Year 6, Day 117: Hebrews 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Up, In, Out

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.
• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.
• Out: This is the focus of our mission.  These are the people to whom God has called us to go.  These are the people into whom we are focused on attempting to speak God’s truth.

Hebrews 13 is packed full of goodness.  In truth, I could probably study Hebrews 13 for a full month and not honestly get through every point that I could make.  That being said, I decided that I couldn’t narrow it down to less than three points.

First, we start with Out because this is where the author of Hebrews starts.  Notice what he says.  Continue your hospitality.  Be with people who are imprisoned.  In other words, continue your mission.  Keep reaching people.  Keep showing love to your neighbors.  Keep demonstrating the nature of God to the people with whom you come into contact.

The author of Hebrews then moves into the In.  Remember your leaders.  Remember those who speak faith into your life.  Remember those who train you in the faith.  Imitate them.  Don’t be led astray from their foundational teaching.

The author then moves us into the place where we should both begin and end: In.  Remember Christ.  Through Jesus we have an invitation to a feast to which we have no right to go.  (Of course, recognize that after talking about Christ the author of Hebrews brings us once more through a focus of Out and In.)  But then we have the conclusion of God.  God brings us peace.  God is our Shepherd.  God equips us.  He deserves our praise.  He deserves our worship.  He should be our focus.

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Year 6, Day 67: Jeremiah 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

The opening of this chapter is much like we’ve encountered in other chapters of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah speaks about how the Lord seems distant from the Hebrew people.  God’s response is typical of God’s responses in other places.  God tells Jeremiah that it is the people who have wandered from Him, not He who has wandered from the people.  God is willing to let us wander.  After all, is there any place we can go from which He cannot reach us?  However, when we are distant from God we need to remember that it is we who wandered.

So how does this bring us to the topic of In?  If we look into the second section of this chapter we get an opportunity to hear Jeremiah talk about how the prophets are announcing news contrary to Jeremiah.  The prophets are announcing that there will be peace, not a sword.  The prophets are announcing that God will not bring judgment.  The prophets are encouraging people to live their lives as they see fit rather than warning them of the judgment to come.  The prophets are encouraging rampant humanism rather than drawing the people closer to God.

Fundamentally, this is a problem of In.  We need to be careful about to whom we listen.  If we want to be godly, we need to make sure that when we seek advice it is from godly people.  If we do not get sound godly advice, then we will wander away from God.  If we do not get sound godly instruction then we will pursue the desires of our own heart.

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Year 5, Day 350: Song of Songs 8

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

In this concluding we have a great passage of reconciliation, love, and comfort.  While that is a great message, I am going to focus today on the community’s response.  In this book we’ve seen Solomon and his bride court, marry, and then overcome an emotional barrier in the marriage.  As the book comes to a close, we hear the response of the community as they witness this progression.  As the book comes to a close, we get an opportunity to see In at work.

The community around the bride reflects back upon the bride before she was married.  They worried about her.  They protected her.  They tested her to find out where she was strong and ready to be built upon.  They also tested her to find out where she was too open and needed a door in her life to be built so that she could be protected.  But here’s the point.  The community was there to support her.  The community was there to protect her.  The community had a stake in her upbringing.  The community had a stake in her future.

This is what In is all about.  In helps to teach us.  In helps to protect us.  In supports us. In celebrates when we grow and mature and find ourselves in a position of success.  That’s what we hear at the end of this book.  The community around this bride of Solomon looks back at a time when she needed to be taught, protected, developed, encouraged, and mentored.  Now they look at her and realize where she’s come.  They celebrate.

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Year 5, Day 210: Psalms 69-70

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Up, In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.
• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.

I think Psalm 69 may be one of my new favorite psalms.  Can you hear David’s turmoil within the words?  Of course David is in trouble.  David is pursued by his enemies.  In fact, he feels like there are more people who hate him than he has hairs on his head!  For the record, the same is true with the opening of Psalm 70, too.  Why does this resound within me?  I know that feeling.  I know what it feels like to be an outcast and feel like more people hate me than who desire to be associated with me.

