Faith Walk

[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 11:29-54 1 Samuel 19-21

Veneer or Real?

1 Samuel 19-21, Luke 11:29-54
Key Verse: Luke 11:34-35

It used to be said, "There's nothing like the real thing." We can't say that anymore because so many things are like the real thing. Put a little veneer over particle board and it can look like real wood. Creative manufacturing can make particles glued together look like solid wood, grain and all. The finished product looks like one thing on the outside, yet is another on the inside.

There is a word used to describe a person who is one thing on the outside and something different on the inside-hypocrite.

Jesus was concerned that we be like lights, shining forth the truth. He also was concerned that what we are on the outside is what we are on the inside. "When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light," He said. "See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness" (vv. 34-35). He desires truth to be within and to show without.

Someone once said that it looks like the Pharisees have had the last laugh. Christians can be very concerned about the external, how they look, and give too little concern to the internal, which really is where they live.

Veneer is fine for furniture. But Christians are to be solid, not filled with darkness and a thin layer of light glued on the outside.

Are you veneer or the real thing?

"God, I want to be genuine before You, myself and others. Help me to be filled with Your light and may it show."

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 12:1-31 1 Samuel 22-24

Someone to Lean On

1 Samuel 22-24, Luke 12:1-31
Key Verse: 1 Samuel 23:16

A popular song says, "Lean on me when you're not strong and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on. For it won't be long till we're going to need somebody to lean on." At times we all realize the truth of those words: we need someone to be there for us, someone to lean on.

David was going through one of those times when a very special friend showed up. Saul had heard that David was in Keilah, so he headed that direction in pursuit. When David heard that Saul was coming, he asked God what to do. With the warning confirmed by God, David returned to the desert strongholds. A good first response! He went to God, as should we.

Then along came his close friend. Jonathan was the person David could lean on. Saul's son went to David "and helped him find strength in God" (23:16).

Notice two things. First, David had gone to God and God used a friend to help him. There will be times we need someone, and someone will need us to be that friend. Second, Jonathan helped him find strength in God. The ultimate source of strength, the most-needed resource, is not human effort but God.

Just having, or being, someone to lean on is not enough. The strength we need and the encouragement we give must go beyond our abilities to God's resources. Through His Word and prayer, we can help others find their strength in God.

"I need to learn to lean on You, O God. Help me do that right now and throughout each day."

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 12:32-59 1 Samuel 25-26

A Hole in the Pocket

1 Samuel 25-26, Luke 12:32-59
Key Verse: Luke 12:34

"If I win the lottery, I'll tithe." Ever hear someone say that? The words may change a bit from one get-rich-quick scheme to another, but the sentiment expressed stays the same.

Yet the truth is, the more a person earns, the less likely he is to give at least 10 percent. According to the Barna Organization, fewer than 10 percent of born-again Christian tithe 10 percent to their church. The people most likely to do this, in fact, are those who earn the least, and even that is not a high percentage. Only 8 percent of those making $20,000 or less tithe. And the percentages keep dropping as the income rises, to only 1 percent of those making $75,000 to $99,999. (After that the percentage of tithing does rise some.)

Still, it appears that the more one has, the less likely he is to tithe. You would think the opposite would be true. Surely the more one has, the easier it is to give. But that is not the case.

As one prospers, the heart can be affected, drawn away from heaven to earth, from that which is eternal to things that are temporary. Jesus' words strike at the heart of both the problem and the person: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (v. 34).

Want to check your heart? Check your checkbook. That book will have the evidence to confirm what holds the attention of your heart. Focus on making deposits in the bank of heaven.

Do a check of your checkbook. Does it reflect a life that gives to God?

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 13:1-22 1 Samuel 27-29

What Saul Saw

1 Samuel 27-29, Luke 13:1-22
Key Verse: 1 Samuel 28:6-7

A person can get a bit tongue-tied trying to tell what happened in 1 Samuel 28. Saul saw a seer because of what he had seen. When Saul saw what he saw, he sought a seer to see what the seer would say about what he saw.

That may seem like a ridiculous set of sentences when you are reading the Bible and having devotions, but they make a point. What Saul did was ridiculous, a mistake we should not make either.

The bottom line is that Saul was living by sight, not by faith. "When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart" (28:5). His first response was to pray, but God did not answer. His next response shows that he was not seeking God as much as he was looking for help, no matter where it came from. "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her," he said (v. 7). It wasn't the first time that Saul's impatience got him into trouble. In 1 Samuel 13:11-12, he was rebuked by Samuel. His defense was, "When I saw . . . I thought."

Living by sight was a pattern with Saul. Living by faith was not. Yet living by faith is blessed by God. Living by sight is not.

How do you live? When God does not seem to answer quick enough for you, it is tempting to decide on the basis of what you see. Don't do it. Don't be like Saul, who let what he saw decide what he would do.

