The Daily Word: Monday, May 31^st, 2021
2 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:129-152
Proverbs 16:12-13
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. – Jn. 19:35

John was confident in his story because he had seen Jesus with his own eyes. He saw Jesus crucified. He watched as one of the soldiers “pierced his side with a spear” (v. 34). He knew that what he was writing was true, because he had witnessed it! And he was recording it so that every new generation of believers would read his testimony and believe that Jesus died on the Cross in their place!

Before you dismiss John’s account, keep in mind that all of human history is based on the testimony of eyewitnesses. Why would you believe the books you read in school, but not the Book you read in church? In fact, the historical evidence for the veracity of the Bible is much stronger than most of the literature we accept as historical truth. Everything we know about Julius Caesar comes from twelve manuscripts of his Gallic Wars. All that we learn about Aristotle comes from fewer than ten copies of his poetics. Socrates has no surviving manuscripts at all; everything we know about him was written by Plato. Yet we have over six thousand New Testament manuscripts written within two and a half decades of the originals.[1] Are you convinced yet?

John believed it because he saw it. And as you make a commitment to believe Jesus with your whole heart, He will show you that He is real, and that His Bible can be trusted.

Prayer:

Father, show me that Your word is true. Give me faith to trust that I can believe in You! I want to believe in You with all my heart! But I need a little convincing. Talk to me. Show me who You are, and give me confidence in everything You have done!

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

[1] Excerpted from “Why I Choose to Believe the Bible Is True” by Voddie Baucham: https://bit.ly/3uCtlTB

The Daily Word: Sunday, May 30^th, 2021
2 Samuel 15:23-16:23
John 18:25-19:22
Psalm 119:113-128
Proverbs 16:10-11
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God–there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. – 2 Sam. 15:32

David was exiled from Jerusalem. He led his family and his army into the wilderness with “his head covered and…barefoot” (2 Sam. 15:30). He was separated from the presence of God! He was unsure if he would ever sit on the throne of Israel again. But when nothing was going his way, he did what he always did, no matter how things were unfolding: he worshiped God.

There is no bad time to worship. There is no wrong time to worship! What you need most of all – at every critical juncture in your life – is worship: to lay your life at God’s feet and acknowledge His power and His presence. It is in worship that we wait on God’s word. It is in worship that God covers us with His peace!

Whoever you are, and whatever you are in the middle of, stop and worship. As you do, your perspective and your life will be forever changed.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the power of worship! No matter what I am going through, remind me to keep my eyes on You. As long as I remember to worship, I cannot fail, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Saturday, May 29^th, 2021
2 Samuel 14:1-15:22
John 18:1-24
Psalm 119:97-112
Proverbs 16:8-9
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face. – 2 Sam. 14:24

Absalom was in exile for killing his brother. But King David wanted Absalom back, so he sent for his son and asked him to return to Jerusalem. But there was one grave condition. David didn’t want to see Absalom’s face. He called Absalom back home; but he didn’t allow a path to restored relationship with him. He blocked Absalom from intimacy with his own father!

But Absalom was persistent. He needed to see King David’s face! So he sent for one of David’s servants, Joab, to remind David that he needed to see his father. Absalom went so far as to set Joab’s fields on fire, just to get David’s attention and remind him that he needed to spend time with him! And as a result, Absalom got to see his father’s face:

So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom. – 2 Sam. 14:33

You need to see God’s face. You need time with your Father! Don’t settle for anything less than consistent, intimate encounters with your Father in heaven. God made you for relationship with Him! If you aren’t getting the time with God that you need, insist on it. Set a field on fire if you have to! And God will reward your persistence. He will meet you face to face. And as you “bow yourself on your face to the ground before the King” (v 33), just as Absalom did, your Father will reassure you of His love for you. He will meet you face to face: for as long as you need, and as often as you need, for the rest of your life!

Prayer:

Lord, I want to see Your face! I know that whoever has seen Jesus has seen the Father (Jn. 14:9). As I lay my life at Your feet and wholeheartedly insist on an encounter with You, I pray that You would meet me face to face, in Jesus’ mighty name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Friday, May 28^th, 2021
2 Samuel 13:1-39
John 17:1-26
Psalm 119:81-96
Proverbs 16:6-7
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word…” – Jn. 17:20

Jesus’ last order of business before He was arrested and crucified (starting in John 18) was to pray for you. The most important thing Jesus could think to do with his last few remaining moments of freedom before He was betrayed and murdered on the Cross was to lift you up in prayer. He prayed for His disciples (vv 6-19); and then He prayed for “those who will believe in Me through their word” (v 20). He prayed for every single man, woman and child who would ever confess their faith in Jesus Christ!

