Today’s Reading: 1 Sam 14:1–52, James 3:1–12, Ps 119:97–120

Today’s Theme: Watch your mouth (what you take in and speak out)

The things we take in and the things we let out are really important. We should take in the sweet truth of God’s word and then use our mouth to encourage and bless others in light of the word we have eaten. God has provided us with his written word so there is no need to go hungry, eat your fill from God every day.

1 Samuel 14:1–52

Confess God’s ability

Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.” 1 Samuel 14:6 (ESV)

Jonathan has real faith in God and openly declares with his mouth that nothing can stop God from saving by many or by few. His servant is spurred on by his conviction and declares that he is wholeheartedly behind Jonathan.

We should have this same sort of faith in God. Our faith shouldn’t be in our ability but in God’s ability to give us the victory even when the odds are stacked against us.

Paul encourages us in Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

We should open our mouth today declaring that God is able and then act in faith.

Eat!

But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 1 Samuel 14:27 (ESV)

We read later in our Psalm reading that God’s word is sweeter than honey and through it understanding comes (Psalm 119:103-104).

When we eat God’s word we will be filled with life and energy. Our eyes will be enlightened just like Jonathan’s became bright with life when he ate the honey.

Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 1:18 “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (see Ephesians 1:17–21 for fuller context).

What does it mean to eat God’s word? Well as we will read in the Psalms we should take in God’s word (listen or read) and then meditate or think about what we have read. These two things will help to fill us with the spiritual energy we need to press forward by living out the word.

Don’t just look at the word, eat it!

Don’t become ravenous

The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. 1 Samuel 14:32 (ESV)

The fact is we are hungry, this is true physically and spiritually. We always eat physically because we can feel the hunger and seek to satisfy it. We should do exactly the same spiritually.

In this account the people had been forced by the religiousness and rash vow of Saul to fast. This came to a breaking point where they became ravenous and ate meat in a way contrary to all of their own laws.

If we do not feed ourselves spiritually with God’s word we will become ravenous in the spirit, eating the next thing that passes and taking the life of that thing to energise our own lives. This can be dangerous because it could be at best foolish or at worst false teaching.

Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

Jesus also said in John 6:35 “…“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Turn to the Lord for satisfaction today.

James 3:1–12

Watch the things you say

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. James 3:10 (ESV)

We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us control our tongue because no man can do it himself. We can’t just say anything, we should use our tongue to bless others, not curse them.

What we take in is what will come out, which is why we need a steady intake of God’s word so our responses will be what God intends.

Psalm 119:97–120

Think about God’s word

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97 (ESV)

We should take time to think about what we have just read in God’s word. If we love the word of God we need to go beyond reading to meditation, study and application.

Understanding from the Word

Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Psalm 119:104 (ESV)

We get understanding from God’s word and it is the ruler we can use to measure everything else against. It is by the truth of God’s word that we identify false ways and stand against them.

Joy in the word

Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. Psalm 119:111 (ESV)

The word of God should bring us great joy. We should rejoice in reading and studying the word of God. If you find the word of God a miserable duty then ask God to change your heart today, you are missing out.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on James 3

Today’s Reading: 1 Sam 12:1–13:23, James 2:19–26, Ps 119:81–96

Today’s Theme: Empty Faith

Faith without the corresponding evidence of genuine saving faith is as good as the faith of demons, empty, useless and futile. Our faith is in the substantive truth of God and His word. Biblical faith has no resemblance to new age and Hollywood flaky notions of “faith”.

1 Samuel 12:1–13:23

Empty things

And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 1 Samuel 12:21 (ESV)

Samuel charges the people to follow the Lord and not empty things that cannot profit or deliver.

We need to hear this today too. It is the enemies plan to get us distracted with things that are ultimately empty and worthless.

We need to live our lives on purpose, we should not waste our lives pursuing vain goals or putting our trust in any substitution for the Lord.

