Friday, November 22, 2019
Trapped in the World
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 28:1-2, Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.” 2 So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”
How far do we have to backslide before we turn back to our God? It is obvious that David has not yet reached that level. However, we see here the consequence of all David’s lies. For some time he had been feeding Achish false information about his whereabouts and dealings, and as a result found himself in a position to have to actually live out his lies, if he expected to survive amongst the Philistines. I find it curious that David, a man after God’s own heart, was still relying on his own plans and schemes to be rescued from Saul’s pursuits. Although he did not give Achish a definitive answer to his command to join him in battle against Saul and his men, David also did not reject the possibility. We cannot help but think that maybe David saw this as an opportunity to finally see Saul’s demise; yet not by his hands. Nonetheless, we see here the consequences of David’s choice to run to an ungodly people as a way to be rescued from Saul’s attempts to kill him. How sad when we, God’s children, run to the world and seek its solutions to our problems, when we have a promise from the Lord that He is our Solution. Jesus Himself said in John 16:31-33, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jesus’ peace came from knowing that the Father was always with Him. This is the same peace we can enjoy in Christ, no matter what our circumstances, because the promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us was given to us in Hebrews 13:5. This instance in David’s life should serve as a reminder to us that none of us, regardless of who we are, or how spiritual we think we are, is exempt from finding ourselves in a backslidden state. It is in this state of being, far from the Lord, that we entangle ourselves with the ways of the world, as David did, setting ourselves up to coming face to face with having to live out the lies we tell. It is truly a sad place for a child of God to find themselves; yet not uncommon. We will see later that David’s slippery slope will lead him to a place of tragedy that will finally cause him to turn his eyes back toward God. David’s refusal to turn back to trusting the One that had preserved his life thus far had caused him to be trapped amongst the Philistines. So it is with us when we backslide and refuse to turn our eyes back toward Jesus. If we find ourselves, today, in a place where our back is turned toward God, and we are looking to the world for relief, we must stop…turn…and not wait for God to allow some tragedy in our lives to cause us to go running back to where we should have been to begin with. Let us stop right now before we find ourselves trapped in the world, feeling obligated to serve it; when the only One we should be serving is our God who never fails us, and who is our greatest Solution to ALL of life’s trials, troubles, and tribulations.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, November 16, 2019
With or Without Us
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:8-9, And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. 9 Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish.
Once again, we see something interesting about how God used David’s choice to live among the Philistines. Let us take a trip down memory lane first. In 1 Samuel 15:1-3 we read God’s command to Saul to destroy the Amalekites. It reads, “Samuel also said to Saul, ‘The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. 2 Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” In the verses that follow we read of Saul’s disobedience to God’s command. It was this act of disobedience and rebellion that caused Saul’s forfeiture of the throne. Now, we fast forward to David’s choice to live among the Philistines. We already said that God used this occasion to give Ziklag back to Israel, as it was first given to both the tribe of Judah and to Simeon during Joshua’s leadership over God’s people while they were occupying the land. Now, God uses David’s position to finally accomplish His command to destroy the Amalekites. Whether David realized it or not, God used him to accomplish that which Saul refused to do. We see a principle here that still applies today. God will use every aspect of our lives to accomplish His will and plan. Those moments when we choose to disobey or rebel against what God is trying to accomplish through us will not remain undone. The question is, “Will God do this with us or without us?” What will ultimately determine that? Well, that will be determined by whether we choose to obediently serve and follow the Lord or choose to be disobedient and rebellious as Saul was. In Exodus 4, when God called Moses to go to Egypt, Moses made all kinds of excuses and asked God to send someone else. God’s anger was kindled against Moses for his lack of faith and his disobedience, and instead chose Moses’ brother Aaron to be the mouthpiece by which He would speak to Pharaoh (Exodus 4:14-16). Moses’ refusal to speak did not stop God from accomplishing His plan to lead His people out of Egypt. Although he did not let Moses off the hook, he replaced him as His mouthpiece and used someone else. The saddest part of our choices to not be available for God’s use or our choices to rebel and disobey is that with those choices come loss of blessings and rewards. How much greater would Moses’ story have been had he simply obeyed God and gone to Egypt and spoke the words God had commanded him to speak. It would have been an opportunity for God to demonstrate His power through Moses’ weakness. Saul’s choice cost him everything, but it did not stop God from accomplishing His will. Instead, He chose a faithful servant like David to finally carry it out. When we find ourselves at the crossroad of trying to decide if we are going to obediently serve the Lord or choose our way, based on our own reasoning, selfish motives, or lack of faith, remember that God can, and will, accomplish His will and plan with or without you and me. The choice is ours.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, November 15, 2019
Just Let Him Be God
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:5-6, Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6 So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.
