2 Samuel 6, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: In God’s Likeness - August 8, 2022

We are all made in God’s image and in his likeness. Sin has distorted this image, but it has not destroyed it. Our moral purity has been tainted, but do not think for a moment that God has rescinded his promise or altered his plan. He still creates people in his image to bear his likeness and reflect his glory.

As we fellowship with God, read his Word, obey his commands, and seek to reflect his character, something wonderful emerges.  We say things God would say; we do things God would do. We forgive, we share, and we love. In time an image begins to appear. God’s goal is simply to rub away anything that is not of him so the inborn image of God can be seen in us.

Because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

2 Samuel 6

David mustered the pick of the troops of Israel—thirty divisions of them. Together with his soldiers, David headed for Baalah to recover the Chest of God, which was called by the Name God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who was enthroned over the pair of angels on the Chest.

3-7 They placed the Chest of God on a brand-new oxcart and removed it from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were driving the new cart loaded with the Chest of God, Ahio in the lead and Uzzah alongside the Chest. David and the whole company of Israel were in the parade, singing at the top of their lungs and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Chest of God. God blazed in anger against Uzzah and struck him hard because he had profaned the Chest. Uzzah died on the spot, right alongside the Chest.

8-11 Then David got angry because of God’s deadly outburst against Uzzah. That place is still called Perez Uzzah (The-Explosion-Against-Uzzah). David became fearful of God that day and said, “This Chest is too dangerous to handle. How can I ever get it back to the City of David?” He refused to take the Chest of God a step farther. Instead, David removed it off the road and to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Chest of God stayed at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. And God prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household.

12-16 It was reported to King David that God had prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household because of the Chest of God. So David thought, “I’ll get that blessing for myself,” and went and brought up the Chest of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David, celebrating extravagantly all the way, with frequent sacrifices of choice bulls. David, ceremonially dressed in priest’s linen, danced with great abandon before God. The whole country was with him as he accompanied the Chest of God with shouts and trumpet blasts. But as the Chest of God came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, happened to be looking out a window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before God, her heart filled with scorn.

17-19 They brought the Chest of God and set it in the middle of the tent pavilion that David had pitched for it. Then and there David worshiped, offering burnt offerings and peace offerings. When David had completed the sacrifices of burnt and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies and handed out to each person in the crowd, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then everyone went home.

20-22 David returned home to bless his family. Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to greet him: “How wonderfully the king has distinguished himself today—exposing himself to the eyes of the servants’ maids like some burlesque street dancer!” David replied to Michal, “In God’s presence I’ll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over God’s people, over Israel. Oh yes, I’ll dance to God’s glory—more recklessly even than this. And as far as I’m concerned .?.?. I’ll gladly look like a fool .?.?. but among these maids you’re so worried about, I’ll be honored no end.”

23 Michal, Saul’s daughter, was barren the rest of her life.

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Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Monday, August 08, 2022

Today's Scripture
Proverbs 22:6, 17–21

     Point your kids in the right direction—

when they’re old they won’t be lost.

THE THIRTY PRECEPTS OF THE SAGES

Don’t Move Back the Boundary Lines

17–21     Listen carefully to my wisdom;

take to heart what I can teach you.

You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within;

you’ll give it bold expression in your speech.

To make sure your foundation is trust in God,

I’m laying it all out right now just for you.

I’m giving you thirty sterling principles—

tested guidelines to live by.

Believe me—these are truths that work,

and will keep you accountable

to those who sent you.

Insight

Proverbs 22 opens a window into the world of King Solomon. Beginning in verse 17, Solomon provides a collection of thirty “sayings of the wise,” which are modeled on the proverbs of an Egyptian sage named Amenemope. A “sage” was the ancient Near Eastern equivalent of a modern philosopher, and Solomon’s work in Proverbs shows he was well aware of his fellow sage’s approach to wisdom. The striking differences in Solomon’s take on Amenemope’s work, however, highlight the crucial role of Israel’s God in wise living. Wisdom on its own isn’t enough, but, as Solomon notes in verse 19, the goal of wisdom is confident trust in God Himself.

Believers in Jesus don’t have a monopoly on wisdom. Like Solomon did with the Egyptian sages, we can find wisdom at work across the globe. But we also know that wisdom ultimately must direct humanity back to the God who created us. By: Jed Ostoich

Discerning Right Paths

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6

No one would have believed sixteen-year-old Brazilian skateboarder Felipe Gustavo would become “one of the most legendary skateboarders on the planet.” Gustavo’s dad believed his son needed to pursue his dream of skating professionally, but they didn’t have the money. So his dad sold their car and took his son to the renowned Tampa Am skating competition in Florida. No one had heard of Gustavo . . . until he won. And the victory catapulted him into an amazing career.

Gustavo’s dad had the capacity to see his son’s heart and passion. “When I become a father,” Gustavo said, “I just want to be like 5 percent of what my dad was for me.”

Proverbs describes the opportunity parents have to help their children discern the unique way God has crafted their heart, energy, and personality—and then to direct and encourage them toward the path that reflects who God made them to be. “Start children off on the way they should go,” the writer said, “and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (22:6).

