The halfbaked Bard

Adonijah wanted to raise himself as king. For that he found allies in Joab and Abiathar the priest, who were loyal to David. He goes on to sacrifice much sheep, cattle and fattened calves. A pseudo-fear of God. Pseudo-closeness to God. Pseudo-devotion. Doing Godly things, doesn't make Him approve your plans. His own plans will only happen for sure. Do you want to keep Him in line with your plans or do you want to be in line with His plans? Later Solomon is anointed the king in the proper way. Are you like Adonijah, praying and fasting, asking for an answer, pleading for an approval of a plan that in in your heart. You make it so godly, that you would want to allure and attract God's attention and then gain his approval. Placing God in the centre of your will looks very good in worldly perspective. But more important is placing yourself in the centre of God's will. Seeking what is God's will is more important than getting His approval regarding our will.  For...

Nathan the prophet comes into the scene very rarely. He makes sure he does what the Lord expects him to do and then just disappears. One instance was convicting David of his sin. Another instance was prompting David to anoint Solomon as king. He never lingers around after his job is done. He doesn't wait for acknowledgement or gratitude or anything else. He just leaves the scene after the job is done. Lord help me today to have the wisdom to be a blessing in other's life and not expect anything in return. Just leave the scene without wanting to be acknowledged or appreciated or wanting to receive any words of honour or gratitude. Let me do it for you. Let me do it out of my love for them. Let me play the second fiddle.

How important and Godly it is to discipline your children. Today's world is overprotective of their children. I'm not talking about punishment with a rod. But disciplining a child should be what runs through the mind of a parent always. A child is given to your hands. He is your responsibility. Loving and encouraging him alone will not let him bloom. When he makes a wrong choice, he needs to be course corrected. Otherwise his mindset would become as if ' everything is okay', 'all roads lead to Rome' and 'everything in this world is acceptable'. David failed to discipline his son Adonijah, failed to even ask him, 'Why are you doing that?' Probably not when Adonijah raised himself as king. But it is said, David never disciplined him at any time. How saddening? A wonderful king, a humble person, a man after God's own heart, always forgiving, never forgetting his love to his friend, turns out to be a poor father. He did not punish Amn...

Read 1Kings:1:1-4 This is one great attribute of king David. That God Himself calls him a man after His own heart. He learnt from his previous mistakes. After his repentance, it becomes a closed chapter in his life. A sin of Bathsheba will not repeat with a sin of Abishag.  Let us learn from David, to ask for grace not to repeat our sins. To have a will power (not by our strength) to renounce and throw it away far from us. When we realize that a particular act of ours has hurt God, does it hurt us? Do we hate it and abhor it as He does? He has thrown it away far beyond in the depths of a sea tied to a stone, but have we? Do we hate what God hates?

  All of you look at my people with contempt. Including king David. Can't blame him though. My own people despised him as he was on his way to capture the city of Jerusalem, saying even the lame and the blind could keep him out. We were proud. All the other nations were driven out from the land that flows with milk and honey. Except our fortified city. We Jebusites were proud of it. And as their king, I Ornan had a role to play in that too. We forgot that it is not by anyone's might that Israel is being established in this land. I mean, the stories if true, lasting for years, decades and centuries of bringing them from the mighty Egyptians and outrunning them in the Red sea, drowning and destroying them all. Slowly but steadily travelling as nomads through the wilderness and coming to the land of Canaan, ousting each and every single king here. Everyone except us, the Jebusites because of our fortified city. Some had alliances with their kings. Some had given over t...

2Sam:23:24  I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing. What is it that you give to the Lord? Your remnant? Time - when you are too comfortable? When you have nothing else to do? Or when you are too tired; you want to finish it off? As a ritual? Or as the most important thing in your life? Giving the most important part of your day? Money  - pennies as alms? But shouldn't you give your all? Then what would I live with? But what is the attitude? That it is all mine and I will spend the way I want for my happiness? Or it is all His? It is His gift? Life - waiting for settling in life and then pursuing God? Waiting for retirement to serve the Lord? Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Eccl:12:1 If you give the Lord what is remaining and spent the rest of it all for yourself - the question you need to ask yourself is, "Do you love Him enough?"

2Sam:24:14 But let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is great. Given a choice between falling in the hands of the Lord or man as a punishment, David chooses the former because of the rich mercy of God. Yes he knew that "His mercy endures forever" Isa:54:7 For a brief moment I abandoned you. But with great compassion I will take you back. He is a God whose love embraces when he also punishes.  Psalm:30:5 For His anger lasts only for a moment. But His favour lasts a lifetime. Exo:20:6 Showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Oh! What a privilege to fall into the hands of God. I have an assurance that though He may slay me, yet i will trust Him. (Job:13:15).