1 Samuel 19 -- Saul Begins To Lose It

"Saul's mind and heart were so possessed by hatred for David that he openly admitted to Jonathan and the court attendants that he intended to have his son-in-law killed," my commentary said.  With all that God would be using David to do over his lifetime, "...no wonder Satan was so determined to kill David!"

Jonathan intervened and Saul promised not to try to kill David, but he was a liar and soon broke that promise.  Jonathan's sister, married to David, helped lead a deception that enabled David to escape to Samuel, and she told her father that David had threatened to kill her if she refused to cooperate.  She'd learned deception from her father.

Saul sent three groups of soldiers to capture David as he stayed with Samuel.  Each time, "they were immediately possessed by the Spirit and began to praise and worship God.  God protected David and Samuel, not by sending an army but by sending the Holy Spirit to turn warriors into worshipers ... Saul decided to go to Ramah himself ... only to be met by the Spirit of God and made to praise the Lord."

"These two events prove that a person can have a remarkable religious experience and yet have no change in character.  In Saul's case, both experiences were actually sent by the Lord, but Saul didn't profit from them.  Special religious manifestations aren't evidences that a person is even saved.  Judas preached sermons and even performed miracles, yet he was not a believer, and he betrayed the Lord and ended up committing suicide."

Father, I pray for real change in the hearts of those I love who do not actually know You and don't have a relationship with You.  Draw them to Yourself, even in their sin, as You drew me to You.  Lead them to salvation, Father!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 18 -- Saul Gets Jealous

"David found himself in a life-threatening conflict with King Saul.  David didn't create problems for Saul; he revealed the deep-seated problems that were already there.  David was an honest man of faith, but Saul was a deceitful, scheming man of the world," my commentary began.

The writer of my commentary traced the major stages in Saul's growing opposition to David:

"He wanted David killed -- At one time, Saul loved David, but the king's attitude changed into jealousy and then hatred ... God used the king's hostility to mature David and make him into a man of courage and faith ... Jonathan listened to his father and David converse, and after that interview, took David to his own heart ... When Jonathan gave his official garments and his armor to David, making him a friend and equal, Jonathan was acknowledging that David would one day take his place ... David covenanted to protect Jonathan's family ... Saul threw his spear at David twice while David was trying to soothe the king and help him overcome his depression.  The Lord enabled David to escape ... yet David remained faithful to the king."

"Saul plots to HAVE David killed -- Possessed by anger and envy, and determined to hold on to his crown, Saul decided that young David had to be killed ... Saul gave him assignments that would take him away from camp where the enemy could kill him.  But the plan didn't work because David won all the battles."

Saul saw that his daughter Michal loved David and he decided to use this as a trap for him, demanding that David deliver 100 Philistine foreskins as a bride-price, thinking David would certainly be killed while obtaining them.  Instead, David delivered 200 foreskins.

"Now Saul's twisted emotions so controlled him that he was obsessed with the desire to kill his son-in-law.  David never considered Saul to be his enemy, but Saul remained David's enemy until the day he died on the battlefield."

Father, I face conflicts with people whom I have not harmed as well, and their misunderstandings of my motives and intentions is frustrating.  Please resolve these issues in Your power and heal these relationships.  Help me to react like David, not like Saul.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 17 -- God Defeats Goliath Using David

Although we can tend to follow what David did during this battle, my commentary focused on what God did for David.

"God guided David -- David was a Spirit-led man and his every decision had to be in the will of God and for the glory of God."  It was God's guidance that had Jesse send David on the final day Goliath was daring any challengers.  God got David up early to hear the morning challenge.  "God brought David to the camp for such a time as this, and he was ready to accept the challenge."

"God encouraged David -- Whenever you step out by faith to fight the enemy, there's always somebody around to discourage you, and often it begins in your own home ... David didn't allow Eliab's harsh words to discourage him, for he knew that God could help him defeat the giant ... When we walk by sight, we calculate everything from the human perspective, and this always leads to discouragement; but when we walk by faith, God comes into the equation, and that changes the results... Men and women of faith obey God no matter what the experts say."

