Davidisms: Self-Examine!

We will meet Jesus one day. Either in his return to earth. Or in death. If he is God, he cannot lie.

What should we do while we wait? Here is one suggestion from the apostle Paul: self-examine (2 Corinthians 13:5).

What does this mean?

Think about this analogy. When you go to the doctor, he or she may ask you to do regular home self-examinations. Look and feel for this kind of lump. Unusual moles. Painful joint movements. Surprising shortness of breath. Etc.

Jesus, our Great Physician, does the same thing. Until we meet him again, either in death or his Second Coming, we are to self-examine our spiritual life. Prayer. Bible reading. Love for worship - both individually and corporately. Bearing other's burdens. Our union life in the Holy Spirit. Serving the needy. Sharing our faith with those who don’t know Jesus.

In places where you may be weak, strengthen your spiritual disciplines. Improve in those areas. Become stronger in places that need Jesus’s healing graces.

For you want Jesus to find you in good spiritual health when he returns.

Davidisms: Solve the Death Problem Today!

The story is told that a man walked by a tombstone and saw the following written on it:

Pause stranger as you pass me by,

As you are now, is once was I,

As I am now, so you will be,

So prepare for death and follow me.

Supposedly, another passerby saw these words and scratched on an addendum:

To follow you, I’m not content

Until I know the way you went.

Humorous, for sure. But packed with a lot of truth - especially about how to live life now to the fullest.

What is the first truth? We all will die. The statistics are in. Every single human being who has ever lived will die. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We all sin and break God’s moral law. Sin brings death. Therefore, we all will die.

The next truth is that there are only two destinations after we die. Jesus said so. And if he is God, and came from eternity to describe the next world to us, he would surely know.

One road is broad and leads to eternal separation from God. It’s the road many in our culture and world are on. It’s filled with pilgrims who live according to their own lusts and desires. Ones who have declared themselves to be God and do what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). One where people call good/evil and evil/good (Isaiah 5:20).

The other road is narrow and few are on it. It leads to one narrow gate. His name is Jesus (John 14:6). Through his life, death and resurrection, those on this narrow road, ones who express fidelity and self-discipline to Jesus, are promised the gift of eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14).

Solve the death problem today. Choose Jesus and the narrow road. Be assured of your eternal life in him. Once you do, you have conquered this life’s greatest enemy: death. You need never fear it again. It’s gone. Forever!

And you can now live today to the fullest.

Davidisms - God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle

Recently, I was watching a TV show. The main characters said to another who was facing a desperate situation: “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”

To which his friend desperately responded, “But I don’t think I can handle this huge problem!”

The main character paused, then calmly said, “Then God won’t give it to you.”

God controls all. He knows the problems in this world. He knows what your heart can handle. That’s most likely why Satan had to ask for Jesus’s permission before he assaulted Peter’s faith in Luke 22:31-32. Jesus knew Peter could handle the trial!

Isn’t that a wonderful note of encouragement? If something comes our way, God must have not only known we can handle it, but will also give us the grace to handle it. He promised that his grace would be sufficient in all circumstances (2 Corinthians 12:9).

And if it’s too much for us to handle? Deal with it!

It won’t come our way!