will receive their punishment when we receive our reward.

Jesus also compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, a tiny seed which when planted grows into a plant so large it is like a tree and birds can rest in its branches. He also said it is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened. (Matthew 13:31-33). The Kingdom of Heaven looks small yet it grows into something much bigger than imagined, something that does good for others, something that provides sustenance for many.

The kingdom of heaven can’t be perceived by those who don’t accept Jesus. But it is good, amazing, and it grows. It doesn’t stay small and inert. The Kingdom of Heaven doesn’t stay secret. It is revealed to people who are willing to hear it. And it holds great promises for believers. When Jesus was teaching us to pray in Matthew 6:9-10 He said,

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.”

The Father’s will is done on earth just as it is in Heaven when we ask it. Heaven is not our future destination, a place we go after we die. It is where God dwells. It is here and now, all around us. And it is within us. Believers live in the Kingdom of Heaven right now and God lives in us! 1 John 4:7-16 says,

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

When you live out love as Jesus commanded and the Spirit enables, when you seek righteousness you manifest God. You glorify Him and people will see Him. You are living in the kingdom of Heaven and offering it to others. But so many have hard blind/deaf hearts and those people will hate you and persecute you.

The last beatitude is in Matthew 5:11-12

 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

When you are hated because you testify that Jesus is Christ, you can be happy because you have the hope of eternity and that reward is great! In Heaven, our treasures are stored and will be bestowed on us one day when God makes a New Heaven and a New Earth and we will rejoice with God in perfection.

God tells us He saves our real treasures for us in Heaven with Him while we live on earth. In Matthew 6:1 Jesus says,

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

He tells us not to stockpile treasures on earth because all that is just temporary. He says in verses 20-21 of the same chapter, “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Eternity is described for us in Revelation 21 where God will give us our reward, the treasure of crowns God has for us. (2 Timothy 4:8. James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4).

Revelation 21: 3-4 says,

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

In that New Heaven and New Earth where we will spend forever, we will be whole, sinless, completed. Hebrews 22-23 tells us we will be able to be with God without fear.

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,”

So even though we are persecuted, hated, and slandered we can be happy. We should be happy. We have the Kingdom of Heaven now and we have the promise of Heaven for eternity. Persecution for righteousness, hatred for Jesus sake is proof of God’s love in you, of the Spirit of God in you, and the promise of eternity. You may cry tears of sadness and pain now, but one day God Himself will wipe those tears away and you will live forever with Him as yours and you as His.

Rejoice and be glad Believer, you have so much reason to rejoice. Celebrate and be happy! Though you are poor in spirit in desperate need of grace, you have all the riches of the kingdom of Heaven. While you mourn and grieve, you are comforted by the hope of eternity and forgiveness. Although you are meek and depend on God’s strength the world is yours. Because you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you are overflowing with it. Since you are merciful you are given mercy. Because you have a pure heart you will see God. As you are a peacemaker, you are a son of God. And even while you are persecuted and hated for righteousness and Christ, you’re reward is great. Believer, delight, cheer, and dance, you have Jesus. Jesus is all you need. No matter how weak, poor, faint, or desperate you are, Jesus is enough. No matter what you go through or how difficult your circumstances, Jesus is all you need. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reads,

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Be blessed. Rejoice and be glad.

References:

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 1343. dikaiosuné. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/1343.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 1372. dipsaó. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/1372.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 1377. diókó. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/1377.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 1515. eiréné. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/1515.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 1518. eirénopoios. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/1518.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 1653. eleeó. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/1653.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 2513. katharos. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/2513.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 2588. kardia. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/2588.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 3701. makarios. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/3107.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 3983. peinaó. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/3983.htm

Helps Ministries Inc. (2011). 3996. pentheó. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/3996.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 4151. pneuma. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/4151.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 4239. praus. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/4239.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 4434. ptóchos. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/4434.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 5207. huios. Retrieved from Biblehub; Strong's exhaustive concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/5207.htm

Help's Ministries Inc. (2011). 5526. chortazó. Retrieved from Strong's Concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/5526.htm