Make Up Your Mind—September 3 Bible Reading Plan - Denise Pass

Make Up Your Mind

Our mind is a battlefield. Our mind is where our belief system is formed and kept. And it is where the enemy of our souls seeks to attack us and prevent us from knowing God. Our thoughts can wander and fear or anxiety can rob us of the peace is ours. But when you feel discouraged in your mind, you can choose to make up your mind by setting our hope on God and filtering our thoughts through His word.

Bible Reading of the Day: 1 Chronicles 21-25

Today’s reading starts off when an intimidating thought. We like to think that we are in control. Of our thoughts and actions. But there is one who seeks to control our minds. And he is working overtime on the minds and hearts of people today just as he was in the time that this book of the Bible was written. We see this in Scripture:

Make Up Your Mind—Don’t Let Someone Else Control Your Mind

Ephesians 2:2, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.”

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

There is a battle, friends. And many are not even aware that they are in battle. This is the battle of and for our minds. That’s what this ministry is all about. But what is hard about today’s’ reading is that the enemy of our souls broke through into a man after God’s own heart, King David. Satan’s soul goal is to steal our souls.

Make Up Your Mind—Fear God

1 Chronicles 21:1-3

“Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number.” 3 Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply the number of his people a hundred times over! My lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?” 4 Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem.”

So what was the big deal? Why would counting the number of men matter so much? God had had the people of God take censuses before.

According to Answersingenesis.com, “God is not the author of sin and He tempts no man to sin (James 1:13). A census in and of itself was not a sin, but Exodus 30:12–16 gives very specific requirements for how a census was to be conducted, and this census by David did not follow the God-given instructions.”

According to gotquestions.org, there is a bit of a discrepancy on who tempted who.

“Second Samuel 24:1 says, “Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, ‘Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.’” The parallel account of the incident surrounding the census, however, reveals it was Satan who incited David to take the census: “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1).”

Make Up Your Mind—Follow God, Not Self

God protects us from so much that we are not even aware of. He allows us to be tested. Here he allowed satan to test David. David was conscience-stricken afterward because he knew it was wrong.

1 Chronicles 21:8, “8 David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, please take away your servant’s guilt, for I’ve been very foolish.”

The consequences for David’s sin were grave. God gave David a choice of the punishment he was to receive and David chose punishment from God, not man. 70,000 Israelite men died.

After this, David built an altar at the command of God at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Ornan was going to just give the threshing floor-plot to David, but David’s response reveals that his heart is in the right place again – humble and contrite.

Make Up Your Mind—Give God Your Best

“22 Then David said to Ornan, “Give me this threshing-floor plot so that I may build an altar to the Lord on it. Give it to me for the full price, so the plague on the people may be stopped.” 23 Ornan said to David, “Take it! My lord the king may do whatever he wants.[e] See, I give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering—I give it all.” 24 King David answered Ornan, “No, I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the Lord what belongs to you or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

This reminds me of Cain who offered “some” of what he had, whereas Abel offered the best of what he had. May we offer God our best.

The fear of the LORD is a gift that reminds us that our choices matter. Don’t we need the fear of the LORD in our culture today? After being chastised heavily, David has a desire to do things God’s way, not his way. David set about preparing his son, Solomon for the work of building the temple since he could not due to bloodshed in his background.

Make Up Your Mind—Prepare Your Mind

1 Chronicles 22:6-10

“6 Then he summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. 7 “My son,” David said to Solomon, “It was in my heart to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, 8 but the word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for my name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before me.

9 But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies, for his name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. 10 He is the one who will build a house for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’”

In the Scripture of the day, David is commissioning his son and giving advice.

Scripture of the Day:  1 Chronicles 22:11-13 

11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you and give you success as you follow his directions in building the Temple of the Lord your God. 12 And may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, that you may obey the Law of the Lord your God as you rule over Israel. 13 For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!”

David revealed what his son needed. He needed to follow directions. He needed wisdom and understanding, and he needed to obey God’s word. Lastly, he needed to be strong and brave.

Make Up Your Mind—Determine to Seek God

The final admonition of David to Solomon in this chapter is an admonition to us all, 1 Chronicles 22:17-19 “17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon: 18 “The Lord your God is with you, isn’t he? And hasn’t he given you rest on every side? For he has handed the land’s inhabitants over to me, and the land has been subdued before the Lord and his people. 19 Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Get started building the Lord God’s sanctuary so that you may bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant and the holy articles of God to the temple that is to be built for the name of the Lord.”

Friends, The Lord our God is with us! We need to determine in our mind and heart to seek God and to live for Him. To accomplish His purposes in our life!

For the remainder of our reading today, David made preparations for his son to do the work.  As important as the work to be done are the preparations for that work.

Application

• We will face attacks on our mind, but they are defeated with truth in God’s word and prayer.
• We can make up our mind and set our mind on things above by the grace of God.

7-Fold One-Year Bible Reading Plan

Day #247: 1 Chronicles 21-25

Scripture of the Day: 1 Chronicles 22:11-13

Listen: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/1Chr.21

Join me live at 8am ET: www.facebook.com/deniseduboispass

Bible Reading Plan: https://denisepass.com/bible-reading-plan/

#SeeingDeep #BibleInAYear

Missed one of the Bible time lives? No problem! Check it out on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/denisepass_seeingdeep