"God enabled David -- All of God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them... David did what he did for the glory of God ...David saw this as a contest between the true God of Israel and the false gods of the Philistines.  God wants to use His people to magnify His name to all the nations of the earth ... David wanted the whole assembly -- Israel and the Philistines -- to know that the Lord doesn't need swords and spears but can deliver His people in His own way through the humblest of means ... David was the prepared servant for this occasion ... The Spirit of God lived in David's body and would enable him to win the battle.  God guided the stone and it sank into the giant's forehead ... Saul merely watched as David defeated the enemy single-handed ... David's faith lifted the war to a much higher plane."

Father, thank You that Your Spirit also lives within me.  Please guide me, encourage me, and enable me to do Your will every day.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 16 -- God Chooses The Next King

"Saul was still in office and yet was unfit to lead the nation, and Samuel had broken fellowship with him.  In his grief, Samuel must have felt like a dismal failure as a father, a spiritual leader, and a mentor to the new king ... In spite of how he felt about himself, Samuel's work wasn't over yet, for God wanted him to anoint the new king, David," my commentary said.

"Samuel ... admired men who were handsome and well-built.  Samuel had already forgotten this mistake he made about Saul ... Samuel looked over seven of Jesse's sons, thinking that the whole family was there, but he was operating by sight and not by faith ... Samuel may have looked at their faces and forms, but the Lord examined their hearts.  GOD ALONE CAN SEARCH THE HUMAN HEART AND KNOW WHAT A PERSON'S MOTIVES REALLY ARE."

"David was exactly the kind of leader Israel needed to repair all the damage that Saul had done to the nation ... Samuel at last found the man of God's choice, a man after God's own heart ... His trials and testings during those wilderness years helped to build his faith and develop his godly character and prepare him for the ministry that God had planned for him."

"No matter how you examine David's life and abilities, you find him to be a unique individual -- and he was that way because God made him that way!  It was David's musical ability that introduced him into the royal court and then he was promoted to military service.  The opportunities of life matched his giftedness and David was wise to obey the will of the Lord.  Just as he refused to wear Saul's armor when facing Goliath, so he rejected that which wasn't prepared and planned for him by the Lord ... David knew his gifts, he experienced the power of God in using these gifts in his daily life.  He loved the Lord and worshiped Him and he surrendered himself to do the work God had called him to do."

Father, I love hearing again how You uniquely prepared David even in his mother's womb to be Your servant.  I know You do that for each of us.  Thank You for bending me to Your will and for helping me to realize that it is a good thing to surrender to You and Your will for my life.  Please help my sons to discover this early in their lives as well.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 15 -- Saul Loses The Kingdom

"Saul was more concerned about looking good before the people than being good before God...  he wasn't careful to obey God's will.  Everything that was vile and worthless he destroyed, but he permitted King Agag to live, and he allowed the Israelite soldiers to save the best of the flocks and herds.  But if the Lord says something is condemned, how can we say it's the best?" my commentary began.

"Serving God acceptably involves doing the will of God in the right way, at the right time, and for the right motive."

"Saul's greeting to Samuel was sheer hypocrisy.  He had no blessing to give Samuel and he had not performed the will of the Lord.  First he lied to himself in thinking he could get away with the deception, and then he lied to Samuel who already knew the truth.  He even tried to lie to God by saying he would use the spared animals for sacrifices!"

"Saul had once been a modest young man, but now for the second time he had willfully disobeyed the Lord's will and even erected a monument in honor of the event ... The Lord wants living obedience from the heart, not dead animals on the altar.  God doesn't need any donations from us, and the sacrifice He desires is a broken and contrite heart."

