"May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the Lord has sworn to him - to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba."
--2 Samuel 3:9-10 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on May 24, 2013 of Psalm 99; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Samuel 3-4.
Abner served as the commander of the army of Israel under King Saul. With the king's death and the defeat of the army by the Philistines, Abner basically became the leader of the bodyguard for Saul's only surviving son, Ishbosheth. David had control of all Judah while Ishbosheth and Abner, the remnant of the house of Saul, still held sway over Israel. But then Ishbosheth greatly angered Abner by accusing him of sleeping with the king's concubine. Maybe this incident just woke Abner up so he could see what so many others were beginning to grasp and call out for. Whatever the reason, Abner, who had sent countless men out to track and try to kill David and who himself had fought against David's lieutenants, this Abner who had for so long been loyal to Saul, was now beginning to understand that it was God's will that David be king over all of the house of Jacob. It should have been evident to even the most casual observer that Saul had lost God's favor and that the Lord's grace now shone upon David. Abner finally understood that this transfer of power must take place, for God willed it and what God wills can not be stopped and should not be impeded by man. With his words to Ishbosheth in today's focus verses, Abner swore his loyalty to David and to the fulfillment of God's plan.
God gave mankind free will so that we can make choices whenever we are faced with more than one path we can follow. We can choose to obey God, or to stand against Him. We can choose to believe in and follow Jesus, or we can ignore Him. Abner could have chosen to continue serving the house of Saul, but instead chose to serve God by honoring David and helping him establish his kingdom over all of Israel and all of Judah, from the city of Dan in the far north to that of Beersheba in the south. Abner recognized this to be God's plan, one he could not try to block but instead should help along any way and every way he could.
God intends only good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose (please see Romans 8:28). Abner was called to God's purpose and answered that call. Though he was murdered on earth, David sang his praises and he would reap God's reward in heaven. Just as Abner, we are often faced with difficult choices. The correct path to take may not appear very clear to us. We need to ask Jesus to light our way and guide our decisions. We need to pray to the Father to make His will plain before our eyes. Then we need to follow the plan He shows us. And, like Abner, we need to be prepared to change directions when we see we've made a mistake. Seek the Lord's will, and follow it. Amen.
Father in heaven, so many times we find ourselves faced with difficult situations where the right choice to make is just not clear to us. We cannot see far enough ahead to know which path leads to the foot of the cross and to Jesus. We worry that we might stray off course and become lost. Please, Father, show us enough of Your will for us that we might choose wisely in all things. Please, Jesus, be a lamp unto our feet and guide our every step. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
God gave mankind free will so that we can make choices whenever we are faced with more than one path we can follow. We can choose to obey God, or to stand against Him. We can choose to believe in and follow Jesus, or we can ignore Him. Abner could have chosen to continue serving the house of Saul, but instead chose to serve God by honoring David and helping him establish his kingdom over all of Israel and all of Judah, from the city of Dan in the far north to that of Beersheba in the south. Abner recognized this to be God's plan, one he could not try to block but instead should help along any way and every way he could.
God intends only good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose (please see Romans 8:28). Abner was called to God's purpose and answered that call. Though he was murdered on earth, David sang his praises and he would reap God's reward in heaven. Just as Abner, we are often faced with difficult choices. The correct path to take may not appear very clear to us. We need to ask Jesus to light our way and guide our decisions. We need to pray to the Father to make His will plain before our eyes. Then we need to follow the plan He shows us. And, like Abner, we need to be prepared to change directions when we see we've made a mistake. Seek the Lord's will, and follow it. Amen.
Father in heaven, so many times we find ourselves faced with difficult situations where the right choice to make is just not clear to us. We cannot see far enough ahead to know which path leads to the foot of the cross and to Jesus. We worry that we might stray off course and become lost. Please, Father, show us enough of Your will for us that we might choose wisely in all things. Please, Jesus, be a lamp unto our feet and guide our every step. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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