Keep Me From Sinning

# 349 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:25,26, “Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. 26 "Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, since the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. (1 Sam 25:25,26) Abigail comes to David by the very providence of God. He sends her to prevent David from taking revenge upon Nabal with his own hands. This is not the first time that God has interfered in the affairs of men to keep them from sinning. Remember the incident with Abraham and Sarah when Abraham tried to pawn off Sarah as his sister? We read about it in Ge 20:1-7, “And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." 4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 "Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this." 6 And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.”7 "Now therefore, restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." God intervened on behalf of Abimelech and prevented him from the act of adultery. He got Abimelech's attention in a dream and kept him from sinning against Him. God may not get that drastic with us, but He has given us the Holy Spirit and His Word to “keep us from sinning” against Him. Will you listen to Him when temptation comes to your door? Spare yourself, your loved ones, and God the pain. Follow the promptings of the Spirit and not your flesh. Father, give me ears to hear and the will to follow You, knowing You will never lead me to sin.

Shared Iniquity

# 348 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:21-24, “ Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. 22 "May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light." 23 Now when Abigail saw David, she hastened to dismount from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. 24 So she fell at his feet and said: "On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant.” (1 Sam 25:21-24) David swears revenge on Nabal and all the men of his household for his sin of stinginess, but then along comes Abigail, the wife of Nabal. She gives us a classic example of intercessory prayer. We would do well to learn from it in our land today. Let's face it, not many of us are willing to share the blame of our national sins, and yes, even the sins of the church. Abigail had no guilt in this matter, but she comes to David in full humility, and says, “let this iniquity be on me!” How could she say such a thing? She could say it because she understood her union with Nabal, how God had made them one flesh, and because of that she was willing to take on his guilt. We are one nation under God, united by citizenshio. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, united by faith, and our proper response to national sin, and the sins of the church is not to point fingers and hope God judges “their” sin. No, we are in this together, and our proper response is to humble ourselves before the Lord and share in the guilt. It's what Daniel did when he prayed for the nation, “O Lord, we have sinned and committed iniquity, and Nehemiah who said, “I pray before You and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You, and Jeremiah who said, “O Lord, We have sinned against You.” Father, we have done wickedly in the land, we have fallen short of what You have called us to be as Your church. Let this iniquity be on me. I confess it and beg for Your mercy and forgiveness, in Jesus Name, Amen

Stick 'em Up God

# 347 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:18-22, “Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 And she said to her servants, "Go on before me; see, I am coming after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them. Abigail, sensing the gravity of the situation, quickly throws together a generous offering for David and his men. This offering would serve well at any kind of a party. 200 loaves of bread! Two huge goat skins of wine, five sheep fully cooked and ready to serve, a little over a bushel of roasted grain, (corn chips?) a hundred boxes of raisins, and if that's not enough for the sweet tooth, she throws in 200 fig cakes, (Little Debbie snacks?) All this to say, “I really appreciate what you have done for us Abigail gets it! Nabal (the dolt) doesn't. Please note that she had to do this secretly. Nabal would've never approved. She even delivered the goods “under the cover of the hill.” I am reminded of my own days as an ungrateful unbeliever. My wife would have to sneak money into the church offering plate because I likely would've railed on her for being so foolish with our meager resources. (Never mind the fact that I could spend it on myself like a drunken sailor.) Of course that all changed when God's grace re-awakened my heart, and I surrendered to Jesus. It wasn't long after reading the Bible that I came upon the Book of Malachi and read these words: Mal 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. It was like a huge light bulb went off in my heart. Rob God? After all He has done for me? Oh the foolishness! And from that day forward, by His grace, our household became that of the cheerful giver. Father God, keep my heart cheerful, thankful, and generous for all You have done for me.

Don't Be A Son of Belial

# 346 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:14-17, “Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. 15 "But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. 16 "They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 "Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him." (1Sa 25:14-17) There is no arguing with Nabal, so the shepherds come to his wife Abigail hoping that she will be able to do something lest David retaliates. Take note of the phrase, “he is such a scoundrel that no one can speak to him,” I believe that is putting it a little bit too mildly. The King James here, calls Nabal the son of Belial! Who is Belial? Belial is a word that the Scriptures use for the personification of the devil. And what kind of persona has Nabal taken on? We can get a hint by looking elsewhere in Scripture where Belial is mentioned. In De 15:9, we read, "Beware lest there be a wicked (a Belial) thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,' and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing,” And in 1Sa 10:27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. And in, 1Sa 30:22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered,” What was the common attribute here? Stinginess. Think about that. T o be tight-fisted is the mark of the son of Belial. Wouldn't it be better to be generous? Pr 22:9 says, “He who has a generous eye will be blessed,” Blessed, or son of Belial, what would you rather be? Father, help us to be generous.”

