Three Responses to A Curse

2 Samuel 16:10 KJV
And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

David gave three responses to Shimei's curses:
First, this was of the Lord.
Though what Absalom had done is wrong, and though Shimei's actions were not well motivated, David was very wise to ascribe this to the Lord and to let the Lord deal with it as he pleased. Andrew Murray said that God will only bless humility and humility can only be obtained through humiliation, therefore we ought to praise the Lord for those people who humiliate us. It will lead to our eventual blessing.

Second, his curse did not compare to what Absalom had done.
Who could possibly hurt David any worse. I am not sure this would make good counseling material, but there is nevertheless a truth in it.

Third, may be God would turn that evil into good.
Should David forgive Shimei, perhaps God would do some good thing for David. David has no idea where God might eventually take this trial. If he rewards good for the evil of Shimei, he can expect that in some way God will reward to David good for Shimei's evil.

Vengeance always belongs to the Lord. We have no good reason to ever try to get even but to instead seek the Lord's will in all things. He will do what is good. Always.

The Value of the Abiding Witness

Acts 18:3 KJV
And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

I see three "venues" of witness used by the Apostle in the city of Corinth:

He reasons in the synagogue and persuaded the Jews and Greeks there.
Vs 4

I see this as working with those who have some knowledge of the Scriptures, but are not born again. It is apologetic work. The point is not to introduce them to doctrines they have never heard but to direct them as to what those doctrines mean. America is filed with people who know all about the Lord but do not know the Lord

He entered Justus' house and worked with the Gentiles there
Vs 6-7

This appears to be the work of introducing Gospel truths to those who have no concept of them. This is the case of the majority of people in the world. More and more it is becoming the truth of America. We now have generations of people who have no basic knowledge of the Bible.

He abode with and worked along side Aquila and Priscilla.
Vs 3

This is the least glamorous and exciting of the three. There are less thrills, fewer risks, and you won't get your name in the Christian periodicals when working with one couple. But I point out that of the three, only in this case do we see fruit that goes on to produce fruit. Aquila and Priscilla become very useful in the work of the Lord and their names pop up over and again in Scripture.

To be sure, the first two must be done. Sowing that seed, watering and tending it, must be maintained, and in large volumes. But the rewarding work; the work that produces the most refreshing fruit, will be the work that is done over the long haul.

I notice that Paul not only worked alongside of them, but abode with them as well. It has to do, not only with being a present testimony, but developing a personal relationship. I means that Paul did more than teach them and witness to them, he became close to them.

Christians must push themselves away from just relationships with other Christians and introduce themselves into other audiences and build relationships with lost souls in order to win them.

Nevermind That

2 Samuel 11:27 KJV
And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

Our reasonings, wranglings and wrestlings to make what we do seem all right or at least covered up never really work.

David had sinned greatly and his sin was about to be uncovered. It was quite the process to get this covered.
• First his bringing Uriah home.
• Then his effort to get Uriah to sleep with his wife.
• Finally his plan to have Uriah slain in battle.

At last; success! Uriah was gone and it happened in the thick of battle. Men die in battle. It is too bad, but it is an accepted fact. This thing is done...

But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

Just for today let's never mind the consequences and follow up to this account. This is sufficient for some serious consideration.

The thing David had done displeased the Lord.

Had David gotten away with it. Had there been no other consequence, still there is this; the thing he had done displeased the Lord.

The highest sense of morality comes when just that is enough to prevent us from sinning; when it is chastening enough, to know that we have displeased the Lord.

Show Kindness

2 Samuel 9:1 KJV
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

It has been years, perhaps a decade, since Jonathan had died in battle along side his father.

The years had been tumultuous ones for David. Battles had been fought with the house of Saul and their followers. But now David has ascended to lead all of Israel. He is not bitter and vengeful. Neither is he forgetful. Jonathan had been a loyal friend. And David desired to show kindness for Jonathan's sake.

It is a matter of the believer's heart that he cares for the souls of others. The believer has been given a new heart and new nature; one that longs to reach out and see others blessed, even those who have done them painfully. It is in their nature to seek others to which they may show kindness.

