Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.

1 Samuel 12

Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 1 Samuel 12:20-22

As I have completed my study of Daniel, and before I jump back into my study of Hebrews, I pause this morning to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion which looks at 1 Samuel 12:20-22, an excerpt of text where the prophet Samuel delivers a farewell address to Israel.  Here John Piper gives great encouragement to believers who need to move beyond the shame of past grievous sins.  Having God speak through prophets to them was insufficient, so Israel (see 1 Samuel 8) demanded a king; and this of course, was just one of Israel's many sins!  Instead of shaming Israel, Samuel encourages and lifts them up by sharing how God abounds in love and grace for His chosen people, seeking for them to return to Him.  See also the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15, as well as the parable of the prodigal son, also in Luke 15.  God of course knows we are broken and prone to sin, yet He provides a path for atonement and eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ - rejoice!

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My Prayer: God, You are SO good as You welcome sinners back into Your arms with love, grace and compassion - thank You for how You have done so for me already and how You will continue to do so for the rest of my life.  I am completely undeserving of such love, grace, and compassion.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.

Isaiah 11-12

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Isaiah 12:1

I came back to my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  Today, I reviewed Isaiah 11-12, where we see rich details of a Messianic prophecy.  In particular, we see a God who is certainly full of righteous anger for an unfaithful Israel; yet we also see a God who is faithful to those who remain firm in their faith - the remnant - and faithful to the promise God made to David (Davidic Covenant) in 2 Samuel 7.  Isaiah 12:1 brings to mind how all believers were one "hostile" to God but in His amazing grace loved and saved us anyway:

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him[.] Colossians 1:21-22

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My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are rich in mercy and grace - I know You loved and saved me while I was still hostile and an enemy to You - and I continue to sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your grace, salvation, and love.  My sin does continue...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.

2 Samuel 12:24-25, 2 Samuel 5:13-16, 1 Chronicles 3:4-9, 14:3-7, 2 Samuel 13-14

And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death. 2 Samuel 13:39

Day 100 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on the birth of Solomon, the rape of Tamar (daughter of David) by Amnon (son of David), and Absalom's (son of David) revenge killing of Amnon.

Much like David longs for Absalom in spite of his sin, God longs for us despite our sin.

There are very important distinctions we must recognize regarding how God BOTH loves and hates us as sinners.  John Piper provides great clarity on these distinctions. Piper's starting point is that God hates sinners (referencing Psalm 5:4-5 and 11:5).  Piper writes, "[s]o, it is just not true to give the impression that God doesn’t hate sinners by saying he loves the sinner and hates the sin. He does hate sinners. His wrath is real. It is not something he pours out on people he approves of".  He then goes on to write how God ALSO loves sinners, referencing John 3:16.  Piper writes: ... "[this] matters [because] [i]f we don’t understand that God finds us hateful and loathsome in our ugly sin, we won’t be as stunned by what his love is for us".

God's love for us should in Piper's words "stun" us - and it does!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, even while I continue to sin and even though I am still a sinner - thank You Jesus!  I know You hate both sin and sinners (like me) but You also love me and sent Your Son Jesus to save me - thank You Jesus!  The greatest gift of all time!  I am not deserving of such a gift.  I love You but I am not deserving.  I continue to sin...to complain/grumble and to be harsh with others.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.