1. A Big Question
The Biblical story of David fighting against the giant is a very popular one for the children in Sunday School. Even as we get older, the story encourages us with the reality that God can help us overcome big problems, that sometimes seem larger than life. There are many going through trials now, and sometimes we think about giving up. But, David saw the giant and heard him defy the armies of the living God and it gave him courage to step up and fight for the cause. Our title comes from the last five words of I Samuel 17:29, "Is there not a cause?"
2. The Cause Is Greater Than We See
Let's look at the verses that precede our question, "Is there not a cause?" and see what David was talking about. When I was younger and we were asked the question, "Why?" we often replied, "Cause." For my parents it was often, "Cause I said so" and that was all the answer I needed. I knew to let it go. But, for us, it was just, "Cause." When we read this chapter we see that David is doing exactly what his father told him to do, yet he is criticized by his oldest brother. When I put that with verse 29, "And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" I thought David was answering in response to his brother, like our, "Why?" and "Cause" conversations. Then, one day God showed me that the "Cause" was much bigger than brother differences. The "Cause" was to stand up for the armies of the living God. I am afraid that sometimes we get bogged down with differences of opinions and we only see the little causes. Maybe Satan tries to start the little battles, so that we will be blinded to the greater cause. I think the media tries to get our focus on little things just so we won't pay attention to the bigger things. Let's pray and ask God to help us keep our hearts and minds, and our eyes and ears, focused on the main cause... the Cause of Christ!
"20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:20-29)
3. The Greatest Cause
I opened this series talking about the greater cause, and today we are looking at "The Greatest Cause". I have mentioned before that the Lord will bring scriptures to my attention while I am reading that have a connection to our current theme. Well, I have been thinking about David's question for a couple months, "Is there not a cause?", but I wasn't sure it was the right time for this focus. Then, as I was finishing reading the book of John I came to the greatest cause ever. "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:37) The crucifixion did not come as a surprise to Jesus. He knew that was His cause for being born into this world. Even as Jesus prayed in the garden, He said, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour." (John 12:27) Through the ages some men were born to be king, but no one else was born to give His life for the sins of the world, then be resurrected as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you, Jesus, my Savior, Lord, and King!
"33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber." (John 18:33-40)
4. What Have I Done?
I want to go back and look at the initial verse that we used in the beginning of this series. "And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:29) David's first question was, "What have I now done?" Have you ever felt like things were going so badly and you finally said, "What have I done now?" Maybe you had a teacher or boss that had called you down several times and finally you thought, "What have I done now?" David asked Jonathan in I Samuel 20:1, "What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?" David yelled out to King Saul from the top of a hill, "Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?" (I Samuel 26:18) I often wondered if David would have actually joined the Philistine Army, but we even hear him ask Achish, the king of Gath, " But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" (I Samuel 29:8) This was a common question for David, "What have I done?" He feels an injustice and wants to know the reason. We see a change in David after he had reigned for several years. He told Joab to go out and number the people. This was wrong in the eyes of God. (Maybe it was pride???) Read the following excerpt from II Samuel 24:10-17 and hear the change in David's heart. He doesn't ask God, "What have I done?" Oh, no, he confesses to the Lord, "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." There are times in our lives when we need to stop asking, "What have I done?", "What is the cause of this trouble in my life?" and start confessing to our Lord. When we see that our disobedience, our wrong doing, our faults and failures have caused others to suffer, we can have a change of heart like David and say, "I have done wickedly, but ... what have they done?" When we turn away from what God shows us to do, it is not only the cause of trouble and sorrow for us, but it causes grief in the lives of those around us.
"10 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.
11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
15 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.
16 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.
17 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." (II Samuel 24:10-17)
5. Without A Cause
We expect things to go a certain way, because that's the right way they should go. But, sometimes in this world things don't go the right way. Things happen that leave us with questions. We ask, "Why?" We want to say that it's not fair. People are not always fair. Companies aren't always upright and honest in their dealings. We look for a cause, and we wonder how we could have made things come out better. In the end, we have to face the fact that some, behave the way they do, without a cause.
We began with David going against the giant, and he won the battle. King Saul was glad for the victory, but he grew jealous of David and tried to kill him, "without a cause". Saul's son, Jonathan, asked him, "For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?" (I Samuel 19:5) David said that his love was returned in hatred, "They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love." (Psalm 109:3-5) When we suffer wrong, without a cause, we can do like David did and give ourselves unto prayer, and strive to do the right thing.
