A Work in Progress….

1 Chron 21:22 David said to [Araunah], “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an alter to the LORD….Sell it to me at full price.”
David has sinned against God, and he is trying to atone for his sins. Araunah, is trying to be generous to his king. But David knows his sacrifice must cost him something. He cannot sacrifice out of Araunah’s generosity.
1 Chron 21:23 Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”
Commentary says that David’s being a man after God’s own heart doesn’t mean he is sinless. It means he is sensitive to his sin, he feels it deeply, and he understands the path back to God. He must sacrifice. It must cost him something.
1 Chron 21:24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that cost me nothing.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for David’s heart, that he understands when he has strayed from You, that he understands the sacrifice involved in making amends. I want to be sinless, Lord, but I know that is not possible, so help me to be sensitive and understanding in how to restore my bond with You. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Chron 21:25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site.
Have a blessed day.

1 Chron 20:1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem.
This chapter reminds us to be present and vigilant. When David remained in Jerusalem, he committed adultery with Bathsheba, which lead to an unplanned pregnancy, a murder, another wife, and a whole new can of worms that caused trouble in the future. If David had been present with his troops, all this could have been avoided.
1 Chron 20:1 ….but David remained in Jerusalem.
I’m exhausted. Disgruntled. Wrung out. Frustrated. It’s easy to get lax when feeling like this. It’s easy to let my guard down, not be present, not worry about God’s will for me as I try to just survive. I feel like this chapter is another reminder, no matter my feelings, to be present in each day, present where God has placed me, present with the people He has me with. I feel like He’s reminding me to show up and do my best with the tasks He’s placed before me.
1 Chron 20:2 David took the crown from the head of their king…and it was placed on David’s head….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder to keep my mind and heart focused on You, no matter what. Help me, always, to be mentally and physically present so that I can be Your hands and feet to Your people. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Chron 20:8 These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
Have a blessed day.

1 Chron 19:13a Be strong….
Lord, Thank You for hearing the cries of my heart, for recognizing where I am, and for throwing me Your lifeline of hope. Help me to be strong, knowing that You hold me securely in the palm of Your hand. Help me understand in my soul that I am sheltered by Your grace and mercy. Help me to catch my breath as I rest in You.
1 Chron 19:13b …and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God….
Lord, Give me strength to serve Your people with love and grace as I struggle to regain my composure. You have me here for a purpose. Help me to be Your hands and feet, Your heart for those who need You so desperately. Help me to balance my service in You with my need for renewal and strength. I cannot do this without You, Lord.
1 Chron 19:13c …The LORD will do what is good in His sight.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture, for the hope that I have found here this morning. Thank You for seeing, for knowing, for understanding. Help me to be strong and brave in You, for You, and through You. Draw me closer. Renew my spirit. Amen.
1 Chron 19:13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in His sight.
Have a blessed day.

1 Chron 18:1 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines.
Commentary says: “David was able to accomplish so much against God’s enemies because he, unlike Saul, was not consumed with fighting against the people of God.” The word consumed resonates deeply right now because that is what seems to be happening with me, and not in a good way.
1 Chron 18:6 …The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.
Saturday, we had 46 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in our county. Political tensions are high, and people seem to have lost sight of the concept of civility. The classroom is often a battleground of “cover your nose” and “trust me to that this assignment has purpose.” I feel like I passed weary so very long ago. A tension headache is a pretty constant companion. And this morning the Lord whispers to my heart, “You are consumed, and not with me.” Jesus, Help me!
1 Chron 18:13 …The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for helping me see that I am consumed, and not by You or by the things that are truly important to You. Help me navigate my way out of this detrimental mindset. Help me to focus solely on You. Help me to shine Your Light. Be my center, my refuge, my strength. Help me, Jesus. Amen.
1 Chron 18:14 David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all of his people.
Have a blessed day

1 Chron 17:1 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.”
David wants to build God a house, a permanent dwelling. His gratitude overflows so much that he wants to do this incredible thing for God to say thanks. But God says no. That is not David’s to do. He has other plans for David. And David accepts God’s will and thanks Him for the plans He has for David.
1 Chron 17:2-3 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.” But that night the word of God came to Nathan….
God’s certainly showing me the work I need to do when it comes to graciously accepting His will, especially when it comes to something I am excited to do for Him which is not His will for me. Even just reading the account, I felt a bit of the sting of rejection when God said no. Clearly, I have work to do.
1 Chron 17:4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in.’
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for showing me areas I still need to submit to You. Thank You for the plans You have for me. Help me to seek Your will, always. Help me to give You glory and praise. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Chron 17:16-17 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, “Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, my God, You have spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. You, LORD God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men.”
Have a blessed day.