Going to God should not be your last resort but your first. Seek Him and stay away from those whose advice is not from His Word.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 13:23-35 1 Samuel 30-31

Strength Training

1 Samuel 30-31, Luke 13:23-35
Key Verse: 1 Samuel 30:6

A key component of any successful athletic program is strength training. The willing team or performer must have not only ability but strength and endurance as well.

Sometimes we can find our strength stretched to the limit, leaving us wondering how we can continue. That must have been David's feeling when, after an extended time fleeing Saul and fighting the enemies of Israel, he came home to a devastating situation. Ziklag, the city where David and his men lived, had been destroyed by fire, the women and children taken captive. He and the men wept until they had no strength left to weep (30:4). The men even talked of stoning David (v. 6).

When physically and emotionally drained, "David found strength in the LORD his God" (v. 6). That was his best, if not only effective, option.

The same is true for us. We find strength in the Lord by turning to His Word. In the Bible we read of His love for us, His promises given us, and His instructions to us. We find strength in the Lord by turning to Him in prayer. Rather than hold onto our troubles, we can lay them before God, seeking the help we need at His throne. We also find strength in the Lord by turning to His people. Remember how Jonathan strengthened David in the Lord? Others can do the same for us as they remind us of and teach us from God's Word, holding our tired arms up in prayer as well.

As strength is needed, look to the Lord. He strengthened David and will do the same for you.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 2 Samuel 1-2 Luke 14:1-24

Investing with No Return

2 Samuel 1-2, Luke 14:1-24
Key Verse: Luke 14:13-14

We always like to get something back from our investments. Money we put in the stock market is done so with the hope of gain. A gift sent to a client is given with the hope of gaining more business. Even a favor for a friend might be done with an eye on a future time when the favor will be returned. The unspoken mantra is, "What's in it for me?"

In the margin of my Bible next to verse 14 is written, "disinterested goodness." This verse exhorts us to invest with no hope of return, to do good without an eye on the immediate future. Jesus tells us to show hospitality to those who cannot return the favor, an act of goodness but a disinterested one. It is "disinterested" in the sense that it is not a good deed deposited with hopes of gaining something in return, like interest.

Is it really hospitality when we invite someone to our home in hopes of what we might gain from the time? Perhaps as we define hospitality it is, but it will not meet the standard of what Jesus set before us. He instructs us to reach out to the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind (v. 13). God will reward us in eternity.

Until then, we should do unto others not because of what they may be able to do unto us but simply because we should.

Think of something you can do today for someone who cannot repay--and do it.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 2 Samuel 3-5 Luke 14:25-35

Stay Salty

2 Samuel 3-5, Luke 14:25-35 Key Verses: Luke 14:34-35

Expiration dates are printed on just about everything nowadays, even on soda pop cans. One place you will not find an expiration date, however, is on salt. Ever hear anyone say, "This salt tastes old. It must not be very fresh"? Probably not. Salt never goes stale.

Jesus said, "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out" (vv. 34-35). If there is no such thing as fresh or stale salt, how could Jesus say this?

There are two ways salt can lose its saltiness. One is by dilution, the other by pollution. Put some salt in a glass and add water. Stir, taste, and then add more water. The more you dilute the salt, the less you will taste it. Soon it has no value as salt. Or, take some salt and add to it other things. Continue to mix in things, polluting the salt, and eventually you will not notice the salt. Its saltiness is lost to the pollution.

Followers of Jesus are to be the "salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13), but our saltiness can be lost the same way. Our testimony can be so watered down that by dilution it loses its saltiness, or so much other stuff can come into our lives that our testimony is lost due to pollution.

Stay salty--that is what Jesus wants. Do not let into your life things that will dilute or pollute.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 15:1-10 2 Samuel 6-8

Anything Doesn’t Go

2 Samuel 6-8, Luke 15:1-10
Key Verse: 2 Samuel 6:7

The more we focus on doing what pleases us, the less we will please God. That truth applies to many things, including worship. How we worship God is not a matter of "anything goes." It especially is not to be done with an attitude of "I like it, so God must also." He has made it clear in His Word that not all worship is acceptable.

When David wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem he made a mistake. He consulted the leaders of the army instead of God (1 Chron. 13:1; 15:13). The attempt to move the ark led to disaster. A good desire was done the wrong way, and it was unacceptable to God.

The Bible offers other notable examples of wrong worship, such as the golden calf incident in the Sinai and the unauthorized fire offered by Nadab and Abihu (Num. 3:4). Throughout the Book of Leviticus specific instruction is given regarding how God is to be worshiped.