"1 Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away." (Psalm 69:1-4)
6. A Worthy Cause
I did a quick search online to read the suggestions of a worthy cause. The first one on the list was to help stop hunger. That is a noble and worthy cause. A few of the other ideas included, supporting injured veterans and their families, helping to ensure fair elections, finding cures for alzheimers and cancer, and protecting the environment. These all seem to be worthy of support. There is even a greater cause! A cause that the early Christians were willing to be beaten, and some even willing to die for... the cause of Christ! When the Apostle Paul was going to go back to Jerusalem his Christian friends knew he could be killed by the Jews. "Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 21:13) "But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me." (Acts 26:20-21) What cause could be so great that a man being stoned to death could ask the Lord not to lay it against them. The cause of Christ. "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:59-60) The early church suffered greatly in persecution and tribulation, all for the cause of Christ. It is great to have "a worthy cause" that you can support with your time or financial help. But, even greater will it be to support the cause of Christ! God has given us all a gift that we can use for His glory. "... But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that." (I Corinthians 7:7) It would be wonderful to receive a crown for our work, so that we could lay it at the feet of our Lord and Savior, who gave His life, to give us life everlasting.
"7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (I Peter 4:7-11)
7. For This Cause I Raised Thee Up
Often I write the introduction to our devotion and then I will give you the scriptures that God has laid on my heart. Today, I want to give you the verse first, and after you read it, see if you can guess who the words were meant for. "And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." It may be a little hard. The first clue is that it was spoken by God. You probably already guessed that. Next clue, it might be easier if I give you the reference. The verse is found in Exodus 9:16. Have you made your guess?
You might have guessed, Moses. The words were indeed spoken to Moses. And God did raise Moses up to show His power. But, the Lord spoke this message to Moses to relay to Pharaoh. God told Pharaoh, "... for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power..." God can use His enemies for His cause and purpose! What an amazing, all powerful God we serve! Let's read the verse in context.
"13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?
18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now." (Exodus 9:13-18)
8. Romans 8:28
There are some Bible verses that we often hear people quote. I am reading in the book of Romans and there are many wonderful scriptures in this book to put to memory. Verses that mean a lot to us, and that help us get through hard times. Romans 8:28 is such a verse. When something comes up that is a struggle to understand, it is comforting to say that, "And we know that all things work together for good." But, that's not the complete verse. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." There is more... "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." When we get saved, God has a purpose for our life. In the next verse Paul tells us, "to be conformed to the image of his Son..." We are looking at our "cause" in life. Sometimes things happen that don't seem good. We need to see that this "thing" may be "according to his purpose" to make us more like Christ. I can look back over my life and see how God used hard times to help me grow as a Christian. When we have needs in our lives, it helps us rely on God to supply them. In times of sickness we call on Him for healing. When we are hurt by those we love, we know that we can lean on the Lord because He loves us. Let's close with the last verses in this chapter.
"37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)
9. For This Cause Hezekiah And Isaiah Prayed to God In Heaven
Sennacherib, King of Assyria, went to war against Judah. He sent a threatening letter to King Hezekiah that no other gods had been able to save their people from his army. King Hezekiah took the letter and went up into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. First, let's look at the account given in II Kings 19:14-16.
"14 And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God."
Now, let's pick up the story in II Chronicles 32:17-20. Notice our cause in verse 20.
"17 He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.
18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
19 And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.
20 And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven."
Evil is warring against good in these days and that gives us "cause" to cast our cares and our problems before the Lord, and pray and cry out to our God in heaven. God heard the prayers of King Hezekiah and He will hear our prayers! Going back to II Kings 19:32-37, we find God's answer to His people, and what happened to King Sennacherib and Assyria's Army of 185,000.
"32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.
34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead."
10. Cause And Effect
I walked down to see if any turnips were growing in the garden and I saw a honey bee in one of the few remaining marigolds. We have seen a lot about honey bees lately. I was reminded how we studied "Cause and Effect" in school. If we don't have enough flowers and blossoms growing to sustain bees and pollinators (cause) then they will die (effect). If the pollinators die (cause) we won't be able to grow vegetables (effect). If there is not enough food (cause) then we will also die (effect). Each spring I let the clover bloom in the yard and I plant extra flowers in the garden (cause) to attract more honey bees (effect). Last week the garden was still an array of beautiful colors with the zinnias, cosmos, and marigolds. Today it is filled with gray wilted flowers and dying stems. The freezing temperatures and frost last week was the cause and the dying plants are the effect. We also see "Cause and Effect" in the Bible. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world in the Garden of Eden. They disobeyed God (cause) and their sin brought a curse to them and the earth (effect). The people of the world became more and more sinful (cause) and God destroyed the earth with a flood (effect). "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
"20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I Corinthians 15:20-22)
As we saw in our example of the bees, one cause and effect, can bring about another cause and effect, and each time it is repeated it can get worse and worse. That is the way it is with sin. The longer we spend our life in sin the more we become enslaved to our sin. But, there is hope! When we confess our sin to God and ask Jesus to forgive us of our sin, and believe on Him, then salvation frees us from the bond of sin. Jesus cleanses us from our sin and takes away our filthy rags and clothes us with His righteousness. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10) When we trust Jesus to save us then the positive effects go on and on and on... leading us to everlasting life with the Lord our Savior in heaven.
