The event was one of the most spiritually significant in David’s life. In fact, the event changed the course of history in a way that affects us today.

David sinned in calling for a census of Israel. God dealt harshly with him by sending a plague on the people. David repented by purchasing the threshing operation of a local farmer on Mt. Moriah. At that place, David offered both a burnt offering for his sin and a peace offering to make amends with God. God honored the sacrifice and ended the plague.

The account in 1 Chronicles 21 reveals that the ark of the covenant and center of worship at the time was located in Gibeon, a couple of miles to the northwest. The encounter with God at Mt. Moriah made such an impact on David that he could not think of worshiping anywhere else. “…but David could not go before it [the altar at Gibeon] to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 21:30), and he declared that the threshing floor at Mt. Moriah would become the permanent location of Israel’s worship of their God.

Eventually, the Temple was built at that location in Jerusalem and still stands there today. Of course, it has to share space with Islam, but one day that spot will once again be the center of attention directed at God.

What about us?

• How often do we either fail to recognize the spiritual significance of our life events or soon forget the spiritual lessons we claimed to have “learned”?
• How many times do we “promise” God we will do something only to forget or fail to follow through?
• Are we guilty of forgetting Sunday’s commitments no sooner than we leave the Sunday dinner table?

Take time to reflect on what God has done in your life. Remember the things He has spoken to you. Return to the promise you’ve made Him. Do this OFTEN.

Furthermore, be on the look out and pay attention to what is going on around you. God may be preparing a holy event for you this week that may change the course of your life for the better. Don’t miss it.

I will not…offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing. – 1 Chronicles 21:24

Entitlement is a pervasive attitude and it is the enemy of spiritual transformation. We Christians can be some of the most entitlement-minded people in the world. We want

victory without a battle

heaven without dying

privilege without responsibility

fruit without planting, watering, weeding, and waiting

forgiveness without repentance

restoration without restitution

to be served rather than to serve

our needs and wants addressed rather than meeting the needs of others

the list could go on, but you get the picture.

The angel of the Lord, through David’s trusted spiritual ally Gad, instructed David to go to Ornan’s threshing floor and offer a burnt offering as a sacrifice for his sin of presumption in ordering the census of his troops. Ornan gladly and willingly offered to David the threshing floor, the animals, and grain for sacrifice at no cost. David recognized the folly in that and refused the magnanimous offer.

God had called him to make a SACRIFICE. A sacrifice costs the “sacrificer” something. Had David taken Ornan up on the free offer, David would have been performing a ritual but not offering a sacrifice. God is less interested in our ritual and most interested in our obedience. (1 Samuel 15:22)

Are you guilty of choosing ritual over sacrifice, taking the easy way out while hoping for greater results? What is God challenging you to sacrifice so that you can see His blessing in a greater way?

• Could you sacrifice some sleep and arise an hour earlier in the morning to spend time in prayer in prayer and God’s Word?
• Could you forgo eating out a couple of times a week so you have more money to contribute to God’s work in your church?
• Could you give up your seat in a worship service and volunteer to minister to children or take on some other ministry in church life?

Maybe the call is even larger on your life. Maybe He is calling you to sacrifice your agenda and plan for your future and devote your life to serving him in some other occupation than had planned.

God will replace whatever He calls you to sacrifice with something far greater than what you sacrificed. Give it to Him today.

“Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.” – 1 Chronicles 21:1

Surprising words given the fact that God Himself referred to David as “a man after My own heart.” Even David was vulnerable to Satan’s attack.

Israel, led by their highly successful king, had just completed an incredible “battle season.” They defeated their two greatest enemies, the Ammonites on one side of the country, and the Philistines on the other. The victory over the Ammonites was graphically and emphatically celebrated when David took the Ammonite king’s crown – made of 75 pounds of gold and jewels – off of his head and placed it on his own head. The victory over the Philistines included the defeat of the remainder of Goliath’s family who had tormented them for years. It was indeed a pretty heady time in Israel.

We cannot be sure of David’s motive for assessing his military prowess, but we can be sure the source of the temptation was the devil himself. Even David’s most trusted general, Joab, tried to advise him against it, but David wouldn’t listen. The devil had corrupted his heart.

Perhaps the motive was hubris. Maybe David had the silly notion that the recent victories came as a result of his skilled leadership and development of Israel’s army, and maybe he wanted to show to those around him just how a great leader assembles a mighty army.

Perhaps the motive was fear. David knew that more battles were ahead and he wanted to determine if they had the “firepower” to repeat this remarkable season. Maybe he had the notion that Israel’s victory was dependent on human ingenuity and strength.