Here is what He prayed for:

1) Unity. “That they may all be one” (v 21). Our unity will be a testament to the world that Jesus is real.
2) Glory. “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them” (v 22). God will move through our lives by the power of His Spirit in such a way that everyone will take notice, so we can point them to the Cross and give all the glory to God.
3) Perfection. “That they may be made perfect in one…” (v 23). God will finish the perfect work He has started in you!
4) Presence. “That they also…may be with Me where I am” (v 24). We get to encounter Jesus on a daily basis and behold His glory.

You should expect all of the above to be a constant reality in your life. Jesus already prayed for you! And when Jesus prays, God moves.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You that Jesus prayed for me. I thank You that Jesus still prays for me (Romans 8:34)! He prayed for me then, and He prays for me now; and I know that what He prays will come to pass, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Thursday, May 27^th, 2021
2 Samuel 12:1-31
John 16:1-33
Psalm 119:65-80
Proverbs 16:4-5
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. – Ps. 119:71

The psalmist here makes an interesting confession: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted.” But affliction is bad! Affliction means that pain or suffering has come into your life. So why on earth would the psalmist claim that the presence of affliction in his life is a good thing?

Affliction drove him straight to God’s word. It was good for him to be afflicted, because it caused him to learn God’s statutes. It taught him to obey God’s command! It reminded him that anything out of line with God’s word isn’t worth doing because it violates our divine design.

When pain and suffering enter into your life, reflect on what hasn’t worked. It doesn’t work to try and take matters into your own hands. It doesn’t work to trust in other people instead of God. It doesn’t work to operate with pride instead of humility! Now go back to God’s word, and try what He says instead! Sometimes affliction happens because we’re following Jesus; but sometimes affliction happens because we stray from God’s word. So when affliction comes into your life, see it as a reminder to get back to the word of God and “learn from [His] statutes.”

God doesn’t bring the affliction. Affliction is a natural consequence of our sinful behavior when we are far from God. Affliction does, however, turn us back to God. God uses all things for our good (Rom 8:28)! And He will restore you when you turn to Him.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James. 1:2-4

Prayer:

Lord, I pray that every moment of affliction in my life would take me back to You! When affliction comes, help me to see it as a reminder that I need You more than anything else and ever before! I pray that every ounce of pain and suffering in my life would return me to Your word. I need You, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Wednesday, May 26^th, 2021
2 Samuel 9:1-11:27
John 15:1-27
Psalm 119:49-64
Proverbs 16:1-3
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. – Jn. 15:4

You cannot bear fruit on your own. It’s impossible. You can make money, build a reputation, and accumulate possessions here on this earth; but none of that will be eternal fruit. If you want to bear eternal fruit – if you want to build something that will last beyond your lifetime and actually matter for generations to come – you must abide in Jesus.

To abide is the Greek meno (Strong’s G3306) which means to tarry or to be held: to continue in a certain state or condition. To abide means to wait, but also to await: to wait on the Lord to renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31), but also to await the presence and the power of Jesus!

You need God’s presence! You need to abide in Him. If you want your life to mean something, it all starts with spending time in the presence of God. Do not move an inch today until you make this decision: God, I will abide in You.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for inviting me to abide in You. For generations Your people could not even speak to You or expect to hear from You; yet here You are inviting me to abide in You. I am saying yes to intimate fellowship with Jesus! I will abide in You, and I will abide in Your word, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Tuesday, May 25^th, 2021
2 Samuel 7:1-8:18
John 14:15-31
Psalm 119:33-48
Proverbs 15:33
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around… – 2 Sam. 7:1

Notice that “rest from all his enemies all around” came after David brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:17). Once David had the ark of the covenant – the presence of God – in his city, he had rest all around! When you invite the presence of God into your home and your life, you will have rest from your enemies all around, just like David did! You will have a “peace…which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). God will “guard your hearts and minds through Christ” (Phil. 4:7)!