We have been discussing the fact that David made a decision to leave his own countrymen to dwell amongst the Philistines, thinking (in his despair) that this was the solution to solving his “Saul” problem. This was not the wisest decision David made while on the run. However, like any situation in our lives, God ALWAYS works them out for our good, and His glory (Romans 8:28). Although David chose to live away from his own country and people, we read that God, by His grace, goodness, and providence, placed David in an interesting location. In approaching Achish, we see David’s humility and wisdom. Although he felt that he had to live amongst people who worshipped foreign gods, it did not change who he was as a humble servant. God tells us clearly in James 4:6 that He gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud. David did not seek a place, amongst these people, of importance for his own gain. He sought instead a place where he could still be separate from them. So it is with us that we are to be in the world, but not of the world (John 17:16). Just because we are called to go into the world and win the lost, we are not called to be a friend to the world and make ourselves an enemy of God (James 4:4-6). God, in His overwhelming, and undeserved, goodness, used this situation, and Achish (a heathen king) to give back to Israel, through David, a land that was given to them during the time when Israel was told, by God, to take the land. For some unknown reason, Ziklag was now under the control of the Philistines. However in Joshua 15:31 it is listed as one of the cities given to tribe of the children of Judah as an inheritance. Later, in Joshua 19:5 it is again listed as a one of the cities given to Simeon to inherit with the children of the tribe of Judah. God sees fit to give this land back to the kings of Judah, through David’s humble request. The location of Ziklag put David far from the royal city and right at the border of his own country and his own people. The fact of the matter is that God uses everything that happens in our lives, whether we see them as good or bad, for our good. Far too often, rather than seek what it is that God is trying to accomplish in allowing certain challenges and trials in our lives, we waste too much time trying to get God to change the situation or pull us out of it. In our desperation to get out of whatever situation it is, we end up like David, in despair and making the wrong choices. Praise be to our Lord and Savior who never forsakes us, and uses even our most foolish decisions to accomplish His will for our good and His glory. As we read this chapter, we see that this location was perfect for David to continue serving his own country and people, and stay faithful to his God, even though he had a moment where he allowed his emotions to override his faith. We said yesterday that sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we step away from the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ and the local church. However, no matter where we go, we can never be too far from our Savior, as He is the One who maintains the promise the HE will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). Regardless of where we find ourselves because of how someone else treats us, we need to stay focused on the Lord and His goodness toward us, and realize that He can use us no matter where we are, if we will only make ourselves available. We never know how God is going to use a particular situation in our lives, but He will accomplish more if we simply let Him be God in the situation, and prayerfully watch for whatever it is He is trying to accomplish in us and through us in the circumstance(s).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Into the Hands of the Enemy
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:3-4, So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow. 4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.
