Fifth Serving: Second Helpin’s

You will have double because of your shame and instead of confusion they will rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they will possess the double portion: everlasting joy will be for them.
…All who see them will acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD has blessed.
(Isaiah 61:7, 9)

Jesus/Yeshua is The True Vine and His Father is The Farmer.
The one who dwells continuously in Him and He in them will bear much fruit,
but unattached from Him, they can accomplish nothing.
(StT John 15:1-5)

 

 

On Saturday mornings in the early 1960’s, western themed shows could be found on at least one of the only three television networks. I’d sing along with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans as they ended each of their episodes singing Happy Trails. “…Some trails are happy ones, Others are blue. It’s the way you ride the trail that counts, here’s a happy one for you…”

Of course it’s easy to have an upbeat demeanor when everything is going your way. Despite the fact Jesus told us we get to have tribulation, trials, distress and frustration, it still surprises me how life can be business as usual, then wham, calamity strikes. (StT John 16:33)

Such was the case when Daddy and I were handling a simple move of cows from a pasture east of the highway to the pasture directly across it on the west side. Our large official “Cattle Crossing” warning signs were set up on both shoulders of the road and the moment traffic looked clear, we opened the gates. Everything was going to plan as the cows were following the first cow out of the fence protected field and onto the road. Our troubles began when out of the blue, a car topped the hill, sped up, and hit the lead cow that was almost completely across the road. Losing their leader in such a tragic way caused the rest of the herd to fearfully scatter. We were too busy chasing cows to get the car’s tag number as it sped off. If only the driver hadn’t believed he could bypass the warning signs and our cows, then he wouldn’t have sustained damage to his car when he killed our cow.

So much for the perceived easy life of a farmer. They know all too well that a sunny day perfect for plantin’ can quickly fill with dark clouds ready to release a heavy downpour that makes the field too wet to work. Throw in some plant disease or pesky insects then a bumper crop year can change into a harvest that “could’a been better.”

The book of Job is named after a man with a good weather life. It starts with a party going on. As was their custom on their own birthday, Job’s sons took turns hosting their other siblings. There’s no mention if the parents were requested to attend. Still Job sent for his children to come to his house for prayer after every celebration because he was afraid they had pridefully sinned against God in their hearts. (StT Job 1:5)

Job wasn’t on the guest list of another kind of get together yet he was the topic of conversation. The children of God were presenting themselves before the LORD when our day and night accuser crashed the party. Instead of telling him to leave, God starts bragging about Job to Satan. Of course Satan challenges Job doesn’t honor God for nothing. If Job, his family, and all he possesses were not shielded with God’s personal security detail or if God ceased blessing everything Job’s hand touched, then Satan alleges Job would sing a different tune.

God grants Satan permission to do what he wants with Job’s possessions, but Job’s body is off limits. With his permit in hand, Satan does his job on Job.

The first bad news courier hadn’t finished talking about how all Job’s cattle and donkeys have been stolen and the hired hands killed when another runner barged in with a sad tale of how lightening had struck the sheep and the shepherds too. Then he gets interrupted by the third messenger telling how the rest of Job’s farm animals have been stolen when a fourth guy burst in with news of the roof caving in killing all Job’s children.

Upon hearing the heart wrenching report of how a building collapsed on his children, Job stood up, tore his cloak (Kriah/keriah), wailed his famous lines about the Lord giving him what he had and the Lord taking it all away then fell to the ground and worshiped.

I disagree with Job assessing to God as being the culprit who had just stolen his goods, and killed his kids. Even so I have to give Job points for immediately praising the very ONE he thought had. I’m not sure how long it would take me to get around to ‘Praising God’ if it had been the loss of my cows, donkeys, sheep, camels, employees, or the horrifying loss of all my children. I’m doubtful it would be the very minute I had gotten the news.

