READING FOR JUNE 11, 2025: 2 SAMEUL 23, GALATIANS 4, PSALM 52:5-9                                    2 SAMUEL 23 In this chapter David reflects with gratitude on how God had used him and those men closest to him. Perhaps we can take stock of our lives in a similar way, as we consider David’s remanences. David was the lowly youngest son of Jesse whom God raised to be king of Israel. Likewise, “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-6).  God spoke through David the Psalmist to Israel and even to us as we mediate on the scriptures. Has God used us to convey God’s word to our children and grandchildren? “Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). David exults that God will “indeed make all my salvation and all my delight grow.” Reflect on how our salvation has been our increasing delight throughout our years. By contrast, lament that those who do not know our Jesus “will be completely burned with fire in their place.”  Let’s not give up praying and pointing them to Jesus, though: Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and      patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (Rom. 2:4). 

This last section dispels the myth that any of us can serve the Lord effectively on our own. We need to be part of a local body of Christ and connected to the global body of Christ. The task is too great for any one of us alone. The accomplishments of the David’s mighty men in verses 8-39 rival some of the amazing feats God did through Samson and David. Yet, these men did not demonstrate such a heroic profile at first when they initially joined David: “Then everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him” (1 Samuel 22:2).  God can do similar feats through Yorktown Methodist Church if we allow Jesus to be our captain.GALATIANS 4 In Galatians 3:24, Paul called the Mosaic law a guardian. Here he builds on that metaphor saying someone under guardianship has limited freedom, as do slaves. That was the believers’ position before Jesus. Now that Jesus has redeemed those of us who trust in His death and resurrection, we are not bound by those slave-like limitations. We are free in Christ. At this point, we begin to see one manifestation of the Galatians dangerously returning to bondage and why Paul was so upset. Apparently, they were “meticulously” observing festival     READING FOR JUNE 11, 2025 CONTINUED: GALATIANS 4, PSALM 52:5-9                                 days and seasons from the Mosaic law as an essential part of their religious practice. Such observations could not save them. Placing inappropriate stress on them gave the Galatians the sense their religious observances and not their faith made themselves right with God. Note that observing the present-day liturgical calendar, including Christmas and Easter, does not help us if we don’t place our complete faith in Jesus as our Savior and obey Him and Lord.  In fact, it could be a barrier to faith if it distracts from understanding and believing the Gospel. Paul wracks his mind, thinking about how well they received his message before and wondering how they could have gone so far off track. He fears he will be considered by them as an enemy, but he just wants them to experience the truth and freedom of Christ. Any good spiritual mentor must be honest with his/her mentees when they fall into spiritual error.  We must hold each other accountable for obeying Biblical truth at our church.  This does not mean we should never express any doubts we have. In fact, it is healthy when we really want to understand what God has revealed in His word and not just accept someone else’s word for it.Brilliant thinker that Paul is, he then uses the story of Abraham to show why we must now live according to the spirit (symbolized by Sarah and Isaac) and not according to the flesh (symbolized by Hagar and Ishmael). Let’s ask ourselves two questions: 1) Do we think God accepts us because we go to church each Sunday, help out with some ministries, and avoid smoking and drinking? or 2) Do we think God accepts us because, believing that Jesus, God the Son, died for our sins and rose again, we trust Him as our Savior and obey Him completely as our Lord?  Now is the time to be certain about our answers.      PSALM 52:5-9 We return to David’s complaint against Doeg, the man who slew 85 priests. Here David prophesizes that God will remove him from his position and cause his death.  This act of God will be noticed by the righteous and cause them to fear God even more.  It will also cause them righteous joy knowing that God had not allowed this violent man to go unpunished for his evil to God’s people.  Notice also that trusting in wealth does not provide meaning or security in life. This only comes through trusting God. David, by contrast, compares himself to a healthy olive tree planted in the house of God. Can we consider ourselves spiritually healthy, constantly being nourished by God’s presence in our lives?  David doesn’t boast in himself for this good situation but acknowledges and praises God for placing him there.  Finally, he recommits to waiting on God along with the others who share this common faith.  WAIT ON GOD WITH THE CHURCH—NOT AS A LONE RANGER.