"Ye shall have tribulation ten days." - Revelation 2:10
What is the meaning of this 'ten days'? When Abraham's servant wanted to carry off Rebecca, her brother and mother requested that she stay with them ten days. When Daniel and his friends would not allow themselves to be defiled by the king's food, they asked the officer in charge to try them for ten days. When David was humiliated by Nabal, it happened that after ten days the Lord struck Nabal and he died. So the words must have a meaning in the Bible. It seems possible that they indicate 'just a short time.' Is this the Lord's meaning in his message to the church at Smyrna?
He seems to be saying, first, that there are certain days marked out for our suffering, and that those days are calculated by Him. They are inescapable, but after they are over we shall be freed. On the other hand, He seems to affirm that the trials are brief. The ten days are but a short time. No matter what tribulation you pass through before God, it will soon be past. Be faithful therefore. He awaits you with a crown of life.
The Joyful Heart (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: Revelations 2:8-11; 1 Samuel 25
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Monday, June 25, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Meet the Enemy in Secret
"The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." - 1 Samuel 17:37
David was anointed king at Bethlehem, but immediately he returned to his ordinary sphere of life to prove the Lord there. He went back to his flock, not to some special royal training-school. It was 'with the sheep' that Saul's messengers found him; and when his turn came to confront Goliath, the weapons he used against him were those tested there. Of Saul's helmet and sword and mail he said, 'I have not proved them,' and he put them off him again. Instead he chose his shepherd's sling and the stones from the brook, 'that all this assembly may know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear.'
There is no virtue in office alone. Mere status carries with it no spiritual power. You need to meet the enemy in secret before you can meet him in public. You need to be in tune with the Spirit of God at home before you can reign abroad. But this is a training-school open to every one of us.
A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17
David was anointed king at Bethlehem, but immediately he returned to his ordinary sphere of life to prove the Lord there. He went back to his flock, not to some special royal training-school. It was 'with the sheep' that Saul's messengers found him; and when his turn came to confront Goliath, the weapons he used against him were those tested there. Of Saul's helmet and sword and mail he said, 'I have not proved them,' and he put them off him again. Instead he chose his shepherd's sling and the stones from the brook, 'that all this assembly may know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear.'
There is no virtue in office alone. Mere status carries with it no spiritual power. You need to meet the enemy in secret before you can meet him in public. You need to be in tune with the Spirit of God at home before you can reign abroad. But this is a training-school open to every one of us.
A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17
Monday, May 14, 2007
Seek The Favor of God
"Therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself, therefore, and offered the burnt-offering." - 1 Samuel 13:12
We know Saul was rejected by God because he was too zealous, too eager to offer sacrifice, too hasty in prayer. How manifold were his reasons for action; nevertheless, God in the meantime had sought for Himself a man after His own heart and had appointed him (David) to be prince over His people. The man the Lord desires is not one who is so hasty that he cannot wait. If the choice were left to us, we would undoubtedly incline towards people like Saul; for was he not an unusual man? He stood head and shoulders above all the people. Yet God does not seek for an unusual man, but a man after His own heart. May the aim of our service to the Lord not be so much a desiring to do great things so that we as well as others may be pleased, but may it be a touching of the heart of God in order that He may be delighted. Only people such as this will God use. He is looking for such people.
The Lord My Portion (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 13
We know Saul was rejected by God because he was too zealous, too eager to offer sacrifice, too hasty in prayer. How manifold were his reasons for action; nevertheless, God in the meantime had sought for Himself a man after His own heart and had appointed him (David) to be prince over His people. The man the Lord desires is not one who is so hasty that he cannot wait. If the choice were left to us, we would undoubtedly incline towards people like Saul; for was he not an unusual man? He stood head and shoulders above all the people. Yet God does not seek for an unusual man, but a man after His own heart. May the aim of our service to the Lord not be so much a desiring to do great things so that we as well as others may be pleased, but may it be a touching of the heart of God in order that He may be delighted. Only people such as this will God use. He is looking for such people.
The Lord My Portion (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 13
Monday, March 05, 2007
A True King
"One that ruleth over men righteously, that ruleth in the fear of God…" - 2 Samuel 23:3
David is so often called in Scripture 'King David' because he was a true king in spirit as well as in title. He was a king at heart. When a giant threatened Israel, Saul trembled, and so did all the people. Only David was unafraid. There is no fear in the heart of a king.
Ah, but David feared God. Saul became envious and persecuted him, driving him into exile. Then, on at least two occassions, David found Saul at his mercy and had the opportunity of killing him. However, without a command from God he would not lift a finger against his oppressor. Whoever cannot control his own spirit is no king. A true king is a king under all circumstances; he reigns everywhere.
The Joyful Heart (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 2 Samuel 23:1-7; 1 Samuel 24
David is so often called in Scripture 'King David' because he was a true king in spirit as well as in title. He was a king at heart. When a giant threatened Israel, Saul trembled, and so did all the people. Only David was unafraid. There is no fear in the heart of a king.
Ah, but David feared God. Saul became envious and persecuted him, driving him into exile. Then, on at least two occassions, David found Saul at his mercy and had the opportunity of killing him. However, without a command from God he would not lift a finger against his oppressor. Whoever cannot control his own spirit is no king. A true king is a king under all circumstances; he reigns everywhere.
