Don't Ask Everybody Else, Ask God

2 Kings 1:6

A man came up to us" they said "and told us to go back o tthe king and tell him, ' The Lord wants to know why you are asking questions of Baal-bezbub, the god of Ekron.  Is it because there is no God in Israel?  Now since you have done this you will not leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die."

Don't Ask Everybody Else, Ask God.

If you're lost, in a dispute, or curious, where do you get your answer?  Our culture has changed in my lifetime.  As a child the answers came from World Book, the multivolume encyclopedia.  Today, it's Siri.

It breaks my heart to think that my beloved World Books  will end  up in a dump somewhere because they are obsolete.  No one wants them, even if they are free.  I'll check Pinterest for craft ideas or perhaps I'll ask Siri (the magic all knowing voice of my smart phone).

I've lost my trust in Siri. Siri has failed me when I most needed him. (I changed the voice to a gentlemen Brit.)  I was in the Dallas airport in my rental car and needed directions to a hotel.  I could not convince Siri I was in Dallas, not Lubbock!  My friend had to stay on the phone call and talk me through the city streets.

King Ahazariah fell off a porch and was laid up in bed pondering life.  He was worried he would not recover.  He sent a delegation to inquire of Baal-bezbub, the god of the locals.  God intercepted the delegation and gave them the answer to Ahazariah's query.  News he didn't want to hear.

We humans have the same tendency.  We know the answer but won't accept it.  So we try asking others who may give us the answer our ears want to hear. 

God is to be trusted.  He knows everything and He Loves me.  Why should I seek answers and wisdom elsewhere?  God is everlasting, unlike the World Book.  I may not get the answer I want to hear but I know God will be with me through the answer. 

Worried? Ask the trusted, eternal God.

Ask: Why am I doing that?

I Kings 1:6

"Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, "Why are you doing that?"  Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome." NLT  

Ask: Why Am I Doing That?

"It's a good thing you're cute."  I say this often to Mickey, the male member of our dog trio.  It took me a couple of years to realize how Mickey's cuteness had undermined by management of our dog pack.

Occasionally I have to intervene in a scuffle between the two females.  I've always blamed Molly as she is demanding and possessive, but also cute.  Over time I've discovered the real instigator, my cute boy Mickey.  He incites Molly's jealous streak and sits back innocently watching while I stop the "fur from flying." Now I watch Mickey to stop him before the scuffle gets started.

I Kings 1:6 gives us insight into why some handsome boys grew up to incite rebellion.  As an adult Adonijah gathered the chariots and forces to act as king.  Again, King David ignored this behavior.  Adonijah took David's nonintervention as consent.  Ignoring a problem won't resolve the issue, only lead to more problems.

Maybe Adonijah was so cute that David couldn't discipline him as a child; maybe David didn't care enough for Adonijah.  In hindsight, we can see that David's ignorance led to more than one sad episode in family dysfunction.

Now I know about cute Mickey and I keep an eye  on him.  I watch for his initial actions to incite chaos.  If I can get him under control, I minimize the scuffle.

I Kings 1:6 teaches me about more than childhood discipline and dog behavior.  I ponder what "childish" self indulgent habits I practice that keep me from a fuller relationship with God.  My actions today will affect my relationships and my future.  I Kings 1:6 inspires me to first ask "Why am I doing that?"

First ask God, then take action

2 Samuel 1: 6

"And the young man who told him said, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there saw Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him." ESV

First ask God, then take action

The ancient dachshund perked up her head and ran into the kitchen.  She usually feigned deafness, her show of keen hearing caught our attention.   We hadn't heard anything. We quickly followed her.

The old dog heard the top two layers of the three layer birthday cake hit the kitchen floor.  We had gathered at my parents' home to celebrate the birthday of our newest family member, my fiancée Dick.  My mother knew he liked frosting on his cake.  We never had frosting.  We ate the cake warm and naked fresh from the  oven. 

