God answered another question

Here is something that's been on my mind recently:

I've been wondering why God would inspire the dictation of lists of genealogies and dates. My Bible reading has now taken me into the deeps of the OT; not the fun brain teasers like Proverbs or scantly clad Song of Solomon, but Deuteraut.... Deauterana.... Deut. Boring! I'm sorry for even mentioning this, but I'm really looking for my "devotional high."

However, I do believe that every catalog of names in Scripture is there for a purpose. The Holy Spirit does not waste words. God didn't inspire "filler" to beef up the Bible! But as God does so often, just as I began to question His motives, He hits me with a practical life lesson. Thus, my blog for today:

David's Mighty Men

A VBS my youth group will be assisting with in NM is studying the story of David's Mighty Men; specifically 2 Samuel 23.

David longed for a refreshing drink of water from his hometown of Bethlehem. Three of his "mighty men" brave the dangerous journey to bring some to him. When David receives it, he pours it out.

All in all, this story can be quite depressing, and difficult when trying to teach. Josheb, Eleazar and Shammah are the men that fetch said pale of water. These names we'll only cross once again in the Bible, then never again. But here is where God decided to get crafty; as we read, we see that these three men were not commanded to get the water, but they did it out of loyalty and friendship. This act was done out of love for their king.

Are there similarities there with how we worship?
Our worship to the Lord should not be performed as a duty, but as an act of devotion because we love our King. True worship will involve time and effort and sacrifice, and sometimes the overcoming of great barriers that are thrown in our path by the enemy of our souls. Have you ever noticed how many obstacles and diversions seem to present themselves when you would like to spend some time worshiping the Lord? Sometimes the man-made barriers of tradition and ritual must be overcome.

The fact that God keeps a detailed record of the names and exploits of David's fighting men has got to be significant. It shows us that God records our personal service, too. If God kept track and applauded David's mighty soldiers by name, how much more does he keep track and reward the faithful servants of David's greater Son!

my prayer: focus on GOD, not what others see