"The prophet went on the reveal that the sins of rebellion and stubbornness (arrogance) controlled Saul's heart and in God's sight, they were as evil as witchcraft and idolatry.  Both sins were evidences of a heart that had rejected the Word of the Lord.  To know God's will and deliberately disobey it is to put ourselves above God and therefore become our own god."

Father, if I sin in this way, please prick my heart and cause me to know without a doubt that I am willfully choosing to sin against You.  Draw me back to You and remove any blinders that Satan places over my spiritual eyes.  Let me not fail to see the obvious as Saul chose to do.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 14 -- Jonathan Relies On God. Saul Doesn't

"These chapters teach us three powerful lessons that we must heed and obey if we want the blessing of God on our lives and service," my commentary began.  Two are mentioned in this chapter:

Faith in God brings victory:  "Jonathan saw [a new detachment of Philistine soldiers] as an opportunity to attack and see the Lord work.  Saul was hesitating in unbelief ... most of the time he only followed up on what others started ... He was also a control freak.  He envied other people's success, he was suspicious of any strategy he didn't originate or at least approve, and he was ruthless when it came to removing people who challenged his leadership or exposed his folly ... It was not Saul and his army who won the battle, but the Lord who used Jonathan and his armor-bearer."

Foolish words bring trouble:  "Saul's heart was not right with God and he foolishly forced his army to agree to a vow of fasting.  He didn't impose this fast because it was the will of God, but because he wanted his soldiers to think he was a man wholly dedicated to the Lord ... He thought that their fasting plus the presence of the ark would impress the Lord and He would give them victory... No sensible commander would deprive his troops of food and energy while they were fighting the enemy... When we obey God's commands, we walk by faith, but when we obey unnatural human regulations, we only tempt the Lord."  Saul ended up casting lots to determine why he wasn't hearing from God, and Jonathan was selected.  Saul was ready to kill him for breaking the fast, but his army supported Jonathan, which humiliated Saul.

The third lesson, covered in the next chapter, is disobedience and deception bring judgment.

Father, continue to help me to have faith in You.  Thank You for drawing me near to You all those years ago, and for firming up in my heart that I trust You, God.  Help me to guard my mouth and not utter foolish words, even when I am feeling disgusted by the foolishness of others.  Let me honor You by my speech at all times.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 13 -- Saul's Decline

"We see Saul making foolish and unwise decisions and trying to cover his disobedience with lies.  It was the beginning of his tragic decline ... We can trace the downward steps in his tragic failure:

Pride:  "Over 300,000 men had volunteered to deliver the people of Jabesh Gilead, but Saul chose only 3,000 and divided them between himself and Jonathan."

Unbelief and impatience:  "Saul waited for Samuel for seven days, and the longer he waited, the more concerned he became.  His army was melting away ... this rendezvous was the Lord's way of testing Saul's faith and patience.  Without faith and patience, we can't receive what the Lord promises ... Until we learn to trust God and wait on His timing, we can't learn the other lessons He wants to teach us, nor can we receive the blessings He's planned for us ... Without waiting for God's appointed priest, Saul offered the sacrifice, and just then Samuel arrived in the camp.  If Saul had waited just a few minutes more, everything would have been all right, but his impatience cost him dearly."

Deception:  "We see him deceiving himself and others more and more.  His first deception at Gilgal occurred when he greeted Samuel cordially and expected him to give him a blessing ... His second lie consisted in blaming Samuel and the soldiers and not himself ... He lied a third time when he said that he had to force himself to offer the sacrifice.  Could he not have forced himself to pray? ... The will is the servant of the mind and heart, but Saul's thinking and desiring were totally out of the will of God."

