David - Learning to Love God with All Our Heart

There are 3 men in he Bible (besides Jesus) that really stand out for me: Joseph, David, and Paul.  I guess I see so much Christ-likeness in these men.  Joseph was almost perfect!  Paul, after his encounter with the Lord became pretty close to being perfect and teaches us how to live for Christ. David simply lived to glorify God and you can see how he loved God with all his heart, soul and mind.  I must admit I am forgetting, at this point, the sins that David committed.  But once he was convicted and after confessing his sin, God continues to love David and forgives him of his sin, as He does for us. Amazing how God can forgive and forget!  Paul says he was the worst of sinners, yet God also forgives him.  There really is room at the cross for all of us.  Thank you Lord for your so great salvation!  How I praise and worship You, O Lord!

It's easy to praise the Lord for what He has done for us ... isn't it?  How great Thou Art, O Lord God Almighty!  You, O Lord, are my Rock, my Fortress, my Strength. Without You I can do nothing.  With You, nothing is impossible.  Thank You Lord. Have your way in my life, I pray. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, that I might serve You and live for You and glorify your name. Hallelujah Lord Jesus!  We certainly can learn how to praise and worship and cry out to the Lord from the Psalms that David wrote for us.

David is an example for all of us on how to:
Praise the Lord, Pray to the Lord, Glorify the Lord, Receive our strength from the Lord, Wait on the Lord, Rest in the Lord, Trust in the Lord, Minister to the Lord, Sing to the Lord, Dance unto the Lord, Serve the Lord, Be friends with the Lord, Fight for the Lord, Cry out to the Lord, Fear the Lord, Bless the Lord, Thank the Lord, Honor the Lord and His anointed, and the list goes on!

You can see why David is considered a man after God's own heart.  (Almost) everything he did, say, and think about was done for Lord and to glorify the Lord.

That's a life well lived.  He was a forgiven sinner who lived for God, desired to do His will, rejoicing in the Lord, praising Him, giving Him thanks and talking to Him in prayer regularly (if not always).  I sense from reading Paul's epistles, Paul also learned much from David's life and character just as we can.

Let's all have hearts that are bent towards God and that are becoming like God's heart, full of love for others!

Joseph - A Blameless, Blessed, Christ-like Life

 As I look at Joseph’s life, he seems so perfect.  I really can't see any sin in his life or any glaring flaws in his character.  As a teenager he receives a vision / dream that one day he would be placed in a powerful position.  I am not sure if he even completely understood his dream at the time.  He must have had a true God-experience at that young age which kept him strong in his faith in the Lord.

Imagine being hated by your own brothers because of their jealousy; being sold into slavery and then accused of something that he didn't do; then having to serve time in jail;  helping others get out of jail that then forget about you and leave you in jail.  He had reason to be angry, bitter, retaliatory and unforgiving but he remained blameless. He didn't sin and act like we may have done given the same circumstances.  He displays Christ-likeness throughout his entire life!  Obviously he is a great example for all of us especially those who have a role in leadership (i.e serving others).

Vision and Dreams – God gave Joseph a dream / vision that ultimately comes to pass.  I believe God still has plans and things that He wants to accomplish through us.  One vision or dream that I believe God gives all of us is to make disciples … its part of Jesus’ great commission to us all.  I know I am seeking to serve Him in ways that allow this vision for my life to come to fruition.  What do I want to be when I grow up?  Answer: First and foremost a disciple maker, helping others to get to know Him personally and also helping them become true Christ-like followers who also have a passion for making disciples.

Gifts and Talents – It seems that God blessed Joseph with the gift of administration and leadership.  We are also told that the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered and gave him success in everything he did and he found favour in the eyes of those he served (Potiphar, Prison Warden and Pharaoh).  As leaders, we can pray for this kind of favour as we work and serve others.  I am sure Paul was thinking about men and women like Joseph when he penned Colossians 3:23 (ref. Memory Verse tab). As leaders, I pray that we may have this kind of work ethic – seeing ourselves working for the Lord regardless of our job or who we are employed by or what ministry we are serving in. Use your gifts and talents for His purposes and make sure He gets the glory. 

Complete Trust and Forgiveness – Despite the hurts that Joseph endures, somehow he remains positive and keeps on trusting God.  He never complains about his circumstances and forgives those who caused him to be placed into the difficult and trying circumstances.  His relationship with God was strong and solid.  He knew that God was in control and Sovereign. Joseph’s brothers meant to harm him but Joseph knew that God intended everything he went through was for good.  Joseph could see the dream / vision that God gave him unfolding and how God was putting him in the various situations, circumstances and roles even though some of them were very hard and difficult. Joseph seems to understand what Paul tells us in Romans 8:28.  “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Our goal is to be like Christ.  If you want to know what Christ-likeness looks like, we can certainly learn a great deal from Joseph's life and how he handled difficult life circumstances.  

(By the way, notice how he handled temptation when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him!