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Today is Tuesday April 20, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel chapters 23-24. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-april-20

Title: Bible Study: In His Will Anyway
As a disciple of Christ it is a honor to represent Christ and to know that He has chosen you to be a part of His team. That is not a position to be taken too lightly as few are blessed to even be one of God's people, yet you have been chosen personally by Jesus to be one of His disciples. Every person born has been born with a purpose by God, whether it is to be a man of God, to be a teacher, to be a disciple, or to even be the thorn in the side of many, we are all here for one reason, to serve God's purpose, whether we realize who God is or not. Everything that happened throughout the centuries and even today is inspired by God, oh He allows us the gift of free will, but He uses the choices we make to fulfill His purpose.

The Bible was written by forty men who were given the words by God Himself to write them for the purpose of giving documentation of God, His creating the world, and the people He chose to represent Him. David was one of those men inspired by God and he now he is talking about the last thing that God had him write. “Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.” - II Samuel 23:1-5. These were the last words David spoke after he had finished the book of Psalms or the last that he spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. David's comfort was in the Lord and that He made an everlasting covenant with him, the covenant of mercy and grace and peace, which the Lord made with him as a sinner, who believed in the promised Savior. There is an infinite fulness of grace and all the blessings treasured up in Christ, for those who seek his salvation.

David never lost a battle in his 40-year reign because he sought the Lord for guidance in every battle. However, David would soon realize that he would lose his first battle without even the lift of a sward. “And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.... And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.” - II Samuel 24:1,10-15. David knew that what he had done was wrong, but the damage was done. He disobey the law and because of that a price would be paid. There is no record that taking a census was prohibited, but the Law did state that every person counted was to be compensated for. “When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.” - Exodus 30:12,13. Because of this violation, a plague spread over the land and 70,000 people lost their lives. The Holy Spirit directed the writing of II Samuel to let us see that everyone is under the sovereign will of God, but He allows us to stubbornly go our own way, for He will not violate our free will.

There is a glorious harmony between sacrifice to God and sacrifice for others. Your relationship with God needs to be one of sincerity, and wholly to honor Him. Therefore, our daily association with others becomes an opportunity of offering ourselves to meet their needs, then thanking the Lord for that privilege. The true spirit of Christ is to be motivated by love and is practiced by those in whom Christ truly dwells. The greatness of a person's life is measured by his surrender to the Lord's will and purpose and then gives God the credit for any success. It's not what we get, but what we give, with no ulterior motives for personal gain, that is the measure of our success. While God allows us to choose how we do things, once we make that decision, if not in the will of God, we face the consequences for them, often bringing others down with us. However, He makes every decision we make one that will do His will, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:20,21. How amazing is it that even when you do not make a decision in the will of God that He will use that decision to get you to do His will anyway? Only one more reason to realize that God is always in control. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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