We have seen that David’s despair has driven him into the land of the Philistines. He finds himself in a place far from his home, running from the people he should be serving and fellowshipping with. Why does he find himself here? He finds himself here because of the actions of the king he was willing to serve faithfully. Saul’s jealousy and hatred has driven a good man from among his own people. The one man that God could have, and would have, used in Saul’s kingdom to elevate it, was the one man who was driven away by Saul’s sinful behavior. Sadly, we too can find ourselves on either side of this fence. How often do we behave like Saul within the local church? How often do we behave in a way that dishonors God because we are jealous of someone else’s position? Why can we not lead this ministry or that ministry? When we hear how God is blessing another in our midst, we think, “Why doesn’t God bless ME like that?” James 4:1-3 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” The first opportunity we have to bad-mouth that person(s), we gladly take. We break others down, gossip about them, and unjustly persecute them. We look for the first occasion of their stumbling to “prove our point”. What is the sad, but ultimate, result of such behavior in many instances? The result is that the person(s) we unjustly criticize and gossip about eventually parts ways with the local church. Like David, they end up running to the world, which is more than happy to welcome them. How often are we the ones on the receiving end of the gossip, criticism, and such? We decide that we are done with the “church” and Christians, and we find comfort in a world that is more than happy to welcome us as one of their own. We soon become comfortable amongst those who do not believe as we believe and we become friends of the world. David (who was called to serve and lead the Israelites) now finds comfort and safety living amongst the Philistines. Saul’s decision to stop pursuing David was not out of true repentance. If we remember, back in 1 Samuel 18:25, Saul sent a message to David telling him that if he brought back the foreskins of one hundred Philistines, he would not require a dowry from him in allowing him to marry his daughter. That verse tells us that Saul’s real intentions were that David would die at the hands of the Philistines. So it is here, that he does not have the courage himself to pursue David into the land of the Philistines, but would be content with the Philistines eventually bringing an end to David’s life. Saul, David’s enemy was quite content with driving David into the hands of Israel’s enemies, the Philistines. When we become the persecutors of our own brothers and sisters in Christ, we drive them into the hands of the devils and the world. On the other hand, when we are the ones being persecuted, and in our despair (and anger) run to the world, we do exactly what the enemy is looking for. His greatest desire is that we shipwreck our faith and go running into the world, thereby running right into the hands of the enemy. I would encourage each of us today to examine our Christian walk. Are we driving other Christians toward the world with our less than godly behavior toward them? If so…stop, repent, confess, and do all you can to make peace with them. God wants unity amongst His people. Ephesians 4:1-3 is a clear admonishment for unity. It reads, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” If we are being driven out into the world by the way Christians are treating us, then we need to refocus our attention on Christ, and not on fallen, sinful, men. We will see in tomorrow’s devotional that in spite of Saul’s behavior and David’s decision while in despair, God works some good out of it. There is a truth we will see that still applies today, and is found in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Monday, November 11, 2019
Who Are We Trusting?
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:2-3, Then David arose and went over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.
The despair David was feeling led him onto a path that would lead him away from his own country and put him right in the middle of an ungodly nation, surrounded by ungodly people, who worshipped pagan gods. In his despair, he said something in his heart that caused him to forget God’s faithfulness and make a decision that was based on emotions rather than the truth of who God had already proven Himself to be in David’s life. In choosing not to go back home with Saul, David chose correctly. He showed wisdom in not readily trusting the word of man. However, he also made the foolish mistake of not trusting the one Person who can always be trusted…God. Note that before making his decision to go live amongst the Philistines, David did not consult with God as he had in the past (1 Samuel 23). Instead, he chose to trust another man…himself, and his own logic and understanding. I am certain that David would have known about all that Israel had experienced and suffered after God delivered them from Egypt. He most likely knew about Moses and Joshua, which leads us to think that he would have known that God once told Joshua to trust Him, in Joshua 1:9, which says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” The promise that was made to Joshua also applied to David, as God was leading him to fulfill the promise God made to him that one day he would be king over His people Israel. This same promise that God will always be with us is still valid today, as it was repeated for us in Hebrews 13:5-6, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ 6 So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”. Yet, how often do we end up trusting our own heart, our own logic, and end up making life altering decisions without first praying and seeking God? Proverbs 3:5-7 clearly warns, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.” Proverbs 28:26 also tells us, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.” The bottom line is that when we choose our own way, we are choosing what is less than best for us and the ones who are following our lead. Only the Lord knows what is best for us when we come to a life changing “crossroad” decision. If we fail to first go to prayer and God’s Word, the question that needs to be asked is, “Who are we trusting?”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Sunday, November 10, 2019