It’s beyond me why people, who can read the rest of the story and know it was the accuser who received permission to pull all those bad things off, quote as truth, ‘The Lord gives, and the Lord takes.’ I don’t find it comforting at all to think God gives you good stuff only to snatch it all away without notice or provocation.

How many kids overhear these words at funerals? We might need to rethink our consolin’ words in light of how many of those same kids choose not to seek a relationship with a God who takes your family members and leaves you to fend for yourself.
Not sure if Job received a reprieve before round two when another day the sons of God present themselves before the Lord. God asks Satan where he’s been. Satan answers that he’s been roaming about the earth and observing its inhabitants.

Pretty sure God already knew the answer to satan’s whereabouts so maybe the question was recorded to enlighten us to the fact Satan is NOT present in all places at the same time. Wonder if Peter was thinking of Adam or this verse in Job when he warns us to be on the look out because the devil is walking around like a hungry lion looking for someone to devour so we should not give him a way to go to work on us? Job’s fear, the archenemy of faith, might have been the thing that attracted where the disaster would take place that day his world came crashing down.

For us, it might be hanging onto a grudge, feeding anger, cultivating bitterness, or giving resentment a place in our field that opens the gate to the devil to highlight our character flaws. (StT Job 2:2; Job 3:25; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 4:27)

Job’s integrity is unquestioned as he still reverently fears God despite the fact that Satan provoked God to take away His protection. Satan reasons that it’s easy for a healthy person to love God, but afflicted with disease Job would curse God right to His face. The LORD told him how it was going to be. He was releasing Job into Satan’s hand but killing him was off the table. With that, the Accuser left God’s presence to infect Job’s body with boils. While Job sat in ashes scraping the painful boils with a broken piece of pottery his wife found him…

Before anyone starts thinking, “Here it comes. Job’s had about all he can stand, now his wife is going to use this as an opportunity to dump more rubbish on his head,” let’s check to see if we are overlooking something in her story. Until now, when Job has started boil-ing over, everything which her husband has run up against, she has suffered too. Just because the Bible leaves her nameless does not mean Mrs. Job did not have any sore spots of her own. As any woman would, she had to be feeling she was walking through death’s darkest valley David penned in Psalm 23:4. Her sorrow for the death of her child was real. Real times ten!

Having lost everything, her bereavement surely was compounded by money issues. Since the Bible said she found Job, I conclude she had been grieving alone which might’ve caused a strain on this couple’s relationship. Maybe her support group fled or gave annoying advice until she cried out to the LORD like Lazarus’ sisters did about their brother. “If You’d had only been here, [my children] wouldn’t have died.” (Martha in John 11:21, Mary in John 11:32)

It’s not hard to imagine if her thoughts and emotions were running rampant in her forlorn state. Mine have when lesser troubles sped in hitting out of nowhere. I felt God had passed me by just like His Son acted as if He was going to do with His storm tossed disciples. I even thought all the things were happening because God hated me. (StT Mark 6:48; Deuteronomy 1:27)

Of course I’m just speculatin’ about Mrs. Job. She’s been off-screen until she comes on the scene to discover the only thing she has left in life, her husband, is a walking zit. That’s when she blurts out the words we assume means she is speaking from bitterness of heart, “Curse God and die.” But was she?

The word Mrs. Job used for curse, is barak, interpreted as curse seven times (Four are in Job 1:5,11; 2:5,9) but used over three hundred times as a form of blessing. Proverbs 27:14 says it will be counted as a curse for anyone who blesses his neighbor first thing in the morning with a loud voice because the rise and shine blessing would either be annoying or for suspicious reasons. Possibly Mrs. Job’s response came too early in the morning and Job took her wrong? Or could it be after all the two of them had been through, her heart cried out that at least one of them needed some relief?

Granted, Job said she was speaking like a foolish woman but did he know what he was talking about? Was Mrs. Job really encouraging her husband to give up?

