(Text and notes from the Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation, Tyndale 1996)
27 These men dedicated some of the plunder they had gained in battle to maintain the house of the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 26:27
War plunder rightfully belonged to the victorious army. These soldiers, however, gave their portion of all the plunder to the house of the Lord to express their dedication to God. Like these commanders, we should think of what we can give, rather than what we are obligated to give. Is your giving a matter of rejoicing rather than duty? Give as a response of joy and love for God.
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20 Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly.
- 1 Chronicles 28:20
David advised Solomon not to be frightened about the size of his task as king and builder of the Temple. Fear can immobilize us. The size of a job, its risks, or the pressure of the situation can cause us to freeze and do nothing. One remedy for fear is found here: Don’t focus on the fear; instead get to work. Getting started is often the most difficult and frightening part of a job.
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3 “And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. 4 I am donating more than 112 tons of gold from Ophir and 262 tons of refined silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings 5 and for the other gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen. Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the LORD today?”
6 Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army, and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly. 7 For the construction of the Temple of God, they gave about 188 tons of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron. 8 They also contributed numerous precious stones, which were deposited in the treasury of the house of the LORD under the care of Jehiel, a descendant of Gershon. 9 The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD, and King David was filled with joy.
- 1 Chronicles 29:3-9
David gave from his personal fortune to the Temple. He encouraged others to follow his example, and they willingly did. Like David, we can acknowledge that all we have comes from God (29:14-16). We may not have David’s wealth, but we can develop his willingness to give. It is not what we have that counts with God, but our willingness to give it.
These leaders displayed a right attitude toward their money by giving willingly to God’s work. This attitude is described by Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.” When we are generous because we are thankful, our attitude can inspire others. Give generously to God’s work.
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As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”
- Romans 3:10-12
Paul is referring to Psalm 14:1-3. “No one is good” means “no one is innocent.” Every person is valuable in God’s eyes because God created us in his image, and he loves us. But no one is good enough (that is, no one can earn right standing with God). Though valuable, we have fallen into sin. But God, through Jesus his Son, has redeemed us and offers to forgive us if we turn to him in faith.
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28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
- Romans 3:28
Why does God save us by faith alone?
1. Faith eliminates the pride of human effort, because faith is not a deed that we do.
2. Faith exalts what God has done, not what we do.
3. Faith admits that we can’t keep the law or measure up to God’s standards – we need help.
4. Faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God.
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6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:
7 “Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”
- Romans 4:6-8
What can we do to get rid of guilt? King David was guilty of terrible sins – adultery, murder, lying – and yet he experienced the joy of forgiveness. We, too, can have this joy when we
1. Quit denying our guilt and recognize that we have sinned.
2. Admit our guilt to God and ask for his forgiveness, and
3. Let go of our guilt and believe that God has forgiven us.
This can be difficult when a sin has taken root in our life over many years, when it is very serious, or when it involves others. We must remember that Jesus is willing and able to forgive every sin. In view of the tremendous price he paid on the cross, it is arrogant to think that there is any sin too great for him to forgive. Even though our faith is weak, our conscience is sensitive, and our memory haunts us. God’s Word declares that sins confessed are sins forgiven (1 John 1:9)
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3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
- Romans 5:3,4
For first-century Christians, suffering was the rule rather than the exception. Paul tells us that in the future we will become, but until then we must overcome. This means we will experience difficulties that helps us grow. We rejoice in suffering, not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know God is using life’s difficulties and Satan’s attacks to build our character. The problems that we run into will develop our perseverance – which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future. You probably find your patience tested in some way every day. Thank God for those opportunities to grow, and deal with them in his strength.
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13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
- Romans 5: 13, 14
Sin is a deep discrepancy between who we are and who we were created to be. The law points out our sin and places the responsibility for it squarely on our shoulders. But the law offers no remedy. When we are convicted of sin, we must turn to Jesus Christ for healing.
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2 Neighbors lie to each other,
speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
3 May the LORD cut off their flattering lips
and silence their boastful tongues.
4 They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
- Psalm 12:2-4
We may be tempted to believe that lies are relatively harmless, even useful at times. But God does not overlook lies, flattery, deception or boasting. Each of these sins originates from a bad attitude that is eventually expressed in our speech. Our tongue can be our greatest enemy because, though small, it can do great damage. Be careful how you use yours.
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5 The LORD replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless,
and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them,
as they have longed for me to do.”
- Psalm 12:5
God cares for the weak and the needy. Here he promises to protect the downtrodden and confront their oppressors. We should identify with God’s attitude. His work is not done until we care for the needs of the poor.
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Psalm 13
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
3 Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the LORD
because he is good to me.
Sometimes all we need to do is talk over a problem with a friend to help put it in perspective. In this psalm, the phrase “how long” occurs four times in the first two verses, indicating the depth of David’s distress. David expressed his feelings to God and found strength. By the end of his prayer, he was able to express hope and trust in God. Through prayer, we can express our feelings and talk our problems out with God. He helps us regain the right perspective, and this gives us peace.
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3 Those who refuse to gossip
or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
4 Those who despise flagrant sinners,
and honor the faithful followers of the LORD,
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
- Psalm 15:3, 4
Words are powerful, and how you use them reflects on your relationship with God. Perhaps nothing so identifies Christians as their ability to control their speech – speaking the truth, refusing to slander, and keeping oaths (promises). Watch what you say.
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17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD—
and he will repay you!
18 Discipline your children while there is hope.
Otherwise you will ruin their lives.
19 Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty.
If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.
Proverbs 19:17-19
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