And then we get to Psalm 69:9 and understand the true source of David’s pain.  Zeal of God’s house has consumed the psalmist.  Or even back to Psalm 69:7 where the psalmist says that it is for God’s sake that the psalmist has borne reproach.  He is the source of the psalmists pain.  He has chosen God.  In choosing God, the world around him has rejected him.  That’s a brand new perspective on what Up means to me today, and it is a perspective that resonates deeply within me.  Jesus says that if the world hates Him then the world will hate His followers, too.  The psalmist knows this feeling and out of his sense of Up he bears it well.  We’ll come back to Up a little later.

What I absolutely loved about this pair of psalms is the incredible depth of emotion that the psalmist achieves in Psalm 69:6.  Do you see where David turns?  He has borne reproach.  He has the world against him.  What is his concern?  His concern is that the few people in this life who are his friends will bear the same persecution.  He is afraid that because of the world’s hatred for him that other people will feel that same hatred.  That’s a true sense of In, too.  David feels his place in community and he doesn’t want them to know what he has known.

However, all of this brings the psalmist back to Up.  Look at how both of these psalms end.  Both of these psalms end with praise for God, His name, and His work.  In spite of the persecution, David worships.  In spite of his concern for other people, David worships.  Lifting up God is his final and ultimate priority.

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Year 5, Day 183: Philippians 1

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

Philippians is an incredible book through which we can view Paul.  In most of his letters, Paul is writing because there is some kind of problem that needs to be sorted out and dealt with.  This is true in Galatians.  It is true in both of the Corinthian letters.  It is certainly true in Philemon, and in a different sense it is true in the letters to Timothy and Titus.  But here in Philippians we don’t have an issue.  We have Paul rejoicing in his relationship with the people of Philippi.

That’s what In is all about.  Our In are the people with whom we long to be spiritual.  Our In are the people with whom we can be honest and be ourselves.  Our In are the people that we let see our problems and we really let them rejoice when something in our life is worth rejoicing.

Look at what Paul says in this letter.  He loves them.  He rejoices over their memory.  He prays for them.  He honestly shares with them about his hardships.  He tells them about the imprisonments and other persecutions.

However, I think one of the most In-related verses of the Bible that I have read in a long time is Philippians 1:25.  As Paul wrestles with his desire to be with God or to continue living this life, he comes to a very bold conclusion.  While he would rather die and move ahead on the eternal journey with God, he knows it is best to remain alive for the sake of the Philippian people.  While he would rather be with God in eternal life, he knows that the Philippian people need to continue to grow and he is willing to play that role in their life.

That’s In.  That’s relationship.  That’s sacrifice.  That’s what Christian community really looks like.

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Year 5, Day 127: Job 33

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In:

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

Certainly Elihu isn’t perfect, and we’ll start to see some of his imperfections shortly.  But for right now, I think Elihu should get high marks for his approach.  Elihu appears to be really adept at building In.

Look at how he approaches Job.  First of all, Elihu doesn’t come to criticize Job.  He doesn’t come with his mind already made up.  He’s already listened to all the conversation that has happened thus far.  When he speaks to Job, he says, “I am toward God as you are.”  Elihu is looking to create common ground between him and Job.  He doesn’t want to walk in opposition; he wants to walk beside Job.

Furthermore, Elihu says to Job that he too was pinched of prom a piece of clay.  In other words, Elihu is saying that he understands that he is just a man.  He understands that he isn’t perfect and doesn’t have perfect insight.  Yes, he is confident that he has wisdom, but he is opening the conversation with Job by reminding Job that Elihu knows he’s human and finite.

Then he tells Job that he doesn’t need to fear him.  Job will not feel a tremendous weight from Elihu’s speech.  Job can be at ease, even if Elihu tries to speak truth into his life.

You see, what Elihu is trying to do is create some In with Job.  Elihu doesn’t want to dominate over Job, he wants to walk with Job.  Elihu doesn’t want to place himself as better than Job but as Job’s equal.  Elihu doesn’t just want to spout words of advice, he wants to listen first and then speak.

Elihu is showing grant competency at being In.  Elihu wants to walk through life with Job rather than stand in judgment over Job’s life.  This is all any of us can ask from our In.