Avoid the empty promises of idolatry and sin, instead follow the Lord in faith.

James 2:19–26

Useless faith

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? James 2:20 (ESV)

Even the demons believe in God so believing in God is simply not enough. Faith that does not have corresponding works is completely useless.

James goes on to make the argument that we are justified not only by faith but by works accompanying that faith in verse 24.

James concludes the chapter by stating that works is like the spirit in a man’s body, remove the spirit and all you have is an empty corpse. Faith without works is dead, empty and useless.

Psalm 119:81–96

Firmly fixed

Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Psalm 119:89 (ESV)

God’s word is trustworthy, it is backed up by God Himself and is fixed. As a result it does not change with the times or cultures. The truth of God’s word is not relative it is absolute and final.

God’s word is not empty, it is solid, firm and fixed. We can put our faith in it today.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on James 2

Today’s Reading: 1 Sam 10:1–11:15, James 2:14–18, Ps 119:65–80

Today’s Theme: Faith and Works

Today we learn the importance of having faith that works… faith that does not work or without works is useless faith.

1 Samuel 10:1–11:15

The work of the Holy Spirit

Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 1 Samuel 10:6 (ESV)

God’s Holy Spirit would come upon Saul causing him to prophesy and would even change him as a person while under the Spirit’s influence. This would serve to confirm his calling for Saul himself and the people.

God the Holy Spirit comes upon us today as well, to empower us with gifts to be used for God’s glory and to change our hearts. See 1 Corinthians 12:11 and Hebrews 2:4

The Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration in the heart of believers is one of the greatest miracles. See Titus 3:5 and John 3:3

Empowered for war

And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 1 Samuel 11:6 (ESV)

God’s Holy Spirit is not in our life for superficial reasons or just for show. God’s Spirit comes upon us to equip us, empower us and make us bold for the battle. Ephesians 6:12

God the Holy Spirit wants to capture our hearts today to be engaged in the spiritual war raging in God’s Kingdom. We should be filled with God’s passion to see God glorified, to see His kingdom established and for the flourishing of church. Galatians 5:17

When the World Cup was on, it was easy to get passionate about a team we were supporting. However, we should be even more passionate and driven when it comes to things concerning God and His kingdom. Philippians 1:27.

Saul did not waste the passion and anger he felt when the Spirit of God came upon him. He made a plan and executed it in verse 11. We need to channel the energy God gives us, make a plan and execute it.

James 2:14–18

Just Faith!!

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? James 2:14 (ESV)

“Can that faith save him?” the answer to the question is No!

Faith alone will save no one, just believing in God or believing the gospel will not save us.

Many people believe God is God, believe the bible is true and the gospel is true but they do not have saving faith because they do not obey the gospel.

Inactive faith is ineffective, dead and worthless. It is literally not worth having because it brings no benefit to those who hold it.

True faith will always have the fruit of behaviour, deeds and works that correspond to, conform to and come from the proclaimed faith.

God calls us to real faith and not to mere intellectual agreement.

Dead faith

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17 (ESV)

James writes in such an understandable way that there is little room for confusion. Here he makes it clear that faith without corresponding deeds is dead.

Man may try to redefine faith and even what it means to be saved but the fact remains that what we believe will show fruit in our lives through our behaviour and actions.

Faith by itself is dead. True faith goes beyond the mind and heart and ends up right here in the real world, showing itself through the things we do and refrain from doing.

Only God can grant us life giving, saving faith by His Holy Spirit.

Show your faith

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18 (ESV)

Faith is not a private affair, it is a community project. Our faith is not a privately held opinion, it is a publicly proclaimed message and a life lived openly in community with the body of Christ.

We are called to actively show our faith by the things we do.

Our society tries to force us to keep our faith private which is not biblical and is a ploy to silence the proclamation of our faith and make our faith impotent through no obvious displays of faith in life.