What Does It Mean To Revile?

# 345 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:14 “Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. ( 1 Sam 25:14) Reviled. Now there's a word we just don't use that often. What does it mean to revile someone? The King James uses the word “railed.” We have seen this word in action most often in observing coaches or parents who rail at the officials over bad calls at sporting events. But it's not just flying off the handle at someone, it's what you intimate in your railing that makes it reviling. Remember what Nabal said to David's men? “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.” He intimated that David was a nobody, likening him to a common rebel. This is the same intimation or reviling that Jesus experienced from those passing by when He hung on the cross. And He had some strong words of warning for us regarding reviling others He said in Mt 5:22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' (worthless one) shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' (you morally worthless person) shall be in danger of hell fire. Since we are not the Potter, we have no right to call anyone “worthless.” Let us learn from this in our dealings with others. We must realize that every soul matters to God. Every soul has been bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus, and this price gives everyone moral value. No one is beyond the reach of God's saving grace! Some have just not had that truth of God's love revealed to them. One more thing, as followers of Christ you and I can expect to be “reviled.” How should we handle it? 1Pe 2:23 says this about Jesus, “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; Jesus didn't say, Father, fry these true nobodies!” No He said “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” Father guard my heart from reviling.

Getting Your Financial Priorities Straight

# 344 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:13 Then David said to his men, "Every man gird on his sword." So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies. (1 Sam 25:13) Nabal is about to pay for his stinginess. David, who serves as a type of Christ here in his role as Nabal's protector was about to punish him for his lack of gratitude. Does God make us pay when we don't have our financial priorities in order? Well, let's just say it certainly is in His power to do so. Listen to this excerpt from Haggai 1:3-13, “Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" 5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! 6 "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes." 7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! 8 "Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the LORD. 9 "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 "Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 "For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands." 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the LORD. 13 Then Haggai, the LORD'S messenger, spoke the LORD'S message to the people, saying, "I am with you, says the LORD." The people had mixed up financial priorities. They took care of their houses first rather than the house of the Lord. Simple lesson for all of us, and please note what the Lord said when they got it straightened out. “I am with you says the Lord.!” Father help us to learn this truth.

Don't Let It Come To This

# 343 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:13 Then David said to his men, "Every man gird on his sword." So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies. (1 Sam 25:13) Uh oh. Nabal's tight-fisted approach with his money is about to cost him big time. The one who had been protecting him and making it possible to have a profitable year was about to punish him for his lack of gratitude. Since David often serves as a type of Christ in the Scripture, and I believe his role as Nabal's protector is a classic example of being a type of Christ, can we infer that our lack of proper giving can stir up the wrath of God against us? Most of the passages in Scripture about giving are associated with promised blessing, but is there a time when God raises His hand in wrath against the ungrateful heart? Isa 1:2-4 says, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; 3 The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider." 4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.” What is the Lord saying here? He says, “look, I nourished and brought up the children of Israel like a farmer provides for his animals, but My people, did not consider it, and they have provoked Me to anger, just as David was provoked to anger for Nabal's ungrateful response. I don't think scare tactics are God's first choice to warm people's hearts to giving, nonetheless we cannot deny that there are times when His patience wears thin. (Something to consider if we drag our heels in showing our own gratitude to the Lord.) “Father in the matter of my offerings to You, don't let it come to this, grant me a thankful and generous heart. “

God Doesn't Love the Gift, He Loves the Attitude Behind It

# 341 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:9-12, “So when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited. 10 Then Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. 11 "Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?" 12 So David's young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words. (1 Sam 25:9-12) David's men had just explained to Nabal how they had provided protection for his shepherds and played a role in the profits that he was enjoying today at his feast. And it says here.....”they waited.” Likening David to a type of Christ and these ten men as his ministers we could say the same thing about the church today. The ministers of the gospel often speak about financial giving in the church. They give good solid biblical reasons for giving, and then they and the Lord wait for our response. What will it be? A grateful acknowledgment of all that the Lord has afforded us? Will we thank Him with an offering for His salvation, His protection, His material blessings? Or will we be like Nabal (remember his name means dolt) and hang onto our blessings as if God had nothing to do with it? Indeed how foolish this Nabal really is in light of what the Bible says about generosity. We read in 1Ti 6:17-19, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” I don't know where you are financially, but I do know that it is possible to be generous no matter where you are if you just make it a priority. God doesn't love HUGE givers, He loves the cheerful ones. Father, thank You for the blessings you have bestowed upon us, help us to make generosity a priority in our lives.

