Time with Abba, Singing Praising 親親爸父，唱詩歌頌 : OT DAY 450 - As Shrewd As Snakes And As Innocent as Doves (Please click here for English podcast)

Sunday, April 3, 2016

OT DAY 450 - As Shrewd As Snakes And As Innocent as Doves (Please click here for English podcast)

Silence

1. Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2. Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1. Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2. Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3. Open your heart to praise the Lord

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honour.

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,

all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,

the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8:3-9

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html)

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:

“Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2. Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

The Word (1 Samuel 26:1-28:2)

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+samuel+25&version=ESV

21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.” 22 And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. 23 The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. 24 Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.”25 Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
27 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 2 So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

1 Samuel 26: 21-27:2

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

My Listening

Today's passage shows the second time David did not kill Saul when he got a chance. The first time is in chapter 24. Why David lost another chance to be king?

Let's see how Professor John Goldingay tells us:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) :

It would be so simple for David to solve all his problems and even keep his hands clean (because Abishai will do it). No, says David, Nabal provides the model for us to remember. Maybe God will strike him down, or maybe he will die of natural causes, or maybe he will get killed in battle (as actually happens). Let God's will be fulfilled in one of those ways. It's not David's job to fulfill it.
Neither is it David's job to be naive. As Jesus will put it, he needs to be shrewd like a snake as well as innocent as a dove(Matthew 10: 16). When Saul says he sees the truth in David's words and speaks with remorse about his pursuit of David, David doesn't take his words at face value. He has heard all that before. After the exchange, when Saul goes back home, David doesn't go with him but goes deeper into Philistine territory and becomes a vassal of a Philistine city-king.

John Goldingay. 1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.107-108.

It is so easy to sit on God's Judgement Seat and do God's job to judge, even eliminate someone. Beware, you are not God! God will take care of those who want to hurt you, harm you or even to eliminate you. When God act, no one can oppose His act.

On the other hand, you need to be like David, shrewd like a snake and not to step into those dangerous traps.

Do you know when to be shrewd like a snake and when to be innocent like a dove? It's all depends on how close is your heart to God's heart. It is relational, not tactical.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to learn from David to be as shrewd like a snake and as innocent as a dove. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Reflect on these questions:

1. If you were on David's seat, what would you do in that two situations? Would you kill Saul? Would you trust what Saul said and stay with him?

2. How do you know to make the right choice?

3. What have you got from Jesus today?

Praise and Thanksgiving

10,000 Reasons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

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