Today’s culture is always talking in the movies and stories about believing. If you just believe… they don’t talk about believing in God just believing in general. In fact it is quite fashionable to have belief… just in general, not anything as specific as believing the Gospel of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ or believing the bible.

Determine to actively exhibit your faith today.

Psalm 119:65–80

God does good

You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. Psalm 119:68 (ESV)

God is good and so He does good. The same should be true for us, if we have been made good through faith in Jesus then we should do good, just like God.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on James 2

Today’s Reading: 1 Sam 8:1–9:27, James 2:1–13, Ps 119:49–64

Today’s Theme: God the true King

One of the bible’s great themes is God as King and the Universe as His Kingdom. This is an over arching story in the biblical narrative which brings the whole story together. God establishes His Kingdom in creation, sin brings rebellion in the kingdom and Jesus comes to proclaim and re-establish the kingdom and will return to rule and reign as King over all.

1 Samuel 8:1–9:27

The rejected King

And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 1 Samuel 8:7 (ESV)

One of the main narratives of the bible is that God is King. One of the clearest ways in which we see this, is with Israel. God’s chosen nation was always intended to be a witness and example to the world. Israel was to show God’s kingdom on earth and show the nations what it meant to have God rule as king, known as a Theocratic Kingdom.

The rejection of their covenant keeping God and King, was a foreshadow of the rejection of Jesus the Messiah. See Acts 3:13–15; 7:51–53.

Regardless of the people’s rejection, it does not change the fact that God is the sovereign King over all creation. Yesterday we read and saw how God was sovereign over the Philistines and the people of Israel.

We must joyfully submit to God as our covenant keeping, sovereign King.

Like everyone else

that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 1 Samuel 8:20 (ESV)

Do not be in a hurry to be like everyone else. We must learn to be content and happy with God’s provision and guidance in our lives.

We learn throughout the bible that it is unwise to compare ourselves with others and so become covetous. We may be envious of a seemingly wealthy person but do not realise that to get what they have, we need to sacrifice, family, time and health, for example.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:12 “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”

Trust God as the King, don’t try to be the little king and ruler of your own life, deciding what and who you should be. Instead, determine to submit yourself to the King and what He has for you.

The King’s providence

But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” 1 Samuel 9:6 (ESV)

God used Saul’s servant (who would seem insignificant), to change Saul’s mind so that they would encounter Samuel. God uses people around us to direct us according to His plan.

We should ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in this way today so that we meet the people and go to the places that God wants us to.

James 2:1–13

Our King’s royal law

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. James 2:8 (ESV)

God our great King, demonstrated the royal law by showing us His love for us, in giving us Jesus, His only Son, to die for our sins.

We as members of His kingdom here on earth, should fulfil the royal law which is to love others as we love ourselves. As Jesus said, all the law is summed up in this.

James is making the point that we should not act with partiality and prejudice.

Walk in the love of the King towards those around you today. Show mercy and remember mercy was shown to you, this will triumph over being judgemental in your own mind.

Psalm 119:49–64

Entreat the King

I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. Psalm 119:58 (ESV)

Like this psalm, we entreat the King to show us His favour, according to His word.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on James 2

Today’s Reading: 1 Sam 5:1–7:17, James 1:19–27, Ps 119:33–48

Today’s Theme: God’s Dangerous Presence, Live the Bible

God’s presence is dangerous to every demon, to the flesh and the ways of the world, but is wonderful to those who love God and love His word, seeking to live out the word by being doers of the word and not just hearers.

1 Samuel 5:1–7:17

Demons must bow

But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 1 Samuel 5:4 (ESV)

Demons must bow down in God’s presence. For these false gods, which are really demons, the presence of the true God is a terrible and frightening thing.

Dagon had fallen face down before the ark of the Lord. Paul taught us that every knee will one day bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, even demons will have to bow. Philippians 2:10 says “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth”.

Later we see that both the head and hands of the idol were cut off. This is symbolic of God cutting off the enemy’s ability to strategise (head) and his strength (arms).