Thanks For the Sheep-Shearing Profits Lord

# 341 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:7-9, “'Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. 8 'Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.'" 9 So when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited. (1 Sam 25:7-9) David has sent ten men to Nabal on a day when the shepherds were celebrating pay day. This payday was made possible largely because of the unseen protection that David and his men gave to Nabal and his shepherds while they tended their flocks in Carmel. It wasn't like David and his men stood armed guard around the shepherds and their flocks, but as long as David and his men were around, any marauding bands stayed clear of Nabal. It was like an unseen ring of protection around Nabal. On this day of feasting, when the hearts of men should be turned to joy and generosity, David and his men make a simple request of Nabal to give some of what the Lord has blessed him with to his invisible protector. David is a type of Jesus here and Jesus makes the same request of you and I. He too has afforded us an invisible ring of protection in the spiritual realm that we cannot see, but most assuredly is there. 2Th 3:3 says, “ But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” You and I are often tempted to forget about our Lord's 24/7 protection, especially when things aren't going well, but believe me, it would be a whole lot worse, should the Lord lift His protection. Think about it, what do we have in our possession that was not given to us and preserved by God? Is it not fitting then that we gladly return a portion of what we have to Him on our sheep-shearing days? Father, thank You for Your protection, help us to express our thanks through joyful generosity.

A Hint of Tithing?

# 340 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:2-6, “Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. And he was of the house of Caleb. 4“And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 And David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: 6 and thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. (1 Sam 25:2-6) Here's what we know so far about this story. Nabal was rich and foolish. He was a harsh man and evil in his doings. His wife Abigail was beautiful and wise. David hears that Nabal and his shepherds are shearing sheep. This is a festive time for shepherds, it is a time of harvesting of the wool. It's payday! David sends ten men to Nabal with the intention of asking Nabal for a gift. I find the number ten interesting. Is it somehow related to the tithe? Admittedly, that's a bit of a stretch, but a portion of what had been earned by Nabal would've gone to what ten men could carry. That's ten portions, and isn't that what a tithe is? But more importantly, check out their greeting to Nabal. Threefold peace. Peace to you, peace to your house, and peace to all your possessions.” His prayer is that Nabal will continue to be undisturbed, blessed on all fronts. These ten men come to Nabal and his prosperity in the name of David. Jesus comes to us in His name in our own God-given prosperity, namely peace on all fronts. This peace has been granted by grace through faith in Him, and in our prosperity, He like David asks for us to give from our prosperity to Him. How will Nabal respond? More importantly, how will you and I respond to God's gift of peace? “Father, thank You for the peace that passes all understanding. May we cherish it and continually thank You for it!”

Sticks and Stones

# 339 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:2,3, “Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. And he was of the house of Caleb. (1 Sam 25:2,3) Today we begin the account of Nabal, Abigail, and David. The first thing we learn about Nabal is that he is very rich. The next thing we learn is that his name is Nabal. In the Hebrew his name literally means dolt, which is another way of saying he was a fool. It seems to me that we have an Old Testament story developing of a rich fool. But first of all, I find myself wondering about Nabal's parents. What kind of a parent names their child Dolt? Can you imagine Dolt's early childhood? Can you imagine what it must've been like having Dolt as a classmate? “Hey Dolt, how much is 2 plus 2? “Hey fool, come up here and clean the chalkboard.” Or taking the daily roll call, “Is stupid here today?” Every interaction with other people that involve mentioning first names and Nabal is reminded that his parents thought he was stupid. This doesn't excuse his actions, but it sure helps explain why he grew up to be, “ harsh and evil in his doings.” (v3) Words matter! Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me is a lie! Parents be very careful about the messages you send to your children in your words and actions toward them. Do not say or do things to them that will foster anger and frustration in them. Eph 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger.” You know that Proverb that says, Pr 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.” That doesn't just apply to good training. “Intimating that your children are stupid is bad training that will produce bad fruit. Father, help us to learn to build our children up rather than tear them down. Give us wisdom in raising the children you have gifted us with.