Sit Down!

2 Samuel 7:18 KJV
Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

Concerning the fact that David "sat before the Lord," Poole comments
"....that he did not barely present himself before God but abode there for some competent time, that he might with God’s leave pour out his soul freely before him."

And Barnes says
"... Modern commentators mostly take the word here in the sense of waiting, abiding, not sitting: but sat is the natural rendering. David sat down to meditate, and then rose up to pray."

A case may be made for the use of sitting as a posture of worship before the Lord, but more importantly than the body posture is the issue of abiding. I like Poole's standard of "some competent time." One just does not meet God in a hurry. It is not God's way, and it is certainly not an appropriate spirit in man that would approach God as something to do in a hurry. God deserves and in fact, requires "some competent time" be spent with Him.

This is much if not most of the problem with contemporary Christianity. We are busy about our workings; so busy working for God that we don't have time for God Himself.

So sit down!

Slow yourself for a bit. Stop. Meditate, muse, and listen.

Speaking Boldly

Acts 14:3 KJV
Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

When the word of God was preached some believed but some did not. And those unbelievers evil affected the minds against the brethren.

Paul's response?

He stayed long speaking boldly in the Lord. The boldness must not have been that he stayed because a little later he and his team fled because of the danger. The boldness must have been the message that He preached and the anointing through which he preached.

Our message is not meant to be made palatable and easy to swallow. The purpose of our preaching is not supposed to be self help and how to do it. The message is to boldly confront unbelief with the word of God. What people need is to deal with unbelief and its influence upon us.

The Doctrine of the Lord

Acts 13:12 KJV
Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Paul had preached and, being filled with the Holy Ghost, rebuked the man.

It was after this that the deputy "believed, being astonished at doctrine of the Lord."

The word doctrine means teaching or instruction. Gill says,
"...There are many astonishing things in the doctrine of faith; as the birth of Christ of a virgin; the union of the two natures, divine and human, in his person; salvation through his crucifixion and death, and the resurrection of the dead..."

What Paul had taught was the error of sorcery and the power of God over this evil and it had been backed with a "mist and darkness" falling upon the one practicing it.

Our doctrine and teaching is not meant to always be uplifting and encouraging. It is meant to confront evil and all that is opposed to God. When it is preached in that manner, men will believe, but not because of that tactics of man, they will believe because of the doctrine of the Lord.

The Philistine Way

1 Samuel 6:3 KJV
And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

These are Scofield's notes on this passage,
"The story of David's new cart and its results is a striking illustration of the spiritual truth that blessing does not follow even the best intentions in the service of God except as that service is rendered in God's way. It is a constant point of failure. God had given explicit directions how the ark should be borne (Num_4:1-15) but David adopted a Philistine expedient.

(1Sa_6:7); (1Sa_6:8). The church is full of Philistine ways of doing service to Christ. "

That our churches are full of "Philistine ways" is pretty obvious. I doubt that anyone would deny it. What we would have lively debate over is what ways are those "Philistine ways." Our churches do almost all they do based upon tradition, culture and preference. This is the way we always did it is synonymous with Scripture. I am as traditional as they come. Conservatism means that I loath change. But I wonder if we even know how to distinguish between what is God's way and the worldly "Philistine way"?

So what would be the Philistine way?
First, Scofield's word "expedient" comes into play.
The Philistine way, was the easiest way. They used a new cart so it might not be the least expensive way, but it is the way that required the least amount of research and preparation. David didn't have to find priests qualified to bear the ark, he just had to buy a cart. Flash and show, spending money for that which is impressive, displaying "bling" might be a Philistine way.

Secondly, the Philistine way could be that thing that leads to the results we want the most quickly.
Driving the cart could have gotten the ark to its destination more quickly than having men carry it. Even if our goal is a Biblical one, to use means that bring about the goal quickly rather than ones that bring them about more Scripturally would be classified the "Philistine way.

Apparently no one questioned David's plan with the Philistine expedient.

