KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, April 07, 2016
Chapters: 2 Samuel 22-24
Message: 2 Samuel: He Makes My Way Perfect

Hello My Friend,

The life of a Christian is not based on being perfect, it is based on being in the clutches of the perfect one, Jesus Christ who gave His life to save us from our imperfections. No one is perfect, we make mistakes all the time, God is not looking for perfection, He is looking for faithfulness, trustworthiness, and a complete dependence upon Him. When we look to the perfect one, God will give us enough grace to overcome all our imperfections. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:10.

No one goes without suffering affliction, sometimes we suffer for the wrongs we have made, sometimes what others have done, and sometimes for no reason at all. All suffering is designed to bring one to or closer to God.
David knew he was by far a perfect man, but he also knew He had a perfect God on his side, and while he had to face some suffering with or without sin, he readily acknowledged that God's hand was in all of it. All of chapter 22 is a song, called David's song, which is almost identical to Psalm 18, and in it there is not one complaint, only praises. David teaches us that we are to sing praises to God no matter what we are going through.

“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me. Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me. Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.” - 2 Samuel 22:31-33,44-47.

“and he maketh my way perfect.” When we allow Christ it live in and through us He makes our way perfect. He is our Rock, the only one who is our salvation. No, we will never be perfect until we are in heaven, but we can walk in the ways of Christ and let His perfection work in us. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:20,21.

Regardless of the circumstances we face, whether self afflicted or not, God's hand is in everything. David was one of the inspired men used by God to put pen to paper His words, most of the Psalms were written by him, through the inspiration of God. David had no clue as to why God chose him after all the things he had done, but He did know that God had made a covenant with him and would not go back on that promise.

“The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.” - 2 Samuel 23:2-7.

“yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant,” David had hope of the everlasting covenant that God had made with him. What was the covenant? The promised Saviour that would come through his seed. The Rock of Israel is none other than Jesus, the promised seed. One day He will rule, not only in Israel, but in every nation. Those who have made the everlasting covenant with Jesus will be saved and join Him in His earthly Kingdom. “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” - Revelation 3:12.

There are those who think they never do wrong, they even use their salvation as a pass that allows them to live as they please and think God will not judge them for it. Let me tell you, while we are saved by God's grace through Christ, He will not be mocked, He will judge us if we abuse our salvation. Perhaps God did not get over the fact that most of Israel forsook David, first in siding with Absalom and then Sheba, both getting themselves killed by trying to overthrow God's anointed king. Now, it was time for them to be judged for what they had done, God used David to make that happen, but not in a conventional way.

“And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.” - 2 Samuel 24:1,10,15-19.

“and he moved David against them to say,” For years I have misunderstood what was written here, it is as if I completely missed the first verse. God was angry with Israel and allowed the devil to tempt David to sin by ordering a census of Israel, the result, seventy thousand men died. Notice that God had the death angel stop when he got to Jerusalem? See who was there? The angel of the LORD, this is none other than Jesus. While God will allow the devil to tempt us, Jesus will not allow anyone, the death angel or the devil to destroy us. “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” - John 3:15.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through the Rock of Israel (23:3), the the angle of the LORD (24:16), and through David as the shepherd, who bought the threshing floor (24:24) for his sheep. Jesus is the Rock that gives us strength and power, He is our Shepherd, and also purchased the souls of those who believe in Him. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” - 1 Corinthians 6:20.

Today's Prayer: God, Every day I am amazed that no matter how many mistakes I make, You still love me, You have not forsaken me, and I still have a place with You for eternity. Lord, let me never lose hope of the day that Your Son comes and gets me, not for the good that I have done, but because I bought by His precious blood. Thank You God, for everything You do for me, whether times are good or bad, happy or sad, You are always there guiding me in the right direction, and while I will never be perfect I can be perfected as I walk with Him. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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