David

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Psalm 51:14 Freedom From Guilt Of Bloodshed

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. Psalm 51:14

Very few people, out of the billions on the earth, are guilty of physically murdering or killing another person. Most people have thought to want to kill someone, but most never go through with it. There are also many who have physically killed someone, some of whom have been caught and punished, and others who have never been caught yet. The only way the world sees murder as murder, is when someone physically kills someone else.

David asked God to deliver him from the guilt of bloodshed so that he could sing of His righteousness. In this passage, David was guilty of physically killing another man. He admitted his guilt and asked God to cleanse him of the sin.

While the world only looks at physical murder as a guilt of murder, God looks at things differently. He begins with physical murder but extends it to the thoughts of murder. Jesus would much later state that to even think of murdering someone is the same as doing it.

Very few people have never had someone that they were angry enough with to wish that the person would die somehow. In God’s eyes, this is the same as physically murdering the person. There is still a guilt of bloodshed, even though physically no blood was shed.

Believers need to be careful and take into captivity every thought and every idle word. Every thought or spoken word is heard by God, both good and bad. These words and thoughts will be judged by God at some point.

The good news is that is one of the many reasons why Jesus died upon the cross–to take away the guilt of ALL sin. As the believer repents of bloodshed, God will forgive.

Hopefully you have never physically murdered someone, but most likely you are guilty of wishing someone dead at some point. Whether physically or with words, God is ready and willing to forgive you and remove your guilt. He wants you to have life so that you can sing of His righteousness, love and mercy upon your life.

Seek God for forgiveness and strength to keep your thoughts under control in His righteousness and holiness. Then sing praises of His righteousness and holiness.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will repent of any sins against God you have done; that you will allow God to change your mind to speak His words of life; and that you will sing of His righteousness for all the world to hear.

Picture by Ben White on Unsplash

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Psalm 13:6 Grateful Singing

I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:6

People are often grateful when things go well for them. When everything is working out in the way in which things should go, people are happy and thankful that it is happening that way. However, many do not recognize blessings that are occurring in normal day to day life, and even fewer are grateful during times of stress and trouble. It is during those time that many are quick to moan and complain that everything and everyone is against them.

At the beginning of this psalm David began by crying out to God asking if He had forgotten him. At the end it turns to singing because of how God had dealt with him in a bountiful way.

Going through good times, it is easy to be grateful, although most do not recognize how good things are going when they are going well. People are quick to forget about how hard they had just had it and focus on how much better it could still be.

Difficult times are always difficult to make through. It is a challenge to be grateful when everything appears to be going wrong and God appears to be against the person.

Instead of complaining about when things are going wrong, believers must step back and realize how bountifully God is dealing with them. No matter how bad things get in the life of a believer, it will always be much less than what they deserve because of sin. All sin deserves the worst punishment possible that will last for eternity.

As the believer begins to recognize how horrible sin is, then one can sing because of how good God is dealing with them, even in times of trouble.

You are probably able to sing songs of praise to God when everything appears to be going well. However, during times of trouble, it may become very hard to continue to sing those songs of praise.

Take time to stop and reflect on how well God is dealing with you. Count all of the many blessings God has blessed you with in spite of the current trouble you are going through. Recognize the blessing that God does not give you what your sin deserves.

As you do this you will be able to sing praises to God for the way He is dealing with you in love, mercy and grace.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will see what God is doing in your life; that you will know God has not left you; and that you will sing praises to God for how He works in your life.

Picture by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

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1 Chronicles 29:20 Give God Praise

Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king. 1 Chronicles 29:20

Giving praise to someone is lifting someone up. Teachers. at all levels, are always encouraged to give students praise for the work that they do to encourage them to keep doing the work. People all over the world will praise different singers, actors or others that have done something great. Those who receive the praise are encouraged to keep doing what they were praised for.

After the people had brought in money for building the temple, David told the people to give God praise and so they did.

People are quick to give praise to others who have done something but are slow to give God praise who has done much more. God is often ignored in life as the One who does great things or is blamed for the bad things occurring. Most people think that they did it themselves, on their own or with the help of other people.