The Danger of Following Your Heart
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:1, And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”
I have often heard people give this advice, “Just follow your heart.” However, this actually might be one of the most dangerous pieces of advice I have ever heard. Why, you ask? Well, because God tells us in His Word, in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Far too many of us get ourselves into difficult situations in life because we follow our heart and emotions. Emotions are not a bad thing, only if we realize what role they should play in our life and walk with the Lord. God certainly uses our emotions to feel anger, sorrow, compassion, and so forth, when appropriate. We get ourselves in trouble when we allow our emotions to run rampant and control what we do. Here, the one thing that David said in his heart caused him to make an emotional decision. In life, we will find ourselves being wearied by the events that happen around us, some that affect us directly and those that affect the people we love most. The devils are constantly trying to use what happens to us, and around us, as a way of getting to our hearts and minds, and causing us to follow our own path, rather than stay on the one God has chosen for us. Proverbs 4:23 warns, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” If we are not careful about vigilantly guarding our hearts, many things can slip in that we will entertain, that will eventually cause us to drift away from God, rather than draw near to Him. When we drift away from the Lord, we give an opening to the devils that are looking for an opportunity to move in for a final kill. That is why Peter warns us to be sober and vigilant when it comes to our enemy the devil (1 Peter 5:8). We spoke yesterday about how David, once again, repeated the mistake he made before in going to live among the Philistines. A decision that grew out of something he may not have said out loud, or may not have even shared with anyone, but said quietly in his heart. The problem with what David said in his heart is that it was something that showed a lack of faith in God, a forgetfulness of God’s goodness and faithfulness, and something that was heard by God Himself. In Jeremiah 17:10, God answered the question asked in verse 9, “Who can know it (the heart)?” God’s response to His own question was, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” In this case, David, once again, is going to reap the fruit of what he allowed to be sown in his heart. The best way to uproot any thoughts or feelings the enemy desires to cultivate in our hearts is to immediately cast it out and give it to the Lord. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments (or imaginations) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Philippians 4:6-7 also commands us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The one thing that will guarantee our defeat is if we fail to act on God’s truth, when His truth contradicts our feelings and thoughts. Sadly, David’s decision did not just affect David; it affected the six hundred men that were with him and their families, as well as David’s two wives (verses 2-3). The battle for our hearts and minds is a real one. This is why God instructs us to renew our minds in Romans 12:2. We must not allow the thoughts we have, or emotions that run high, during difficult times to be our guide in what we decide or what direction we should take. This is why it is of utmost importance that we stay in God’s Word and pray daily, because if we are waiting until hard times come for us to then start reading the Word and praying, the likelihood is that our thoughts and emotions will be what we let guide us; and that will only lead to further heartache and complications that we will regret later. When we feel weak, and feel like we are going to give in to something we know to be contrary to God’s truth, remember Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Discouragement Makes Us Forget
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:1, And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”
Chapter 27 is a sad chapter. It is the sad account of what happens when we allow discouragement and despair to set in, and how it affects our ability to make wise, rational, decisions. David, who had been running from Saul for some time now, and who had made the right decision in not taking Saul’s life, twice, now finds himself in a very dark place. Note that even though his last encounter with Saul was actually the last time he would meet Saul face to face, discouragement convinced David otherwise. Saul and David had parted ways. David had seen God deliver Saul into his hands by putting him and his men in a deep sleep that allowed David to sneak into their camp (1 Samuel 26). After their exchange of words, they both went their own way, and this should have been a time of celebration for David because it would be the last time Saul would pursue him. Keep in mind that David had no way of knowing this for certain, but in the process of over thinking situations we talk ourselves right into despair. Although David claimed that Saul would despair, it was David who was in despair. In all his years of running, the one thing David would have to admit is that God was faithful to him. He delivered him out of Saul’s hands over and over again. There was even a time of despair in the past when David had put himself right in the midst of the Philistines, which did not turn out too well (1 Samuel 21); yet, here he is again contemplating the same mistake. This is the danger that exists for any of us who allow discouragement to cloud our memory of God’s faithfulness to us. Our words may claim that we trust God, when we are feeling discouraged, but our decisions and actions will betray us, even as David’s did. What led him down this path? It began with what he said, not out loud, but in his heart. Although he saw what God did to deliver him from Saul, and what God did to Nabal in repaying his evil behavior toward David, he (David) forgot in his heart what God had done. In his forgetfulness, he decided that he would have to take action for himself if he was going to finally escape Saul’s pursuits, even though God had already