Break the Cycle

420 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 2:24-28, “Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon. 25 Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?" 27 And Joab said, "As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren." 28 So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore. ( 2 Sam 2:24-28) The superior forces of Joab pursue Abner and the Benjamites to the hill of Ammah, where Abner takes up a defensive position. In a last ditch effort to save his neck, he seeks to heap guilt on Joab by asking him how long will he continue to pursue and slay his own brethren? But Joab rightly reminds Abner that he had started it all with his challenge to pit his 12 best men against Joab's. And this is where it gets really incredible. Joab, in spite of sure victory blows the trumpet of retreat! This is not the typical response in a fight that someone else started! Especially since he had the power to crush his enemy! How many times have we uttered the cry, “you started it,” and then went into our retaliation mode of operation. Armed with self-righteousness we seek ways to get even, and crush those who have offended. Usually, a vicious cycle of ongoing retaliation ensues, and hardness of heart and unforgiveness destroys all involved. Pr 17:14 says, “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.” How true! No wonder Jesus reminds us in the sermon on the mount to turn the other cheek and to love our enemies, and the Holy Spirit exhorts us to live at peace with others in Rom 12:18. Father help us break any cycles of retaliation in our own lives, and rather let us be instruments of reconciliation.

Wait For Jesus

419 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 2:18-23, “ Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Are you Asahel?" He answered, "I am." 21 And Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself." But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 So Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?" 23 However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still. (2 Sam 2:18-23) Joab is David's commander in chief, and his brother Asahel known for his speed pursues the commander in chief of the enemy forces. Capture Abner and the battle is over. As Abner is fleeing he turns back to find out who is doggedly pursuing him. He suspects it is Joab's brother, but wants to make sure. Abner warns him twice to back off, for he knows that Asahel is no match for him and doesn't want to be forced to kill him. He knows if he kills him, Joab will be obliged to avenge his death. Asahel is determined, but has totally underestimated his opponent and Abner brutally runs the BLUNT end of the spear through him and kills him. It was so gruesome that people actually stopped in their tracks at the sight of it. What can we learn from this? I would suggest that we too have a mighty seasoned enemy. Someone whom we, in our flesh, are no match for. Sometimes, in our spiritual immaturity we press on against him in our own strength., running ahead of Jesus. That can be a fatal and gruesome mistake. Always remember in your spiritual struggles that the battle (the victory) belongs to the Lord. Don't let the mark of immaturity (pride) cause you to wage spiritual warfare on your own. You have a Big Brother just as Asahel did. His name is Jesus, wait for Him, rely on Him, He will give you the victory. Father, help us to resist the devil, in the power of Your Spirit, and not in the power of our flesh.

Seek To Settle Before It Gets Messy

418 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 2:8-17, “But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 and he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. 12 Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and compete before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." 15 So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. 16 And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Swords, which is in Gibeon. 17 So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.” Things are about to get very messy. They usually do in power struggles. David has been anointed king over Judah, and has made overtures to the men of Jabesh-Gilead.....then we read, “but Abner.” That word “but” tells us that there is about to be some trouble. Abner who was the commander of Saul's troops and in Saul's family tree as a first cousin decides to take measures to keep the line of kings in Saul's family. So he appoints Ishbosheth, a son of Saul as the new king of Israel. Well, you can't have two kings and conflict is inevitable. So Joab, (David's commander) and Abner (Ishbosheth's commander) gather the troops and meet at the pool of Gibeon. Abner proposes that the fight be decided by 12 of his best men against 12 of Joab's best men. In a bizarre outcome the twelve men on both sides die in the contest! It's a draw, and the draw sets off the battle between David's men and Abner's men and David's men win. Power struggles occur very often in our world and even in the church, but here's what the Holy Spirit tells us about power struggles, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. (Rom 12:18) If it is possible, without sacrificing biblical truth, seek to settle the matter in love and peace before it gets messy.