Digging a little deeper into the Hebrew word for bless, barak, I uncovered its meaning is “to kneel.” Picture someone blessing another by offering a gift on bended knee. Could Mrs. Job be telling her husband to humble himself before God’s presence in adoration with the same risk factor as Queen Esther before she went outside the law’s protocol in how to enter the king’s presence; if he dies, he dies? (StT Esther 4:16)

The best conclusion in all my reckonings about Mrs. Job is we shouldn’t be making any judgment calls unless we have all the facts and/or have experienced the same things as someone else.

For we do not have a High Priest not able to be sympathetic with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tested against all things in quite the same way as we are but without sin. Therefore we should come to the throne of grace with boldness, so that we could take mercy and we would find grace in well-timed help. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

There is some comfort in knowing the same heavenly messengers that were present to care for Jesus and minister to Him through His forty day wilderness test (StT Mark 1:10-13) are available to us in ours. But if I’m seeing the pattern correctly, God declares His delight in someone; (Job, Jesus…) then satan attacks, makes me sort of wanna tell God, “Please do NOT brag on me!”

Interestingly, Mrs. Job is not mentioned again. Job and some visiting church folks’ futile attempt to figure out why bad things happen to good people fill several chapters while Job’s wife ranks the distinction of a one-liner. Yet, if anyone knows the truth of Matthew 12:37, that your words carry the verdict of your guilt or innocence, it’s her. In today’s vernacular, this verse would read more like our Miranda Rights; “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

My notion is that after all the negativity she got for one sentence, she decided it was best to keep her mouth shut. Is it possible she was quietly resting in Him while He renewed her strength?

To figure out how God possibly restored her, or any of His cracked copies, I decided to read in Jeremiah 18 about the potter’s shop. That sort of helped. I had to do an online search on pottery making to get the gist of what Jeremiah saw.

Even though one of the potter’s hands never leaves the forming clay on his wheel, the clay vessel can still become flawed and unusable. Similarly to how our Father is always there with His right hand embracing us during our formation, we can still become a flawed facsimile of His design for us. (StT Psalm 139:10)

The potter starts over the process of crushing, squeezing and molding the clay into the form in which he has need. After the pot has assumed its shape, the potter forces his hand into the inside of the pot, called the heart. If he doesn’t work on the capacity of the heart, the vessel might look good on the outside but it can’t be a source of supply thereby remaining useless. Only after He enlarges our hearts, we will be able to run the Way of His commandments. (StT Psalm 119:32)

The mouth of the pot will affect what is poured through it. If the mouth is broken, chipped, or cracked, then it can contaminate what is poured from the heart. The heart overflows in the words you speak; revealing what’s within your heart. (StT Luke 6:45)

Once the pot has reached the potter’s desired form, it’s placed into a kiln to remove the water that has kept it soft and pliable during its creation. I can’t explain the science behind what happens when the water is removed from the clay by high temperature, except the results are increased strength of the pot. The hotter the fire, the stronger the pot.

Pottery can become cracked and chipped just by being in use but some pots never achieve living out their destiny because they could not or would not go through the fire. They come out only half-baked.

Okay. My interaction with some ‘cracked pots’ led me to describe some of them as lacking common sense but I don’t think it’s a potter’s term. It is true though that some pots are air baked or oven baked and by only going through the lower heat process they crack when stressed above their ability to hold together.

Mixing water with more clay to fill the pot’s crack doesn’t work because when put back into the fire, the patch material doesn’t adhere. Bible time potters would fill the cracks with a mixture of powdered clay and blood that had been squeezed out of a fasuka. This was a tick like insect taken off of bulls or goats and kept in a small clay pot until their sticky bloody contents were needed. The pot is tempered, brought to the desired hardness or strength, by heating then cooling. However it is the adhesive power of the blood in the healing balm which makes the vessels strong. Just like the blood of Jesus binds up the wounds of the brokenhearted. (StT Psalms 147:3)

The potter repeats the process as often as necessary then puts his name on the healed vessel before releasing it for service. Pottery repaired in this way have been reborn and are called ‘vessels of mercy.’ The fact that clay pots thousands of years old have been found still intact, is an amazing testimony to that’s pot’s ability to take the heat. Vessels of His mercy are vessels of His strength.

