Jesus is King!

Psalm 110 is the most quoted and alluded-to psalm in the New Testament! A theme stood out when I came across it in my chronological reading this morning: Jesus is King!

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” (Psalm 110:1, ESV)

Kings have thrones and dominions. They rule. They have armies. They execute judgment. Jesus has such. He is enthroned at the right hand of God the Father, a place of honor. He is Sovereign over all that is. None can contest His rule. None can rival Him. He is King (Psalm 110:2–3, 6)! This reminds me of what Paul said in his epistle to the Philippians.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11, KJV)

The question that comes to mind is: Does my life reflect Jesus as Lord and King? Meaning, do I accept His lordship and live accordingly? A simple but effective and practical way to know the answer is found in 1 Corinthians.

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:20, NKJV)

Am I glorifying God in my body and spirit as I live life? That’s the question! I don’t belong to myself as a Christian; I belong to the King! I don’t live according to my rule as a Christian; I live according to His! In fact, according to the Bible, it is my delight to do so!

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (Romans 7:22, KJV)

To glorify God practically means to put God on display in our lives. Living according to the flesh does not put God on display. It displays a different kingdom. Walking according to the Spirit and in obedience to the Word of God puts God on display in our lives, glorifying Him!

Believer, is Jesus not worthy of being Lord in our lives? Did He not pay a great price to redeem us and call us His own? Is serving and glorifying Him not better than serving the flesh and the devil? Jesus is King! What a gracious King! What a worthy King!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Psalms 108-110.

He numbered the people!

It seems David can’t stay out of trouble when he has time on his hands. The last time he did something foolish was when he stayed home from battle (2 Samuel 11:1–2). Instead of conquering the enemy, the enemy within himself conquered him, and David committed adultery and murder. Though God forgave him and spared his life, he lives with the consequences of his sin. His family will live with it long after he is dead.  

In today’s reading, David has subjected his enemies and entered a time of calm and peace. With time on his hands, David does something foolish; He numbers the people, provoking God. Now, taking a census the correct way was expensive. It was an event for all Israel (Exodus 30:11–16). It cost everyone something. That is not the census David is looking to take; he is going around the law to get a number—that displeases God! (The king is not above God’s law in God’s eyes!)

Just as God did in the first instance, He does so in this instance. He sends a seer (prophet) to confront David. Gad gives David a choice between three punishments: famine, destruction by the enemy’s sword, or a severe plague. David throws himself at God’s mercy to choose punishment for him. Still, God chooses the punishment he already said He would bring, which was written in the law—the plague (Exodus 30:12). 

Seventy thousand people die in short order from the plague. More were about to die, including everyone in Jerusalem. David is so distraught that he asks God to allow his family to bear the brunt of the judgment that innocent lives could be spared (1 Chronicles 21:16–17). God responds with an answer—build an altar! And make it in a specific place, not just anywhere.

Notice the mark of true repentance—the change of heart that shows humility before God. 

And David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lord—give it to me at its full price—that the plague may be averted from the people.” Then Ornan said to David, “Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for the wood and the wheat for a grain offering; I give it all.” But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (1 Chronicles 21:22–24, ESV)

Ornan would gladly give his king what he needed, but David insists on paying the full price. Why should Ornan suffer a great financial loss because of the king’s sin? David will not make that mistake, though it would have been an easy response to God’s judgment for his sin. True repentance produces humility. This humility seeks to make things right, even at great cost. We all know that talk is cheap!

The lesson I see in these two events in David’s life is to walk in humility and watch against pride. And when I sin, I must humble myself and truly repent, even though it may cost me something to make it right. Let us rejoice that God accepts a contrite spirit!

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. (Psalm 51:17, NLT)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21-22; Psalm 30.

May the godly rejoice!

Psalm 97! As our reading returns to the Psalms, we see a reason for great rejoicing and gladness. Verse 1 begins by declaring that God is king! The call is for the earth to rejoice and the farthest coastlands (all people) to be glad that God is king. Why?

Verses 2-6 describe the LORD God in view of all the other gods of this world. Verse 2 describes the foundation of His throne: righteousness and justice. Verse 3 describes God as a consuming fire. Nothing can stand in His way. Verse 4 speaks of His unrivaled awe. Verse 5 is a direct attack on the gods of the wicked. In the time of this psalm, the wicked believed their gods lived in the mountains, and they would worship them in high places. God melts those places like wax. In verse 6, the heavens proclaim God; they are higher than the hills! With this in mind, the gods of this world are disgraced, along with those who worship them (vs. 7). None can contend or challenge the LORD God.

