Do You Remember, God?


Those of you who follow this blog on a regular basis will notice a change in format. This will only be during the season of Advent. The reason for this is because I always write devotions for our church during Advent and Lent. These are what will be shared on this blog at this time. The format is a little different and the focus is on the reading for our worship time on the up-coming Sunday. I pray that God bless your time in His Word and that you are challenged to seek Him moment by moment.
(P.S. This first installment is a compilation of 2 of the devos from last week. They fit the theme, so sorry for the rerun. Won't happen again!)
 
Prayer: Dear Lord God, it is time once again to rehearse Your story. Thank You for this time to study, pray, and think about You and all that You have done for us. Please send Your Holy Spirit into my devotional times and help me to stay focused on You and to pour out my life in honesty before Your throne. Build up my faith and deepen my love for You. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Read: 2 Samuel 7 (the link below will take you there if you don't have your Bible handy.)

http://www.esvbible.org/search/2+Samuel+7/

Thoughts: One of the most intriguing aspects of Bible study is the continuity and cohesiveness of the story. All of the stories are interconnected to create one large story – the Meta narrative. The chapter we read today from 2 Samuel is one of the pivot points in that Meta narrative. Here we see the thread of God’s redemptive   action flowing through the lives of His people, bringing us a Savior. Back in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve are promised that God will send a Redeemer to pay for their sin. A few thousand years later, Abraham is promised that he will be the father of God’s people; the progenitor of a nation. Now, David is promised that one of his off-spring will be the ultimate King; the One through whom salvation comes. In the Gospels we see the fulfillment of that promise as Jesus is born a baby and dies a horrible death for our sin. Finally, in the Revelation, that Savior returns to take us all home with Him just as He promised. The thread that begins in Genesis flows through our story for today and right into our very lives in 2011.
     As we read the Bible, it is always interesting to look for that golden thread, that unifying factor that is always there. God is not making up this story as He goes along. No, this story has had plan and purpose from the very beginning. There are some in Christendom who would teach that God has had to make a few mid-course         corrections in His plan. (Word of Faith movement.) This is not the case. Scriptures are very clear that God’s plan has been in place since the very beginning and He is patiently putting all of the pieces in place so that His will is played out exactly the way He has always wanted it to be and has always known it would be! You are a part of that plan. Before the foundation of time, God knew that you would be inside of His kingdom and He planned accordingly, just for you. While this is sometimes difficult to understand, it is the truth. You are and always were a part of God’s plan!
     In the reading for today, David has settled into his role as king and is well on the path to establishing the kingdom that God had prepared for him. The conversation, on David’s part, goes something like this; “God you said you would bring about a great kingdom and establish my name forever. Remember? You said you would make your people strong and you promised to bless my family forever. Remember?” And while he is saying all of this, David is also giving praise to a mighty God for keeping His promises and following through with the plan.
     We’ve all had friends with whom we’ve lost touch or who we don’t get to interact with often enough. But we all know how to use the phone or jot an email. We just don’t take the time. The same can happen with God as we forget to pray or ignore reading the Bible for a time. But with our true friends, and definitely with God, the relationship can be renewed and move quickly into life together again. That is our prayer for this Holiday season; may the Lord draw you ever closer to Him.
   
Prayer: Dear Jesus, when I am negligent of our relationship, please come and bring me back. When I withhold my true self from You, please draw me outside of myself and help me be honest. I long for our relationship to be deep and abiding. May that happen to a deeper and deeper level every day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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