delivered him and soon Saul would see his own death on the battlefield. The fact of the matter is that if we allow discouragement and despair to creep into our thinking, it will soon erase the memory of God’s goodness and faithfulness toward us. This is especially true when the difficulties in life come as a result of our own doing, our own decisions, and our own sins. How do we battle such forgetfulness? How do we avoid following the path of discouragement that can ultimately lead to our destruction? First, we must do all we can to remind ourselves of God’s goodness and how His goodness to us does not change simply because we stumble. His grace, mercy, and love for us do not change just because we have moments of being unfaithful to Him. If that were so, then He would not have given us His Son to begin with, knowing that we would have our moments of denying Him, betraying Him, and failing Him over and over again. Instead, the Word of God tells us in Romans 8:31-32, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” In Romans 8:35 this question is asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” The response in verses 38-39 tells us that nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, will ever separate us from His love, and therefore neither will we be separated from His grace, mercy, and goodness. When we begin to feel discouragement creeping into our thinking, we need to cast it aside and think on His goodness and recall how faithful He has been. Psalm 103 says it this way in verses 1-5, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” When life goes sideways, no matter the reason, the devils will do all they can to convince us that God can no longer, or will no longer, deliver us from whatever hardship we find ourselves in the midst of. Discouragement will make us see nothing but hopelessness and make us forget just how much God loves us and how much hope we really have in Him; because as born again believers we have a Living Hope which is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Forgiveness and Trusting God
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 26:23-24, “May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 24 And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”
This would be the last time that Saul and David see each other. Saul’s words were words that sounded like someone who had repented of the sins he committed against David in persecuting him unfairly; however, David was not quick to believe that Saul was being sincere. Note David’s response to Saul. Although he put little weight on Saul’s sincerity, he made it clear to Saul that he was trusting God’s faithfulness and fairness in this unjust conflict that existed between the two of them. When all was said and done, Saul and David went their separate ways. Loving and praying for our enemies does not mean that we have to fellowship with them. Forgiving someone who has sinned against us does not always mean that we are going to become the best of friends. The Word of God is very clear in respect to forgiving one another. Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” In Luke 17:3-4, Jesus said, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” David demonstrated this principle very well in his life and conflict with Saul. Here, he had the opportunity, for the second time, to take Saul’s life and end his days of fleeing. Instead, he chose to forgive, show love, and trust God to make things right. Far too often, we choose the number of times that we will forgive someone who offends us. Yet, we seek God’s forgiveness continually, because we are continually sinning against Him. With the same frequency that the Lord forgives us, we are commanded to forgive others. The only way this is possible, is for us to do as David did. He trusted that God saw his heart and his righteous behavior toward Saul. He trusted that in due time God would make things right. This would be the only way David could go his own way without being bitter. The truth of the matter is that we are dealing with people; people who are sinners, just like we are. Christians, and the unsaved, will sin against us. We are dealing with people in a fallen world. Therefore, we must not think it strange, or be sideswiped by moments when other offend us multiple times. We must not take it to heart, to the place where we cannot forgive, when the same person offends us. Instead, we need to remind ourselves that God already knows that the offense is coming, even before it reaches us. If He allows it, then there is a reason for it. He may be teaching us how to forgive as He forgives. By the way, before we use what I said earlier as an excuse not to fully reconcile with someone, to the place where we cannot fellowship with them again, or bring ourselves to truly treat them like we forgave them; stop and think of how the Lord is with us when He forgives us. We offend Him every day with our words, deeds, or unwillingness to do what we know we should do. Yet, when we acknowledge it, repent, and confess it, He forgives one hundred percent. He does not then keep His distance from us. He restores us to fellowship completely. Yes, I understand that some will not want to restore fellowship, but as much as lies within us, we are to restore fellowship with those who offend us. If along the way we note that they resist or are not genuine in their repentance, then we are still called to forgive and, like David, go on our way and trust God to deal with them. In many instances, the forgiveness we make available to others, even though they do not ask for it, is for our peace of mind, and to avoid us hindering our relationship with the Lord by not holding on to grudges or becoming bitter, and ultimately putting ourselves in a position where we are now sinning against God for being disobedient to His commands. David reminded Saul that he was doing what he was doing in sparing him, not because he did not have opportunity, but because He was doing it to reverently honor the Lord. In the end, what is most important about forgiving others and choosing not to take vengeance for ourselves, is that we do it out of obedience and reverent fear of our Lord; demonstrating our faith by trusting him to ultimately make things right.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
How Well Do We Recognize Him?