Mrs. Job would have to have been resilient to give birth to children eleven through twenty. I wonder if God chose to fill her empty arms by single or multiple births? It is interesting that her original daughters had no names and had been only invited guests of their brothers but the sequel daughters received names and an inheritance. This broke the custom of sons alone receiving an inheritance which the bible only records it happening a couple more times with Zelophehad’s five daughters and Caleb’s daughter. (StT Numbers 27:4-8; Joshua 15:18-19)

If the meanings of the names of Jemima [light], Kezia [joyful aroma], and Kerenhappach [vessel of beauty] signify that after a calamity filled night, Job was joyfully and beautifully restored double for his troubles, then I have hope.

Yes, I believe our Father has declared restoration to all of Eve’s daughters covenanted with Him with full and equal inheritance as His sons. Women denied this honor, or any honor, in the name of their religion might find it hard to believe what it means to be a daughter of covenant.

An actual descendant of Abraham, who was not able to stand fully erect for eighteen years, may never have heard the good news of her citizenship rights in the Kingdom either. Jesus taught regularly in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, but this day He sees her. When He calls out to her that she has been set free from her sickness and as He placed His hands on her, she immediately straightened up and was glorifying God.

Angered that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader rebuked the crowd that they should come on one of the six work days to be healed and not on the Sabbath day. After lovingly calling the religious leaders “Hypocrites,” Jesus did His question teaching thing by asking them if they didn’t loose their cow or donkey from the stall and lead it out to let it drink on the Sabbath? His follow up question was about this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound eighteen long years. Was it not necessary to loose her from this bondage even on the Sabbath day? His Words put all those opposed to Him to shame, but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the splendid things Jesus was doing. (StT Luke 13:10-13; 14-16)

We don’t know what kept Abraham’s daughter from seeing anything more than dirt for eighteen years. Maybe the shining whisperer had been in her ear constantly reminding her of her dark past and it just kept adding up? Did the weight of shame she carried prevent her from looking up? Her constant bent over view of a fateful return to dust reminds me of the big picture window in the living room of an elderly nursing home; it faced directly across the street to the funeral home. Only her hopeless situation changed from death to life when she had a “Suddenly…God!” moment. (StT 2 Chronicles 29:36)

The lifting of the head is a Hebrew idiom meaning of one being restored to a place of honor. Our Father commanded a blessing in Numbers 6:26 where His approval of us is shown by lifting us above His head until His tranquil gaze captures ours and His joyful peace fills our hearts and lives. This is beautifully portrayed by a dad showing great pleasure in his child by whisking them up over his head until their eyes lock releasing the laughter that produces peace in his child’s heart.

You must now see what manner of love the
Father has given to us so that we could be
called children of God, and we are.
(1 John 3:1)

Ancient vineyard farming techniques capture the crux of Psalm 3:3 where only Jesus can lift a head bowed in shame. Even though we are more familiar with the translation of the Greek airo, as ‘prunes’ or ‘take away,’ it can also mean to ‘lift up.’ If a grapevine is left to grow on the ground further out from the mother vine, it will make roots in the dirt at the point of contact. This will cause it to wither, especially in a drought. To protect the vine’s future fruit bearing, the farmer lifts it out of the dirt and onto a rock.
Can’t get much better in describing how the Rock represents the honor-restorer Messiah than what Jesus said Himself: Our Father is the True Farmer who cares for the young branches covenanted to the Deeper Root by propping up the branches on the Rock. He starts this early training by pruning the damaged or diseased parts with His Word. The pruning of any wayward shoots continues every year after so the healthy vine will mature as His disciple until one day glorify Him by yielding an abundant harvest. A branch not dwelling in Him will not bear fruit and is not His disciple. It will be gathered up and thrown into the fire. (StT 1 Corinthians 10:4; John 15:1-8)

Anyone not allowing His Word to flow through them will experience a spiritual drought when sickness, unemployment, death of loved ones or whatever gets them thirsty for God to do something.