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Year 5, Day 120: Job 26

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

I’ve talked about In a lot since beginning Job, probably more so in Job than in any other book.  But I think this is a really important dynamic to at least the first half of the book of Job.  When the chips are down, we need people around us.  When we are struggling, we need our In.  When we are spending all sorts of time pondering our life, we need people who can be there beside us.

Look at Job’s continued complaints regarding his friends all throughout Job and in the opening verses of this chapter.  Job complains that his people aren’t listening to him.  He complains that they are just here to prove their point to him rather than walk with him.  They are there to convict him without even listening to whether or not conviction is even necessary in the first place!

I think this is a huge point to consider as we look out into the world.  Yes, we are all sinners.  Yes, every one of us need to repent and change of our ways.  But the truth is that we don’t need that rubbed in our face all the time.  What we need is people who can listen to us, walk beside us, encourage us, and correct us when needed.

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Year 5, Day 111: Job 17

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

Do you know what I love about true In?  True In is willing to walk beside you whatever the cost.  True In is willing to stand beside you when life stinks.  True In is there to help you put your life back together.  True In is there regardless of celebration or suffering.  True In is there regardless of joy or sorrow.  True in is there in sickness and health.

In that light, look at what job says in verse 8.  “The upright are all appalled at this.”  Here’s what Job is saying.  Job is confessing that the upright won’t come near him.  The upright don’t want to have anything to do with Job.  Either they are too good for Job or they are afraid that his recent string of bad luck will rub off on them.  Either way, the righteous just don’t want to have anything to do with Job.

I mourn with Job in this chapter.  How sad it is that the people whose lives are together can’t come and be with Job!  What does it say about humanity that Job feels like he is being avoided?  What does it say about humanity that people are appalled at Job rather than coming to his aid?

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Year 5, Day 110: Job 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

As I read through Job 16, I can feel Job’s pain.  Christian community does need to be about admonition.  When we do something wrong, the Christian community should take on the role of disapproving and helping us find repentance.

But we hear Job legitimately complaining about something serious as this chapter begins.  Where is the compassion?  Where is the relationship?  Where is the willingness of Job’s friends to walk beside him and listen to him?

Job’s friends have done nothing but come before him and tell him what he needs to do.  They cannot even tell him what he’s done wrong; all they can do is assure him that he’s done something wrong in the first place.  That’s not friendship.  That’s not In.  This is religious piety at its worst.  This is a story about religious people who are all too familiar with looking down their nose upon those who are in worse circumstances than they are.

Yes, In should be able to bring about correction.  However, within In there needs to be relationship.  There needs to be a willingness to listen.  There needs to be a willingness to partner up with one another and walk through life together.  It is in that context that admonition is received.  It is in that context that true repentance and forgiveness can happen.

Job feels the lack of true community as this chapter opens.  He is surrounded by people with all the answers and no desire for relationship.  Job’s so-called friends want to fix him and add another tally of success upon their life.  That’s not In.  But unfortunately, often that’s what we like to substitute for true community.

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Year 5, Day 80: 1 Corinthians 12

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

Whenever I read 1 Corinthians 12, I am reminded of just how grateful I am for the few spiritual friends that I have in my life.  I’m not talking about the people with whom I talk about the Bible.  I’m talking about the people who take the time to genuinely talk to me about faith.  I’m talking about the people who genuinely take time to hear what God is doing in my life and how God is forming faith within me.  I’m talking about the people who share with me what God is doing in their life and how God is forming faith within them.

These are the people who mourn when I mourn.  They are troubled when I am troubled.  These are people that when their life is in turmoil I stay awake at night worried and praying about them.

But I think perhaps even the greater test is that these are the people who genuinely rejoice when God is on display in my life.  These are people that when God is on display in their life I am genuinely happy, too!  There is no jealousy in them or in me when God is at work. 

This is what it means to be In.  My In mourn with me.  They celebrate with me.  They allow me to mourn and celebrate with them, too.  They don’t evoke jealousy in me when God is in them.  They aren’t jealous when God is working through me.  The beautiful thing about In is that unity is fundamentally at the core because In is based on being connected to one another through God.