Whichever the case, he was wrong and it cost him and his country dearly.

Like David, we are susceptible to the devil’s scheme of thinking more highly of our resources than we ought to think. We need not be proud of what we bring to the “battle” since we only have it bring because God gave it to us. We need not fear having sufficiency for coming battle since, for the believer anyway, the battle belongs to the Lord.

Three summary lessons from David’s grave mistake:

1. I should never rely on my own resources for spiritual success. I bring what I have to God and I place it ALL in His hands, but ultimately HE is the one who uses what I bring and by HIS power HE brings victory for HIS glory.

2. I need people like Joab around me. I need people who see things from God’s perspective and who are not afraid to challenge me spiritually. I need godly men and women to stand shoulder to shoulder and battle with me.

3. No matter how great the past victory nor how ominous the looming battle, the battle is the Lord’s and I need to seek HIM and His presence.

Have a blessed day, and watch out for the devil. He’s out there to get you.

I was born and raised in the South. White. Middle class. Conservative. By all accounts I am still all of those things. I have lived in the South all of my life. I am proud of how living in the South has formed me and shaped me. The South is not perfect, as is no other part of the United States, but many of the positives of the region have shaped me for the better.

Having presented that caveat, however, I want to weigh in on the Confederate Flag issue. As a believer, I am guided and driven by a set of principles revealed in the Bible. A deep love and appreciation for God’s Word, by the way, is a by-product of my Southern heritage. We are known as the “Bible Belt.” As a follower of Jesus, my wishes, goals, ambitions, and priorities are surrendered to Him and His will and purpose, and His Word becomes the guide for my belief, thought, perspective, and especially my practice.

In a few places in Scripture – most notably Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 – Paul addresses the “right” of redeemed, under-grace followers of Jesus to eat meat that may have first passed through pagan temples on its way to the public market place. For some, this was a major no-no. No conscientious believer would financially support the pagan industry nor run the risk of pagan influence in their lives or their family by eating such meat as this. To avoid that risk, they abstained from eating meat all together just in case they might by accident eat some that had indeed been offered to a pagan idol. “Better to be safe than sorry” could have been their motto.

On the other side of the issue were those believers who recognized that idols were not real, they were the machinations of human minds and hands, and therefore, even if meat had been offered to those idols, it didn’t matter. Since the idol was not real, neither was the perceived threat involved in eating the meat. Their motto may have been “I am not bound by the old law, I live under grace.” Both sides loved Jesus, included godly people, and sought to do what was “right.”

In both cases, Paul presented a principle that I believe can be applied broadly to many issues we face today. “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” (1 Corinthians 8:13) Paul recognized a greater priority than exercising one’s own personal freedom, and that was the priority of building each other up in Christ. In the Romans passage he also stated another guiding principle, “Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.” (Romans 14:20)

As it relates to the current Confederate battle flag issue, we must recognize that what represents a cherished heritage to one represents a painful heritage to another. Whether or not one should be “offended” by a flag is an unsolvable argument. If I hit my thumb with a hammer, you can tell me it shouldn’t hurt, but it does. For my African American brothers and sisters in Christ the Confederate battle flag hurts. To them it represents mistreatment, discrimination, and inequity. To say that in my lifetime those atrocities have not occurred to people of color is to ignore truth.

Loving my brothers and sisters in Christ more important that vaunting my Southern heritage. If something I do brings a genuine offense, then I will avoid it for their sake. I will not for the sake of a flag destroy the work of God. The present work and future advancement of the Kingdom of God is more important than my past heritage. Therefore, if a flag makes my brother stumble, I will not fly a flag, lest I make my brother stumble.

Recently I have heard and read many people exercise their right to “speak their mind.” While I am grateful that we live in a country where the right to free speech is guaranteed (I know, that is arguable, but I will save that for the political bloggers), a question keeps coming to mind: as a Christian, just because I have a right to speak my mind, should I?

With Holy Spirit inspired wisdom, Solomon reminds us that not only is there is a time to speak, but also a time to keep silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7). If you are like me, we often get those occasions confused. So before we so quickly express our opinions and speak our minds, let consider a few Biblical perspectives.

1. Our mind is one of the components that make up what the Bible refers to as our “heart” – the others being the will and emotion. When we speak our mind we reveal what is truly in our heart. Jesus said that the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart (Matthew 12:34). Do the things that we say indicate that our hearts are desperately in love with Jesus or do we speak more passionately about for less important things?