God grant that someone would take note today and begin to question whether what we do is a Philistine way, just the way we do it now, or God's way.

These "they"

2 Samuel 3:23 KJV
When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.

The names of those who told Joab that Abner had visited David are not given. But there is no doubt these "they" caused great harm.

I doubt that their intent was to hurt David's reign or hinder the kingdom. They were just the type that likes to gossip and stir up strife. They had a bit of news and they could not keep it in. They knew Joab would be hot. This Abner had killed his brother. It was in battle, and Abner tried to avoid killing him. But Joab held it as a personal grudge.

That was evil enough; but these "they" told Joab, having no interest in it but to see the strife it would cause. What wickedness! What evil! Even if it is not meant to hurt, it is hurtful, wrong and sin.

Years ago a preacher said that one of the most important things he had ever learned was to leave something unsaid every day. The tongue truly is a world of evil and too often we use it to speak things that need not be said or to say things to those who do not need to hear them.

May God help us to bridle our tongues.

The Holy Ghost

Acts 10:44 KJV
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

Scofield says the Holy Ghost was given without
• Delay
• Mediation or any
• Condition other than simple faith in Jesus Christ.

When a man gets saved today that is the experience he has as well (except that it is not as observable). We should expect that those who are truly converted know the pouring out of the Holy Ghost or else they are not converted. This is not to say that they will speak in tongues of having some form of outward experience but that the Holy Spirit will witness to their spirit that they are the sons of God.

The work of the Holy Ghost in a man's life regenerates them and makes them all new. I am not insisting that the newly saved man or woman will be perfect or mature in a moment's notice but that God does a thing, beginning at that moment that forever changes them. That thing should be in some measure apparent. To lack it is to lack salvation at all.

No Answer

Acts 9:4 KJV
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Saul never did answer this question; there is no answer for it.
• There is no good reason to persecute the Lord through the persecution of His people.
• There is no good reason to despise their words.
• There is no good reason to mock their faith.
• There is no good reason to attack their congregations.
• There is no good reason to deny their Saviour.

Like the Jews, Saul thought in persecuting the Christians he did God service, but before the Lord, as he was, there was no question of his error.

And so it will be with those who
• Deny
• Despise and
• Debate
Against the believer today. In that great day when they, as Saul did here, bow and confess Jesus as Lord they will be without excuse, without a reason, without answer for their sin.

The one huge difference between their story and Saul's is that if they fail to bow before they die, they will bow in the judgment and be eternally condemned.

Regardless

1 Samuel 30:23 KJV
Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

1 Samuel 30:6 KJV
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

Verse six the people spoke of stoning David. People are very fickle with leadership.

Things had gone wrong and it appeared they had lost everything. What had been David's plan when following Achish to the battle against Israel cannot be known. I am certain his loyalties were to the Lord and that he would not have raised a sword against his own people. However, while he and his men were following Achish, another enemy had stolen he and his men's families and spoiled their stuff.

David's six hundred were like to kill him. But David encouraged himself in the Lord and played the leader he was.

Now they have recovered their stuff and a disagreement arises over those who had been too faint to pursue. While it appears that, to a man, the four hundred wanted to shun the two hundred David again took charge and stood against the majority.

A man of God must find his encouragement in the Lord and stand where God places him, regardless of whom or how many disagree.

Ours

Acts 7:54 KJV
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

• When Peter preached in Acts 2:37 they were "pricked in their heart" and asked how to make things right.
• When Stephen preached they were "cut to the heart" and stoned him to death.

While the words pricked and cut are different, both are mortal wounds. There is no great difference, in their impact.

There is no difference because one was filled with the Spirit and the other was not. There is no fault either in the
• Character
• Presentation or
• Power
Of Stephen's message versus Peter's.

This is about the crowd and the means through which God would be glorified. One crowd grew tender; the other grew harder through the preaching of the Word of God.

• Ours is not to analyze why God uses one man one way and another man differently.
• Ours is not to train men to do as we have done so they get the results we have gotten.
• Ours is only to seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to earnestly preach the truth and leave the results to the Lord.