Scriptural teaching on proper worship is not just an Old Testament emphasis either. Jesus strongly condemned the worship of the Pharisees, and a major portion of 1 Corinthians deals with worship. God dealt with those in Corinth for their abuse of the Lord's Supper, and three chapters, 12-14, focus on the exercise of spiritual gifts with an emphasis on how it affects the worship of the church.

Worship is important to God and should be important to us. It should be done in a way that pleases Him, not us. We will learn what proper worship is not by consulting others who share our opinions and tastes, but by going to God's Word.

Examine the Bible, and then examine your worship. It is not true that "anything goes."

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 15:11-32 2 Samuel 9-11

The Hook

2 Samuel 9-11, Luke 15:11-32 Key Verse: 2 Samuel 11:2

Many times what we see gets us into trouble. The apostle John noted that the lust of the eyes does not come from God but from the world (1 John 2:16). The children's chorus "Oh, be careful little eyes what you see" is advice well heeded. Even Job, with everything else he had to deal with, stated, "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl" (Job 31:1). He knew the danger and wrong that begins with a look.

Think of what lies ahead for David at this point. Turmoil will strike his family, including a rebellion against him as king. A baby will die. A murder will take place that is part of a cover-up. The earlier stages of the cover-up include getting a man drunk in hopes that he will have sex with his wife. Before all of this there was adultery.

Where did it all begin? With a look. "One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful" (11:2).

It was the look that set the hook, and it was all downhill from there. He sent for Bathsheba and slept with her, and she conceived.

Sometimes we see something "accidentally." We were not looking for it; it just came into sight, as was possible in David's situation. The glance is not sin, but the gaze is.

Watch your eyes and watch what you watch, because the look can set the hook.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 16 2 Samuel 12-13

If Only . . .

2 Samuel 12-13, Luke 16
Key Verse: Luke 1:29

I always have trouble seeing the 3-D images in those pictures that look like nothing more than colorful patterns. You hold them at nose length, stare through them as you slowly move it away from your face and, voila!, the Statue of Liberty (or something like that) appears. Only once have I successfully seen the image. Some of my friends, more adept at staring through pictures, get frustrated that I don't see the hidden image. "If only you . . ." their futile attempts at advice begin.

Sometimes when trying to convince someone that Christianity is true, we think in "if-only" terms. "If only" Noah's ark were found, then people would believe. "If only" Sodom and Gomorrah were found or this miracle would happen or that thing would appear. We think that indisputable evidence would end unbelief.

Try this one: "If only someone would come back from the dead." Even that would fail. If a person will not listen to the Word of God, he or she will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.

That's what Jesus said. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Abraham answers the rich man's request to have someone go to his father's house to warn them. He says, "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them" (v. 29). He goes on to say that a person coming back from the grave will not make a difference when the Word is rejected.

Give people the Word of God. That is what will change them, not our evidences or our stories.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 17:1-19 2 Samuel 14-15

Bad Influence

2 Samuel 14-15, Luke 17:1-19
Key Verse: Luke 17:1

Have you ever been influenced? Of course you have. If people weren't susceptible to being influenced, the entire advertising industry would collapse. Sometimes, when filling out the registration card on a purchase, you are asked, "Where did you hear about this product?" You then can choose from a list that includes everything from TV, magazines and newspapers to friends and family. The manufacturer wants to know what influences are working best because we all can be influenced.

God knows that and at times warns us against being influenced. Yet He also wants us to be a good influence and warns us against being a bad influence. Jesus said, "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come" (v. 1).

There's no doubt about what Jesus meant when He said that. We are surrounded by things that cause people to sin. You do not have to look long and hard to see that-and you probably shouldn't look so long and hard for such things! We live in a sin-cursed world, and the opportunities for sin surround us always.

Jesus also knew that some people influence others to sin. "Woe to that person," He said. We think, Yes, woe to that pornographer, that bar owner, that call girl, but by thinking of only "big," obvious sins we miss the possibility that you and I can cause others to sin. We can encourage gossip, disrespect for those in authority, dissension in the church and a multitude of "smaller" but just as wrong sins.

Yes, woe to the pornographers, abortionists and bar owners, but woe also to us when we cause others to sin.

Think carefully about this: are there ways that you are influencing others to sin?

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 17:20-37 2 Samuel 16-18

When We Fail to Forgive

2 Samuel 16-18, Luke 17:20-37
Key Verse: 2 Samuel 16:15

One of the most grateful testimonies of the joy of forgiveness is Psalm 32, in which David expresses both the pain of unforgiven sin and the pleasure of forgiveness. He suffered greatly for his sins of adultery, abuse of power, cover-up and murder, all resulting from his lust of Bathsheba. Covering sin brings pain, but forgiveness is a joy.

In 2 Samuel 17 there is a subtle but striking contrast between the forgiven man, David, and the unforgiving man, Ahithophel. The first part of the contrast is obvious. David had sinned, repented and found forgiveness but suffered from the effects of his deed.