To honor Dick, mother made a three layer cake from scratch with frosting. Unfortunately, she hadn't let the layers of cake cool enough before administering the frosting.  We were quicker to the cake than the old dog and salvaged what we could of the cake.

Mother had the best intentions but didn't know the rules of cake frosting.

2 Samuel begins with a young man appearing before David to deliver what he thought would be good news.  The young  man brought confirmation of the death of Saul.  He was at Saul's death. He admitted to killing Saul.  He didn't think Saul had a chance to survive his wounds and the approaching soldiers.  So he finished him off, gathers up Saul's crown and armlet, and journeyed to tell David.

The young man  probably expected a reward.  Saul had been tormenting David, chasing him with intent to kill  him.  The young man didn't realize that David followed a principle.  David would not be the one to kill the anointed king.  On more than one occasion, David had the opportunity to end Saul's life and become the next king as he knew he was destined.  Yet each time,  he realized he was not to attack God's chosen king.  God had  a plan. David knew to trust the plan, even when he only knew part of the plan.

Sometimes in life, opportunities seem too good to be true.  We convince ourselves that it's part of the plan even when some basic  principles need to be ignored.  Our society tries to teach us that the "ends justify the means."  God knows our heart, our intent, our true motive.  Too often our true motive is our gain, not adhering to His Plan.

The only way to adhere to His Plan is to ask God first, then take action.

God fulfills mission in His Time

1 Samuel 1: 6

"And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb." ESV

God fulfills mission in His Time

"It's not time yet."  I start almost every morning murmuring, then declaring these words.  My annoying little pack leader thinks the dogs need to eat at 3:30 am.  So she paws at my bed.  When I don't respond appropriately she lets me fall back asleep for about one minute and then wakes me up.  I fight her timing  but will admit that I get a lot done with the early start to my day.

Today's verse in my blog series, The Sixes- a six word learning from the 6th verse of each of the 66 books of the Bible, comes from the story of Hannah.  Hannah wanted children desperately.  Her husband's other wife had lots of sons and daughters and her pride in fertility provoked Hannah.  Hannah's husband demonstrated his love for her despite the situation.   Hannah ended up in the temple in intense prayer.  So fervent was her prayer that the priest, Eli, thought her drunk.  When he heard her story, God used Eli to tell Hannah that He would indeed answer her prayer, at just the right time.

It wasn't time yet.  Hannah was to be Samuel's mother.  Samuel  was to be the spiritual leader of the Israelites as they transitioned from the time of judges to the kingdom.  He anointed the first king.

I've lived in the confines of time long enough to have heard "It's not time yet."  Most times I challenge the restriction because I always like my plan better. Yet I've  learned there are times I benefit from "it's not time yet."  When my mom was 45 years old she heard the dreaded words  breast cancer.  I didn't know it at that time but God said "it's not time yet."  We had 16 years with  her before the disease finished her.  In hindsight, I like to think she hadn't finished raising us and we needed more of her influence.  God's timeline gave us those 16 years.

Time has taught me to trust His mastery of time.  When I don't agree, discuss it with the Lord. He will give me the plan if I'll listen and trust Him.

Never to far for God's calling

Ruth 1: 6

"Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited His people and given them food." ESV

Never too far for God's calling.

"Now..... I'll get the hot dogs out."  I use the command "Now" sparingly.  It was supposed to be the emergency recall word so my dogs would immediately come to me.  To entice their obedience they receive a piece of hot dog when they come. When the three of them are barking, usually the Now command breaks through the noise.  Often they are slow to respond. Initially they choose barking. The follow up with "hot dogs" usually completes their decision that hot dogs are better than barking.

Naomi and her family had moved to Moab because of the famine in their land.  Moabites did not worship God.  Naomi's family lived in Moab long enough to settle in as part of the community.  Her two sons married local girls.  Unfortunately, Naomi's husband and both sons died leaving the women on their own.