A Very Short Obituary

# 338 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:1-3, “Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran. (1 Sam 25:1) Not much of an obituary. Samuel died and was buried and the people mourned. Can you imagine such a short obituary in the newspaper today for a man of Samuel's stature? Just think about his life! First of all, his miraculous birth to the barren Hannah. God speaking to him as a young man in the middle of the night in the temple. My favorite thing about Samuel is found in 1 Sam 3:19. It was said of him that “he did not let any of the words of the Lord fall to the ground.”! What a legacy! Someone who did not waste the Word of God! Oh how quick I am to let God's Word come in one ear and go out the other! Samuel served as the spiritual leader in Israel at a time of great change. It was a period of transition from the ruling by judges to the ruling of a king. His entire life was spent as a mentor, an intercessor, a prophet to God's people, and he did it with complete integrity ( See 1 Sam 12) It was Samuel that God used to select and anoint David as Saul's replacement, and taught us the invaluable lesson that God doesn't look at the outside of a man, but the inside. He looks at the heart! All of these great things to say about Samuel, but God writes the obituary, not us, and He says, “Samuel died.” That's it. Why so short? Why not? This short obituary should remind us all of the brevity of life: Jas 4:14b says, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. And we read in Ps 102:3 For my days are consumed like smoke, And my bones are burned like a hearth. And in Job 7:7a, “Oh, remember that my life is a breath!” The real journey for our soul takes place in eternity. This short obituary for Samuel should cause us all to consider our final destination. Where will you spend it? Be like Samuel and don't allow God's words to fall to the ground. Ac 16:31says, “"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” O Lord, death comes to all of us, grant us the saving faith we need to spend eternity with You.

Weep Because of His Mercy!

# 337 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 24:16-22, “So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 Then he said to David: "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. 18 "And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. 19 "For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 "And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 "Therefore swear now to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house." 22 So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He had been acting in such a way that he deserved death at the hands of David. Faced with the reality that it had been in David's hands to kill him, Saul now breaks down and weeps and acknowledges his wrongdoing to David. He sees how merciful David has been toward him and he weeps. And he says, “what kind of man when he finds his enemy will let him get away safely?” I remember my own brokenness before the Lord at the time of my conversion. I had rejected Christ and had become an enemy of the cross, and was behaving in such a way that I deserved His just punishment. Then I, like Saul was caught in my behavior, and I wept and I lifted up my voice before the Lord in repentance. As I received the Lord's forgiveness and believed it, I was overwhelmed by the thoughts of His mercy. What kind of God let's an enemy like me, off safely? Only the merciful God whom the Bible says is, “gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. (Ps 145:8) It turns out that Saul's repentance was temporary, he was soon back to his old ways. O God, guard my heart from returning to my old ways, let me weep because of your mercy, and not because I got caught in my sin.

Pray For and Love Your Enemies

# 336 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 24:12-15, "Let the LORD judge between you and me, and let the LORD avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. 13 "As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.' But my hand shall not be against you. 14 "After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? 15 "Therefore let the LORD be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand." ( 1 Sam 24:12-15) David confronts Saul who has been pursuing him relentlessly. He has showed him the piece of Saul's robe that he had cut off in the cave, letting Saul know that he had the option of ending the pursuit by taking Saul's life. But he didn't and he didn't because he knew the truth of Ro 12:19, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.” David was going to trust God to be the judge between the two of them. He quotes an ancient proverb that in essence says, “even if the wicked pursue revenge, I won't.” Then he says, “look I am as harmless as a dead dog or a flea, why are you wasting time and resources on this chase” Why don't you just trust God to work it all out.” How true in our own lives. We allow our own enemies to consume our time and resources with wasteful thoughts and worries, and some times even plotting ways to get even. How foolish in light of this account of the rift between David and Saul. Don't miss the point here, let God take care of your enemies! Jesus gave us all the direction we need concerning our enemies. He said in Mt 5:44 "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, If this strategy does not result in the winning over of your enemy do not fear. God sees. He knows. De 32:35 says, “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.' Father, I pray for those who struggle with enemies, help them to take that first step of praying for them, trusting You for the results.