Abigail

1 Samuel 25:31 KJV
That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

Abigail refutes almost all modern perceptions in the church about a woman's place.
• She led her husband's men.
• She did it without her husband's knowledge.
• She did it despite her husband's will otherwise .
• She gave David, the anointed king, advice (vs 33.)

Abigail was convinced that David was God's man for the kingdom but she was concerned that David's act of vengeance would follow him negatively all his days as king. Her appeal was to allow the Lord to do as the Lord chose with Nabal.

David learned from her and never, took vengeance in his reign.
• To say that she usurped authority would be to go too far.
• To say she obeyed God and not men is certainly fair.

They Ceased Not

Acts 5:42 KJV
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

...daily in the temple...they ceased not...

This is significant on a number of levels but I think perhaps most significant is the circumstance. They ceased not to teach and preach
• After being put in prison for teaching and preaching.
• After being commanded not to teach and preach and
• After being beaten for teaching and preaching.

God's hand had been upon them and had released them from the jail. That would have encouraged them but it would not have reduced the pain of beating or the threat of the priest.

We are so easily dissuaded from witnessing for the Lord.

Would to God we would get some fire in us to be out daily and in every house.

Distractions

1 Samuel 23:27 KJV
But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

1 Samuel 24:1-2 KJV
And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

When Saul was anointed king, his primary duty became to lead the people in protection from their enemies, especially the Philistines. Saul allowed himself to get so obsessed with David that he left off his real work. When the Philistines became a problem he was out searching for David. And as soon as the Philistines backed away he was back after David with a formidable number of his resources.

Christians can become equally obsessed with things that, at best, are secondary in nature. At worst they may be worldly and sinful

Our primary responsibilities are to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we focus on peripherals or sometimes on the sinful, our resources are divided and we are not truly able to do what is our first calling. We need to honestly look at how we are expending our resources. Are we fully focused on the things that matter to the Lord or are we engaged in an activity (or activities) that pulls us away from what really counts?

That Is Blessing Indeed

Acts 3:26 KJV
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

God had promised Abraham that in his "seed shall all kindreds of the earth be blessed."

That promise finds it's fulfillment in Jesus Christ and the specific blessing is pointed out is in "turning away every one of you from his iniquities." What more of a blessing can any people want?
• That God would forgive our sins and
• That God would cause us to turn from those sins to walk a new life
That is true blessing indeed.

Every problem man faces is a sin problem:
• Finances
• Conflict even
• Health issues and death
Are all issues that spring from the trouble with sin.

So, that God would turn us away from our iniquities is to answer every problem human kind faces.

That is blessing indeed.

Both

Acts 2:36 KJV
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Not just one or the other but both Lord and Christ.
• He is Lord only to those who make Him first Christ.
• He is Christ only to those who own Him as Lord.

He is not Lord or Christ He is both Lord and Christ.

He is Lord - Master, Sovereign.
He is the head of the church and He is the One by whom all things consist.

He is Christ - Saviour.
He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.

He is Jesus - the One they crucified and that all the world dismisses today.

Let us repent and turn to Him.

To Meet the Philistine

1 Samuel 17:48 KJV
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

When Goliath began his advance, David did the same. The Bible says that David, "...ran toward the army to meet the Philistine."

Preachers have noted that David took with him five stones because Goliath had four brothers. But David did not take anything to use against the army. Still he ran toward them. He knew God would give the means to defeat the whole when he had done what was his to do.

And so God did.

When the Philistines saw that Goliath was dead they began to flee and Israel began to pursue them.

Victory was won.

The forces against the believer appear to be huge and the help we have against them seems to be stalled. But those are no concern to us. We may boldly run to confront the enemy of righteousness knowing that God is more than able to give us the victory.

God Is Better Than All That Is Good

1 Samuel 15:9 KJV
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

Verse 22 says, "behold to obey is better than sacrifice."

I doubt that Saul and the people really saved all that was good to give as sacrifices to the Lord.