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 26:17, Then Saul knew David’s voice, and said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”
Have you ever had someone call your name and immediately you recognized who was calling you, without turning to see who it was? This happens, especially, with immediate family members and close friends. Saul, in hearing David call out and converse with Abner, immediately recognized David’s voice. I must ask, “Do we recognize our Savior’s voice that readily?” In John 10:27 Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” The fact of the matter is that God DOES know each of us; better than we know ourselves. In spite of that, He still loves us and gives us life eternal. Sadly, He makes far more of an effort to have an intimate relationship with us than we do with Him. In order for us to truly recognize when the Lord is speaking to us, we need to spend a lot more time in fellowship with Him than we do. If we skimp on prayer and the study of God’s Word, we will mistake His voice for the many other voices trying to speak to us. We must never forget that the enemy is a copycat. He like to mimic our God and even uses Scripture to try and trip us up. In Matthew 4:1-11, that was exactly what he tried to do when the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness to be tested. If the enemy will try that with Jesus, do we think that he will not do the same with us? Jesus’ defense in the wilderness was to quote the Scripture back to Satan, in its proper context. As born again believers, it is our duty to know the Word of God in its context so that we do not fall for the devils’ trickery. 1 John 4:1-3 reminds us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” If we are to follow the voice of Jesus in our lives, then we must know His truth, for He is Truth. In order for us to recognize whether what we are hearing is God’s true Word or some devil speaking through a false prophet, we need to be diligent in studying the Word of God. In 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 the Apostle Paul warned us, “But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” I have often heard something that even I am ashamed to admit I have said as well, “I would spend more time in God’s Word if I had more time.” In reality, if we were to really stop and write down everything we do on a daily basis, I can guarantee you that we waste a lot of precious time doing things that have absolutely no eternal value. The enemy has us so entertained with the things of this world that we have neglected, to our shame, our relationship with the One Person who loves us more than anyone else in this universe. Think about this for a moment. How much time do we waste in front of the television? How much time do we waste on the computer? How much time do we spend on hobbies and other forms of entertainment? How many countless hours are spent on video games and watching movies that often do not honor God in any way? How much more would we grow and learn to recognize Jesus’ voice if we put aside watching a two to three-hour movie and instead chose to spend those two hours reading the Bible, studying it, and praying? What if we put aside our hobbies for a day and instead found some way to go out and tell someone about Jesus or go out and be the vessel God uses to meet someone’s need? Whether we want to admit it or not, we throw away a lot of precious time that can be used to draw near to our Lord and Savior. The best advice we can follow in making the most of this life, and our time with the Lord, is found in Ephesians 5:15-16, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” In other words, walk diligently and make the most of our time, taking it back from all the evil and wasteful activities we have sold our time to. If we expect to become so familiar with the voice of the Lord that we recognize it without hesitation, then we must do all we can to learn what it sounds like by prayerfully spending time with Him and His Word.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Monday, November 4, 2019
Sleepy Christianity
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 26:12, So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.
