Judges 1:1 - Ask The Lord

After the death of Joshsua, the Israelites asked the Lord, "Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?" Judges 1:1

In a class on the Judges, it was pointed out that this is the ony time in this book where the Israelites asked for the guidance of the Lord. Judah is the answer, but Judah asks another tribe to go into battle with them, so even this is not fully followed. How often do we ask for the guidance of God? I often praise him, thank him, and make requests, but rarely do I ask for specific guidance. Which should I do first? When should I do this? Who can help me with this? I think God will find a way to communicate to us if we ask for ears to hear and eyes to see his answer.

Lord, Thank you for allowing us to come to you for guidance. Please help us to think first of asking you when we are making decisions. Amen

2 Samuel 16:11 - God's tool

David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.

David is fleeing his city from his son and his men. A man along the way throws rocks at David and his men and yells curses at him. His men want to kill the man, but David has a deep insight into the ways of the Lord God. He understands that the Lord's ways are not our ways. David generally does not do things unless he feels directed by the Lord. He understands that within God's plans and purposes, one day he may be King, the next a pauper. He is merely God's tool. He will not fight for his position unless it is God's will.

Lord, thank you for guiding us and having a plan for us. Please help us to be sensitive to your will and understand what you are guiding us to do. Amen.

2 Samuel 13:3 - Bad advice

Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

We have to be careful about the people we get advice from. Are they living the kind of life God wants them to live? David's son Amnon was getting advice from his uncle. We get the idea this man was not the most upright guy, but shrewd and street wise. It sounds like he knew how to get what he wanted, and he advised Amnon how to go about raping his sister who he was lusting after. We all have sinful desires, but who are we surrounding ourselves with, people who will encourage our sin our guide us away from it?

Lord, thank you for including this difficult topic in your word, so many have suffered because of rape. Please help us to surround ourselves with your people who will help us and give us good advice. Amen.

PS-On the flip side, give good, Godly advice. Be the kind of friend or mentor who gives wise council and pulls people away from sin.

2 Samuel 7:21 - Sometimes we get a no

For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

In this chapter, David decides to build a permanent home for the Ark of  God. God speaks to David though the Nathan and says no, David's son will be the one to build a temple. David accepts this from God and praises Him. We (or someone close to us) may not hear an audible answer from God today, but he has his ways to make his will known. If we pray for an answer to be made clear, it will.

Lord, thank you for your guidance. Please help us to accept your answers. Amen.

2 Samuel 5:19 - Guidance

so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
  The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

David sought after God's will. He did not trust in his own strength or mind. The Philistines were attacking David. Common sense would dictate fighting back, if not to conquer then at least to defend yourself. But David went to as secure place and prayed. How many times to we rush in to a new project or commitment without praying first? We may not hear an audible voice like David did, but if we ask for guidance, the answer will be made clear.

Lord, thank you for being with us and guiding us. Please help us to remember to pray before we act. Amen.

Psalm 143:8 - Morning

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
     for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
     for to you I entrust my life.

Because I sit down to study in the morning, I am always drawn to the passages about morning. This is a beautiful verse and encapsulates a perfect morning prayer.

Lord,
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
     for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
     for to you I entrust my life.
Amen,

Psalm 44:3 -Win or loose, it's in God's hands

It was not by their sword that they won the land,
     nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
     and the light of your face, for you loved them.

In this verse, David is talking about the success of his ancestors. The majority of Psalm 44 is about how their armies are losing. If we succeed or if we fail is in the hands of the Lord. God's purposes do not always include our success. And just because we fail, doesn't mean we are doing anything wrong or against the Lord. It may feel like God has abandoned us, but he is always there. We can ask God where he is or to wake up and listen to us, David did. He knows what is going on and he continues to love us. Our job isn't to win, it is to put our trust and hope in God.

Lord, thank you for your guidance over our lives. Please help us to put our trust and hope in you, regardless of our successes or failures. Amen.

Psalm 43:3 - Light and care

Send me your light and your faithful care,
     let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
     to the place where you dwell.

Such a beautiful verse. I ask the same thing David did in this Psalm.

Lord, Thank you for sending us light, your faithful care, and leading us here on earth and to your holy dwelling place. Amen.

Psalm 25:4-5 - Teach me

Show me your ways, Lord,
     teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
     for you are God my Savior,
     and my hope is in you all day long.

Being teachable is our responsibility as a Christian. We have to seek knowledge and wisdom from God and be open to his guidance, It is so easy to get in our comfortable rut and rely on what we already know.

Lord, thank you for being willing to teach us. Please help us to be willing to learn. Amen.

Psalm 23:4 - Darkest Valley

Even though I walk
     through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
     for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
     they comfort me.

We all walk through dark valleys. There is a vast difference between walking through that valley alone and walking through with God. Alone, we are fearful and anticipating the worst. We can only see the situation from one perspective. Walking with God, we are not alone. We have someone who has been here before and sees everything. We have a guide and a friend. The tighter we cling to his had, the safer we will be.

Lord, thank you for guiding us through the darkest valleys. Please help us to cling to your hand and listen to your directions. Amen.

Genesis 26:22 - Giving up and moving on

He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, (means room) saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”

Abraham's son, Isaac goes back to Abimelek and the land of the Philistines at God's command. Abraham became very wealthy here, and so did Isaac. The Philistines became jealous and Abimelek asked him to move away from them. He did, but apparently they didn't think it was far enough, because twice Isaac had wells dug which the local herders quarreled over and claimed as their wells. Finally, the verse above speaks of the third well.

When we hit road blocks or walls, what do we do? How do we react? Do we keep hitting the wall insisting this is the right path? Do we move on and look for a more clear way? Sometimes the blessings come from giving up.

Lord, thank you for your guidance in our lives. Help us to know when it is time to give up on something and move on. Amen.

Psalm 48:14

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

We all have a natural desire to be led. This week I saw a video on Facebook about a mother cat who took in three ducklings. The ducklings were looking for a mama, someone to lead them, teach them what to do, to care for them. We all want guidance in our life and we have to make sure we are following the right leader. With God, his son and his spirit as our guide we can always be confident in his leadership, even if we are led into places and situations we would prefer not to go. God assures he is in control.

Lord, thank you so much for your guidance. Thank you for leading us in the way we should go, all the way to the end of our lives and on to heaven. Amen.