God’s Will and Our Willingness.

“Be courageous! Let us fight bravely to save our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD’s will be done.” ­– 2 Samuel 10:12 NLT

David was a king, and kings sometimes have to fight the enemy. It’s not all royal dinner parties and leisurely days spent relaxing in the palace. David’s reign was regularly threatened and his kingdom was always under attack by the enemies of Israel. Even though God was with him, David was still expected to do his part. God didn’t fight his battles for him. God gave him wisdom, direction, and even intervened in miraculous ways, but David still had to pick up his sword, lead his army, and take on the enemy in battle. Notice the words that Joab spoke to his brother Abishai: “Be courageous! Let us fight bravely to save our people and the cities of our God.” As one of David’s military commanders, Joab knew that they were going to have to take on the Ammonites and all the mercenary armies they had hired to fight against Israel. He was calling his brother and all those under his command to fight bravely, to do their part. But then he reminded Abishai that the results were up to God. They would do what they could do and trust God to do what was in His will to do.

Waiting for God’s will doesn’t mean we sit on our hands and do nothing. Remember, this whole situation in 2 Samuel 10 began with David attempting to show sympathy to the new king of the Ammonites over the death of his father, the former king. David wants to extend an olive branch in recognition of the late King Nahash and his former loyalty to David. But the king’s son listens to the advice of his counselors and rejects David’s kind offer. He embarrasses David’s emissaries and hires thousands of mercenaries to fight against David. David is forced to respond. So he gathers his troops and prepares for war. But he and his military leaders recognize that the results of this conflict are ultimately up to God. They will do what they have to do, but the outcome is up to God. The well-being of Israel and her inhabitants is being threatened by this upstart king, so David responds with action. It is his job to protect the people of Israel. He has a job to do. He is not being rash or hasty. He is only responding to the actions of the enemies of Israel. He is going to do his part and trust God to do His.

Isn’t that what we are all called to do? Yet oftentimes we are lulled into a sense of complacency and inaction, thinking that waiting on God’s will means doing nothing. David was simply doing his job as king. He was performing the task that God had given him to do. And you and I have responsibilities given to us by God. We are His ambassadors and representatives on this earth. We are to make disciples. We are to carry on the ministry of reconciliation. We are to stand against the enemy and to fight the good fight. We are to spread the gospel and live as salt and light in this world. We are to love others. We are to take up our crosses daily. We have work to do, and we must do it diligently, trusting that ultimately, God’s will will be done. We are to do our part and leave the results up to Him. Like Joab, we are to fight bravely in order to save our people. We are to fight for the body of Christ all around the world. We are to do all that we can do to care for the people of God who are under attack. That is our job. That is our responsibility. That is our duty. So we must do our part and leave the results up to God. We must be willing to do what we have been called to do, and trust that the will of God will be done.

Father, we ask that Your will be done here on earth. But don’t allow us to sit on our hands waiting for You to do it all. You have chosen us, empowered us, equipped us, and commissioned us to do great things here on earth. May we be busy doing what You have called us to do, and trusting in the reliability and accuracy of Your will to be done. May we see ourselves as partners with You as we live out our lives on this planet. Give us courage to do our part, because we know You are going to do Yours. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



The Unmerited Favor of God

“And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly with David, as though he were one of his own sons.” ­– 2 Samuel 9:11 NLT

We have in these two chapters of 2 Samuel, a dramatic contrast. On the one hand, you see David, the conquering king experiencing victory after victory – all because God is with him. “So the Lord made David victorious wherever he went” (2 Samuel 8:6b NLT). On the other hand, you see David the gracious king, extending kindness to the grandson of his old nemesis, Saul. In these two contrasts we see a picture of God and His relationship with mankind. God is the conquering King, the warrior-God, before whom no king or nation can stand. He is all-powerful and nations fall before His might. Yet, He is also the gracious King who extends mercy and favor to those who do not deserve it and could never earn it. David had the hand of God upon him. He was unstoppable. He was winning battle after battle against anybody and everybody. And while he could have justified a desire to search out and destroy any descendants of Saul, thus eliminating any claim they might have to the throne, he instead seeks out Saul’s descendants in order that he might show them grace – unmerited favor.