There were no signs of a dry spell going on when David’s story began. He’s out doing his regular field chores when a ‘Suddenly, God…’ moment would change his life forever. (StT 1 Samuel 16:13)

Nothing in particular seemed to have changed on the outside after being anointed king by the Prophet Samuel considering David returned to his mundane shepherding job. Perhaps he became more in tuned to a royal way of thinking and what it meant to “reign as king in life through the One, Y’shua Messiah.” (Romans 5:17)

By fully believing his covenantal right of protection, he killed the lion and the bear, oh my! Later, he was being his dad’s errand boy when the business of going against Goliath came up. Funny that this child and Israel’s army had different reactions to hearing the taunts of Goliath. David recognized that this uncircumcised Philistine did not have the ‘sign of the covenant’ (circumcision) and therefore was not entitled to God’s sacred promise of protection while the grown men were shaking in their boots (sandals?).
King Saul tried to discourage David by pointing out he lacked age and experience to fight the Philistine who had been a warrior since his childhood. But David knew the people who are in covenant with their God will stand strong and get results. (StT 1 Samuel 17:17, 33-36; Jeremiah 1:7; Psalm 91:1; Daniel 11:32)

Goliath was going down.

Like many of us who had a dogged faith as children, life happened to David during the years before his prophesied king days arrived. Instead of his victory over Goliath putting him on easy street, David was thrown out on the street by the present king who went ballistic with a spear.

David may have journaled his ups and downs but he never wavered in his love for the Torah. In fact, almost every one of the one hundred and seventy six verses in Psalm 119 has a synonym for the Torah, such as dabar (word or promise) and mishpatim (rulings). Did he write verse 165 about those who love God’s Torah (Teaching) have an abundance of peace and nothing along their paths can cause them to stumble while he was still being chased by people who wanted him permanently outa here?
God led David to the mighty, towering Rock of safety, the cave of Adullam.

The first helpin’ we read of David’s brothers was when they were in line in hopes one of them would receive the prophet Samuel’s anointing on their head. Initially, not getting picked didn’t sit too well with the oldest brother, Eliab but it’s very likely all the stewing he did where his kid brother was concerned may have finally softened him up. In this second helping, Eliab joins the whole family to give David their full support. (StT 1 Samuel 22:1)

“If it had not been the LORD Who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive when their wrath was kindled against us: then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our body: then the deliberately wicked waters would have gone over our body.” (Psalms 124:2-5, emphasis mine)

On another one of those life happening days, we find David sitting among the ashes that used to be his home at Ziklag. This city’s name pretty much clues us in on David’s spirit possibly dwelling in a dejected place since it means being ‘pressed down’ or ‘enveloped in grief.’ Three days earlier, David was fired from his army job with King Achish. While David and his men were on their way home, the Amalekites have not only burned the town down, they have stolen everything including the wives and children of David and his men. Now his men are speaking of stoning him. In spite of being between a rock (several rocks) and a hard place, David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. (StT 1 Samuel 30)

How did David go about giving spiritual CPR to himself when life knocked him down flat? Possibly David returned to his humble-harp-playing-sheep-watching-oiled-for-royalty-tenacious faith of his youth by offering towdah. One of seven Hebrew praise words, towdah believes Yahweh for the impossible allowing His power to work on our behalf as we praise Him with surrendered hands.