It is a matter of human reasoning; these just seemed too good to destroy. No matter what was the Word of the Lord, God must not have meant to destroy these.
• Perhaps the prophet was a little too zealous.
• Perhaps Saul had misunderstood.

• What if the whole thing was just national zeal and religious fanaticism?
• What if God had not really spoken to Samuel at all?

This was good stuff. It surely should be saved.

Now here is the truth; God is better than all that is good in this world.
• No amount of worldly possession
• No degree of worldly success
Could ever equal favor and the blessing of fellowship with God.

But God is jealous. He will not share our devotion with all that is good in this world. We must have Him alone or not at all.

Behold, Samuel Came

1 Samuel 13:10 KJV
And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

Saul had waited as long as he would.
• Even though his kingdom hinged on the anointing of Samuel
• Even though he would have been an unknown in his world without him
By this time Saul has come to see himself as independent of and without the need of the man of God.

Perhaps Samuel waited as a test to prove Saul's convictions. Saul still wanted to make a sacrifice, he could still claim to be a follower of the Lord.

• It was that prophet and not God whose authority he questioned.
• It was that prophet who had not respected the king's agenda and time.

So Saul took in hand to do what was not his and no sooner had he done it than, "...behold Samuel came." And Saul found himself rebuked through the prophet of the Lord.

Ours will always be to follow God by following those God places over us. To do otherwise is to incur the chastening of God.

Spirit Led Anger

1 Samuel 11:6 KJV
And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

I recognize I am using King Saul (who is generally not a good example) as an example. However at this time the Lord had not taken the kingdom from him. At this point, though the people had rebelled in asking for a king Saul has not rebelled in leading the people.

The Bible says that the Spirit of God came upon Saul and that his anger was kindled greatly.

Much damage is done through anger.
• Terrible things are said.
• Horrible events occur.
• Horrific tragedies happen when a man's anger is kindled.

But it is an error to say that anger is always wrong. It is an error to say that God never leads a man to be angry.

May God do the work that we are never angry in the flesh but that we never quench the Spirit of God when it is He that kindles the anger.

His Disciples And His Doctrine

John 18:19 KJV
The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.

These two things make a ministry.
• On these two a work for God is built
• On these two we are judged by the world and on these two a ministry is either true or false.

The disciples
• Are they genuine?
• Are they committed?

The doctrine
• What is it we teach?
• How do our disciples respond to it?
• What difference does it have with the more popular teachings of the world?

Jesus was crucified for His disciples and His doctrine. On these two elements I want to invest my life.

Kept From Evil Through The Word

John 17:17 KJV
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

• Jesus had given His own the Word and because of it they were hated.
• Jesus prayed, not that they would be removed from the world but that they would be kept from evil and then
• Jesus moved right from there to speak of being sanctified
That is another word for separated through the truth which is God's Word.

We are
• Kept from
• Separated from
• Sanctified from the evil of this world
Through the Word of God.

How important it is then that we are in the Word of God.
• Nothing could be so important
• Nothing can protect us so much
• Nothing can strengthen us so much
• Nothing can build us in our holy faith
As much as constant, steady, faithful reading, memory, meditation and study of the Word of God.

Alone

John 16:32 KJV
Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

Jesus knew the hearts of men. And though they said they believed He knew that it would be a matter of hours before they would all scatter from Him.

• He would be alone on earth.
• He would be alone to face the trials and the Cross
For no man could truly fellowship in those sufferings of Lord.

Yet He would not be alone. Jesus said the Father is with Him.

There is a kind of walk in the Christian life that cannot be traveled until we are content with only God's fellowship. So long as we must have the approval, presence and fellowship of man, we are bound to skip past that path that may only be traveled with God alone.

• Jesus walked that path
• Paul did as well when all men forsook him nevertheless the Lord stood by him

May God grant us grace to walk it as well.

Remove Their Cloke

John 15:24 KJV
If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

Jesus said the reason they hated Him was
• Because of what He told them (which left them without a cloke for their sin) and
• Because the works He did, none other man did.

