DAY BY DAY

“For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God” (1 Chron. 12:22 NKJV).

In context, David is experiencing some serious problems as Saul is pursuing him to kill him. David is forced to flee and hide out wherever possible. Things seemed dismal as the promise of him being king fade. But our verse says that “there came to David day by day to help him.” And this help eventually became a “great army, like the army of God.” This helped David become king. In our life we have the same “day by day” experience – we see it in our problems, our prayers, and our pursuits.

Problems - We want God to solve our problems all at once. We want the “great army” without the “day by day” process. But seldom does God skip the “day by day” process in solving our problems, for the “day by day” process teaches us to trust Him “day by day.” If all of our problems were solved all at once, we would forget God and stray from Him, and thereby get into more troubles. So it is “day by day” that God solves our problems.

Prayer - God works “day by day” in the answering of our prayers, too. Sometimes we complain that God does not answer our prayers when actually He is answering our prayers all the time. What we fail to see is that God is answering them “day by day,” not all at once. So we need to be patient, don’t give up, and keep on praying. In due time we will see that the “day by day” answering of our prayers will eventually add up to a “great host” of answered prayers.

Pursuits – We often get discouraged when we see little results in our pursuits? The professional musician did not become skilled overnight. It was a “day by day” practicing that produced his “great host” of skills. A house is not built in a day, but “day by day” the builders added lumber and other materials together and eventually it becomes a house. By being faithful “day by day” in our pursuits, it will result in host of achievements in the future.

(Adapted from Butler Sermon Starters - Vol. 1)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“God’s promises are always greater than our problems!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Devote

In Col. 4:1 we read, “Masters, give (devote) your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven!” (NKJV)

Devote (give) is the Greek word parecho (παρέχω = par-ekh'-o). It is made up of two words: “para” which means beside, unto, at near, and “echo” which means to have, hold. Thus, the word means to adhere to one, to be devoted or constant to one, to be steadfastly attentive unto, to give unremitting care to a thing, to persevere and not to faint, to be in constant readiness for one, wait on constantly.

In Classical Greek parecho means hand over or deliver something to someone. Reflexively the idea is submission or giving oneself up for or to something or someone. In law it means bring forth a witness, while in mathematics it denotes the sum total. In the Septuagint the word carries the idea of causing trouble. In the New Testament, the term means to bother or trouble someone.

In the present context parecho means to cause something to happen to someone. It means to render. Further, the word is in the present tense which calls for continual action. The word is also in the imperative mood which means it is a command. The idea being conveyed is that the master is commanded to continually “devote/give/render” to his servants what is just and fair. Pareco therefore, can be used to express the idea of causing bother or trouble, as well as the sense of simply presenting or demonstrating something to someone.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – That He would deal gently with the Gentiles (Isa. 42:1-3). New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 12:17-21

Bible Facts

Origin of the rainbow (Gen. 9:13-16). Prior to the Flood there was a different environment on the earth (Gen. 2:5-6). After the Flood, God set His rainbow “in the cloud” as a sign that He would never again judge the earth by water. Meteorologists now understand that a rainbow is formed when the sun shines through water droplets (which act as a prism) separating white light into its color spectrum.

Bible Quiz

Who had a dream while sleeping on a stone pillow?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: Whose wife told him to “Curse God and die?” Job’s (Job 2:9)

That’s in the Bible

"Wise in your own eyes”

“Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight” (Isa. 521 NKJV).

Being ‘wise in your own eyes’ is a little more serious than at first glance. God has pronounced woe on those who are “wise in their own eyes.” And when God says “woe,” trouble and anguish is not far away. This expression is descriptive of those whose wisdom is based on their own opinion of themselves.

Today self-esteem seem to be the mantra of the day. Yet, what we think of ourselves is of little concern to God. God never told us to esteem ourselves. In fact, we are to esteem others higher than ourselves because we naturally esteem ourselves in the flesh. Further, we are to esteem His words more than our necessary food (Job 23:12).

Did You Know – Christian History

Edward Raymond Ames was born May 20, 1806 in Amesville, Athens County, Ohio. He was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At age 20, Ames became a student at Ohio University at Athens. During his student years he united with the M.E. Church. In 1828 he opened a high school in Lebanon, Illinois which later became McKendree University. He taught there until 1830, when he became a Pastor in the Illinois Annual Conference.

Ames traveled extensively, especially visiting the Indian Missions of his denomination along the northern lakes and on the western frontier. He aided in establishing missions schools among the various tribes west of Arkansas. In 1848 he officiated as chaplain to a Council of Choctaws, being the first chaplain chosen by an Indian Assembly. Ames was elected President of Indiana Asbury University in 1848. He declined the position, preferring to remain in more active ministerial work. In spite of ill health, Ames continued his work until a few weeks before his death. He died in Baltimore, Maryland. He is buried in Greenmount Cemetery in that city.

A Little Humor

A grandfather overheard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in reverent, hushed tones. “What are you doing?” he asked. “I'm praying, Grandpa,” she said. “I can’t think of the right words, so I just say all the letters. God will put them together for me, 'cause he knows what I’m thinking.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“God’s communication to man has come through the Christ of the cross!”