Despite his circumstances, David gave the sacrifice of thanksgiving and declared His works with rejoicing. By giving towdah praise, David was laying down his perspective of his many troubles. He then confessed his covenantal right to use Yahweh’s name and believe that Yahweh will raise him up one more time. (StT Psalm 107:22; Psalm 71:20; Hebrews 13:15)

After asking the LORD what he should do, David got the Word to go after the Amalekites for he would surely recover everything that was taken from him. David returned to Ziklag so victorious that he sent part of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends. (StT 1 Samuel 30:8, 26) Psalm 68:19 and Ephesians 4:8 confirm Who was behind David’s victory: The God of armies ascended into the high places, turned captivity captive then gave gifts to mankind.

“Turning captivity captive” is a Hebrew idiom meaning “He turned the tables on your enemies in warfare.” It’s logical that towdah is seeing our victory before it happens because when I try to say towdah, it sounds more like the word of triumph, “Tada!”

One day while I was driving under the influence of the stresses of life, the LORD used a dead squirrel on the road to show me how to have an attitude of towdah. The only way I recognized it had been a squirrel was by its fluffy-still-attached-to-its-flattened-body tail. With each passing car’s gust, its tail would arise as if tenaciously declaring, “Tada! I may be down, but I’m not totally out!”

This squirrel reminded me that no matter what happens, I should never ever stop giving towdah and to use my own mustard seed faith of God. I’m not talking from the perspective that a tiny belief the size of a mustard seed can make big things happen but the ability a mustard seed has to grow in almost any environment. Once a mustard seed takes root, even rocky terrain cannot stop its true and living faith because it has the ability to move actual stones out of its way. The mustard seed has to do its own pushing to get the stone (mountain) out of the way as it rises towards the light of transformation into the tree (new life) the seed was covenanted with God to be. (StT Matthew 17:20)

With all the dark confusion in life and circumstances knocking us on our faces, it’s not a time to be lacking in the faith department that’s for sure. Now more than ever we need to let the faith of God shine in us. Since our mountain only responds to our voice, it’s on us to use towdah praise to push our way up towards the light of a new life. People of all ranks will find their way home by the brightness of our rising.

It is conceivable that Jesus was talking about conquering kings leaving no stone unturned in their search for His concealed Truth when He said He will only give the secret manna to the one who conquers. (StT Proverbs 25:2; Revelation 2:17)

David may have had several helpin’s of this royal food before becoming captain over an army made up of about four hundred men who had gathered behind him. At least David didn’t have to worry that any of the men would be looking back with a yearning desire for the things left behind after they put their hands to the plow since they all had the misfit credentials of being in distress, debt and/or discontentment. (StT Psalm 61:2; Luke 9:62)

Adullam, which means ‘a testimony to them,’ would become the place for society’s rejects to testify of what it meant to be in covenant by becoming victorious warriors who fought for their beloved king. When two are in covenant, they first exchange robes and belts. By putting on the robe, they were giving their all to their ‘friend’ and taking ‘within’ themselves the essence of the other. The belt meant they would defend, protect and fight for the other. Being in covenant with God makes you a carrier of His Presence and no one can defeat you. (StT Romans 13:14; 2 Samuel 23:8-39; Romans 8:31)

The top three of David’s mighty men either were in covenant with God themselves or David’s covenant covered his friends also. (StT Job 22:30) In one battle, Josheb-basshebeth slew eight hundred with his spear. In another, Eleazar fought so hard and long that his body became weak but he never let go of his sword!

The farmers fled when the Philistines gathered in a field of lentils, but Shammah stood and fought killing many Philistines. Yahweh gave His people a great victory.

Most of the fightin’ David and his men did was for protecting the local farmers and not the ‘time the kings battled’ mentioned in 2 Samuel 11:1. On the latter occasion, it was not uncommon for a conquering king to kill any surviving relative of his defeated foe in order to prevent a future challenge to the throne.

