Daily Office - Friendship Strengthens Your Hand

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)

2) Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 23:15-18
David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh when he learned that Saul had come out to seek his life. Saul's son Jonathan set out and came to David at Horesh; there he strengthened his hand through the LORD. He said to him, "Do not be afraid; for the hand of my father Saul shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; my father Saul also knows that this is so." Then the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home. 

3) Devotional
No one succeeds alone- not even the one God called “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22), and “the apple of my eye” (Ps. 17:8). Yes, even David needed his Jonathan.

In the dark days when he scrambled from cave to cave to escape the murderous threats of King Saul, David turned to his friend, Jonathan, for strength and encouragement. At great risk to himself, Jonathan warned David and told him to hide out for a time (I Sam 19:2). Jonathan, hoping to pacify his father and reconcile the king to his friend, spoke well of David. And for a short while Saul relented, promising that David would not die by his hand.

Soon the old animosities reasserted themselves, however, and Jonathan once again risked his life to help his dear friend (20:30-32). Even though he knew that God had chosen David-and not him- to rule Israel, Jonathan remained faithful to his comrade until the very end of his life. One verse in particular describes Jonathan’s invaluable ministry to David: “Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God” (23:16)

4) Questions to Consider
Do you have someone who “strengthens your hand in God”?

I long for every person at Stonecrest to have a good friend or two within the church family, with whom they can loyally and faithfully and consistently strengthen one another’s hand in the things of God.

5) Prayer
Lord God, I realize that life is not a journey I am to walk through alone. Please help me to make the adjustments necessary in my life to make time for deep friendship and also soften my heart to allow others in to my life and my hurts, so that through them I might help them in theirs. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

Daily Office - Unconditional Faith

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)

2) Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:1-3
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. 

3) Devotional
I was just reading an emailed devotional this morning from the writings of A.W. Tozer, one of the best known Christian & Missionary Alliance Pastors, and writers, of the 20th century. From over 50 years ago, Tozer’s words challenged my faith to grow up and mature, no matter how “mature” I may think I already am... faith must constantly be trained on God, not my experience of what He’s done for me lately…

“We must be concerned with the person and character of God, not the promises.  Through promises we learn what God has willed to us, we learn what we may claim as our heritage, we learn how we should pray.  But faith itself must rest on the character of God.”

I’m concerned that what we call faith today is most commonly a conditional response to a good situation, or, a fallback position when all our other options have failed in a bad one.

“Why do we not tell them that they must get beyond the point of making God a lifeboat for their rescue or a ladder to get them out of a burning building? How can we help our people get over the idea that God exists just to help run their businesses or fly their airplanes?

God is not a railway porter who carries your suitcase and serves you. God is God. He made heaven and earth. He holds the world in His hand. He measures the dust of the earth in the balance. He spreads the sky out like a mantle. He is the great God Almighty. He is not your servant. He is your Father, and you are His child. He sits in heaven, and you are on the earth.”

                                                                    -A.W. Tozer, Faith Beyond Reason, 44.

May you, and I, learn the blessing of practicing unconditional faith.

4) Questions to Consider
How have I loved God conditionally based on what I think He has done for me?

5) Prayer
Father God, forgive me for loving You conditionally, when you've loved me without condition in spite of all my failings. Thank you for your unconditional love of grace in Jesus Christ. Amen

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)