1 Chron 16:11 Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.
Lord, Thank You for Your presence, Your fierce love, Your undeserved mercy, Your amazing grace. We do not deserve it. We could never earn it. And yet we so often take it for granted. Help us to not take You, Your love, mercy, and grace for granted.
1 Chron 16:23-25 Sing to the LORD, all the earth….Declare His glory among the nations….For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise….
Lord, Thank You for the care with which You made us. You know every hair on our heads, You know every breath we will take. Nothing about our lives surprises You because You KNOW us. We are Your deeply beloved children. Help us to not lose sight of that fact.
1 Chron 16:34 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder to have Your praise continually on my lips. Help me to always seek Your face and glorify Your name. Thank You for creating me, for loving me unconditionally, for being my light and my life. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Chron 16:36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Have a blessed day.

1 Chron 14:8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went to meet them.
Toxic positivity is a phrase I have read a lot about this year. It is basically plastering a smile on your face while you stand at the helm of the Titanic, talking about the lovely night sky and utterly ignoring the rapidly sinking ship. I am not in any way advocating for toxic positivity. That wasn’t the point of yesterday’s reflection.
1 Chron 14:9 Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim….
When life feels overwhelming (and so much feels overwhelming right now), my vision shrinks to the circle of water I’m furiously treading. I lose sight of anything beyond survival. And that is not where I want to be. That’s not where God wants me to be. A precious friend in Christ advised me yesterday: “…please let them see you acknowledge the struggle. Let them see you love others through this struggle. Let them see you admit this is only possible with Christ.”
1 Chron 14:10a …so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?
Lord, You are my rock and my salvation. You are my refuge in times of trouble. You are the reason I can praise Your name even as I struggle. Thank You for the reminder that life is more than just survival. Thank You for the many, many little blessings in each day. Thank You for giving me the strength to keep my head above water, even when it is as hard as it currently is. Thank You that all things are possible through You. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Chron 14:10b …The LORD answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”
Have a blessed day.

1 Chron 13:1 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
Sometimes, as I read the day’s scripture and commentary, I think I know where God is leading me, and I suddenly realize I have it wrong, He has a different message for me. Today was one of those days. Commentary talks about process and outcome, and the fact that God cares about both, though David and company focused solely on the outcome in this passage. 
1 Chron 13:3 “Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.”
I know that God needs me in the classroom right now. Over the summer, He firmly closed every door but the one leading me back to school. But this has been the most difficult semester of my career. Many days, many hours, I feel like I am surviving and barely. Today’s scripture is a wake up call that He didn’t call me back into the classroom just to survive (and barely). He has me there to shine His light, and how I go about that matters.
1 Chron 13:4 The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. I hear You telling me to step it up, that You don’t have me just marking time in the classroom. Show me how to juggle all that this school year contains in a way that is pleasing to You, in a way that brings You glory, in a way that allows me thrive instead of just surviving. Draw me closer. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.
1 Chron 13:9-10 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
Have a blessed day.

1 Chron 12:16 Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold.
Interestingly, as I was reading today’s chapter, it started playing in my mind’s eye like a movie. I heard positive, upbeat music (if I’m honest, what I heard was a refrain from Pirates of the Caribbean). Everything was coming together. Things were going well. Why? Because God was in control, directing steps, aligning confidences. We see here how beautiful His plan can come together.
1 Chron 12:17a David went out to meet then and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me….”
I can’t help but think of what’s coming. David’s transgression with Bathsheba. Lives lost. Lives destroyed. All because David took his eyes off God and focused on himself. Keeping our eyes firmly fixed on our Savior is so crucial for so many reasons.
1 Chron 12:17b “…But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for this look at how everything comes together in Your time through Your will. Help us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on You. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Chron 12:18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai…and he said: “We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.”
Have a blessed day.