Folly:  "It was foolish of Saul to think that he could disobey God and get away with it, and that his disobedience could bring God's blessing ... 'Whatever is not of faith is sin.' "

Father, help me as I walk with You not to let pride creep in.  Let me always give You the glory.  Help me to believe that with You anything is possible.  You've proven that time and time again.  Don't allow me to deceive myself or anyone else by my unbelief, and remind me often just how foolish it is to think that I could prosper by deceiving You or others.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 11-12 Saul's First Victory And Samuel's Goodbye

"The Lord condescended to reach down to their level of unbelief, and He gave them a king ... In His grace, God gave Saul an opportunity to prove himself and consolidate his authority ... The Ammonites were encamped around Jabesh Gilead" and demanded their surrender along with blinding everyone's right eye.  They agreed to give the city a week to find a savior, so sure they were that help would not come.  Saul was plowing his fields when he heard the news.  He was empowered by the Spirit of God and musted an army that saved the city.

Samuel then gathered Israel to review their failure to obey the covenant as he faded from the scene.  He didn't hesitate to remind them that they'd "asked for a king and exchanged the rule of the Lord their King for the leadership of a mere man.  God gave them what they asked for, but Israel lost something in the transaction.  However, all was not lost.  God is never taken by surprise, and He would not desert His people for His name's sake ... Samuel demonstrated the awesome power of the Lord by praying up a storm during the dry season of the wheat harvest ... Samuel was proving to the people that God could do anything for them if they trusted Him and obeyed, but that a mere king was helpless apart from the Lord."

Samuel said something that really spoke to me:  "I will surely not stop prayer for you, because that would be sinning against the Lord." (12;23)  Wow!  How many times have I sinned against God by stopping praying for someone or some thing!

Father, help me to remain diligent in prayer, trusting You to hear and intercede on my behalf.  Keep me mindful of this verse -- that You have called Your people to pray to You and if I fail to do so, I have running counter to Your will, which is disobedience.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 9-10 A Reluctant King (At First)

Samuel had a weakness for admiring the physical qualities and it even showed up when Samuel went to anoint David, my commentary said.  Samuel got carried away with Saul's physical appearance -- tall, good-looking, and strong.

Saul lived just five miles from Samuel, yet didn't seem to know that a man of God lived there.  "Apparently, Saul didn't attend the annual feasts and wasn't greatly concerned about spiritual matters ... When Saul appeared, the Lord spoke again to Samuel and confirmed that this was indeed the man of His choice and that Samuel should anoint him as king ... Saul was leader over God's people, but only Samuel and Saul knew it ... Samuel gave Saul three signs, special occurrences he would encounter as he made his way home.  These signs would assure Saul that God could solve his problems, He could supply his needs, and He could endue him with the power he needed for service... Later, Saul would become very self-sufficient and rebellious, and the Lord would take the Spirit from him."

"When Saul turned from Samuel to start his journey home, God gave him another heart -- a different attitude and outlook, thinking like a leader ... The Holy Spirit would further enable him to serve God as long as he walked in obedience to His will ... The Spirit enabled Saul to have a personal experience with the Lord and to express it in praise and worship.  Had Saul continued to nurture this walk with the Lord, his life would have been much different.  His pride and desire for power became his besetting sin."

Samuel marched the families of Israel before him so that they would know that God was in the selection process.  When Saul was selected, though, he couldn't be found and was finally located among the baggage.  "Had Saul been focusing on the glory of God he would have been present at the assembly and humbly accepting God's call.  Then he would have urged the people to pray for him and to follow him as he sought to do the Lord's will," my commentary noted.

Father, please continue to direct my life and enable me to do what You have planned for me.  Give me courage to step out when You have enabled me.  Let Yourself receive glory, and not me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

1 Samuel 7-8 -- The Greatest Judgment God Can Give Us Is To Let Us Have Our Own Way

"The people were restless and wanting change ... times of transition bring out either the best or the worst in people.  God called Samuel to build a bridge between ... the judges and the monarchy."

He called all Israel to gather at Mizpah and challenged them to return to the Lord.  "They put away their false gods ... they confessed their sins ... they prayed for God's help ... they commemorated the victory ... and they respected Samuel."

