Tues.’s Devo - Stand With Truth

Read: 2 Samuel 15:23-16:23; John 18:25-19:22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 16:10-11 David left the city with the people mourning him as he passed. He carried the Ark with him. Zadok offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of the city, but David told him to take the Ark back. If it was the Lord’s will, he would bring him back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. *** David sent Zadok and Abiathar, both priests, to return to the city and send their sons Ahimaaz and Abiathar with reports of what was happening to David. He would wait by the Jordan River. *** David came to the Mount of Olives where Jesus had travailed in prayer the night before he died. Hushai, a foreigner was waiting for him in sorrow. David sen him home because he was too old to travel with him. He told him to go back and tell Absalom that he would be his advisor, only give him unwise advice. Husai went back to Jerusalem and arrived at the same time Absalom was entering the city. He convinced Absalom that he was loyal to whoever sat on the throne. *** When David reached Bahurim a man named Shimei came out to curse David and his men. He was from the lineage of Saul and called David a murderer. David’s men wanted to kill him but David wouldn’t let them. He said that maybe God had sent him to curse him. Or, maybe God would turn these curses into blessings. *** Absalom’s advisor was Aithoepel and he told Absalom to go and sleep with David’s concubines to show all Israel that David wasn’t coming back. So, they set up a tent on top of the palace where the concubines were and Absalom slept with David’s wives in front of all Israel. This was the fulfillment of prophecy. What David had done with Bathsheba in private was now being done in public. *** In John, Peter denied Jesus the last two times and the rooster crowed. *** The trial with Caiphas ended and Jesus was take to the headquarters of the Roman governor. Pilate came out and asked them what their charge was against Jesus. Their answer was that he was a criminal (they knew they had no case.) Pilate then asked Jesus the only question he was interested in… are you the king of the Jews? Jesus asked him if that was his question or did he get it from what he had heard about him. Pilate answered “Am I a Jew?” *** Then he asked him what his crime was and Jesus told him that his Kingdom was not on earth, but if it were, there would be nothing he could do to keep it from succeeding. *** Pilate asked him again if he were a king and he answered that he came into the world to testify to the truth and all who love truth will recognize it as truth. *** Pilate came before the people and told them that he found Jesus innocent of any crime. He tried to give them the choice between Jesus or Barabbas and they chose to let Barabbas free and to crucify Jesus. Pilate had Jesus flogged and they mocked him as the King of the Jews by putting a robe on him and a crown of thorns on his head. Pilate then presented Jesus to them but made it clear to them that he found him innocent. This was all their doing. *** The people cried to crucify Jesus, so Pilate turned him over to them to do the job. The Jewish leaders said that by their law he ought to die, because he called himself the Son of God. This frightened Pilate and he took him back in and asked him where he was from. He was afraid of killing a son of God. When Jesus wouldn’t answer him, he got frustrated and said, “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” To which Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” *** Pilate was in a pickle. He wanted to release Jesus, but he was too afraid of the angry crowd. He announced Jesus as their king and sent him to be crucified. He had a sign written that said, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The leading priests wanted him to change it to read: “He said he was the king of the Jews,” but Pilate refused to change it. *** This is what fear will do to a person who doesn’t have the Holy Spirit to empower them against the onslaughts of the enemy. Pilate didn’t want to crucify Jesus, he was afraid to, but he was more afraid of the crowd. He compromised his conscience to please people and lost his soul. *** Lord, give us boldness and courage to stand up in a world that is crying “Crucify”. They want to crucify all that is good and righteous. May we not fall under the pressure to conform to the enemy and compromise our convictions. May we be strong and courageous!