The remedy to anxiety is the presence of God. The antidote to fear is the presence of God. The path to making the right major decisions in life has always been – and will always be – the presence of God! What you need right now more than anything else in your life is His presence!

Won’t you spend five minutes with Him today? It just might change your life forever.

Prayer:

Father, I am making room in my schedule to spend time with You! I ask that You give me more time for You than ever before. To pray. To meditate on Your Word! I know that when I invite your presence into my life, I will experience peace and wholeness like never before, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Monday, May 24^th, 2021
2 Samuel 4:1-6:23
John 13:31-14:14
Psalm 119:17-32
Proverbs 15:31-32
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. – 2 Sam. 5:12

David’s destiny was unfolding right in front of his eyes. After having been anointed as king by Samuel as a teenager (1 Sam. 16:13), David spent years waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled. But here it was. All the tribes of Israel came to David and “anointed David king over Israel” (2 Sam. 5:5). God quickly began to exalt David. David won several quick military victories, and foreign leaders sent David extravagant gifts to recognize him as ruler over Israel.

But David never lost sight of why God has exalted him. God exalted David “for the sake of His people Israel” (2 Sam. 5:12). There was a level of peace and prosperity that God wanted to give to His people that could only come if David was established as king! David knew that his reign wasn’t about David; it was about God’s people. And that attitude had a profound impact on the way David lived and reigned for the rest of his life.

You are a servant first. God will establish you! But He doesn’t do it just for your sake; He does it for the sake of His people! Will you use your influence to tell other people about Jesus? Will you use your success to invite people into the Kingdom of God?

Prayer:

Father, help me never to forget that You blessed me to bless others. You chose me so I can introduce other people to Jesus! Thank You for reminding me today that You have not established me for my own sake; but You have established me for the sake of Your people. Make me a willing and compelling vessel, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Sunday, May 23^rd, 2021
2 Samuel 2:12-3:39
John 13:1-30
Psalm 119:1-16
Proverbs 15:29-30
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. – 2 Sam. 3:1

There was a long war as the next king over Israel was decided. King Saul was dead! David had been made king over the house of Judah (2 Sam. 2:4), but Ishbosheth had been made king over “all Israel” (2 Sam. 2:9). Fighting ensued; but the impact it had on Saul’s house was different than the impact it had on David’s house. David “grew stronger and stronger,” while the house of Saul “grew weaker and weaker.” It was the same battle; but the impact on each party was markedly different. Why the disparity?

David’s house was anointed! Saul’s was not. The “Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul” (1 Sam. 16:14). This same Holy Spirit “came upon David from that day forward” (1 Sam. 16:13). When you are engaged in a protracted battle or conflict, the anointing makes all the difference! If you are really doing God’s work, it can feel like you’re at war! You are fighting to introduce light into territory claimed by darkness. But your lifeline is the anointing: the manifest presence of God’s Holy Spirit that comes upon men to accomplish God’s purpose.

Do not do anything without the anointing. Ask God for more of His presence every day! It will be the difference between life and death – between growing stronger versus weaker – and cannot be ignored.

Prayer:

Father, I ask that Your anointing would come upon me like never before. I need the presence of Your Holy Spirit! I need to be made stronger and to be refreshed. Settle on me now to do the impossible, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Saturday, May 22^nd, 2021
2 Samuel 1:1-2:11
John 12:20-50
Psalm 118:19-29
Proverbs 15:27-28
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” – 2 Sam. 2:7

David didn’t have to make himself king. When it was time, the people of Judah came and asked him to rule over them. David didn’t have to fight for the throne! The anointing made room for him. David’s destiny took years to unfold! Yet he waited faithfully and patiently, refusing to take matters into his own hands.

A man’s gift makes room for him,
And brings him before great men. – Prov. 18:16

Saul turned against David and tried to kill him. So God turned around and killed Saul. David didn’t have to fear his enemies! He just had to trust that the Lord would make room for him.

Are you trusting that the Lord will make room for you? Are you living your life like you really believe that what He has promised, He will perform? Don’t try to get to your destiny; let your God-given destiny come to you.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your great plan for my life. Make me like David: content to wait, and insistent on never taking matters into my own hands. I will wait as long as I must, because You are faithful and Your word is true, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.