"Life goes on, circumstances change, and God's people must have wisdom to adapt to new challenges without abandoning old convictions," my commentary said.  Instead, the people asked for a king.  "They argued that Samuel was old and his two sons were not godly men."  Yet in God's eyes that didn't disqualify him from service to God.

"Samuel was a man of spiritual insight, and he knew that this demand for a king was evidence of spiritual decay among the leaders.  They weren't rejecting him; they were rejecting God, and this grieved Samuel's heart as he prayed to the Lord for wisdom."

"God is never surprised by what His people do, nor is He at a loss to know what He should do ... He makes the plans of people have no effect ... It wasn't Israel's request for a king that was their greatest sin; it was their insisting that God give them a king immediately.  The Lord had a king in mind for them, David the son of Jesse, but the time wasn't ripe for him to appear."

"The greatest judgment God can give us is to let us have our own way."

Father, although I ask for Your help in things happening in my life, I know that You are sovereign, and I only ask for what I perceive as a need.  I want You to be sovereign in my life always, providing what I ask only if it is in Your timing and Your will.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 5-6 God Was And Is Well Able To Take Care Of Himself

The Philistines were proud of their victory and certain that their God Dagon had beaten Jehovah.  The Ark was placed in Dagon's temple.  "However, Dagon didn't have a chance, for Jehovah God was and is well able to take care of Himself, my commentary said.  The next morning, Dagon's idol was found on the floor before the Ark as though worshiping it.  Although the statue was righted, the next morning the statue was only a stump, with the arms and legs severed.  God also judged the Philistines.  

"When the Philistines captured the Ark and arrogantly treated the Lord as though He were just another god, they invited the judgment of God ... the Lord sent infected mice or rats."  Wanting to prove these effects were coincidences, the Ark was moved from town to town, but the effects followed the Ark wherever it was taken.

The Philistines saw that they needed to get rid of the Ark, but didn't want to lose face in the process.  "Their wise men came up with a scheme that would test the God of Israel one more time.  If Jehovah, represented by the Ark, was indeed the true and living God, let Him take the Ark back where it belongs!"  

Hitching cows that were unused to pulling plows and that were missing their calves and needing to have their full milk bags relieved to a cart carrying the Ark would definitely require Jehovah's hand on the whole setup if it were to be returned to Israel's territory.  But God did it!  "The lords of the Philistines didn't know the true and living God, but the cows did, and they obeyed Him!" my commentary said.

The local Israelites were thrilled to see the Ark arriving, and they offered the cows as a burnt offering.  But some Israelite men violated the law but looking inside the Ark, and God killed them for not following His stated law.  "If the pagan Philistines were judged for the way they treated the Ark, how much more responsible were the Jews who knew the law and were living in a Levitical city!  ... The Ark represented the presence of the Lord with His people and the rule of the Lord over His people.  The Lord had every right to abandon His sinful people, but He graciously remained with them ..."

Father, thank You for Your constant watchcare over me and my family.  Your faithfulness continues to give me hope, and I praise You for Your love!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 3 & 4 -- Samuel's Calling and Eli's Departure

One night, as a boy, Samuel heard God calling him.  "But Samuel had never heard God's voice, so he didn't know who was calling him ... Samuel's call and conversion occurred at the same time ... The Lord came and stood near Samuel as He spoke to him,"  my commentary said.

Samuel repeated what Eli had told him to say in answer, but he left out the word Lord.  "Why?  Samuel didn't yet have a personal knowledge of the Lord, so he couldn't know whose voice it was that had spoken to him," my commentary added.

"Samuel had a humble heart ... He had heard the voice of God and received the message of God, but he still got up early and went back to his old tasks ... This shows remarkable maturity on the part of a young boy ... Now we read that 'the Lord was with him.'"