The second part is not as obvious. Ahithophel was David's best counselor, whose advice "was like that of one who inquires of God" (16:23). But when Absalom rebelled, Ahithophel changed sides. He became the counselor of the king's son.

The reason for his betrayal is found in the genealogies. In 2 Samuel 23:34 it is record that Ahithophel had a son, Eliam. In 2 Samuel 11:3 Eliam's daughter is mentioned-Bathsheba. David's adultery was with Ahithophel's granddaughter.

When the opportunity came, Ahithophel joined the rebellion against the adulterer who had murdered his granddaughter's husband, Uriah. While David had found forgiveness, Ahithophel had not forgiven. Sadly, it is possible to be forgiven by God but not by God's people.

Ultimately, Ahithophel's course led to suicide, while David died peacefully-a striking contrast between the forgiven and the unforgiving. And a pointed lesson, aimed at our hearts, when we fail to forgive.

Who are you most like, the forgiven man or the unforgiving man? Ask God to help you be one who forgives.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 18:1-23 2 Samuel 19-20

Run the Whole Race

2 Samuel 19-20, Luke 18:1-23
Key Verse: Luke 18:1

When the starting gun is fired at the beginning of a marathon, it is anticipated that fewer runners will finish than will start. And that is not even considering those who one day decided to run a marathon and never even made it to the starting line. There is something about a long run that thins out the crowd.

That is true not only with running but other endurance events as well. Anything that involves keeping at it for the long haul will invariably have more at the beginning than at the end.

One of the individual "marathons" we are all called upon to run is prayer. To His disciples Jesus one day told a parable to show them that "they should always pray and not give up" (v. 1). You can't miss the point of the story because Luke tells us in the first verse what it is about.

The fact that Jesus told this parable means that we do at times fail at continuing to pray. We give up rather than keeping on. In His word, we "faint."

Runners talk about "hitting the wall." Physically and emotionally they come to a point where they just want to stop. The same happens to "pray-ers." We "hit the wall" and want to give up, to faint. But Jesus says, "Don't."

Being a person of prayer is not a matter of a quick sprint but staying in it for the long haul. Pray, keep praying, and don't stop.

Is there a request you no longer pray because you gave up? Start praying for it again right now.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Luke 18:24-43 2 Samuel 21-22

Masada

2 Samuel 21-22, Luke 18:24-43
Key Verse: 2 Samuel 22:2

Near the Dead Sea in southern Israel is an immense flat-topped plateau called Masada. It is one of the most visited archeological sites in Israel today. A palace and fortress built by Herod the Great sits atop the plateau. While Herod built the palace that remains there today, Masada may have been a stronghold in David's day too. First Samuel 24:22 says that David and his men "went up to the stronghold." The Hebrew word translated "stronghold" is Metsade, the equivalent of Masada.

In 2 Samuel 22:2 David uses that word again as he writes, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress [Metsade] and my deliverer." When David wrote the word Metsade, describing God as his fortress, he may have been able to see an illustration of what that meant. He knew of the stronghold there by the Dead Sea, the one that he himself might have used as a place of safety. At times he may have contemplated the security his men felt as they occupied the top of the plateau.

Then when he wanted to describe the safety he felt in God, he used the same word. God was his Masada.

If you ever visit Masada, or even see pictures of this fortress, remember that God Himself is your Masada, a fortress that will stand against any onslaught.

"Thank you, God, for being my rock. Help me always remember that I find deliverance in You."

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 2 Samuel 23-24 Luke 19:1-27

Something for Nothing

2 Samuel 23-24, Luke 19:1-27
Key Verse: 2 Samuel 24:24

Most people like to get something for nothing. The less it costs, the better.

The opposite is true as well. At times people try to give what costs them nothing. If it was free to begin with, it may seem priced just right to be a gift.

Consider the newlyweds who were impressed with the expense of the gift they received from friends who also were recently married. Newlyweds typically do not have that much to spend on gifts for others! It was indeed a nice gift. Then in the box they found a second gift card. Call it recycling, if you like, but the gift the friends had given was a gift they had received. The couple enjoyed the gift and the humor of the situation-and later found times when they also gave gifts that cost them little or nothing.

Giving something that costs us nothing may be a wise use of our resources, until we try to pass it off as a sacrifice given to God. We may think we retrieved the first gift card out of the box, but God knows. He knows the stinginess of our hearts and how in pride we sometimes try to make ourselves look generous.

David would have none of this type of giving. "I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing" (24:24).

God wants us to acknowledge our dependence on Him and our worship of Him in our giving. It won't happen if all we do is give what costs us nothing.

At times we need to evaluate our giving. Today these verses remind us to think through again how we acknowledge God in our finances.

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