In the midst of a pagan  land, "in the fields of Moab", Naomi heard that God had blessed His people with an end to their famine.  So, after years living in Moab, she decided to head home.  "In fields of Moab" makes me think that God's work was the talk of the town.  His provision of food for His people would have been on the 6 o'clock news (if they'd had news broadcasts in those days).

Ruth 1:6 reminds me that I am never too far away or in the midst of so much of the noisy world, that I can't hear of God's work and choose to go to Him.  Just yesterday at work, as the tense situation concluded, the gentleman shook my hand and said "God bless you."  I was surprised but enjoyed the blessing.

This verse reminds me that God uses the invitation "Come Now" often and His blessings, when I choose to respond, are more enjoyable and enduring than hot dogs.

Just one will have future effect

Judges 1:6

"Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes."

Just one will have future effect

"If you sit in the Splash  Zone, you Will Get Wet!"  We made our choice to not sit in the Splash  Zone.  We had planned a long day at the park and did not want to spend the entire day wet.  In our younger days, we arrived at these shows early enough to get prime seats in the wet zone.  Some people buy and wear protective gear to lessen the effect of all that splash.

The Israelites were beginning their conquest of the Promised Land. Part of the plan was to eliminate the current inhabitants.  King Adon-bezek thought he could outrun the plan of the Lord.  When he was captured and punishment administered, he reflected on his life.  He'd done the same to 70 other kings.

This episode reminds me of the law of cause and effect.  There will be consequences to my actions.  I chose how I act.  The Splash Zone reminds that too often  I try to see how close I can get to the danger with minimal effect.  In today's world we are tempted to come a little closer... just have one donut today, just skip one day of exercise, just skip one day of devotional reading. 

It may seem like "just one" doesn't matter in the long run, but toes and thumbs are really important to a normal life.  I may not like the look of my big toes but when one toe is in pain, walking is extremely difficult. Amazing how such a small, insufficient digit can affect my navigation through life. 

I thought about skipping this verse.  It would just be one  day.  I made up this challenge.  But thumbs and toes remind me:

Just one will have future effect.

Now I have to decide if I'm eating that donut that came out of my freezer.

Be A Wonderful Leader For Others

Joshua 1:6

"Be strong and brave for you will be a wonderful leader of My people and they shall conquer all the land I promised to their ancestors." New Living Bible 

Be  a wonderful leader for others.

"She's surveying her domain."  This little dog thinks she's the pack leader.  She tells us (me and the other two dogs) when to get up and when to eat.   She defends her yard, behind the safety of the fence, from other dogs, humans and squirrels.  We call her the "feisty badger" because she fights back when the other two dogs pick on her. 

Why does this pint size dog believe she is the leader? 

§  She is persistent ( I actually call her annoying.  She will not give up.) 

§  She is confident. (Why else would she bark at the dog who outweighs her by ten times?)

§  She trusts in the authority of her human, Dick.  (When she feels unsafe, she wedges herself between him and the arm of the chair.  Only in that position will she allow him to be her protector.)

§  She believes her leadership will benefit her family.

Moses had died.  Joshua was the appointed leader.  He was to lead the conquest of the Promised Land.  This was it, the ultimate mission.  I imagine Joshua looking toward the long awaited home of  his people.  It had been a journey of many generations.  Perhaps he was overwhelmed or too excited to think.  There were still unknowns, still people to drive away, battles to win, giants to defeat.

God tells him to be strong and brave.  Logical words.  The surprise words in this verse were "you will be a wonderful leader."  Joshua may have had some human doubts but God tells him he will be a wonderful leader.  Those words would motivate me! 

God has given each of us our own little "pack" of people to influence.  We are left here with a mission to be a wonderful leader.  Where are we leading these people?  To God and His saving grace.  Aren't we glad God delivered and delivers us?  We tell others so they can join us.

To be that "wonderful leader"  I will

§  be persistent, in a non-annoying way

§  be confident, because God believes in me

§  trust the Creator of the Universe and My Deliverer (Why would I come up with a better  plan than God?)

§  benefit others, not just myself.(That's what will separate me from the world. Others will benefit, not just me.)