In chapter 4, the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines.  After a stunning defeat, Eli's two sons took the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield, but "they were merely using God to accomplish their own purposes.  Unlike Moses and Joshua, they didn't seek the will of the Lord, they weren't walking by faith, and they certainly weren't seeking to glorify God... God will not be used just to make sinful people achieve their own selfish purposes."

The Ark fell into enemy hands for the first time in history.  Eli's two sons were killed in battle, fulfilling the prophecy of the unknown prophet, and Eli fell backward, breaking his neck and dying when he was told the news.  The glory of God departed and God's special favor was gone.

Father God, I was saddened as I read these chapters.  The hardening of hearts toward You and Your goodness had been building up, and You had to choose to step away.  Please help me to keep my own heart open to Your direction.  Soften the hardened hearts of my sons.  Remind them of Whose they are, Father.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Chronicles 2 -- Eli And His Sons Pay The Price

"After Hannah left her son with Eli, she could have gone off alone and had a good cry, but instead she burst forth into a song of praise about the Lord."  Her song extols the joy of the Lord, the majesty of the Lord, the grace of the Lord, the protection of the Lord, and the reign of the Lord.  "Hannah went to the place of worship with a broken heart, but the Lord gave her peace because she prayed and submitted to His will."

Switching to Eli's family, the narrative tells us about God judging their sin.  His sons "took advantage of their father but doing what they pleased.  Neither personally knew the Lord ... the two brothers took the meat that they wanted and also took the fat parts that belonged to the Lord ... Godly people told Eli about his sons' sin, and he spoke to them about their conduct, but it did no good ... It's tragic when a father -- and a spiritual leader at that -- loses his influence over his own family and can only wait for God's hand of judgment to fall."

God even sent an anonymous prophet to tell Eli what would happen.  "God would take away the priesthood from Eli's branch of the family.  Eli's descendants would become weak and die off, and there would be no more old men like Eli in the family ... In the list of Jewish high priests in 1 Chronicles, the names from Eli to Abiathar are missing."

Father, seeing what happened to Eli and his sons is tragic.  They had so much and yet lost it all because they failed to honor You.  Help me to tell my own sons what I should, and to guide and direct them back to being men after Your own heart.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

1 Samuel 1 -- God On The Throne

"God is on the throne, and when He isn't allowed to rule, He overrules.  He is the Lord of Hosts and His purposes will be accomplished," my commentary began.

Unable to bear children, "Hannah expressed her anguish only to the Lord and she didn't create problems for the family by disputing with Peninnah.  In everything she said and did, Hannah sought to glorify the Lord ... What an example Hannah is in her praying!  It was a prayer born out of sorrow and suffering, but in spite of her feelings, she laid bare her soul before the Lord.  It was a prayer that involved submission ... and sacrifice ... Eli gave her his blessing ... The burden was lifted from her heart, and she knew that God had answered her prayer."

"Considering the low level of spiritual life in Eli and the wicked ways of his sons, it took a great deal of faith for Elkanah and Hannah to leave their innocent son in their care.  But the Lord was with Samuel and would preserve him from the pollution around him.  Just as God protected Joseph in Egypt, so He would protect Samuel in Shiloh, and so He can protect our children and grandchildren in this present evil world."

Father, right now I need this very protection for my sons.  They were trained in a godly home.  Yet the world intervened.  Please be sovereign in our lives and do with them what You did with Samuel.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 4:10-18 Three Types Of Men

Paul wrapped up this letter with some personal greetings.  My commentary categorized them into three groups.

The Men Who Stayed:  "Three Jews (Aristarchus, John Mark, and Jesus Justus) and one Gentile (Luke) ... all of them characterized by faithfulness to Paul in his hours of special need..."  As Christianity was getting started, these men forsook their lives for the Gospel and joined Paul as he began to evangelize the world around him.  "John Mark is an encouragement to everyone who has failed in his first attempts to serve God.  He did not sit around and sulk.  He got back into ministry and proved himself faithful to the Lord and to the apostle Paul."