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Year 5, Day 75: 1 Corinthians 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

I think I’m going to take a fairly unusual tack to the opening section of 1 Corinthians 6.  In that section, Paul is telling the Corinthians that it is to their shame that they have to get the legal authorities involved.  It is to their shame that they cannot solve their problems among themselves.  It is to their shame that they cannot get along and realize that their temporal squabbles are nothing next to their spiritual calling.

I think their problem is actually a problem of In.  The Corinthians aren’t really in deep spiritual relationship with one another.  They may come to worship in the same place, but they aren’t caring for one another.  They aren’t listening to one another.  They aren’t investing in one another’s lives.  They are simply showing up, doing their obligation, and going about life as they want to live it.  They aren’t actually creating any meaningful relationship.  They aren’t creating spiritual depth that can sustain turmoil or conflict.

Thus, because they have no In with each other, they have no basis for resolving conflict!  In order to resolve conflict they have to turn to temporal authorities: judges.  This actually makes sense.  Why should we expect anyone who doesn’t have spiritual depth with another person to be able to resolve their differences in any way except in worldly courts?

If we want to be spiritual people, then we need to be in spiritual relationship.  We need to be spiritually deep with others.  We need to have that community of In to bring spiritual order to our life.

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Year 5, Day 64: Esther 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

This is a great chapter for the study of In, because we have two great examples serving two distinct purposes.  We see In forming community of support.  We see In leading to discernment.  It’s a great chapter.

We see In happening in community around both Esther and Mordecai.  First, notice that Mordecai hears the news.  He is troubled.  He mourns.  Mordecai’s community comes around him to support him.  When they learn what is happening, Esther is told and Esther has an opportunity to be In for Mordecai and support him as well.  When the weight of Mordecai’s pride comes to rest upon him, Mordecai mourns.  But because of his In, Mordecai is not alone.

Furthermore, we see In form community around Esther.  Look at what happens when Esther has a tough choice to make.  The Jews around Mordecai hold a fast.  They support her.  The women around Esther likewise fast and support her.  When Mordecai was down, Esther and Mordecai’s friends were there.  When Esther is down, Mordecai and Esther’s friends are there for her, too.

So where do we see In being something other than support?  Look at Mordecai’s interaction with Esther when she has to decide whether to go before the king and risk her own life.  Mordecai brings incredible wisdom to Esther’s life.  Mordecai brings challenge.  Mordecai is a part of the discernment process.  That’s what In does.

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Year 5, Day 51: Nehemiah 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In, Up

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.
• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

This is a neat passage for us to see the challenges of ministry.  Anytime we intend to be obedient to God’s calling – that is, to go Out – we should expect resistance.  The typical human being around us will find it easier to criticize our efforts rather than join in the spirit of following God.  It is always easier to tear down someone else than to rise up to the personal challenge God is bringing to our own life through the example of others.  Thus, most people will tear down before they try to build up.

What do we do when we feel this external resistance – especially external critique?  First of all, we must make sure that we are getting our identity from the Father.  That is to say, we must be sure that we are worshipping and following God.    We must be sure that we are being obedient to His calling.  Because if our Up is in the right place, then we can absolutely know that God will give us the guidance and protection that we need for Him to do His will.

Second, we also need our In.  We need a group of people to help us discern.  We need people who can watch our back.  We need people who can pick us up when we are weak.  We need people who are there for us in our moments of doubt, attack, and confusion.  We need people who will come alongside of us when life is tough and walk that road with us.

This is the example that we see in Nehemiah today.  When persecution started, He talked to God.  Then he organized the people around him so that everyone worked with people who could help.  Nehemiah made sure that nobody was isolated in the work of God.  Nehemiah started with his Up and then made sure that everyone had an IN upon whom they could rely.

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Year 5, Day 39: Romans 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Competency

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

Do you ever wonder who Paul’s In was?  With Jesus, we know that His In was His disciples.  But what about Paul?