For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. (Psalm 97:9, ESV)

The question in the rest of this psalm is: Who or what do we love? According to verse 7, we brag (NLT) about our gods. Verse 10 indicates that the godly love the LORD God and hate evil. If the true God is our God, we will hear ourselves bragging about Him! Our living will indicate that we love righteousness! And what is the reason for great rejoicing and gladness? God is king, a just king (vs. 8), protecting the godly, rescuing them from the power of the wicked (vs. 10), and giving them light for their path and joy in their hearts. May all who are godly rejoice (vs. 12)!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Psalms 95; 97-99.

Poured out!

Today, we come closer to the end of David’s life. Listed in the middle of our reading are David’s mighty men, men of impressive valor. Notice what is recorded of three of these men.

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. (2 Samuel 23:15–16, KJV)

David has a longing! He is thirsty! He longs for water from a particular well. But there is a big problem: the Philistines surround this well! David’s men learn of this longing and risk their lives to satisfy his desire. But what does David do? He pours the water on the ground!

In our culture, this seems wasteful, a dishonor even. But in David’s day, it wasn’t. David is pouring out a drink offering to the LORD. This water is as valuable as the blood of the men who risked their lives to obtain it. David knows he is unworthy, so he honors this heroic act with the highest honor—giving it to the LORD. 

This reminds me of the Apostle Paul. In Philippians 2:17, Paul speaks of being ready to pour out his life like a drink offering. Later, in 2 Timothy 4:6, Paul is about to pour out the last few drops of his life as that drink offering. He has no regrets (2 Timothy 4:7–8)!

Life is precious! Here’s the picture. Have we learned of our Lord’s longing (Romans 12:1-2)? Though it may seem wasteful in our culture, there is no higher honor than to pour out our lives to God! He’s worthy!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Samuel 22-23; Psalm 57.

He is our refuge!

Is there a place to go amid lies and accusations (Psalm 5:9 & Psalm 41:5)? When there are those bent on destroying your reputation (Psalm 38:12 & Psalm 41:6), what can you do? When people assume the worst about you, things they have imagined in their minds that are not true (Psalm 41:7), and you are crushed beneath the stench of their words (Psalm 42:10), is there anyone who knows the truth? This is where David finds himself in our reading this morning. 

Make no mistake about it; the Christian has an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Steal your joy, kill your trust in God, and destroy your reputation. Sometimes, this comes from those you thought were close to you, as David experienced. 

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9, ESV)

And still, yet, those whom your Adversary is not using to oppose you outright stand at a distance from you and your situation—almost like you are toxic and they don’t want to get infected (Psalm 38:11). In times like this it is easy to think that even God has forgotten about you, as you feel very alone and isolated (Psalm 42:9). It’s no wonder at all that David asked himself why he was so discouraged (Psalm 42:5–6)! What can one do in times like this?

First, notice what David said in Psalm 38:13–15. 

But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak. I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply. For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God. (Psalm 38:13–15, NLT)

David tuned out all the lies, gossip, and crazy imaginative rhetoric people had assumed upon him. He realized he couldn’t answer everything against him, and to do so would be foolishness. It is never wise to answer fools according to their folly (Proverbs 26:4), lest you become foolish as they are.

Second, hope in God (Psalm 42:11)! God has a way of exposing liars, allowing those who have schemed against you to get caught in the traps they have set for you (Psalm 5:10). Through his hope in God, David was able to say the following. 

By this I know that You are well pleased with me, Because my enemy does not triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever. (Psalm 41:11–12, NKJV)

Third, David found God to be his refuge (Psalm 5:11–12). In so many ways, the value of this refuge is experienced by letting go of our situation and trusting it to the sovereignty of God. When we try to control and manipulate these situations for the outcome we desire, we lose the comfort of our refuge. Ultimately, having found refuge in God, David could say—Praise the Lord! 

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:13, ESV)

Is God your refuge? A very present help in time of need? Hope in God! Tune out the lies and gossip. Let the sovereignty of God comfort you, trusting Him to bless you, have mercy on you, and preserve you!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Psalms 5; 38; 41-42.