The Man Who Prayed:  "Epaphras had founded the church in Colosse.  One of the secrets of his ministry was his prayer life.  Paul knew about this because Epaphras and Paul shared the same room, and when Epaphras prayed, Paul knew about it.  He prayed constantly, fervently, personally, definitely, and sacrificially."

The Man Who Strayed:  "Demas forsook Paul and apparently was never reclaimed.  His sin was that he loved this present world ... Christians today can succumb to the world just as Demas did.  How easy it is to maintain a religious veneer, while all the time we are living for the things of this world.  Demas thought that he could serve two masters, but eventually he had to make a decision; unfortunately, he made the wrong decision."

"Ministry is not something we do for God; it is something God does in and through us."

Father, help me to be a man who stays and a man who prays.  Please show me when the world is trying to take me out of ministry.  Thank You for ever choosing me to teach Your Word to others.  I love doing so.  Do more in and through me.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 2:4-9 The Power Of Speech

"The power of speech is a gift from God, and it must be used the way God ordains.  Paul pointed to four important ministries of speech."

Praying:  "Our praying must be faithful ... we should be constantly in fellowship with God so that prayer is as normal to us as breathing ... As we continue in prayer, our own hearts are prepared for the answer God will give ... Our prayer must be watchful ... Real praying demands spiritual energy and alertness ... Our prayer should also be thankful ... Sincere gratitude to God is one of the best ways to put fervor into our praying ... Our praying ought to be purposeful ... pray for specific needs.  By doing so, we would know when God answered and we could praise Him for it ... Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of His willingness."

Proclaiming the Word:  "You do not have to be an ordained preacher or a missionary to share God's Word.  Even in your daily conversations you can drop the seed of the Word into hearts and then pray that God will water that seed and bring forth fruit."

Witnessing to the Lost:  "We have a responsibility to witness to the lost around us and to seek to bring them into God's family ... and a responsibility to walk wisely.  The unsaved outsiders watch us Christians and are very critical of us.  There must be nothing in our lives that would jeopardize our testimony ... Even when our Lord was dealing with sin, He spoke words of grace."

Sharing Burdens:  "We can share our needs and burdens with others; then they can encourage us and assist us ... Paul simply wants his friends in Colosse to know the facts and to support him in prayer."

Father, please guard my speech.  Get between my heart and my mouth to ensure that my words never reflect poorly on You.  Just this week, I've faced two episodes of misunderstanding from my speech, and I want to make sure that there is never a doubt about my true intentions.  Guard my tongue.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 3:18-4:1 God's Word For Family Members

Paul speaks to Christian family members in this section, as well as to Christian employers and employees.  When he uses the word submission, it's almost a natural, human tendency to flinch, because sin causes us not to want to submit to anyone.  My commentary explained that the Greek word was a military term.  It does not imply that one person is "better than the other.  It only means that they have different ranks ... The man has the responsibility of headship and leadership in the home.  Headship is not dictatorship or lordship.  It is loving leadership.  In fact, both the husband and the wife must be submitted to the Lord and to each other (Eph 5:21)  It is a mutual respect, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ."

"The husband has the responsibility of loving his wife, and the word for love used here is agape -- the sacrificing, serving love that Christ shares with his church ... Paul added a special word of warning for the husband:  'And be not bitter against them.'  Husbands must be careful not to harbor ill will toward their wives because of something they did or did not do.  A root of bitterness in a home can poison the marriage relationship and give Satan a foothold."

Moving to the parent-child relationship, Paul emphasized that "the child who does not learn to obey his parents is not likely to grow up obeying any authority ... The measure of a child's obedience is all things, and the motive is to please the Lord ... Parents must make it as easy as possible for children to obey.  'Provoke not your children' is a commandment to parents ... Discouraged children are fair prey for Satan and the world."