2. As Christ-followers, we are commanded to surrender even our thought patterns to Jesus. Scripture tells us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), “let this mind be in your which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), and that spiritually guided people have “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Do the opinions we express and the things we say display a life that is under the influence of Jesus?

3. Before we speak our mind, let’s make sure our minds are where they ought to be. In Philippians 4:8, Paul gives us a good guideline for the kinds of things that should occupy our thoughts. The list of 8 qualities in that verse should be the kinds of things about which we ponder throughout each day. If I am going to speak my mind, I should be sure that my mind is pleasing to God.

4. ALL of my speech should draw people closer to Jesus. The wise person recognizes that we have precious few opportunities to make an eternal impact on lives around us. We need to make sure that what we say creates a thirst for Jesus in those who hear us (Colossians 4:5-6). Only so much of what we say will be heard and accepted by others. Speak mostly about Jesus.

So, Christian, before we speak our mind, let’s make sure that our mind is worth hearing.

We are a disposable culture. Pampers have replaced washable and reusable cloth diapers. Paper plates, cups, and cutlery have saved people time and effort at the sink washing dishes. Printer cartridges are one and done components, in fact, sometimes one can replace a printer more cost effectively than buying an ink cartridge.

On the other hand perhaps you practice the concepts of “reduce, recycle, reuse, or repurpose.” Learning to find new applications for used up products can save lots of money and can also keep our earth a little “greener.” Yard sales and thrift shops are economic pluses for both sellers and buyers. Twice a year, our church conducts our “Encore Shop” in which new or gently used items sell at a bargain price, finding new life for the items and providing valuable resources for the buyers.

As I thought about the blessings of the most recent Encore Shop, I remembered a walk God and Jeremiah took which we find recorded in Jeremiah 18:1-6. God allowed Jeremiah to observe a patient potter working with uncooperative lump of clay. Rather than throwing away the lump and starting fresh with new clay, the potter continued until he finally fashioned it into a vessel that was both beautiful and useful. The reminder was the He does the same with us.

When your life seems to be spinning out of control, consider that you may be spinning on the pottery wheel of the Master Artisan. When you feel squeezed, consider it rather to be the gentle pressure of His loving hands forming you into a more Christ-like image. When life seems to get a little hot, consider it the blast furnace that eventually solidifies and sets your heart for His purposes.

The Master Craftsman is at work in your life. You are His masterpiece. He has so much invested in you and your outcome is certain and glorious even if the process is difficult and unclear. While in the Potter’s Hand, listen for His voice in His Word, look for His work in your circumstances, and learn to trust in His providential plan working out His purpose for your life.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son… – Hebrews 11:17

I will always remember the day I put my personal Isaac on the altar.

When leaders from my previous church informed me that I was being asked to resign my position of Senior Pastor, I thought my time in ministry had come to a close. Who would want a cast off?

An opportunity finally emerged some four months later, but in the process of meeting with the search team, I hit a major roadblock. For the first time in my months out of the pastorate, real fear began to cripple me. The roadblock seemed insurmountable not just for the present opportunity but my fear was the roadblock would doom any future opportunities in ministry as well.

In half-depression, half-desperation, I finally surrendered ministry to the Lord. I told Him if He wanted my to continue to pastor, I would gladly do it, and if for some reason He was through with me in that roll and wanted me to support my family some other way while serving as a layman in a church, I would do that as well. I discovered that ministry was my “Isaac.”

Ministry was God’s promise to me. Ministry was all that I would foresee in the future, but I was finally a broken man and willing to give it all up as long as God would show me WHAT He wanted me to do next. God had to test me where my greater love was directed – to Him or to ministry. Was I ministering FOR God or had ministry BECOME my god? It was at that moment that God flooded my soul with His peace and He began to dismantle my roadblock bit by bit.

I can honestly say that placing my Isaac on the altar was not an attempt to appease or manipulate God. I sincerely believed that afternoon that I would never pastor again and that rather than a new chapter in my life, God was closing the book all together. He finally showed me that He wanted ME more than He wanted my MINISTRY.

I can say now that God has placed me in a GREAT PLACE. I love my church and I love ministry in this setting. As much as I love my church, I have grown deeper in my love for GOD, since now I see Him as the Provider and Purpose of the calling on my life. I had to give up MY ministry so it could once again be HIS ministry.

Is there something in your life you fear God may be asking you to surrender? I know how scary that can seem, but as someone who has been there, and done that, I can testify that He only wants you to be willing, TRULY WILLING, to give it up. If you do, will He give it back to you? Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever He does, it will be better than what you held in your hand before you let it go.

With God, the best is always yet to come.