This is the story of David and Abigail—of a strong man who admired a strong woman; a wise man who listened to an even wiser woman. This can be our story too, if we’re wise enough to follow her example and adopt her motto.
Our assurance as believers is that God has a plan and a purpose for us and He is constantly working behind the scenes in every circumstance in our life to further that plan. We need to remember it is His plan, not ours.
Thinking is hard work. Perhaps that’s why so few people engage in it. Precise, perceptive thinking doesn’t come to the lazy; it only comes to those with mental determination and discipline. But in a society that thinks with its feelings, how are we to know what is right and reliable?
On a recent tour of Israel, my wife and I went to this hill to hear anew the familiar expressions of “Blessed are” preached by Chuck Swindoll. But there, on the Mount of Beatitudes, it was what I saw, more than what I heard, that really demonstrated the power of Jesus’ words.
“Never give up, never give in.” This could have been the motto of Paul’s life. Quit simply wasn’t in the man’s vocabulary. We ought to erase it from ours as well. And we can if we’ll hear and heed Paul’s last words to his friend, Timothy.
Think of each song or hymn as a promise to God, a binding statement of your commitment. Picture the results of this commitment as you sing it with gusto. Then, after the song has ended, apply it with the same gusto. God not only loves a cheerful giver, He honours a sincere singer.
We’ve broken the world. And each of us is responsible. Down deep in our souls lies a little rebel that sometimes whispers and sometimes yells for us to go our own way. Inevitably, when we do, we stumble into a moral morass.
The Bible’s wisdom literature was different from that of Israel’s neighbours because it was rooted in the theology that God has created an orderly universe with both a natural and moral law. God has wired his creation according to those laws.
“Familiarity breeds contempt” is an old cliché because it’s nearly always true. However, before contempt, familiarity breeds complacency—a ho-hum attitude that is satisfied with the status quo. If we’re not careful, complacency will then breed cynicism, which is a kissing cousin of contempt.
Since heaven will be our ultimate destination, we need to spend less time complaining about our struggles and trials on earth, where we temporarily live, and more time learning as much as possible about heaven, where we will live forever.
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