Anointed By Appointment

# 335 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 24:8-11, “David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down. 9 And David said to Saul: "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Indeed David seeks your harm'? 10 "Look, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD'S anointed.' 11 "Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. (1 Sam 24:8-11) Again, catch the words of respect for authority. Twice David calls Saul his lord. He refers to him again as God's anointed, and even calls him father! (Still another authority figure!) Remember, David had lived in Saul's house for quite some time, and had regarded him as a father figure! But it's not only his words of respect, note that David also stooped down with his face in the dirt to show honor to the king. I know many of you are probably tired of me harping on this idea of respect for our political leaders. But ask yourself this question, “Who's doing the harping? Who keeps making the point time after time in Scripture? Who is it that evidently wants us to understand this about those in authority over us? Ro 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. To be appointed by God is to be anointed by God and David knew that. He also knew that when the time came to depose Saul, it would be God's doing, not his. Oh, and that little piece of robe? It should remind Saul of his vulnerability, and make him think twice about how he governs those under his authority. “Father forgive me for those times I spout off over your appointed and anointed leaders.”

David Pranks the King

# 334 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 24:3-7, “So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) 4 Then the men of David said to him, "This is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.'" And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe. 5 Now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe. 6 And he said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD." 7 So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way. (1 Sa 24:3-7) There's no way to sugar coat this, although many have tried to do so. Some commentators say that Saul went in to the cave to catch a nap, but the needs of Saul here are the fact that nature calls and Saul went into the cave to answer the call. We've all been there and know full well that we are pretty much defenseless in that situation. David's men realize this and whisper excitedly to David, “c'mon, he is ours for the taking!” But rather than kill Saul, David sneaks up on him and snips off a piece of Saul's robe. As soon as he did it, he was cut to the heart! Why? Why did the Holy Spirit convict him of wrongdoing? Because Saul was still God's anointed. He still held the office of king. He was still in authority over David and this act of David's was reeking with disrespect for the office. David understood that his little boyish prank was a prank against God Himself, and he was cut to the heart. This incident with David and Saul is another example to us as Christians of the importance of respecting those in authority over us. Let us learn from it and rather than badmouth those in authority, let us learn to good-mouth them in prayer. Father bless and protect our leaders, give them the guidance they need to rule.

Waiting In the Wings

# 333 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 24:1-3, “ Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, "Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi." 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) (1 Sam 24:1-3) “Now it happened.” No it didn't, when you see these words in Scripture, pay attention. It didn't “just happen,” God caused this to happen. This incident has God's providence written all over it and therefore leaves us with some important lessons! Imagine all the emotions going through David and his men as they were hiding in this cave. They can see Saul coming, and they retreat silently to the recesses of the cave, afraid to breathe less they be found out. What would you do? What would your emotional state be? David wrote two Psalms about this experience. Psalm 57 and Psalm 142, in both Psalms he begins by asking for God's mercy. In Ps 57:,2 1we read, “Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, For my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, Until disaster has passed. And in Psa 142:1,2, “ I cry with my voice to Yahweh. With my voice, I ask Yahweh for mercy. 2 I pour out my complaint before him. I tell him my troubles. Here's the thing about a cave. There typically is only one way in and therefore only one way out. David and his men were trapped. If Saul discovers them and sounds the alarm, David and his men are toast. Ever feel like that? Ever feel like you are trapped in a cave with no way out. Have life's circumstance put you into a situation that is pressing in on you? Don't panic! Do as David and his men did. Ask for the Lord's mercy, then wait it out in the shadow of the wings of God. He loves you, He will protect you, He will see you through, delivering you from the evil designs of the enemy. Father I pray for those who are feeling pressed today. Shelter them in Your wings and deliver them.

The Lesson of the Wilderness

# 332 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 23:24-29, “So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. 26 Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hasten and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!" 28 Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape. 29 Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi. ( 1 Sam 23:24-29) David gets drift of Saul's plans and heads for the wilderness. The wilderness is the place where we, the church need to be. It is the place where we learn to be entirely dependent upon God. There is nothing in the wilderness that is able to sustain the necessary basics of life, like food and water. When the Israelites wandered in the desert, where did they get their food and water? They God it from God's miraculous supply of manna, and the rock that Moses struck. God wants His church to learn the lesson of living completely dependent upon Him, because, that is the essence of grace. In Revelation Re 12:6 we read, “Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” The woman here is a picture of God's true church, living by grace, (dependent upon God) being fed by His Word until the Lord returns. How did Jesus put it? “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Mt 4:4) Observe what happened after David spent time in the wilderness. God placed himself squarely in the form of a mountain between David and Saul, and then created a diversion that delivered David from Saul. Learn the lesson of the wilderness. Trust God, feed on His Word, and know that He will protect you from the evil one, just as he protected and delivered David. Father, help us to trust in You and not lean on our own understanding.