Today, we read the section on slavery as having to do with employer-employee relations, and my commentary says, "A Christian servant owed complete obedience to his master as a ministry to the Lord ... If anything, the servant strived to do a better job because he was a Christian.  He ought to serve Christ and not the boss only, and he ought to work whether anybody is watching or not ... Paul admonished the Christian masters to treat their servants with fairness and honesty."

"We see once again the preeminence of Jesus Christ in our lives as believers.  Christ must be the head of the home ... It is by His power and authority that we should live in our daily relationships.  If He is the preeminent One in our lives, then we will love each other, submit to each other, obey and treat one another fairly in the Lord."

Father God, please restore these principles in the hearts and lives of my sons.  Help them to want to obey You and raise them up to be men after Your own heart.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 3:12-17 Four Motives Encouraging Our Walk

"Paul explains four motives that ought to encourage us to walk in newness of life."

The Grace of Christ:  "God chose us -- not because of anything we were or have done; ... God set us apart -- we are not our own; we belong completely to Him; ... God loves us -- when a Christian sins, he is a child of God breaking the loving heart of his Father; ... God has forgiven us -- God's forgiveness is complete and final."

"Because of these gracious blessings, the Christian has some solemn responsibilities before God.  He must put on the beautiful graces of the Christian life:  tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearance, forgiveness, and love."

The Peace of Christ:  "Paul turned from character to conduct.  How can a Christian know when he is doing God's will?  One answer is the peace of Christ in the heart and in the church.  When a believer loses his inner peace, he knows that he has in some way disobeyed God ... if we have peace in our hearts, we will be at peace with others in the church ... When a Christian loses the peace of God, he begins to go off in directions that are out of the will of God."

The Word of Christ:  "The Word will transform our lives if we will but permit it to dwell in us richly ... dwell means to feel at home ... Here Paul directed this to the entire church body ... if we do not know the Bible and understand it, we cannot honestly sing it from our hearts.  Our singing must be from our hearts and not just our lips."

The Name of Christ:  "The name of Christ means identification:  we belong to Christ.  But His name also means authority ... Because Jesus Christ is God, and He has died for us, we have authority in His name ... If we permit anything into our lives that cannot be associated with the name of Jesus, then we are sinning."

Father, thank You for Your grace in choosing me.  Help me to have Your peace in knowing that I am remaining in Your will.  Show me when I stray from it.  Keep me wanting to study Your Word and wanting to keep it in my heart.  And remind me every day that I am identified with You and have authority from You.  Keep me from permitting anything in my life that cannot be associated with You.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 3:1-11 -- Three Instructions From Paul

Paul gave us three instructions here, my commentary said.

Seek the Heavenly -- "We died with Christ -- we can have victory over the old sin nature that wants to control us; we live in Christ ... eternal life is Jesus Christ Himself; we are raised with Christ ... Christ is seated at the right hand of God, and we are seated there in Christ; we are hidden in Christ ... the sources of life that we enjoy come only from Him; we are glorified in Christ ... one day He will come to take His people home.  When He does, we shall enter into eternal glory with Christ ... we shall also be revealed in glory."

Slay the Earthly -- "Because we have died with Christ, we have the spiritual power to slay the earthly, fleshly desires that want to control us ... reckoning ourselves to be dead to sin but alive in Christ ... Sin does not come from the eye, hand, or foot; it comes from the heart, the evil desires within ... what we desire usually determines what we do."

Strengthen the Christly -- "The crisis of salvation leads to the process of sanctification, becoming more like Christ ... Through knowledge ... the better we get to know Christ, the more we become like him ... We are formed in God's image and deformed from God's image by sin.  But through Jesus Christ, we can be transformed into God's image!  We must be renewed in the spirit of our minds."

Father, help me to seek the heavenly, to slay the earthly, and to strengthen the Christly in my own life.  Lead me to permit the Spirit to renew my mind to make me more into the image of You.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford