The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Memo 1110: Your Heart Matters

Let's continue to examine David's life for principles we can apply to our own in order to live what Jesus called the abundant life. The principles we identify I have labeled PowerPoints for Living and this week we stay in the psalms:

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips (Psalm 21:1-2).

David mentioned that God granted him the desires of his heart, a concept which he extended to others in Psalm 37:

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:3-4).

The desires of the heart. What does this mean? How is this possible? Can the heart be trusted? Is this a grab bag of goodies that are available to any and all who call on His name? That's a lot of questions, so we had better get busy finding some answers. Let's get started

DANGER ZONE

I regularly hear a comment or read something that warns us to be careful when it comes to our heart. We're reminded that the heart is wicked and evil and not to be trusted. The reason for this precaution is found in Jeremiah 17:9, where the Lord said to the prophet, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Who can argue with that? We have enough life experience to know that doing what's in one's heart has brought and can bring long-term negative consequences. We heed the warning and thus don't trust what's in us, requesting and demanding confirmation after confirmation before we will even begin to trust or listen to what our heart may be telling us.

The problem with all this is that we heed the warning in Jeremiah 17:9 without moving on to the next verse, where the Lord answered His own question: "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve" (Jeremiah 17:10). It would seem from the context that God evaluates our heart matters and they can't all be evil, otherwise there would be nothing to reward. God could have said, "I'm going to punish all deeds that emanate from your heart, which is evil and beyond hope." That isn't what He said.

Then we read what David wrote in Psalms 21 and 37. It seems from those verses that there is some remnant of hope for our heart, but how can we know when to trust it? The key is not to stop at what Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, but to read what else the Lord had to say that pertains to the heart.

A NEW HEART

The Lord promised He would do a new thing in our hearts when He introduced a new covenant:

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people" (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

It seems that God promised to override the operating system of our old heart with a new script, new code if you think in computer terminology. Therefore, some things in our hearts may be good, recorded there in God's own handwriting, but that still may mean that we have an old wineskin of a heart and Jesus said new wine can't go into an old wineskin or the skin will burst. God took care of that problem as explained to the prophet Ezekiel:

“For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (Ezekiel 36:24-26). 

A NEW COVENANT

So God promised a new covenant, the terms of which He would write on our hearts, and promised a new heart that would not be made of stone but of flesh. This new heart wasn't given to Israel in the context of the Law and Temple, but was done in the power of the Spirit made possible by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. If all this is true and has happened, then we can certainly trust our new heart and what's in it because we can trust its creator, shepherd, surgeon, and counselor.

The Lord is the one who works in our hearts and I'm learning to trust the God of my heart and consequently the desires of my heart. If it's on my heart to write, I write. If it's on my heart to go, I go. If it's on my heart to help, I help. If it's on my heart to give, I give. God isn't trying to trick me and the old heart that still shows up every now is being gradually reformed and overwritten with love messages and directives from the Lord.

Therefore, your PowerPoint for Living in this week's context is as follows:

Living the abundant life involves learning to trust the God of your heart, the One who is reshaping and remolding it through the power of the Spirit. Learn to follow your heart as well as your head, for God is guiding its desires and overseeing its expression.

In the abundant life, your heart matters. David learned to expect his heart matters to be fulfilled and you can too, but only if you accept the fact that some of what you have been taught about the heart is misguided. Truth is, your heart can't be trusted but the God of your heart can be. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1109: Using The Name

This series, PowerPoints for Living, is designed to examine David's life for lessons we can apply that will help us live the abundant life Jesus came to give us. For many of our lessons, we have looked at David's psalms and this week is no exception:

Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king. Answer us when we call! (Psalm 20:6-9).

In this psalm, David summarized a lesson he had learned and that lesson involved the victory in store for God's anointed. Let's dig into this a little more deeply to see what the Spirit was trying to tell us through David.

PIECE BY PIECE

What can we learn from these few verses?

1. David wrote about he knew. He had experienced God's ways and was sure of their reliability.
2. David also knew he was God's anointed, which simply means God was with him to accomplish his purpose.
3. When David prayed, he expected God to answer.
4. God's prayer response involved victory and power.
5. David was a skilled, decorated military veteran, but he didn't trust in his military "hardware" to bring victory.
6. David had access to use God's name and He did so effectively to accomplish victory after victory.
7. Those who trusted in 'chariots and horses' were brought low. David expected to 'rise up and stand firm.'

We could devote an entire Memo to each one of these points, but that's not the direction we will pursue. Instead, let's focus on just one of those summary points: number six.

THE NAME

We have been taught that breaking the Third Commandment, "“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name" (Exodus 20:7) meant not using God's name in some kind of curse or casual way. While those aren't appropriate, that isn't what the Commandment is referring to. It means that those who carry God's name, who are identified as His people, aren't to use His name to no effect. For instance, Jesus taught, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:13-14, emphasis added). To have the name and not utilize it in prayer to obtain what you need to do God's will is a waste of the name.

The disciples understood this, for we read in Acts, "'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.' Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk" (Acts 3:6-8, emphasis added). They did something in the name of Jesus, using the power behind it to spread His glory and love.

David wrote in Psalm 20, "We trust in the name of the Lord our God." How did he prove his trust? What did he do with the name? When he confronted Goliath, he said, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied" (1 Samuel 17:45, emphasis added). Once again, we see someone not identifying with the Name in a doctrinal way but in an proactive manner.

And what about you? You have access to the same name that Peter and David had. What are you doing with the Name? Are you asking for frivolous things or no things at all in the Name? Are you trying to use the Name to get what you want or to find and fund what God wants you to do? Your PowerPoint for Living this week is as follows:

To live the abundant life, you must not take the name of the Lord and apply it in a frivolous or meaningless way. You are to pray powerful, effective prayers and do and build significant things that will serve others and prove God's love for His creation.

This week, ask yourself what you are doing or prepared to do with the Name, and then pray like David did: "Give victory to the king. Answer us when we call!" Have a blessed week!

Memo 1108: Short-Term Memory Loss

You're a powerful person in the Lord because you carry the power of God through the presence of His Spirit. What's more, you have proved this again and again, but you may not realize it. Some "experts" say that we pass through our successes and victories much too quickly and thus are unable to extract all the lessons from those outcomes. For believers, these victories are called our testimonies of how God moved and worked in our lives to bring about His purpose.

David didn't fall into this trap, but instead recounted his past in the Lord as a means of worship:

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me (Psalm 18:16-19).

When you read Psalm 18 in its entirety, you'll see that it's devoted to David recounting his God history. Why is it important for you to do the same? I'm glad you asked, but for the answer, you'll have to read on.

EASY TO FORGET

Someone with something called short-term memory loss finds it difficult to remember what recently occurred. The Jews had this spiritual problem when they left Egypt. They saw God part the Red Sea but shortly thereafter, we read the following:

In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death" (Exodus 16:2-3).

This wasn't the last time the people panicked when things didn't go according to their liking even though God had proved Himself to them. Eventually, it cost them their chance to enter the Promised Land when they rejected the positive faith report of Joshua and Caleb and instead endorsed the negative report of the other ten spies. At that point, God had had enough and blocked their entry into the land flowing with milk and honey. The people were never willing or able to base today's journey on yesterday's lessons. They had a "what have you done for us lately, God?" attitude and forgot about the past in light of their present dilemmas.

This series' goal is to help you identify what I'm calling PowerPoints for Living, steps that can help you live the abundant life Jesus promised you'll live: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10, NASB). If you're going to live the abundant life, however, you're going to have to remind yourself of your victories and testimonies along the way to stimulate and nourish your faith for bigger and better things. Here's how you can do so.

TWO LISTS

I have an index card that I carry along with my goals that has two lists on it. One includes ten of my victories and successes that bring a smile to my face whenever I read them. They include writing my books, earning my D.Min. degree when I was 61 years old, and writing my 12-volume New Testament commentary. Then right next to my successes, I have a list of failures or at least difficult things I walked through with God's help. Those include leaving a church I had been connected with for 27 years, some financial failures, and a few of my more difficult conferences I planned.

I include that second list because when I read it, I'm reminded that God brought me through those things and can bring me through similar things I'm experiencing today. In a sense, those two lists are my Psalm 18. They're my attempt, like David did, to keep God's presence fresh in my mind so I don't doubt His faithfulness. And now it's your turn. I'm including a picture of my card, but I don't expect it to make sense to you—only me. I only show it so you can see that it's not fancy, but it's functional.

On a sheet of paper or card (or on your phone), first list ten of your most satisfying successes and victories. It could be that you finished high school algebra with a passing grade. They don't have to be earth-shaking events—but they were significant events for you. Then list another ten things that when you went through them, you thought you were going to die—but you didn't—or never recover—but you did. Then read those lists every day this week along with Psalm 18, praising the Lord and thanking God as you read. You may want to compose your own worship psalm that emerges from your daily list review.

Therefore, your PowerPoint for Living this week is as follows:

You must work to preserve the memories of God's faithfulness to you through good or challenging times. If you keep a record of both like David did, you will find it easier to build and maintain your confidence that God is with you.

Do you suffer from short-term memory loss where the Lord is concerned? if so, follow through on my prescribed exercise today. If you don't suffer from such loss, I still recommend you produce your lists, for they'll only make you stronger and more committed to God and His purpose in your life based on His faithfulness, past and present. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1107: Vindication

It's interesting that David encountered as much trouble as he was despite the fact that God was with His anointed throughout his life. That may give you an indication that even though God is with you, you'll probably encounter the same dynamic—trouble—as you seek to live in the abundant life God promised. In response to his difficult circumstances, David once prayed,

Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed (Psalm 17:2-3).

You will also need to learn how to trust the Lord for vindication as you sit on your purpose throne. Let's look at how to do that in this week's Memo.

"CHECK ME OUT"

David was accused of doing or being in the wrong, and the charges were so involved and complex that he had only one choice which was to trust the Lord to clear his name. And while he was waiting for that to happen, he realized that God was going to use the time to "check him out" to see if there was anything specific in David's life and character that had to go.

If you're going to live the abundant life, you have to accept that as you do more, you'll touch more people, some of whom won't be in the mood to celebrate your success or role. They will criticize, find fault, and maybe actively oppose the role God has assigned you. When that happens, you must first look to yourself to see if God is addressing anything in your life that needs to be adjusted so He can promote you even further. Later we read that David prayed,

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

David was inviting God's presence to correct and adjust him as God saw fit. That takes courage and faith, but is a necessary step in your life process.

VINDICATION

Let's be clear as to what vindication means: "the action of clearing someone of blame or suspicion." David had to be patient and wait for God to clear his name. He couldn't take matters into his own hands and do that for himself. I had a similar experience when I made a transition out of a ministry I had served for many years. When I left, there were a lot of accusations of my misdeeds that were beyond my ability to address. Who knows, perhaps some of them were true for who can stand and say they were prefect in any emotionally charged situation.

Then one day, I felt the Lord ask me a question that gave me a choice: "I have two options for you. One option is that I will vindicate you. The other is I will give you ministry opportunities. Which one do you want?" It was such an unusual proposal that I knew it had to be the Lord—I couldn't have made that up.

After some minor negotiating with the Lord to see if I could get a little of both (I couldn't), I chose the ministry opps. God has been faithful and provided those opportunities while I trusted Him for my reputation. God's solution was to take me far away from the ministry I knew to places who didn't know or care about my past, only about what I learned from it that could help them. I've never lacked for places to express my ministry gifts and I can now say what David said at the end of Psalm 17: "As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness" (verse 15).

To summarize, your PowerPoint for Living is as follows:

God is the steward of your reputation and as He promotes you, there are some who won't celebrate your success and may even oppose it. You're to keep your focus on bearing fruit and trust Him to clear your name or to establish it in places of His choosing, not yours.

You won't please everyone on your way to the top of your purpose ladder, but you can rest in the truth of Psalm 135:14: "For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants." Have a blessed week!

Memo 1106: "Keep Me Safe As I Go"

There are so many beautiful psalms that it's hard to identify any one that stands out from the rest. What often makes them special is the message they bring to us in our times of need, or the words we need to praise or pray to the Lord. Let's look at Psalm 16 this week as we continue to search for behaviors and attitudes that will help us live the abundant life:

Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." ... Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. ... You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:1-2, 5-8, 11).

There's so much in those verses, so let's get started looking at the title of this week's entry, "Keep me safe as I go."

OVERVIEW

David started out by declaring that "apart from you [God] I have no good thing—you are my portion and cup." It's always good to remember that when we are in Christ, we have the most precious possession of all. Many use this to disparage who they are, reminding themselves of their worthless state, but I view it differently. God is with me, He's in me, and that makes me unique, with a valuable deposit of God's gifts and grace that I am to share.

Then David stated that "his boundary lines and inheritance have fallen [to him] in special places." Your assignment and mine are a delight. We're where we need to be, doing what we need to do. We don't have to do this and live in it, we get to do so. It's a privilege and one that we are to enjoy, which is why David used the word delightful.

What's more, God is with us like He was with David. His Spirit lives in us and He counsels and instructs us even in our sleep. He wants us to know His will, both the big picture and smaller steps to make it happen. He isn't trying to trick or mislead us. Because of this, David said, "I always keep my eyes on the Lord" and proclaimed, "I will not be shaken." Of course, that meant shaking would come but David stated in faith that it wouldn't affect him.

SAFE TRAVELS

Yet the point I want to emphasize this week is how the psalm starts and ends. David started by praying, "Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge." That didn't mean David was hiding someplace in a fortress. He didn't play it safe as the means by which God would keep him safe. How do we know that? We know because David ended the psalm by praying, "You make known to me the path of life."

People use paths to get one from place to another and David was saying, "I expect to be moving, Lord, to be doing things and going places. Keep me safe as I go. You're my protection, my shield, my mobile fortress as I serve you and the people." The same should be true for us, so let's summarize your PowerPoint for Living this week as follows:

The abundant life for you isn't playing it safe, but trusting the Lord for safety as you walk out God's will for you. And God won't hide His will. He wants you to know it so you can fulfill it, and that means you can count on His guidance—even while you sleep.

Are you hiding from being who you are and what you are to do, thinking that will keep you safe? Or are you praying, "Keep me safe as I go, Lord"? Are you shrinking your world and opportunities, trying to stay safe or are you expanding them because God is your refuge and protector? God knows how to keep you from trouble and how to preserve you in trouble as you walk out His will. Determine once and for all that your times are in His hands and act accordingly as you seek to fulfill your purpose today and every day. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1105: Laundry List for Life

We've been searching for clues to help you live an abundant and overcoming life, as Jesus promised, as you occupy the throne of purposeful living God has assigned you. This week, let's take a quick look at a 'laundry list' of life, comprised of behaviors and attitudes David mentioned that seem to fit in with our search:

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken (Psalm 15).

What I'm referring to as your 'throne' David refers to as 'dwelling in [God's] sacred tent' or 'living on [His] holy mountain.' I don't know about you, but those venues sound like good places to hang out, so let's look at what David said we have to do or be to reside there.

THE LIST OF ELEVEN

I identify eleven things from Psalm 15 that should be part of any abundant lifestyle:

1. Walks blamelessly. This doesn't mean you're perfect; it means you acknowledge and make amends when you're not.
2. Does what is righteous. That means you know what to do, the will of God, and then do it.
3. Speaks truth from the heart. You don't pretend to be who you aren't, even if who you aren't isn't all you or God would want you to be.
4. Doesn't slander or cast slurs on others. You don't speak badly of others. If you have something to say, you say it to them. You also keep your speech free of snide comments, cynicism, and sarcasm.
5. Does no wrong to a neighbor. This leads to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" which Jesus answered in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Your neighbor is someone with a need who you encounter along your life's path.
6. Despises a vile person. You don't join in to celebrate what your culture exalts but that God despises.
7. Honors those who fear the Lord. You're part of a redeemed community of like-minded believers.
8. Keeps one's word. You follow through on what you say you'll do for yourself, for others, and for God.
9. Doesn't change one's mind. You aren't double-minded, but have a set of values that you live by in good times and bad.
10. Lends to the poor. You're close enough to those in need so that you're able to recognize their need and then help to meet it.
11. Takes no bribes. You stand for justice and fairness even when it's in your best interests not to do so, forgoing personal enhancement or benefit to stand up for what's right.

SELF-EXAMINATION

Who wouldn't want to be married to someone who manifests the traits on this laundry list? Who wouldn't want a spouse or friend or co-worker or employer or employee who lived out these values and behaviors? The answer, of course, is no one wouldn't want it, but your job isn't to find people like that. Your job is to be a person like that—to be the one who keeps your promises, who only offers encouraging, positive words, who helps those in need, who doesn't just talk about what you believe but lives it out.

To help you do that, I suggest you go back to the list of eleven and give yourself a score from one to five on each one, one being the worst and five the best. Now examine the list. What are your impressions? Where do you need some work? Where are you where you want to be? Where do you fall short? The lesson, of course, is there's always something to work on in your life that will help you live an abundant life. Your lowest scores give you an idea of things God needs to help you work on, and your highest scores are things that you can maximize to be effective in God's kingdom.

Therefore, this week's PowerPoint for Living is as follows:

You must regularly self-examine to ensure that you're living according to the values, attitudes, and behaviors that got you where you are today so they can keep you where you are today—and prepare you for where you need to go tomorrow.

Someone once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living, but the unlived life is not worth examining.” I urge you to live the abundant life but as you do to examine yourself so you can come into even more abundance. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1104: Limitation Thinking

People regularly ask me how I have been able to do what I've done—write books, publish books, travel, speak, daily social media presence, and teaching. My answer is pretty much the same as I share with them my journey over the last 20 years to confront and replace limitation thinking. What is limitation thinking? I'm glad you asked but for the answer, you know the drill: You will have to read on.

WRESTLING

This series is equipping you to live the abundant life that Jesus promised you would have. It's not about prosperity or an abundance of things, but it's a life that bears a lot of fruit for God's kingdom and glory. Each week, I present a PowerPoint for Living that summarizes the lesson as we been study David's life for clues to identify the PowerPoint. This week, let's go to Psalm 13 to look at another lament of David's:

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (Psalm 13:1-2, emphasis added).

David was crying out to God because of what David considered to be His inattention to David's plight. In these verses, notice that David was "wrestling" with his thoughts that were producing daily sorrow. Fortunately, David won the wrestling match, for we read, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me" (Psalm 13:5-6).

Many people don't take an active role in their thought process. They assume they're stuck with and in their anxious, fearful, worrying, and otherwise negative thoughts with no recourse but to give in to their natural destination of anxiety, fear, and worry, with crippling effects. However, you aren't a victim of your thoughts unless you want to be, for if you learn how to wrestle them into submission, you can be the beneficiary of thoughts that will lead to better outcomes.

THE PROCESS

The first step in wrestling with your thoughts is to recognize you have them and identify them for what they are. Twenty years ago, I had to recognize that I was afraid, terrified even, of my own creativity. Thus, I hid from it and made excuses for why I kept it in a cage under lock and key where no one, not even I, could access it. Once I acknowledged I was afraid, I determined why. Fear of success was actually the cause, for I was fearful that my success would lead to criticism and ultimate failure when I couldn't handle the increase from my success.

Once I had that in place, then I had to replace those fear thoughts with new thoughts. That didn't happen overnight because they weren't planted and didn't take root and eventually bear fruit overnight. It was hand-to-hand combat as I daily, sometimes all day, had to say to myself, "That's how I used to think, but God hasn't given me a spirit of fear. I'm confident that He has equipped me to be fruitful and creative. I am a creative person!"

Then I started to set new goals that were more consistent with my new thoughts. Instead of setting a goal to write one book a year, I increased that to two, then three, then more. Eventually, in the first year of the pandemic, I wrote and published seven books. And now I have applied that same process to every area of life. I confronted and dealt with my limitation thinking that was limiting not only myself but also God. I will never go back to the old ways.

To summarize, your PowerPoint for Living this week is

You no longer need to be a victim of your thoughts but can be the master of them. To do that, you must learn to wrestle with and overcome your thoughts that are limiting your ability to live the abundant life.

To do further study on this matter, read Romans 8:1-17 and 12:1-2, and then 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 to see how God's Spirit will help you with this process just like He helped me. But you must be willing to do your part as often as it takes to replace your limiting thoughts with the spiritual thoughts that are the seedbed for your abundant life. Have a blessed week.

Memo 1103: Poor and Needy

It's obvious that when David sat on his throne, he had power. In fact, he had power before he became king due to his skill with a sling, his musical abilities, and his charisma that caused men to follow him before he had a title. The challenge David faced, and that you will face as you sit on the throne of your purpose, is what to do with that power. Will you build your own little kingdom? Will you use your power for self-centered goals, meeting your own needs, making up for the time in your life when you had little or nothing? Or will you use it to empower and serve others?

David used his position and power to consider many matters, but one of those was the state of the poor and needy of which he considered himself one. Let's examine that in this week's Memo, shall we?

THE POOR AND NEEDY

From the earliest psalms, we see David mention the poor and God's concern for them:

“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them from those who malign them." And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race (Psalm 12:5-8).

Then we read just two psalms later, "You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge" (Psalm 14:6). Later it becomes obvious that David was seeking the Lord about the poor because he considered himself one of them: "But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay" (Psalm 40:17).

Even though David had the promise that he would rule the kingdom, even though he regularly led his troops to victory, even though he could write poetry and songs that others sang, he saw himself as a poor man in need of God's help. In this series, we have seen times when David got a "big head" from his position, but for the most part, he tempered the effects of power with a healthy dose of humility as expressed by service to others, and those others included those who were poor and powerless.

THE POOR AND NEEDY REVISITED

Let's move on to Matthew's gospel, where Jesus' public ministry begins with what we know to be the Beatitudes, which when you stop and examine them, are quite similar to some of David's psalms:

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:1-3).

Where did Jesus begin with His psalms? He started by mentioning the poor in spirit, promising that they would be the ones who would inherit the Kingdom of God. Since David inherited his kingdom, what he said in Psalm 40 must have been true: he was indeed poor and saw himself as such. God then took notice and could entrust David with the power and authority to be king, knowing they would not be his undoing.

This week's PowerPoint for Living can be summarized as

Your throne is a place of power and authority in your sphere of influence but you must keep your thinking clear that God has entrusted you with a significant responsibility to serve others who are as needy as you were and are. Don't be impressed with your own success.

Are you poor in spirit? Do you realize your deep need for God in the midst of your situation? If you haven't been promoted yet, do you understand your need for God to intervene in your lowly situation? Do you see His intervention as an expression of His grace? If you have been promoted, do you help others, remembering what it was like to be where they are? Have you found the balance between being dependent on God and also being the fruitful leader He requires?

The key in all this is to remember where you've come from and who are you before the Lord, then stepping into your purpose not as one who has earned it, but as one who is determined to make the most of it. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1102: No Hiding

Have you noticed how often we have discussed fear in this and in the previous two series? While you may tire of the topic, the Spirit of God has done this with purpose, for there's no greater enemy to your faith than fear. In fact, unbelief is not the antithesis of faith: fear is. The fear is then the seedbed for your unbelief. In Psalm 11, we see how David handled the voice of fear in his life:

In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates (Psalm 11:1-5, NKJV).

Voices within and without were urging David to flee from danger, so let's examine how David responded.

TAKE COVER

Some believe that this psalm was written when Saul was trying to kill David, but it could have happened at any point in David's life, for he was always facing danger from his enemies. When the advice came to flee, whether from allies or the voice inside his own head, David examined and responded to the thought so he could come to the right faith conclusion. In Psalm 11, we see that he concluded, "Where can I go that God isn't there? He's with me wherever I go and He's testing the righteous but actively opposes the wicked."

It's true that David did flee the presence of Saul and then later in his career he ran for his life from his son Absalom. And we read later in the New Testament that the Apostle Paul had to escape from his enemies from time to time. But in all those cases, flight was a last resort, for David and Paul had confronted their fears—or perhaps it's better to say God had helped them resolve them. Both men saw the reality of their situation—that God was bigger than their enemies and used that truth to calm and soothe their inner turmoil.

MORE THAN ONE WAY TO HIDE

Most of us will never face mortal enemies, those people who want to do away with our lives. We will, however, face critics and persecutors and will have to learn how to deal with them if we're going to do God's will. Of all your opponents, the more daunting ones lie within, where like self-doubt, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and fear of sorts tend to breed and thrive—things like fear of success, failure, poverty, ridicule, inadequacy, just to name a few.

I've written quite a few books but every time I start a new one, I have to battle inner enemies: "This is no good. No one bought the last one, who's going to buy this one? You've written this before." I post regularly on many social media platforms, but must face fear daily that no one is reading or that my impact is small, if not nil. When I speak at a new venue and or to a new audience, I have to control my fear. If I don't do all that, I'll run away and hide—I won't write, post, or accept invitations to speak. My fear, like yours, triggers two internal responses: fight or flight. David's friends were urging him to flight; in most cases, however, he decided to fight, even if it was only with his internal fears.

Are you hiding from who God made you to be? Have you succumbed to the voices of your friends who don't want you to be disappointed when you fail? Are you fleeing from the internal voices that sound so rational as to why this isn't the time to go, write, create, learn, start, or build? This week's PowerPoint for Living can be summed up as follows:

You must face the temptation to hide or flee from the size of your assignment or the terrors of your purpose-directed life. That will require that you not hide from your feelings or the reality of your challenges, but to process them in the light of the fact that God is watching and able to preserve you as you go.

If you're going to live an abundant life, you can't waste your creativity and energy on how not to do what's in your heart. Face your fears and then determine (and it is a decision you can make) not to hide but to be bold in doing what it is that God has created you to do. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1101: Answered Prayer

Let's continue to search for clues in David's life that will help us live an abundant life as we sit on the purpose throne God has given us. This week, let's start with Psalm 7, where David was crying out to the Lord because of a man named Cush who was trying to take David's life:

Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high. Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure—you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts (Psalm 7:6-9).

David prayed for vindication and for an end to the violence that was being waged against him. Did God answer his prayer? Let's see if we can find out if and how He did, but to do so, you'll have to read on.

PRAYER ANSWERED

David wasn't engaged in what I call ritual prayer. He wasn't putting in his dutiful prayer time like He was doing God a favor or giving God something that He needed. David was praying fervently and urgently because his life depended on it. God's purpose assigned to him depended on it. His family depended on it. David wasn't praying "now I lay me down to sleep" prayers nor was he praying according to some predetermined words or formula. He was crying out, "Help me, God, or I die." I would say David was supremely motivated to cry out and have God hear his prayer.

The good news for David (and for us) is that God not only heard him but answered as we read in Psalm 9:

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities;even the memory of them has perished (Psalm 9:1-6).

David understood that prayer is a two-way street: David would pray one way and God would return the other way with an answer. That's a simple formula that we need to follow and expect. Our job isn't just to pray; our job is to get answers to prayer.

ASK ANYTHING

Jesus made a startling, radical promise in John's gospel. First he said,

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:12-14).

Taken by themselves, those verses seem to promise God will grant any request a believer makes, but of course, that's not the case as James explained: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:3). The context for what Jesus said is the believer bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God and is repeated for emphasis in the next chapter: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other" (John 15:16-17).

Simply put, this means that God will give you whatever you need to fulfill your purpose and bear fruit, but you have to be clear as to what you need, ask in faith, and then give thanks—with love for others as your motivation. Therefore, your PowerPoint for Living is

God wants you to fulfill your purpose and will provide what you need to do so. Your job then isn't just to pray but to get answers to prayer so you can bear fruit.

Are you? Are you praying, that is, and seeing answers? Are you holding yourself accountable not only to put in the time in prayer but also to track your prayer request progress? Can you report answers to prayers that assisted you in fulfilling your purpose and expressing your creativity? God is listening to you when you pray. Don't waste those moments in that divine connection on meaningless, frivolous requests, but put before God what you need to get His work done. If you want to do great things, you have to learn to ask God for great things. As you do, watch for His answers according to the promise that Jesus made for any and all who believe in Him and desire to bear fruit. Have a blessed week!

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