Ignorant of the covenant between David and Jonathan, the person given protection duties of Jonathan’s son hears that Saul and Jonathan are dead. In the process of fleeing, she drops Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, which caused him to become lame. (2 Samuel 4:4) Years later David gets to wondering if there is anyone left from Saul’s family that he can show kindness according to his friendship covenant with Jonathan. Saul’s servant, Ziba, knows that Mephibosheth was living in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

With so many revelation gems hidden in the meaning of Hebrew names, I’m regretting skipping over the begats all those years.
The house, bayith, where Mephibosheth was staying can mean prison. Following all the connected Hebrew roots of Machir, it basically means ‘he sold himself to death.’ Ammiel’s name comes from the root word, amam (to be held in darkness). Lo-debar means either ‘no pasture’ or ‘no promise.’

Mephibosheth may have believed his name meaning, ‘breathing shame’ or ‘despised,’ fit him by revealing contempt for himself with his ‘dead dog’ reference when David arrived. Or he was playing the victim card. Sure he was crippled in both feet because of the actions of someone else, but in his dark place had he developed a “the world is against me” mindset? If Mephibosheth was hoping for pity he was shooting too low. With one word from the king, he suddenly went from being put out to pasture with no promise of breaking out of his dark prison to eating bread at David’s table as one of the king’s sons for the rest of his life. (StT 2 Samuel 9:7-12)

Mephibosheth had every reason to shout, “The LORD is My Miracle!” (Exodus 17:15) God had gotten rid of the accumulated burdens of his exile that made Mephibosheth’s life miserable by bringing the lame one home again and turning his shame into honor all through the land. (StT Zephaniah 3:18-20)

Ummm…not so fast.

We first learn of Mephibosheth when the action of his nurse caused him to end up dwelling in a place with seemingly no future. The last we hear of him is when he’s finagled out of his entire inheritance from yet another caretaker. The deception occurred when King David fled because of Absalom’s plot to dethrone him by stealing the hearts of the people of Israel.

Ziba takes provisions to David and gave the reason why Mephibosheth didn’t bring them was because he stayed in Jerusalem thinking now that David is gone, the people would give him back his grandfather’s kingdom. For this newsflash David gives all that belonged to Mephibosheth to Ziba.

When David finally makes it home, the first thing out of his mouth was to ask a disheveled Mephibosheth why he didn’t flee with him? That’s when Ziba’s deceit was uncovered. It was actually Mephibosheth’s idea to saddle the donkey to ride with the king, but Ziba took it as his own and the opportunity to enrich himself by slandering Mephibosheth to the king.

David split the difference by giving each story teller half of the inheritance, but Mephibosheth told the king he was just grateful that David was safely back at the palace and to let Ziba take it all. (StT 2 Samuel 16: 3-4; 19:25-31)

Mephibosheth desired the king’s presence more than his presents.

His answer to the king wasn’t of self-pity. Sure his limitations had caused his need for assistance in going to David which resulted in a second helpin’ of misfortune at the hands of another. He was no longer thinking ‘poor me’ but that the riches of his inheritance was being daily in the presence of his king.

Would I have answered the same? Am I willing to throw out everything I could possibly obtain in this world as nothing but a pile of cow manure so that I may gain my KING? (StT Philippians 3:8)

Am I seeking His reign or mainly the necessities of life which is basically all about me? Am I coming from a sense of entitlement? Do I resort to complaining about what I would call intolerable hardship stones between me and my purpose? Do I expect others to pray them away instead of praise pushing them out of the way myself?

