6 Minute Read

Be Still

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a couple of minutes to breathe deeply, to quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, prayerfully ask the Lord to speak to you in this time and let Him know that you will be listening and will make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Today’s Bible Reading:

1 Chronicles 9:1–10:14
Acts 27:21-44
Psalm 8:1-9
Proverbs 18:23-24

Listen to the Lord

Slowly and reflectively read the following verses and listen to what God will say to you through them. Then, consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

1 Chronicles 10:13–14 (NLT): “So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD’s command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the LORD for guidance. So the LORD killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”

Reflections from Scripture:

When we read 1 Chronicles 10:13-14, it seems fitting. Saul died, and God was exercising justice. Saul had repeatedly disobeyed the Lord. He even resorted to consulting a witch rather than calling out to the God of Heaven. So, justice was done when God took his life and turned the kingdom over to David.

This is the way we think life should go. Obedience is always and quickly rewarded by God. Disobedience is always and promptly punished by God.

But when we look at the story of David and Saul, we realize that it was a bit more complicated than that. Saul lived in disobedience (and power) for years, while David lived in obedience (on the run) for years. David penned many of the psalms that call upon the Lord for help or question why the Lord hadn’t exercised justice as King Saul hunted him like a dog.

So, while we find hope in the fact that God will bless obedience and punish disobedience, it is a lot more complicated than that. There will be times in our life when we, like David, will question why God seems to allow injustice to go unchecked. We will wonder why He isn’t intervening on our behalf.

It is in those times that we must stay the course. We must, like David, insist on living a life of obedience even in the face of injustice. We must not act in vengeance but leave that to the Lord. We must trust that the Lord sees what is happening and will deal with it justly in His own time and in His own way.

Friend, especially as we look to Jesus, we see this mindset and behavior modeled. Even as He was mistreated, we observe that He prayed, obeyed, and trusted His Father.

How might this truth be applied to your life right now? Are you struggling with injustice? As you look to Jesus as your ultimate example, how should you respond?

Spend Time in Prayer

Lord Jesus, I know that there is a Day of Judgment coming in which all wrongs will finally and ultimately be dealt with. But until then, there will be injustice in this world that often seems to go unchecked. Help me stand up for injustice when I see it happening to others but help me to never exercise vengeance when injustice is done against me. Help me to trust in You and live in obedience to You during those difficult times. I pray this in Your Name, Amen.

Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com). His latest book is God’s Grace in the Real World. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
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