And Jesus said they hated Him without excuse.

I do not see that my job is to make people hate me, but I can see that my job is to remove the cloke for sin and do what the Word of God says even if it is not what is popular.

Jesus did what no other man did.
• He preached the truth about Phariseeism
• He led people to know the Saviour and
• He inspired people to lay up their treasures in heaven.

Comfort

John 14:18 KJV
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

In a time of deep trouble Jesus promised the coming (and abiding) of
• Himself
• The Comforter and
• The Father.

The Apostles, of course, had questions. They were troubled and grieved that Jesus would leave them. But Jesus promised He would not leave them comfortless.

I admit wishing for the Lord's physical presence even for these 2000 years. What joy it would be and will be to see Him. But His promise is for Comfort coming from the Godhead even now.

And I claim that promise.

Why No Blogs

I will be out of internet range for the following week. When I return I will post here my daily experiences with the Lord. Apologies to those who read these regularly!

How Coiuld They Have Missed This?

John 13:28 KJV
Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

The entire gist of the conversation at the table that night was concerning which one of them would betray the Lord. The focus of every disciple was on that subject. Jesus had, immediately before told them that the one who would betray Him was the one to whom He gave the sop and He then gave it to Judas Iscariot.

And even after all of that, when Jesus told Judas, that thou doest, do quickly, none of the others recognized Judas as the one. That is almost unbelievable.
• Were they blind?
• Were they not listening to the Lord?

• Did they honestly not care enough about the Lord to have heard what He had just said?
• How could they have missed this?

I only know of one possible reason; Judas was such a convincing disciple that none could conceive that he would be the betrayer.

The devil is able to change himself into an angel of light so it is no wonder that his followers can look light the greatest of the ministers of righteousness. Satan is such an accomplished liar that even the Apostles, listening to the very words of Jesus were deceived.

We must take the more heed that we are followers of Christ and only of those who follow Christ.

Because We Can Does Not Mean We Should

1 Samuel 8:22 KJV
And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

Here is one of the very difficult concepts for human thinking to grasp: how can God be sovereign and still allow men to do as they please?

They have rejected God - His very own nation. And yet God tells the prophet, who has warned the people this is wrong, to hearken to their voices and give them what they wanted, a king.

So many struggle with this, wanting God to force Himself on man. But God will not do that.

Yet.

Though there will come a time when He pours out His wrath; and He has demonstrated His capability to do so in times past, today God still allows sinful men to do as they will with only the restraint of the voice of the believer and the conviction of the Holy Ghost.

Which leads me to this; just because we can does not mean we should. That God does not prevent us does not imply either God's approval or blessing, nor does it imply that it is right or even that judgment will not come eventually.

The only right thing to do is to obey the specific will of God as set forth in Scripture. Any time. Every time.

But For the Glory of God

John 11:4 KJV
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

First, sickness happens.
Even those closest to the Lord get sick and suffer. We grieve over loved ones. We have times of terrible anguish.

Secondly, the Lord is not oblivious to our suffering.
He knows what we endure. He weeps (Jesus wept). He comes alongside to comfort and hear us in our pain.

Thirdly no Christian suffers for naught but that the glory of the Lord should be seen.
Just as Lazarus arose so all who sleep in Christ shall rise again. It is not unto death, regardless of how long we lie in the grave. We shall live again.

Believing that is the greatest comfort in the world.

The Shepherd

John 10:7 KJV
Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

I found Scofield's Notes a blessing for meditation today:

The shepherd work of our Lord has three aspects:
As the "Good" Shepherd He gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11) and is, therefore, "the door" by which "if any man enter in he shall be saved." (John 10:9).

This answers to Psalm 22.

He is the "Great" Shepherd, "brought again from the dead" (Hebrews13:20) to care for and make perfect the sheep.

This answers to Psalm 23.

He is the "Chief" Shepherd, who is coming in glory to give crowns of reward to the faithful shepherds (1Peter 5:4).

This answers to Psalm 24.