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Wake Up - Stand On Your Post!


2 Samuel 19:5-7: 5 So Joab visited the king at his home. He said, "Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 6 You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don't matter to you. I realize now that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, it would be all right with you. 7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don't go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!"

The 3 chapters (17-19) of the book of 2nd Samuel narrated the story of the how the young Absalom, one of the Sons of King David dreamt to take over his Dad's kingship in Israel. Thanks to the loyalty and concerns of the people serving King David and they became victorious over the evil plot of his son. Absalom put to death, first stricken by Joab (one of King’s Commander) and put to death by his soldier. The whole of Israel are in the state of victory, but the king is the state of mourning simply because they were talking about the death of the enemy of the King, no other than his son Absalom.

People who are waiting for the King to come out and officially stand on their victory is not on his official post out of the City Gate. What are you doing, King David? Joab, his loyal commander and a dear friend to him, tries to wake him up on his grave depressing moment, by simply rebuking his action as a reminder. It seems King David make a wise decision, to listen to the advice of his loyal friend and to stand on the truth about their victory and forget the mourning even if it's the death of a member of his own family. He dealt with his most painful part of his victory over his own son's evil plot.

In our goal to continue to grow, to build up, and to strengthen our faith in Christ; we have to set aside what hinder us to serve in the vineyard of God. Try to accept corrections from your loyal friend, a true person that guides us, reminds us, and encourage us as he wants us to live in the current situation of our lives and deal with it. Live in the moment of truth and not of mere emotions or personal feelings. Live in a pure business of God and not our very own business.

Remember our very first dimension in the wheel illustration of a Christian Life, the volitional dimension where Christ in the hub or centre and we as Christians are obedient in action, refers to our relationship to our will. Is our will correlate with the will of God? Are we on the same page with what God is doing and planning our lives? Or we have our own ways? Is our direction along with Christ as we move together? Or we are in opposing direction?

Examine our situation, the most painful part to move forward is when a special part of us is opposing us. God is experiencing the same as we are truly dear to him. As what the Lord Jesus has said in Matthew 10:37, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Received first your reward due for you to consume, deal with your heartaches fast and get yourself back in action, which is being obedient in Christ. Like David, stand your post and encourage.

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