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Category: Bible Study

  • Conversations//Bad Leaders and Brokeness

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    Ever had a boss you couldn’t understand?

    Ever had someone God placed as an authority in your life that you didn’t feel like they deserved your submission?

    When I was in college I read a book entitled, A Tale of Three Kings, that spoke about this very kind of situation.  I mention it because the passage of scripture that I am studying today brought me to 1 Samuel 19, which reminded me of A Tale of Three Kings.

    It’s no wonder that the subtitle for A Tale of Three Kings is, “A Study in Brokeness.”  In 1 Samuel 19 we see David willfully submitting to King Saul, who – at this point – was on the verge of acting like a madman.  We also know that at this time, David knew fully well that he was anointed to be the next king after Saul, but he repeatedly did not seek to gain the throne on his own efforts.

    I’ve read this passage, read A Tale of Three Kings, and am now re-reading this passage, but this story still breaks me.  Why?  Because there is a hard balancing act that is required of the follower of Christ to be strong in conviction and leadership, while at the same time being broken in humility.

    My prayer?

    “Lord help me to lead by Your Spirit with conviction and intention, but to equally and simultaneously serve with humility and brokeness – to follow you even when it doesn’t make sense. Because I know in the end your ways are higher than mine….amen.”

    What’s your prayer?

  • Conversations//The Bible

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    As I continue in my journey of understanding the bible, my studies in the Old Testament leaves me asking some really important questions – questions that I hope that you who are reading this would join me in conversation.  For instance, Isaiah 56:6-8 says

    6 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord ,
    who serve him and love his name,
    who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest,
    and who hold fast to my covenant.
    7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem
    and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.
    I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,
    because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
    8 For the Sovereign Lord ,
    who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says:
    I will bring others, too,
    besides my people Israel.”

    When I came across this I began to ask, “Why did all the pharisees and other experts in the law not understand that God’s grace extended outside of just the “chosen people of Israel?” From what I’ve gathered about the experts of the law was that in many cases, there were just some thing in scripture that:

    a. They chose to ignore

    b. Because of their unregenerate hearts could not or would not see

    Then this made me ask the real important question…

    Are there truths and standards from God’s word that I’m just not getting?