Although the sleep Saul and his men experienced was from the Lord, and was a sleep that protected David, it also serves as a reminder of what happens when we, as born-again believers, fail to remain vigilant in our walk with Christ Jesus. Saul, being fast asleep, lost the two things he needed in order to survive on his journey and on the battle field; his spear (which was for his defense) and his water (which was for his comfort and physical refreshment). How often have we put ourselves in a position of spiritual harm and loss of comfort because we were asleep spiritually? How often have we failed to prepare for the day by neglecting prayer, the Word of God, and went out into the world without first putting on our spiritual armor? Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us what we need in order to avoid falling victim to the devils’ trickery. It reads, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“. Before Jesus was crucified He went to Garden of Gethsemane to pray. When He arrived, He asked his disciples to pray with Him, but instead they fell asleep. When He returned to where they were and found them asleep, He said to Peter in Matthew 26:40-41, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The Apostle Peter later warned us in 1 Peter 5:8-9 to remain vigilant of the devil’s desire to devour us. He wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Far too many of us have shipwrecked our faith because we have fallen asleep spiritually. We have resorted to quick, ten second, mini prayers, reduced our Bible reading time to maybe one verse a day, and are dying of thirst even though Jesus has provided us with Living Water. The result of sleepy Christianity has left our world and society wanting. We have compromised our faith, and failed to stand up for what is right in God’s eyes. I am not talking about going out and protesting about this issue or that one. I am talking about taking a personal stand for living out what it right in our own lives so that we are living a life of worship before the eyes of our Lord and Savior. We are continually defeated by sin, as we give in to temptation over and over again, and cannot figure out why we keep stumbling. Our superficial confessions with no real repentance keep us on the “hamster wheel” of sin. We neglect the fact that we are walking around like spiritual zombies because we fail to seek God as we should. We give priority to sporting events over gathering with other believers at our local churches. We give priority to making money, gathering earthly riches and chasing the short-lived success the world has to offer, rather than putting some of that energy toward serving the Lord. Our churches have compromised the truth in order not to offend, and we have gone the way of the world in our attempts to win the world. How is that working for us? The fact of the matter is that we are losing the battle because we are under-dressed. We lack in prayer, study of the Word, and fail miserably at making sure we are suited up for the everyday battles we face. It is recommended that we get at least eight hours of sleep per night in order to stay physically and emotionally healthy. However, in order to stay spiritually healthy, we must not fall asleep. Let us stay vigilant, active in prayer and the study of God’s Word, and go out to battle each day clothed in the Spiritual Armor we have been given, which is Christ Jesus Himself.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, November 2, 2019
The Lord Is In the Details
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 26:12, So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.
I am often amazed when I hear Christians speak of coincidences as if God were absent from those moments; as if what happens in our lives happens by chance. For us who truly know the Lord, in accordance to His Word, we should not be too surprised when these so-called “coincidences” happen. If an unbeliever or baby Christian were to experience what David experienced in this verse, they would write it off as “the star aligning” or “a great coincidence” that Saul and his ENTIRE army were asleep when David and Abishai entered Saul’s camp. However, the Bible is very clear that this very small detail was not overlooked by God. Something that seems as insignificant as a deep sleep falling upon each of them was a great part of God’s plan to rescue David from Saul’s feeble attempts to kill him. Even though Saul’s army was far greater than David’s, it was not even close to being greater than God’s ability to put them all to sleep for as long as it was necessary for David to accomplish what he needed to accomplish. This should speak volumes to us about how much attention God gives to the details in our lives. This is not the first time we read of some small “random detail” that occurred that God orchestrated in order to lead a person to where He wanted them. In Genesis 37:14-15 we read, “Then he said to him, ‘Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.’ So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. 