Any person who is a believer in God should recognize what God has done and is doing. It is God who is in total control. He is the One who created everything and made everything possible. Without God, no one is able to do anything at all.

The believer who stops for a moment and realizes what God has done in his life will be quick to give Him praise. He will want to tell others what God has done and is still doing. He will know that no matter how bad things look, in the end God will win the battle and bring about a great victory, thus giving reason to give Him more praise.

Think about all the things that God has done in your life. From providing the air to breath to miracles of healing and everything in between God has done it all and deserves your praise.

Without God you can do nothing. Without God you have no hope. Without God you have no future. Without God you have no salvation. Without God you can have no real peace or joy. Take time to give God praise for all these things and more.

Praise God in your private home and in the public places to let the world know who God is and what He has done.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what God has done in your life; that you will give God praise for who He is and what He has done and is doing; and that you will not be ashamed to give God public praise.

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1 Chronicles 28:9 Seek And Serve, Don’t Forsake

And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9

People are known for doing something half-heartedly. They go through the motions of accomplishing something, but not with their best abilities. Many are not fully devoted to completing something regardless of the difficulties or challenges. Often, they will quit when the going gets tough.

David told Solomon to acknowledge and serve God with all of his heart and devotion. He said that God searches the heart and understands the thoughts. Solomon was to seek God to find him and not forsake Him or else he would be rejected forever.

Very few people are wholeheartedly dedicated to something no matter how difficult the challenge may be. People will do something as long as it is easy and beneficial to them in the immediate moment. As soon as difficulties arise, people will back down and do something different.

Believers are hated by the world who will strive to get them to back down and forsake God and His commands. Compromise is pushed by the world and many believers fall for the deception and forsake God and His commands to take the easy path.

The moment a person chooses to become a believer and follower in Jesus, he must be willing to acknowledge God and begin to serve Him with all of his heart. Doing this is not something that is done only on Sundays or when things are going well, but at all times, through every circumstance good or bad.

One can trust God with his whole life and God will never leave or forsake him.

Examine your life and see if you are serving God with your whole heart. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by the destructive ways of this world and forsake God’s ways.

God knows and understands all of your thoughts and reasons why you do or do not do anything. He cannot be deceived when you forsake Him, while claiming to follow Him.

Allow God’s Holy Spirit to guide you in His ways and to give you strength to turn from the evil ways of this world. Be fully devoted to God.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will serve God with all of your heart and life; that you will never forsake God or His ways; that you will acknowledge God in all that you do; and that you will know God’s presence in your life.

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1 Chronicles 22:1 A Place For God To Stay

Then David said, “The house of the Lord God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.” 1 Chronicles 22:1

Having a place to stay is important for every person. Most people have to search for a good place to live and then rent it. Some will get the opportunity to purchase the place, while a few will have the opportunity to build a new place.

To build a new place takes a lot of planning and decision making. One has to decide where to build it and how to have it built.

David wanted to have a temple built for God to dwell in and have the burnt offerings offered in. He chose the house of God to be built.

The world is always seeking a place to live, but very rarely is seeking a place for other people to live, unless it is for a profit. The dwelling places of people are always temporary and come with a lot of challenges.

One thing the world does not seek is where God can dwell and a place where offerings can be offered up to Him.

While it is important for believers to have a place to physically live, it is more important to make a place for God to live. Every believer is to be the temple of God and a living sacrifice. Their lives are to be a place where God can live and they offer their whole lives up to be a sacrifice unto God for what Jesus has done for them.

Jesus provided forgiveness and cleansing from sin for every believer, giving them the opportunity to be the temple of God. Now the believer can live the holy life Jesus provided and make his life a place for God to dwell in for the whole world to see.

Although you may go to some church, the place where God really dwells is inside you, if you are a believer in Jesus. Live your life for God in such a way that God is pleased to make your heart a place to dwell. Offer your whole life up to God as a living and pleasing sacrifice to God.

Do not allow your life to be filled with the world and sin that will evict God from your life. Be the purified and holy temple of God that Jesus died on the cross for you to be.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be the holy temple of God to dwell in; that you will live a holy life that Jesus has provided for you; that your life will be a sacrifice of love to God; and that the world will see that God dwells in you.