11. Born For A Cause
You may have heard someone say, "I went to find myself." Or, maybe ask, "What is my purpose in life?" Some have tried many things before they found their "cause in life". Some may go through life never really understanding their purpose in life. We may not feel like we have an important job, or feel like we accomplished very much in life. If we let our light shine and live our lives each day to glorify God, that is a great cause. While some go through life searching for their purpose or cause, there are some who were born for a certain purpose. A great example is John the Baptist. Isaiah prophesied, "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:3) We also read in Malachi 3:1, "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." John the Baptist was born with a purpose and cause to prepare the way of the Lord. And he fulfilled his purpose. No matter how small our cause may seem, let's do all we can for the glory of the Lord. As the Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 10:31, "whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
"1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." (Mattew 3:1-3)
12. Ruth Had A Cause
I was planning to write about Ruth having a noble cause. She left her home to travel to Bethlehem to be a companion to, and care for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Yesterday this devotional from 2020 came up in my memories. I want to share it with you again today.
I Am Thankful For Handfuls Of Purpose
The book of Ruth is a beautiful story. Ruth goes back to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law after their husbands die in the land of Moab. She wants to take care of Naomi and goes to glean, gather up the left-overs left behind, in the fields to get them food. The owner of the field, Boaz, told his workers to drop "handfuls of purpose" for her. "And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley." (Ruth 2:16-17) I want to share one of my own "handfuls of purpose" that God blessed me with. Last winter a man at church told me that his daughter used to knit scarves, but she was sorting out her craft room and wanted to know if I wanted some of the yarn she had. In a week or so he brought me bags and bags of yarn in beautiful colors and textures. Then the "stay-home" orders came regarding Covid-19 and I started learning to knit scarves and hats. I worked on them while watching television and it kept me busy for several months. There are so many I decided to give them away for Christmas, and I let the children and young people I know make snowmen to display them. (You can see a few of them in the photo.) I can see three "handfuls of purpose" in my story. Tammy shared the yarn that she no longer needed and was able to use that space for something else. Knitting kept me from going stir-crazy during a time when there wasn't much else to do. And last of all, I have many scarves to pass on to the ladies at church and hats for my grandchildren. Can you look back over your life for times when God blessed you with "handfuls of purpose"? Don't forget to thank Him, and use the blessings to pass on to others. Look around and see if there is anything you no longer need that you can pass along to others to share a blessing.
13. We Have A Cause To Stand
There were times when our children were small that we waited in long lines to do our part and vote. I am glad that early voting is allowed now. Michael and I voted this week and we didn't have to wait in line. I want to encourage you to go vote. This is more than a choice of parties. The choice is between good and evil. And it is so important that we take a stand for good, "against the rulers of the darkness of this world". I try to pray for our leaders as we are instructed to do in I Timothy 2:1-2. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." When I read Ephesians 6:13 and 14 I like to read them together, "...having done all, to stand. Stand therefore..." Sometimes it takes all we have to stand... and when it does, let's stand therefore! We have a cause! It is imperative that we take a stand against evil!
"10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" (Ephesians 6:10-18)
14. The Lord Will Cause Showers Of Blessing
Michael and I were talking about how we can remember the words to songs we sang years ago, and not remember what happened 15 minutes ago. Sometimes a song will come to my mind that we sang in church when I was just a little girl. During a church sermon recently I remembered singing, "Who At My Door Is Standing?" during invitations when I was young, and I remember most of the words even though we have not sung it in years. As I was reading over some of the "cause" verses I came to Ezekiel 34:26, "And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing." So many of my family and friends are struggling now and going through troubles and trials. But, isn't it wonderful that even in our hard times the Lord still rains down "showers of blessing" on us. Daniel Webster Whittle wrote this wonderful old hymn in 1883. As you read over, or sing, these promising words, give thanks to our loving God who causes the showers of blessing to rain down on us.
"There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing"
1 There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2 There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain. [Refrain]
3 There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come and now honor Thy Word. [Refrain]
4 There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call! [Refrain]
15. A Closing Prayer
For the past two weeks we have looked at David's question, "Is there not a cause?" And we have seen that we do have a cause, to stand for the Lord. I want to close with this prayer found in Psalm 80. Asaph repeats the prayer three times, calling on God. I know that the sin of our country is taking us down a steady path to destruction. But we serve a merciful and loving God. And we are instructed in His Word to, "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:" (Isaiah 55:6) Also in I Chronicles 16:11 we read, "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually." God is our only hope. Let's seek the Lord and pray this prayer.
"Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." (Psalm 80:3, 7, and 19)
As I finished the devotional I looked at my plants by the window. I brought them in from the front porch before the weather turned cold and now they are seeking the light of the sun. Houseplants will lean and turn towards the source of light. Our world may be dark, but we can grow as we turn towards the Light of God's precious Son and lean towards Him.
"Is There Not A Cause?"