Be Kind

417 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 2:4-7, “ Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul." 5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, "You are blessed of the LORD, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. 6 "And now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. 7 "Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them." ( 2 Sam 2:4-7) The brave men of Jabesh Gilead had rescued Saul's body from the desecration of the Philistines and gave him a proper burial. These men of Jabesh had been rescued from the Ammonites by Saul and they never forgot it. Now David, in his first act as the newly anointed king of Judah, fires off a message thanking them for the kindness that they had shown, asking the Lord to bless them with kindness and truth, and pledging to be kind to them in the future. Hmmmm. Kindness seems to be an emerging theme here. It's interesting to note that when David's son, Solomon died and the reigns of the government were handed over to Rehoboam, Solomons advisors gave the new king this instruction, “ 2Ch 10:7 And they spoke to him, saying, "If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever." Proverbs 19:22 also reminds us, “What is desired in a man is kindness. Kindness is also one of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Gal 5:22 and therefore a mark of the followers of Jesus. This kindness is to mirror the kindness that God has extended to us through Jesus and is earmarked by mercy. Jesus said in Lu 6:36 "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Father, help us to remember to be kind, never forgetting Your kindness towards us.

Obedience Begets Righteousness

416 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 2:1-3,”It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron." 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. (2 Sam 2:1-3) Saul is dead, Ziklag is in ruins. What should David do next? How about praying? Good advice for all of us, when our world comes crashing down around us. David starts his prayer in a very practical way. He knows that he is to be Israel's next king and he suspects that their may be a power struggle between he and the followers of Saul. He, being from the tribe of Judah, would find his most support in the confines of Judah's territory, and so He asks God if he should take his family and followers to any of the cities in Judah. God says “Yes.” It is only after David has the green light to go, that he asks God about a specific city, and God told him, “Hebron.” Please note that David did what God told him to do. Remembering that if God would've said “no” or go to some other city, David would've obeyed. This is so critical in our own prayer life. We must approach God with the resolve to act on His revelation. If there is no immediate revelation, we need to learn to wait, and if there is revelation, we need to act. Jas 5:16b, says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” And who is a “righteous” man, if not one who is sold out to doing things God's way? Our perfect example of this is Jesus, as we read in Ro 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.” There is a spiritual principle here, obedience (doing things God-way) begets righteousness. Our personal righteousness of course is a product of the perfect obedience of Jesus. But you cannot separate the two. Righteousness and obedience are forever connected through the life of Jesus. A.W. Tozer has said that “prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.” So like David, we should pray, and like David we should purpose to “pray to obey.” And of course, we should always realize that our obedience produces results in “right, God-pleasing living,” but it never produces righteousness unto salvation. For without faith in Jesus, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. (Is 64:6)

The Most Powerful Love In the Universe.

415 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 1:24-27, “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury; Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 "How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan was slain in your high places. 26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women. 27 "How the mighty have fallen, And the weapons of war perished!" ( 2 Sam 1:24-27) David's lamentation (The Song of the Bow) continues with a reminder that God used Saul to bring prosperity to Israel. (You've gotta love the way David keeps stressing the positive things about Saul, we could learn from that!) Then he concludes his lamentation with special mention of his forever friend Jonathan. He says “I am distressed for you,” the word “distressed means cramped.” Ever experience the knife-like pangs of a cramp? Then you know the acuteness of David's pain over the loss of his friend Jonathan. Everything about Jonathan's relationship with David was pleasant. He calls their love for one another “wonderful” and the Hebrew word here means incapable of being dissolved. It even surpasses the love of women. Surpasses the love of women? What? Some might attempt to twist this portion of Scripture to justify abhorrent sexual behavior, but what is being said here is not meant for sexual connotation, rather this concept of the love between David and Jonathan is repeated for us in Isa 49:15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. It is extremely rare, but possible for a woman to forget (misplace) her love for her child, but the love of David and Jonathan, like the love of God for you and I is incapable of being misplaced. Do you understand this? In the matter of love, God has not and will not forget you, and the proof of that love is found on Calvary where God sent Jesus to die for your sins. Surrender to Jesus and experience the most powerful love in the universe!

