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).

Devotional Audio Track: Sleepy Christianity

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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).

Devotional Audio Track: The Lord Is In the Details

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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).

Devotional Audio Track: Our Role and His Role

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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).