God’s hand on the flesh

So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? 1 Samuel 6:5–6 (ESV)

God’s presence represented by the ark, did not only affect the idol / demons, it had an effect on the flesh of the people, causing great discomfort and sickness.

The presence of God will bring discomfort to the flesh, leaving man with the option to either flee God’s presence and remain in sin, or humble themselves in repentance and become conformable to God, His presence and His word. Romans 8:29

The most dangerous response to the judgement and conviction that comes in God’s presence, is to harden our hearts like the Egyptians did, which resulted in their destruction. This is possible in church; to hear God’s word and harden our hearts, not leaving His presence, but not responding in humility. This is very dangerous, we must humble ourselves before God.

Our flesh must bow and repent in God’s presence. Jesus said in John 16:8, “when the Holy Spirit comes… He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment”.

God is not safe, but He is good.

And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the LORD. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great blow. 1 Samuel 6:19 (ESV)

“In C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of the children is told about Aslan the lion (who represents Christ in the story). She asks the Beavers, ‘Is he—quite safe?’ Mrs Beaver replies, ‘If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most, or else just silly… Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”*

We should not have a flippant attitude when it comes to the things of God, the presence of God is dangerous and should be handled as holy and sacred.

These men looked into the ark which contained the covenant (now represented by the bible), and it was because they looked at it that God struck them down. This ties in well with our NT reading.

We should honour God, His word (the bible) and His presence (The Holy Spirit), humbling ourselves to approach God and respond to God appropriately, or suffer the consequence in our own lives.

*C S Lewis quote taken from Opening Up 1 Chronicles. Leominster: Day One Publications.

God helps His people

As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 1 Samuel 7:10 (ESV)

Samuel was the last great Judge of Israel, he served a dual role (like Jesus), as the high priest and prophet too. He turned the hearts of the people back towards the Lord.

Here we see Samuel invokes the presence of God through this burnt offering and cries out to the Lord to deliver the people. God responds to Samuel and thunders against the enemy, sending them into confusion, leading to victory for Israel.

Samuel had experience with God’s presence and knew that it was only God who would allow them to defeat their enemies. This is why he calls the people to repentance and then calls urgently upon the Lord.

As God’s children we must walk right before God and call upon His presence, through the Holy Spirit in our lives, to see the enemies of our soul defeated.

God gave Samuel peace for all his days as a judge, after this. God’s presence is like a weapon in our spiritual warfare, that will bring us peace.

James 1:19–27

Do the word, don’t just read it

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 (ESV)

James is so plain in speaking, that the letter requires very little comment.

We should be changed by God’s presence and by God’s word. God’s word is a mirror, it shows us ourselves and God’s Holy Spirit shows us where we need to change.

We must think about what we read so that we do not forget it. If we forget it, we cannot apply it.

Don’t just plough through the bible reading plan, take time to pray over what you read and apply it to your life.

We have a “relationship with God”

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 (ESV)

It has become a common saying with Christians, that faith in Christ is all about a “personal” relationship with God (as opposed to just religion). This opens the door to all sorts of private interpretations and heresy and gives people all types of licence for sin, as they form God in their own image.

We were out evangelising one evening and we met a young man whose dad was a minister. He was clubbing but said that he had a personal relationship with Jesus.

Rather than having a “personal” relationship with God, we actually have a “relationship with God” that includes a relationship with a local fellowship of believers; a Pastor, the bible and the world around us. We cannot isolate our relationship with God from the wider church.

True religion rather than man’s futile attempts to reach God, is to live in purity before God and to live out the word of God, by serving and blessing others.

Psalm 119:33–48

Delight in the Bible

for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. Psalm 119:47 (ESV)

We should, like the psalmist, have a deep love for God’s word and a strong desire to hear it and understand it. Mediate on this wonderful portion of Psalm 119 today.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on James 1