The Power of Forgiveness

414 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 1:21-23, “O mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, Nor fields of offerings. For the shield of the mighty is cast away there! The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 From the blood of the slain, From the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty. 23 "Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions. (2 Sam 1:21-23) David's lamentation continues with a curse on the battlefield in which Jonathan and Saul were slain. The shield of the king no longer shined up, but trampled underfoot and buried in the dust and blood of the battle. But even in defeat, the arrows of Jonathan found their mark and the sword of Saul did it's own lethal damage upon the enemy. This was a great tribute from one mighty warrior to two others. But even as they were both furious warriors they had their softer side too and David brings it out beautifully. He says they were beloved and pleasant in their personal lives, and the word “beloved” here, is often used in Scripture to denote the close attachment between parents and children. In spite of the differences between the two due to Saul's mental instability, they kept their love and respect for each other and remained undivided until the end. When one considers the difficulties that are recorded in the Scriptures concerning their relationship, one has to wonder about the power of forgiveness. Someone in this relationship, had to have a forgiving spirit, and my guess is that it was Jonathan. Parents can do some terrible things to their children. Somehow, we as children, need to find the spirit of Jonathan and forgive. This forgiveness set Jonathan and Saul free to be “swifter than eagles and stronger than lions.” in the other battles that came their way. I wonder what that would look like in our own lives, if we would learn to forgive. Father, today, help me to remember the words of Eph 4:32, “forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”

Don't Be A Scandal-Monger

413 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 1:20 Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon-Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. (2 Sam 1:20) David's lamentation, “The Song of the Bow” continues. Gath and Ashkelon were chief cities of the Philistines, and when David says “tell it not in Gath or proclaim it not in the streets of Askelon,” he was saying, don't dwell on this victory won by the enemy. Mourn and grieve yes, but then move on. Don't give the enemy any more reason to celebrate. This advice was so good that it actually became a proverb in Israel. It was used in Mic 1:10, “Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at all; In Beth Aphrah Roll yourself in the dust.” This proverb is still around today and “to tell it not in Gath” means, “Don’t spread scandal. Keep the story to yourself.” We might say, “Don't air the dirty laundry.” Unfortunately scandal is never very far away in the church. The “mighty” on occasion fall and give the enemy cause to rejoice. The advice is the same. Grieve and mourn over the fall, but don't add fuel to the enemy's fire by wagging the tongue. Rather, pray for wisdom and discretion in handling the situation and of course for the restoration of the fallen. The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. (In other words, they tell it in Gath!) In Romans 1:29, gossiping is lumped in with other sins like envy and murder. And gossipers are also taken to task in 1Ti 5:13, “and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.” As brothers and sisters in Christ, let's strive to “not tell it in Gath,” it only sets the demons to dancing. Rather let's weep and mourn for the fallen, asking God for restoration. Father, the tongue is so difficult to control and for this we ask Your help.

Song of the Bow Part 2

# 412 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 1:19 "The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! (2 Sam 1:19) This is the first verse of the “Song of the Bow” which was David's lamentation at the news of the death of King Saul and David's bosom buddy, Jonathan. He starts out by referring King Saul as “the beauty of Israel.” This should take us back to 1Sa 9:2 and the description given of Saul, “And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.” But as handsome as Saul was, and as large as his physical statue was, he fell. Try as we may, we cannot avoid the fact that death comes to the lowly and the mighty alike. Ec 9:2,3, says, “All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.” We all go to the dead. Heb 9:27 says, “ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” (The word “judgment here means “decision.” and by extension it means tribunal.) The question for each of us is this. How will the Triune God decide in our individual case. Will the tribunal decide for eternal life with God and His goodness, or eternal separation and total absence of good? Will it be heaven or hell? By what standard will we be judged? Will it be by our good deeds or by the deeds of Jesus? Friend, you and I need to know this before death comes knocking on our door. How can we know our fate before that Day? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you the meaning of these words spoken by Jesus in Joh 12:48, "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” Father, give us a sense of urgency regarding eternity, grant faith to the faithless today.

Like Time Itself Has Stopped

# 411 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 1:17,18, “Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18 and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jasher: (2 Sam 1:17,18) I don't think we can grasp the depth of what David was feeling here. Lamenting is not part of our funeral culture. Oh, we grieve the loss of loved ones, and typically, the deeper the love the more intense the expression of our grief. But it's not the same as David's outward display I will never forget my father-in-law's response to the death of his wife. There was such a display of tears and a frantic kind of a clutching and embracing to what was now her shell of a body. The two who had become one, were now torn apart. Oh the emotional pain that accompanies this rending whenever and however it occurs. The words lamenting and lamentation here are a literal chanting and wailing and beating on the breast. This was how David vented his grief over the loss of his king, and his best friend Jonathan. We will look at the “Song of the Bow” in detail over the next couple of days, and perhaps get some ideas of how to express our own feelings at the loss of loved ones. Maybe you, like David, are gifted with words. Perhaps writing a poem about your dearly departed and sharing it with others would be helpful. This is what David did and he felt so strongly about what he had written that he ordered it to be taught to children, lest the legacy of Saul and Jonathan be forgotten. This lamentation even found it's way into the Book of Jasher. This book is mentioned in one other place in Scripture. Jos 10:13 “So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher?” There it is, the Song of the Bow, right next to an account of the very sun and moon standing still. How fitting. For the one who has felt the loss of a loved one, it often seems like time itself has stopped. How good to know that this is just a natural part of the grieving process, and knowing that one day our faithful God will set things in motion once again. Father, bless those who are mourning the loss of loved ones today.

