Time with Abba, Singing Praising 親親爸父，唱詩歌頌 : OT DAY 469 - God First or Family First (Please click here for English podcast)

Sunday, May 1, 2016

OT DAY 469 - God First or Family First (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

For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.

Psalm 18:39

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 (2 Samuel 18:5-19:8)

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=撒+母+耳+記+下+19&version=CUV

It was told Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” 2 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.” 3 And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. 4 The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” 5 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, 6 because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. 7 Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by theLord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.” 8 Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” And all the people came before the king.
2 Samuel 19:1-8

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

How do you answer this question: Do you put God first, or your family first?Of course you would say I put God first, but in reality, is that really true? Today's passage is a good example of David's another mistake, of putting his family first then God. He was blessed to have Joab to remind him not to do that so that he would not make another major mistake. Let's have a good lesson today of how you can love your family more if you put God first and not your family first.

Let's see how Professor John Goldingay tells us:

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

As the troops leave for the battle, his last order is that they are to deal gently with his son. Everybody knows it…
Hard-headed Joab points out that David's preoccupation with his son risks once again surrendering the support of his men as he makes them ashamed of their victory instead of being proud of it. He cares about his enemies (which might seem okay), but he acts with enmity toward the people who care about him (which is at best unwise). He is behaving as if he would be glad if Absalom were alive and his own supporters all dead. A leader cannot allow family considerations thus to dominate his life.

John Goldingay. 1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.161-162.

I do hope you understand what it says in today's passage and do not make similar mistake as David did. I have seen too many good Christians loving their family first and putting God farther and farther behind. At last, they put their family in jeopardy, leaving God totally and living in darkness, bitterness and hopeless!

Remember, God first, family second, health third, work fourth …!