15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, ‘What are you seeking?’” Joseph was sent on a mission to find his brothers. While on his journey “a certain man” just happens to find him and direct him to his brothers, who later sold him into slavery, launching Joseph on a path that would lead him right to where God wanted him; even with all its trials and hardships. You see, God is fully aware of what lies ahead when He uses the little details in our lives to ultimately take us to the place He wants us. He will use the details in our lives to rescue us from dangers many of us are not even aware of. I am sure that many of us who have traveled extensively have experienced those moments of being delayed and getting upset over the delay, only to realize that if we had not been delayed we would have been right at the location where we just drove by the serious accident that occurred moments before. Yes, God is even in the details that delay us and keep us safe. Rather than get upset because our timetable and plans have been rerouted, maybe we need to stop and thank God in advance for whatever harm He is keeping us from. The fact of the matter is that God is a very personal God. He is not some distant Entity who has no interest in the daily lives of His children or His creation. On the contrary, He is very interested in our daily lives; what we do, what we say, where we go, and what decisions we make. Jesus reminded us how important we are in Matthew 10:29-31 when He said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” How can we dismiss the fact that God is in the details of our lives when a sparrow does not fall to the ground apart from His will? How can we dismiss that God is in the details of our lives when even the hairs are on our head are numbered? Before we ever plan, or choose a path to walk, God already knows. Even if we choose the wrong path, God already knows what details need to be activated to put us back on the right path. It may, of course, be a more painful route because of our disobedience and sinful choices, but He will ultimately guide us back to Him so that we can continue to walk with Him. We know this from Proverbs 16:9 & 33 which read, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” Proverbs 20:24 also states, “A man’s steps are of the LORD; how then can a man understand his own way?” This small, seemingly insignificant, detail in David’s life was actually very significant. Think about that the next time God activates a small detail in our lives. If we are truly living an intimate life with Jesus, we will recognize those moments of “coincidence” for what they really are, great miracles that God uses to guide us on the path He has chosen for us, for our good and His for His glory (Romans 8:28-29).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, November 1, 2019
Our Role and His Role
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 26:9-10, But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” 10 David said furthermore, “As the LORD lives, the LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.
The one opportunity that continued to repeat itself in David’s life as he ran from Saul was the one to either kill Saul or trust God to do it. Here he is once again confronted with the choice of taking vengeance for himself or letting God handle what seemed to be a never-ending cycle of cat and mouse. In verses 7 and 8 we see that Saul is in a very vulnerable position. He is fast asleep and unaware of David’s presence. Not only is Saul asleep, but his entire army is asleep (we will discuss that further in a future devotional). The irony of this situation is that the same spear that Saul threw at David in his attempts to kill him is now available for David to use to take Saul’s life. Next we see that Abishai offered to finally finish off Saul, leaving David with the excuse, “Well, I was not the one who took his life. My hands are clean.” Yet, we see that David had a true understanding of what his role was in that situation and what God’s role was in that situation. This is where many of us go awry in our decision-making when it comes to taking vengeance on someone who has wronged us. The last thing we want to hear is what Jesus told us in regard to dealing with our enemies in Matthew 5:43-45. It reads, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” There is no mistaking that David truly showed Saul love as defined by biblical love. It was not a love comprised of mere words. It was truly love in action and deed. He continually spared Saul’s life, remained faithful to him, and would not even allow anyone else to harm him. It was not long before this that David witnessed how God took vengeance, on his behalf, on Nabal, and we can be certain that in this case David had not forgotten what God did to that foolish man. God makes is very clear for us what our role is in situations when others wrong us, and what His role is in making things right. Romans 12:17-21 clearly states, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. 20 Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” We must remind ourselves that God’s justice and our justice differ like night and day. God’s timing is certainly not our timing (Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8). Although we may want God to swoop in and carry out our desired form of swift justice, God works out His vengeance in His time and His way. Our role is to patiently wait on God and love and pray for our enemies. That can be a huge pill to swallow for many of us, but the bottom line is that we must honor God and respect the boundaries He has set in respect to our role and His role. We will never go wrong if we wait on God, no matter how much we might be criticized or mocked for our willingness to forgive, love and pray for those who seek to cause us pain.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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