To knell or not to knell that is the question. [1 Timothy 2 v8 ]

The very first time I came to Grays in Essex ,while standing waiting for the couple to come in whose house I would be staying , I noticed a lady on the other side of the road, walking on her knees. I never did find out why she walked on her knees. When it comes to prayer I dont knell, because it began to hurt when I did, although recently I finish by kneeling. It was said of one famous Christian,that he had camel knees,because he prayed so much on his knees. We dont have to kneel when we pray,what we do need is a proper attitude to the one we are praying, a God who is holy, and awesome. Mybe some of us need to be on our knees,in humility and repentance, while others of us need to consider our hearts rather than our posture. [ Dear God we ask that we may always treat You with reverance, when we pray in Jesus name Amen ]

Failure.[ Philippians 3 v 12-16 ]

We failed , declares David[1Chronicles 15v14] , we can all identify, with those words,as I look back on my life ,like David I have failed. Some of those failures still live with me, and I only wish that I could go back, and undo those failures, wish they had never happened, but I cant. Yet there are positives in failures,they should keep us humble,and should help us to have empathy with others in their failures. Although David failed and it was a serious failure, he did not stay in his failure, he moved on, so must we,we must not live in our failures, thats what the devil wants us to do. In Psalm 103v13-14, we read,The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are, He remembers we are only dust. Today let us bring all our failures to God, and ask for His grace, that will enable us to move on, inspite of how we feel.[ Loving Father we come to Your throne of grace, and in the name of Jesus we ask for the grace to move on inspite of our failures. Amen ]

Being wise before the event. [ Proverbs 3 v5-6 ]

Following on with David moving the Ark of the covenant,and the tragic results of David acting , contrary to Gods word.In 1Chronicles 15 v13, we read how David acknowledges that they had failed to ask God how to move the Ark properly. Consider the consequences of not asking, a dear man had died,this need not have happened ,if only they had asked God, if only, there are so many times we fail, because we fail to seek the Lords guidance. Seeking the Lords guidance is not a trival thing,so often, like David we seek Him after the event when things have gone wrong.Today let us determine to seek the Lords guidance in all we do, in the major and minor things, if we do ,He shall direct our paths. [Proverbs 3v6av] [ Dear God we ask that You will help us to seek You first in all things, in Jesus name. Amen ]

Stick to Gods plan.[ Exodus 27v8]

We continue to look at David bringing back the Ark of the covenant in 1 Chronicles 13, yesterday we saw that David was angry with God ,for striking Uzzah dead . Why did God act in this way,well the Ark was a symbol of Gods holy presence,to touch this holy symbol or to look into it was not permitted[ cp Numbers4v15/1 Samuel 7v19] Next the ark was to be transported in a the way God said [ Numbers 4v5-15], David realized this later [1 Chronicles 15v13], but then it was to late for Uzziah. Mankind is full of their own idea,s ,as regard God they think many things ,and they feel it is of little consequence ,how they regard God,or how they act,but it does . Even as believers we must act according to Gods word,we may be sincere , but if we are acting contrary to Gods word,then we are sincerely wrong, and God will deal with us, remember God is to be feared and obeyed. [Dear God forgive our foolish ways,when we act contrary to Your word and will,help us to take seriously what You teach us, in Jesus name Amen ]

Angry with God.[ Psalm 139v 23- 24]

In 1 Chronicles 13 we read how David a man after Gods own heart desired to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, that would mean that the Ark and the Tabernacle would be in seperate places. So David had the Ark put on a new cart, and as it was being transported,the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and a man called Uzzah put his hand on the ark , to steady it, and the moment he did that , God struck him down dead. David was angry at what had happened,there are many people who are angry with God. Some awful things happen to people, ,mybe you are angry with God, well we can let the anger alienate us from God,turn away from Him, not speak to Him, let me assure you there is no gain in that. Or we can humbly submit ourselves to God,ask forgiveness,and ask Him to restore us again to a place of fellowship, let us remember there was no fairness in the cross. [ Father have mercy upon us, we struggle with our feelings, of hurt,and disappointment,grant us the grace to trust You,and restore us again to a place of fellowship, in Jesus name Amen ]

The Ark of the Covenant. [ 1 Timothy 6 v11-13]

The ark of the covenant was a container, which held the tablets of stone with the 10 commandments written on them, it was overlaid with pure gold, it symbolized Gods covenant with His people.[cp Exodus 37]. It was kept in the tabernacle, the place where Gods people where to come and sacrifice before God,and to meet with God. Now yesterday we thought on Saul, and it is in 1 Chronicles 13v3, that we read,that the Ark was neglected during the reign of Saul.. My study Bible says,/Neglecting those things that remind us of God, the Bible, the church, and contact with Christians ,will cause us to neglect God./ Neglect is never a good thing, especially our relationship with our Saviour,it is all to easy to slip into neglect, so today , let us look at our lives and ask the question am I neglecting my relationship with my God ?.[ Dear God help us to be honest with ourselves and with You,and put to right those areas of our lives that are causing us to neglect our relationship with You in Jesus name Amen ]

Let us be careful. [ Galations6 v 1-5 ]

There are a number of reasons king Saul was rejected from being king, he was unfaithful to the Lord, failed to obey the Lords command, and failed to ask the Lord for guidance. [1 Chronicles 10 v13-14 ] We are saved by grace, but we are called upon to surrender our lives to God,to not live in continual disobedience to Him. The Life of Saul was a life of continual disobedience to God, we are not to Judge Saul, but we are called to learn lessons from his life, for there is a Saul in all of us. The scriptures tell us let him who thinketh he standeth take heed lest he falls [1 Corinthians 10v12 ], so let us be careful,let us cry unto to God , for His grace, so that we will not make the same mistakes as Saul, and suffer as a consequence. [ Dear God help help us do right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You this day in the name of Jesus Amen ]