Sure, there was Barnabas who took him under his wing.  But they eventually split apart.  There’s Peter as far as other church leaders go, but we really don’t get the sense that Paul and Peter got along all that well.  There’s John Mark the Gospel writer, but they had a rough start to their relationship and likely only were able to patch it up towards the end.  And of course there is Timothy, Paul’s spiritual son, who is the closest thing that Paul has to family.  Of this list, probably only Timothy is In.

Then, of course, there are the people who traveled with Paul.  The aforementioned Timothy would be at the head of that list.  Of course there was Silas.  And Titus.  And Luke, of course.  We can’t forget Phoebe, who is likely the messenger who brought this letter to Rome from Paul.  And there are a few other people, too.

But what I love about Romans 16 is that it gives us some great insight into other people that Paul likely considered In – even though he didn’t travel with them.  At the top of this list is Prisca and Aquila.  This is a married couple that Paul met in Corinth and traveled to Ephesus with after being in Corinth.  Then there is Epaenetus, who likely converted in Ephesus and then took to the road with Prisca and Aquila much like Timothy took to Paul.  There is kinship in the disciple-making process.  Then we meet Andronicus and Junia, who were imprisoned with Paul.  I’m guessing that if Paul ended up in jail with them that it was about God!

These are Paul’s In.  They lived with him.  They lived like him. They followed the same God.  They had the same heart.  Their mission was the same: from God.

Romans 16 is Paul’s Family on Mission.

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Year 5, Day 9: 2 Kings 11

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

I am struck by the example of three people in 2 Kings 11.  Let’s look first at the Queen Mother: Athaliah.  Her is a woman who takes it upon herself to kill all of her nieces and nephews.  Why would she do this?  Well, her son was dead.  She was the Queen Mother and found herself in power in lieu of another male heir.  From the perspective of wanting to keep one’s power she was eliminating the competition to her staying in power.  This is much like King Herod’s killing the babies when Jesus was born.  It’s a horribly gruesome act done under the misguided belief that a ruling person has the right to do whatever they want to stay in power.  It’s the natural outcome when a person has no checks and balances.  This is the kind of thinking that happens when a person has no In.

On the other hand, we have Jehoiada and Jehosheba as examples.  Here are people who do the right thing in the face of evil.  Jehosheba hides Joash away and keeps him safe.  We also have Jehoiada the priest who works with the captains of the guard.  Together they make a pact and anoint Joash king.  They protect the true king from the vengeful rule of Athaliah.  Together they discern.  Together they act.  They have the ability to come to a good decision because none of them act completely alone.  They share leadership and share the burden.  That’s what life is like when we have an In.

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Year 4, Day 363: 1 Kings 22

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

Yesterday we talked about Ahab and his appetite.  The spiritual opposite of appetite is In.  Appetite is all about doing what I want, when I want it, and as much as I want it.  The purpose of In is to help me discern what is really good for me and what I need to let go.  So while we saw a huge dose of appetite yesterday, let’s look for In today.

At the beginning of this passage we see Ahab go to meet with Jehoshaphat.  Here we see Jehoshaphat do something really cool.  In the face of all the prophets that are telling Ahab what he wants to hear, Jehoshaphat asks if there is a prophet of the Lord.  Jehoshaphat seeks out In in the midst of Ahab’s appetite.

Unfortunately, Jehoshaphat doesn’t seem to listen to Micaiah and he still goes out to war with Ahab.  Human beings don’t always get it right, and that’s important to note.  But Jehoshaphat does still seek out an In.  We can learn from his example at least part-way.  We can learn by the ideal of his action rather than the full outcome of his choices.

In general, the epitaph of Jehoshaphat mimics this principle.  In general, Jehoshaphat was a righteous king in the practice of Asa.  He wasn’t able to purge the whole of the land.  But He was still obedient to God and seeking His ways.  We get a very human perspective of Christian leadership in Jehoshaphat here.  He’s not perfect, but he has the ideal within him to be his guide even when he’s not perfect.

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Year 4, Day 330: 2 Samuel 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

2 Samuel 13 is a great chapter to look at the failure of In.  What happens when we don’t have In?  What happens when we choose our In properly?  All of these dynamics can be seen in 2 Samuel 13.