“God has not, and will not, abandon His covenant people” is not a one size fits all formula that keeps bad things from ever happening to good people. I mean look at what all happened to David, who intensely pursued after what was on God’s heart, and joined Him in walking out His will on earth as it is in heaven. Enoch’s pursuit of walking the direction God was going caused him to one day sashay beside our Father all the way Home. (StT Isaiah 60:1-3;1 Samuel 13:14; Genesis 5:24)

If we don’t refuse walking with God in His direction then this promise is ours; “For in the time of trouble He will hide me in His pavilion. He will hide me in the secret place of His Tent. He will set me upon a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies all around me.” (Psalms 27:5-6, emphasis mine)

Most of Job’s book details the long discussion between his friends’ religious critiquing and Job’s own questions about a just God allow his ‘time of trouble’ before he sums it all up: “I know that You can do everything (Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:34) and that no thought can be withheld from You. Who is the one who hides counsel without knowledge? Truly I have uttered what I do not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. …I have heard of You by the listening of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6)

Did you catch it? Job admits that he was talking about things over his head and takes back everything he said which surely included his “God gives and God takes” quote and calling his wife a foolish woman. But what was the sin Job was repenting since Job 1:22 said he had not sinned? If sin only covers a visible action of breaking covenant with God Job is still in the clear. But Jesus said sin is in our wrong thinking. (StT Matthew 5:28)  Job might not have charged God as having an unsavory character but his complaining spilled the beans on his prideful heart.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

As fur back as I can remember, my mood was dependent on the circumstances. Sometimes I couldn’t shake the blues when dealing with difficult periods and it wasn’t like I had lost everything either.After learning about the mustard seed, I realized it was up to me when I find myself on a rocky road to choose a joyful attitude while moving those stones out of my way. Of course I have the coworker of God’s grace on my side to help produce a greater good out of hard times than I could accomplish alone being miserable. (StT 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 8:28)

Like King David, Mrs. Job, and the squirrel, as a royal daughter of Abraham I choose to walk on a happy trail with my head up high even if my body and my mind may fail because God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my forever Inheritance could not be better. (StT Psalm 73:26)

Stirring the Golden Prayer Pot

Our Father, it’s hard not to resent the intruders called Trials along with their cohorts, Temptations. I’m still working on being happy that they’ve arrived for the purpose of digging into my heart to see if there is any hurtful way in me.

But I would really like it if there was some short cut to character maturation that didn’t involve sometimes painful tests similar to when a farmer separates wheat from the husks.
When You do permit the tempter to test me with calamities, lead me out of my brokenness into the season of Your favor where my time of mourning and depression will become my time of victory and gladness.
Yes! Loose the bands on the neck of all Your captive daughters and set us upon the Rock to assume our position as leader as it was in our former Garden glory!
Enlarge my heart as I listen to Your Word and make it my way of life.

You direct Your specially chosen in everlasting covenantal truth.
For in the time of trouble You will hide me in the secret place of Your Prayer Covering.

You will set me upon a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies all around me.
I will rejoice in my double portion and all who see me will acknowledge that it is

You that has blessed me when everything comes about so suddenly!

Double Dippin’

You children of Zion, rejoice exuberantly! Rejoice in the LORD your God!
For He has given you the Teacher of acts of loving kindness and
1 the Teacher will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain as at the first. (Double Blessing)
[Surely goodness and loving kindness will pursue me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the House of the LORD forever.]
2 And the floors will be full of wheat and the vats will overflow with wine and oil. (Abundance)
[My cup is running over.]
3 And I shall restore to you the years that the locust, the canker worm, the caterpillar, and the palmer worm have eaten, (Restoration)
[He will restore my soul.]
My great army which I sent among you.
4 And you will eat in plenty and be satisfied, (Never a Lack)
[The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing. He will cause me to lie down in green pastures:
He will lead me beside the still waters. He will guide
{This means more than just guide, it is also “in a path of blessing.”}]
and praise the name of the LORD your God,
5 Who has dealt wondrously with you, (Miracles)
[You have anointed my head with oil.] and
6 My people will never be ashamed. (Respect)
[…righteousness for His name’s sake.]
And you will know that
7 I AM in the midst of Israel, (Divine Presence)
[I will dwell in the House of the LORD. {Dwelling where He dwells.}]
and I AM the LORD your God, and no one else is, and My people will never be ashamed.
(Joel 2:23-27; [Psalm 23])