Mephibosheth is a picture of you and me. We are crippled by sin, weak and defenseless before the mighty King. We deserve His wrath and judgment. We have inherited the legacy of our “grandfather” Adam. We are sinners just like he was. We stand before God as guilty. We are usurpers to the throne of God. And while we deserve His wrath, He instead extends to us His grace. He seeks us out. He invites us into His throne room. He gives us what we do not deserve – which is grace. And He does not give us what we do deserve – which is mercy. No, like Mephibosheth, we find ourselves standing before God as guests in His home, eating at His table, enjoying the benefits of His grace.

Those of us who are in Christ have been extended the same grace as Mephibosheth. We stand before God as His children. We enjoy the benefits of His mercy and grace each and every day. Crippled by sin and powerless to provide for ourselves, we eat at the King’s table and take advantage of His remarkable kindness. What an honor. What a privilege. What a God we serve.

Father, may I never lose sight of the magnitude of the kindness You have extended to me. May I never stop marveling that I am Your child and that I enjoy the benefits of Your grace, instead of Your wrath – all because of what Your Son did for me on the cross. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



You Can’t Out-give God

“Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” ­– 2 Samuel 7:18 NLT

David wanted to build a temple for God – a dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant. He had been able to build a palace for himself and God had allowed his kingdom to experience a period of peace. David had been able to complete to a great degree what Joshua had begun – to occupy the land of Canaan. And now David wanted to do something for God. He wanted to build Him a dwelling place fit for the God of the universe. When you think about it, it really was a grandiose dream. How in the world could a mere man, even the king of Israel, hope to build a suitable home for God? But David’s heart was in the right place.

But God had other plans. Just when David thought he was going to do something great for God, he ends up being the recipient of God’s blessing yet again. God informs David that he is not going to get to build God a house because He does not need one. He never even asked for one. Instead, God would build a house for David, but not a literal house. No, He was going to build a dynasty for David. In this chapter we have the Davidic covenant. God promises not only to let David’s son ascend to the throne after him, but He promises to establish David’s throne forever. This does not mean that there would be an unbroken chain of David’s descendants on the throne, because that possibility was eliminated when the people of Israel and Judah went into captivity. But God was promising David that one day He would reestablish the throne of David and place on it a descendant who would reign forever. That descendant is Jesus Christ, and He will sit upon the throne of David at the time of His second coming.

Here was David hoping to build a temporal home for God and yet God was promising to build a permanent dynasty for David. Even when Solomon was given the opportunity to build a dwelling place for God, it would not last long. It would be destroyed. But the house of David would last forever. Isn’t that just like God? When we think we are blessing Him, He turns around and blesses us. We can’t ever out-give God. And David’s response was one of praise. “How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you––there is no other God. We have never even heard of another god like you!” (2 Samuel 7:22 NLT). David recognized that He could never out-give God. He could never do more for God than God could do for him. Even if those blessings were completely undeserved. And like David, we have received blessings from God that are for greater than our capacity to return the favor. God has given us eternal life and the promise of unbroken fellowship with Him. David owed everything he had and everything he was to God. Now he owed the future of his kingdom and the promise of his future house to God as well. Regardless of enemies or the sinful failings of future kings who sat on the throne of David, nothing could prevent God from fulfilling His promise that David’s throne would one day have a descendant who reigned forever. And that king is Jesus.

Father, You give and You give and You give. You have done far more for me than I could ever deserve or repay. Just when I think I am doing you some kind of a favor by my efforts on Your behalf, You remind me that nothing I do adds value to who You are or merits any worth in your eyes. You don’t need my sacrifices. You don’t need my praise. You have no needs. But my praise and my efforts on Your behalf are simply the response of a man who has been given so much – undeservedly. You have given me eternal life. You have given me forgiveness of sins. You have given me the righteousness of Your son, in exchange for my unrighteousness. How could I ever even think I could somehow repay You?  Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



The Kingdom of God

“And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.” ­– 2 Samuel 5:12 NLT

A lot has been written and said about David over the centuries. He is held up as an icon of faithfulness and a man after God’s own heart, despite his many faults and flaws. He was the prolific composer of many, if not most, of the Psalms. He was a successful king, but also a less-than-successful father. He ruled and reigned well. He was a mighty warrior and a skilled musician – kind of a renaissance man. He was powerful, yet humble. His kingdom was expansive and yet he didn’t seem to have an ego to match.