If begins with Amnon.  Amnon lusts after his sister-in-law.  Where were the people of common sense in this story?  Where were the people who could shepherd Amnon into healthier thinking?  Instead of good and healthy friends, we hear about Jonadab, Amnon’s crafty cousin.  When Amnon could have benefited from an In relationship with someone wise or matual he instead turns to someone with the descriptor of crafty.  Amnon picked his In poorly.  This choice led him to sleep with Tamar and ultimately this choice leads to an early grave.  Wise counsel might have been able to save Amnon; his poor choice of In hurt him in the end.

What about Absalom?  Who does Absalom turn to for In?  Therein lies the problem.  Absalom doesn’t turn to anyone.  Absalom plans and schemes his half-brother’s death.  Granted, I think this had just as much to do with wanting to be first in line as king and less to do with repaying the sin.  But in either case, let’s look at what happens. 

Absalom doesn’t get bad advice – he gets no advice!  Absalom doesn’t have any In to whom he can turn.  He plots and schemes all on his own.

This leaves me asking one simple question.  Where is David?  Where is their father figure?  Where is perhaps the greatest influence of In in a young man’s life?  David is silent.  He is angered by the actions of his kids, but he is silent.  His silence only adds to the lack of In felt by Amnon and Absalom both.

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Year 4, Day 324: 2 Samuel 7

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In, Up

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.
• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.

2 Samuel 7 is a really neat perspective on Up and In.  You see, David gets an idea.  So David takes that idea to Nathan, his spiritual In.  The two of them discern together and they decide that it sounds like a good plan.  David is given the green light to go ahead and build up a temple of the Lord.

This is where Up starts to take over.  That night, God visits Nathan and corrects Nathan.  Now think about this for a second.  Nathan has to admit that he was wrong.  He has to admit that he gave David bad advice.  But none of these things matter to Nathan.  His pride doesn’t get in the way.  What is important for Nathan is to follow the will of God regardless of what human plans may have been made.

We get a great chance to see Up and In with David in response to Nathan.  When Nathan comes to David, David listens.  Again, for David it is more important for him to follow God than to follow human plans.  David is humble and obedient to God.  David listens to his spiritual In.  This is a great example of how spiritual relationships truly work.

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Year 4, Day 309: 1 Samuel 23

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

In this chapter we see several interactions about which we can view the lens of In.  First of all, let’s take a look at David and the town that he rescues.  David hears that they are being attacked by the Philistines and wants to go to their rescue.  His people question, so he goes to God and confirms the action.  Yet, after the town is spared – Saul comes against him to trap him. 

Clearly Saul is not In for David.  But neither is the town that he just rescued!  You would think that they would be loyal to David, after all he just rescued them from the hand of the Philistines.  But the town plans to turn David over to Saul.  They are not In for David.  Just because we do something for the benefit of another person, do not think that they are In for us.

On the other hand, we get to view Jonathon and David.  Even after Saul pursues David, Jonathon comes to David.  Rather than side with his father, Jonathon continues to side with David.  In fact, here in this chapter we see Jonathon confess that the kingdom is David’s and he will be at David’s side.  Jonathon is voluntarily giving up on his claim for the kingdom in order to be In for David.

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Year 4, Day 304: 1 Samuel 18

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Identity

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

In this chapter we are introduced to a beautiful friendship.  David and Jonathon become good friends.  In fact, they loved each other as much as they loved themselves.  Their friendship is built on a genuine respect for one another and what God is doing in their life.  We’ll have the privilege of watching this relationship grow over time.

But what is really neat about this chapter is that nowhere does Jonathon get jealous.  As David gains power and prestige among the people, it is actually Jonathon who should be worried as Jonathon is the person next in line to be king.  But we get no sense of jealousy here.

Furthermore, Jonathon doesn’t turn on David when it becomes obvious that Saul has it out for David.  Jonathon keeps his friendship with David.  In spite of his father’s feelings, David and Jonathon become quite close.

This is true In.  True In doesn’t get jealous of one another; they give God the glory for when things go well in your life.  True In doesn’t follow in party line, they make up their own allegiances and stay true regardless of the world around them.  True In helps us point to God and stay close to God.

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