The Joyful Heart (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 2 Samuel 23:1-7; 1 Samuel 24
Monday, February 05, 2007
Christ's Loyal Band
"David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam, … and there were with him about four hundred men. " - 1 Samuel 22:1
The cave represented the answer to a spiritual need. Saul had the office of king and a great following. His was all the machinery of government, and God in sovereignty recognized him, but you will not find God with Saul. It is David who is under the Spirit's anointing, and he must go with God into the wilderness. So the cave became his headquarters. To it there found their way a band of those who were weary of existing conditions, and he became their captain. They came to Adullam in desperation, because their need was met nowhere else.
David is a type of the Lord Jesus in His present rejection. Even today, multitudes are on their way to His retreat. They crave for the reality to be found where the Spirit rules. They come to Him and He owns them as His loyal band. It is a lonely way. It is always lonely to stand against the man-made system. But that nucleus, gathered to the Lord Jesus in this day of His rejection, will be very dear to Him when He comes to the throne.
A Table In the Wilderness (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 22
The cave represented the answer to a spiritual need. Saul had the office of king and a great following. His was all the machinery of government, and God in sovereignty recognized him, but you will not find God with Saul. It is David who is under the Spirit's anointing, and he must go with God into the wilderness. So the cave became his headquarters. To it there found their way a band of those who were weary of existing conditions, and he became their captain. They came to Adullam in desperation, because their need was met nowhere else.
David is a type of the Lord Jesus in His present rejection. Even today, multitudes are on their way to His retreat. They crave for the reality to be found where the Spirit rules. They come to Him and He owns them as His loyal band. It is a lonely way. It is always lonely to stand against the man-made system. But that nucleus, gathered to the Lord Jesus in this day of His rejection, will be very dear to Him when He comes to the throne.
A Table In the Wilderness (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 22
Monday, January 22, 2007
Worship the Will of God
"Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped. " - 2 Samuel 12:20
David's son died because of David's sin. True, David had repented, and being a man of prayer had fasted and prayed earnestly for his son's life. Nevertheless the child died. A man of less humble spirit, ignorant of divine discipline, might have been offended and have nursed a grievance against God. David did no such thing. Told of the child's death, he arose at once and worshipped.
Sometimes God has to vindicate His own holiness in this way, putting His servants into the very fires of suffering. The great test in that hour is their reaction to His governmental hand. Of course David felt the sorrow keenly - he would scarcely have been human not to. But when at length he realized that this was God's way with him and there was no relenting, he bowed to it and worshipped the will of God. Should such an occasion arise, could we do this? It marked David as a man after God's own heart.
A Table In the Wilderness (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 2 Samuel 12
David's son died because of David's sin. True, David had repented, and being a man of prayer had fasted and prayed earnestly for his son's life. Nevertheless the child died. A man of less humble spirit, ignorant of divine discipline, might have been offended and have nursed a grievance against God. David did no such thing. Told of the child's death, he arose at once and worshipped.
Sometimes God has to vindicate His own holiness in this way, putting His servants into the very fires of suffering. The great test in that hour is their reaction to His governmental hand. Of course David felt the sorrow keenly - he would scarcely have been human not to. But when at length he realized that this was God's way with him and there was no relenting, he bowed to it and worshipped the will of God. Should such an occasion arise, could we do this? It marked David as a man after God's own heart.
A Table In the Wilderness (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 2 Samuel 12
Monday, January 15, 2007
Key to Answered Prayer
"David sought the face of the Lord. " - 2 Samuel 21:1
There are times when we put forth tremendous effort in prayers without getting any answer from God, yet how seldom do we seek to discover why! For how can we expect God to answer prayers that are out of harmony with His mind? In all our praying we must first find the key. It was this David sought to do at the time of prolonged famine this chapter describes. He did not simply cry to God: 'This famine has lasted three years. Have mercy on us now and grant us a rich harvest this year.' No, He sought the face of the Lord. Had God something to say about it? To his direct question God gave a direct reply, and with it the key to answered prayer. Saul, it appears, by slaying some of the Gibeonites, had violated God's understanding with Israel to spare them. True, he had done it out of zeal for God; but he had sinned. God will not permit the breaking of a solemn vow. So there was something to be set right. 'And after that,' we read in verse 14, 'God was intreated for the land.' David had found the key.
A Table In the Wilderness (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 2 Samuel 21
There are times when we put forth tremendous effort in prayers without getting any answer from God, yet how seldom do we seek to discover why! For how can we expect God to answer prayers that are out of harmony with His mind? In all our praying we must first find the key. It was this David sought to do at the time of prolonged famine this chapter describes. He did not simply cry to God: 'This famine has lasted three years. Have mercy on us now and grant us a rich harvest this year.' No, He sought the face of the Lord. Had God something to say about it? To his direct question God gave a direct reply, and with it the key to answered prayer. Saul, it appears, by slaying some of the Gibeonites, had violated God's understanding with Israel to spare them. True, he had done it out of zeal for God; but he had sinned. God will not permit the breaking of a solemn vow. So there was something to be set right. 'And after that,' we read in verse 14, 'God was intreated for the land.' David had found the key.
A Table In the Wilderness (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 2 Samuel 21
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