But 2 Samuel 5-6 reminds us that this isn’t about David. He is NOT the star of the movie. He is just another bit player in God’s incredible play about the redemption of mankind. Even David recognized that God was the central character of this drama in which he found himself. It was God who had made David king over Israel. It was God who had blessed David – all for the sake of His people Israel. This was not about David. It was and is, as always, about God. We so easily lose sight of that fact. We become confused and begin to think that this event called “life” is all about us. We begin to believe that the universe revolves around our lives and our decisions, so we view everything from our very limited perspective, convincing ourselves that everyone and everything, including God, is here to make our lives more enjoyable and comfortable.

But God reminds us that we are walk-ons in His great drama of redemption. We will come and go, much like David did. He was a tool in the hand of God to accomplish His will and establish His kingdom on earth. God’s divine plan continues on long after David has been gone. No man, including David, is allowed to play fast and lose with God’s will and ways. Just because David was a man after God’s own heart did not mean he could interact with God however he wanted. He learned that lesson the hard way when he attempted to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, but chose to do it without following the strict guidelines provided by God. Rather than transport the Ark on poles carried by the Levites, David decided to expedite matters and put it on a cart pulled by some oxen. He even made sure it was a NEW cart. But when the cart became unbalanced and Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark with his hand, he was immediately struck dead by God. He had violated God’s command. Disobedience had brought death. But wasn’t David just trying to do right? Wasn’t he simply attempting to return the Ark of God to the city of God? What’s the big deal? Why did Uzzah have to die? Because God is holy and His Word is law. He is to be feared and obeyed. David may have been king, but God was the sovereign ruler over Israel. His word was not to be violated or altered in any way. David’s clever plan for transporting the Ark could NOT replace God’s commands. Any attempt to do so would end in disaster – and did.

Chapter six ends with David celebrating the arrival of the Ark into Jerusalem. They eventually got it there when they did it God’s way. And David led the festivities as he danced before the Ark in joyful celebration of the goodness and greatness of His God. David knew that his position was completely dependent on God’s will. He was nothing without God. He would not survive without God’s protection, guidance, and presence. He would not succeed without the help of Almighty God. This was His kingdom, not David’s. These were His people, not David’s. This was His story, not David’s. And it is still His story today, not ours.

Father, it has been and always will be about You. Forgive me for trying to make it about me so much of the time. Give me the ability to see the world through Your eyes. Give me a greater and grander perspective. Help me get my eyes off of me and onto You. I would not be here without You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



A Righteous King For Unrighteous Times.

“Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, ‘May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.’ Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people.” ­– 2 Samuel 3:36-37 NASB

David was now king. Saul was dead. You would think that things would be looking up for David right about now. But instead, the first days of his reign were filled with war, deception, murder, intrigue, and difficult decisions. The kingdom is divided. Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth, is king of Israel to the north, set up by Saul’s former commander, Abner. He reigns at the bidding of Abner and owes his position to Abner’s power and influence. He is a puppet king.

David was king over Judah to the north, and the passage tells us that David’s power was growing while the power wielded by the house of Saul was waning. And in the midst of all this, Abner decided to switch sides and align himself and the kingdom of Israel with David. He bails on Ish-bosheth and turns the control of Israel over to David. David and Abner make a truce and all seems well. That is until Joab, David’s commander finds out. He is still angry over the fact that Abner killed his younger brother, Asahel. So when he discovers that David has made an alliance with Abner, he takes matters into his own hands and personally kills Abner.

Now, as if that was not enough, poor Ish-bosheth ends up getting killed by two of his own commanders, who bring his head to David, in hopes of gaining favor with the newly crowned king. But to their shock and surprise, the payment they receive for their efforts is death. David has them executed for having murdered an innocent man.