We may not possess vast resources or profound knowledge. With God’s wisdom (vv. 17–21) and our attentive love, however, we can offer our kids and other children within our sphere of influence an immense gift. We can help them trust in God and discern the paths they can follow for a lifetime (3:5–6). By:  Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

Where have you encountered a parent attentive to their child’s heart or energy? How has God revealed His attentive ways to you?

Heavenly Father, as I consider how good parents pay attention to their children, I know You’re the truest parent. Thank You for seeing and guiding me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, August 08, 2022

Prayer in the Father’s Honor

...that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. —Luke 1:35

If the Son of God has been born into my human flesh, then am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me? What was true of the Virgin Mary in the history of the Son of God’s birth on earth is true of every saint. God’s Son is born into me through the direct act of God; then I as His child must exercise the right of a child— the right of always being face to face with my Father through prayer. Do I find myself continually saying in amazement to the commonsense part of my life, “Why did you want me to turn here or to go over there? ‘Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ ” (Luke 2:49). Whatever our circumstances may be, that holy, innocent, and eternal Child must be in contact with His Father.

Am I simple enough to identify myself with my Lord in this way? Is He having His wonderful way with me? Is God’s will being fulfilled in that His Son has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19), or have I carefully pushed Him to one side? Oh, the noisy outcry of today! Why does everyone seem to be crying out so loudly? People today are crying out for the Son of God to be put to death. There is no room here for God’s Son right now— no room for quiet, holy fellowship and oneness with the Father.

Is the Son of God praying in me, bringing honor to the Father, or am I dictating my demands to Him? Is He ministering in me as He did in the time of His manhood here on earth? Is God’s Son in me going through His passion, suffering so that His own purposes might be fulfilled? The more a person knows of the inner life of God’s most mature saints, the more he sees what God’s purpose really is: to “…fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…” (Colossians 1:24). And when we think of what it takes to “fill up,” there is always something yet to be done.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment. The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 R

Bible in a Year: Psalms 74-76; Romans 9:16-33

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, August 08, 2022

Your Permanent Record - in Heaven - #9281

Schools and teachers frequently run into what we might call a motivational challenge; how to motivate a student to do the right thing and stop doing the wrong thing. Now, they used to hit students on the hand or even spank them in the old days. Of course, not any more. Disciplinary actions have gotten less and less as parents have been willing to even sue if a school violates their son's or daughter's rights. A teacher can still threaten a zero, or a detention, or a trip to the principal's office, and the principal can even threaten a suspension. But there are two words that can strike terror into many a student's heart, "This will go on your permanent record."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Permanent Record - in Heaven."

If your school years are a distant memory, you're probably glad you don't have to be concerned about your permanent record any more, right? Well, as a matter of fact, we all have one in heaven. King David was concerned about his, and back in the 51st Psalm he said, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love. According to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions." He was afraid of his record with God. In verse 9 he says, "Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities." Don't you wish you could have erased the record of all the times you've done things, thought things, said things that were out of God's bounds? Well, the Bible has a word for that - sin. Any time I run my life instead of God running it.

See, God's recorder has been running during every conversation of your life and mine. His recorder has been picking up everything you've ever done, even the things no one else knew about. And David said in another Psalm, "If I say surely the darkness will hide me, even the darkness will not be dark to You, God." If we have to face that permanent record when it's our time to appear before God, we don't stand a chance. The good we've done? It's not going to cancel out a lifetime record of doing things my way.

Thank God your permanent record doesn't have to be permanent. Our word for today from the Word of God in Colossians 2:13. Listen to this good news: "You were dead in your sins, but He forgave us all our sin having canceled the written code that was against us. He took it away, nailing it to His cross." Wow! In other words, because of what Jesus did when He died, it's possible to trade in punishment for forgiveness; a death penalty that I deserve, I can trade for eternal life I could never deserve.

We might want to argue over some of the entries in our permanent record in heaven and say, "Hey, I don't think that's sin. Our culture doesn't think it's sin." Well, if God thinks it's sin, it is and it's on your record. But because Jesus Christ died to make possible the erasing of our sin record, God can make this promise recorded in Hebrews 8:12 in the Bible, "I will forgive their wickedness" - listen to this - "and I will remember their sins no more." Wow! Wouldn't it be liberating to know that your eternal record with God is clear; that you'll never have to face that record in God's presence some day and the judgment that goes with it?

Freedom and forgiveness - they're yours. And the moment you put all your faith in Him you get a new permanent record in heaven. It's talked about in Luke 10:20. It says, "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Today your name could be entered in what God calls His Book of Life. That's His permanent record of all those whose sins are forgiven because they've invited Jesus Christ to be their own Savior from their own sin.

If you've never done that, if you want to know how, if you want to be sure you have, I invite you to get to our website today - ANewStory.com. Find out how every sin of your life could be erased from God's Book today by beginning that relationship with Jesus.

That Book of Life in heaven? That's a permanent record you want your name in. It's a reservation for heaven written in God's indelible ink.