These were not easy days for David. But through it all, he ruled righteously and rightly. He mourned the loss of Abner. He avenged the death of Ish-bosheth. At no point do you see David enjoying the demise of his enemies or gloating over the death of his rival king. Even while surrounded by conniving, manipulative people who made poor decisions and created extremely conditions in which David had to reign, David did so with integrity. He did not seek revenge on those who had made his life a living hell all those years. While he could have turned on Abner and had him killed for the role he played in David’s years as a fugitive, David was willing to make peace with him. David could have rejoiced over the death of Ish-bosheth, but instead he mourned. David’s reaction to the circumstances of life reveals a lot about the kind of man he really was. What do the circumstances of life reveal about YOU?

Father, I want to be a man after your own heart like David was. I want to react to the circumstances of life with integrity and righteousness. Continue your life-transformative work in me. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Integrity of Heart.

“David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.” ­– 2 Samuel 1:11-12 NLT

David was referred to by God Himself as a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). That designation has always bothered some people because of what appear to be some significant character deficiencies in David. But these first two chapters of 2 Samuel give us some insight into what God saw in David. God knew David’s heart. He also knew David’s flaws. His choice of David was not based on perfection, but on a willingness to obey God and serve Him with integrity of heart. In fact, we read over in Psalm 78 these words regarding David:

He [God] also chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds; From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 NASB

David was a man of integrity, and nowhere is this more apparent than in his reaction to the death of his arch nemesis, Saul. Think about what your reaction would have been if you had been in David’s sandals. He had been relentlessly pursued by this man for years. He had been forced to live in caves, scrounge for food, care for a growing band of men and their families, and constantly look over his shoulder in fear that Saul and his men might be there, ready to take his life. Now, he receives the news that Saul has been killed in battle, along with his son, Jonathan. Did David rejoice? Did he pump his fist and yell at the top of his lungs? Did he and his men hold a celebration? No, we’re told that his immediate reaction was one of mourning. And not just for the loss of Jonathan, his best friend. David legitimately mourned for Saul.

David received this news from an Amalekite mercenary who said that he had stumbled upon Saul in the heat of battle. When he arrived, Saul was near death and about to be swarmed by the Philistines, so Saul asked the man to take his life. The man supposedly agreed to do just that and when he had done so, he took Saul’s crown and arm bracelet and brought them to David as proof. He probably thought David was going to give him a reward for taking the life of David’s enemy. The only problem is that this man’s story was a complete fabrication. We know from 1 Samuel 31:3-6, that Saul had taken his own life. This guy had just happened to come upon Saul’s body, probably while doing a little looting on the battlefield. He fully expected David to slap him on the back and give him some kind of a reward for his “efforts.” But he was in for a surprise. David actually has the man killed. Why? Because he confessed to doing what David himself had refused to do on two different occasions. He took the life of the Lord’s anointed. David had had his chances to kill Saul and he had refused, saying, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him” (1 Samuel 24:6 NLT). You see the integrity of David’s heart. He knew that God had put Saul on the throne and it was up to God to remove him. And even when it became apparent that God had done just that, David didn’t rejoice – he mourned. He was saddened over the death of the king of Israel.

One of the characteristics of pride is resisting authority and showing disrespect to those in authority. At no point did David do this. A prideful person is also consumed with themselves, jealous, envious, not glad for others’ successes, deceitful, covering up their own faults, while gladly exposing the failings of others. David could have easily gloated over Saul’s death. He could have recounted all the times Saul had tried to kill him and that now Saul had finally gotten what he deserved. But instead, David mourned. He truly did have integrity of heart. Our reaction when our enemies fail is a great indicator of the condition of our heart. Do we gloat when our enemies face disaster? Do we find ourselves happy when we hear that someone we dislike has run into unexpected trouble? When the politician we didn’t vote for runs into trouble, do we inwardly rejoice? If so, then these reactions give a snap shot of the condition of our heart. May we pray that God give us a heart marked by integrity. A heart like his. A heart of love. “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT).

Father, I want to have a heart like David had, a heart like Yours. Too often I rejoice in wrong, I get jealous, I become proud and conceited. I would have had a party if I had been David. I would have been happy to hear of Saul’s death. But David mourned. Give me that kind of a heart, Father. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org