Remain Yoked

# 410 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 1:13-16, “Then David said to the young man who told him, "Where are you from?" And he answered, "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite." 14 So David said to him, "How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and execute him!" And he struck him so that he died. 16 So David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.'" (2 Sam 1:13-16) This Amalekite entirely misjudged David's reaction to his story concerning the death of King Saul. It was a deadly mistake on his part. He was expecting some kind of special favor from David for returning Saul's crown and bracelet, but David executes him on the spot. Why is David so concerned about people laying a hand on the Lord's anointed? What is the lesson here for us? The Lord's anointed is another term for the Messiah, and Saul who was anointed by God as king, serves as a type of the Messiah to come, namely Jesus. This lying Amalekite took credit for destroying the Lord's anointed, and the word destroy here carries with it the idea of casting off, and suddenly the lesson for all of us is evident. If you cast off the Lord's anointed, your blood, like the unbelieving Amalekite is on your own head. As Jesus stated in Joh 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. The word “rejects” has the same meaning....to cast off. By God's gift of faith in Jesus, we are yoked with Him. Don't cast off the yoke. Remain united with Him, and receive the great gospel promise associated with being yoked with Him. Mt 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." To be yoked with Jesus is to be saved, to cast off the yoke is to be damned. Do not cast off the Lord's Anointed. Come to Jesus and find rest for your soul!

The Rending of Garments

# 409 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 1:11,12, “Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. (2 Sam 1:11,12) The tearing of clothing is often mentioned in the Bible as a sign of mourning. It was an outward sign of inward emotional pain. Some biblical examples include Jacob ripping his garments when he assumed Joseph was dead. The sons of Jacob rent their clothing when Benjamin's cup was found in the sack because it meant they they would be the cause of more pain for their father. When Eli received the news that the ark of the covenant had been captured and his sons slain, he ripped his clothing. Even the high priest ripping his garments when he felt Jesus had blasphemed God. It “pained” him to think that his God was blasphemed. This tearing of clothing was meant to expose the heart for all to see. With that picture in your mind, think of what happened when Jesus died on the cross. The temple curtain was torn top to bottom. This temple curtain served as an outer garment of God, which kept the people from being exposed to His deadly holiness. You can sense the pain of the Father at the death of His Son Jesus of God. But in His very death, the heart of God was exposed for all the world to see. Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This access to God's heart is so exposed and so free, that the Holy Spirit speaking in the Book of Romans could say, Ro 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The heart of God forever laid bare by the sacrifice of His Son. Thank You Father for this expression of love for us, may we receive it and live.

Integrity Is Not the Norm, Let It Be Found In Me

# 408 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 1:1-10, “Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, 2 on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. 3 And David said to him, "Where have you come from?" So he said to him, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel." 4 Then David said to him, "How did the matter go? Please tell me." And he answered, "The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also." 5 So David said to the young man who told him, "How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?" 6 Then the young man who told him said, "As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7 "Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.' 8 "And he said to me, 'Who are you?' So I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' 9 "He said to me again, 'Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.' 10 "So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord." We begin the Book of 2 Samuel today, which is the story of David's reign in Israel. There is a smooth transition here as the news of Saul's death is now brought to David. This Amalekite who stumbles into David's camp tells an entirely different story about Saul's death than what we have just read in 1 Samuel 31! Which account are we to believe? …..Believe the first. This Amalekite is one of those breed of men that Victor Hugo spoke of in Les Miserables. He wrote, “”after the conquerors, come the robbers.” These are the people who follow battles and strip the dead of their valuables. This Amalekite had stumbled upon the body of Saul and saw it as an opportunity to find great favor with David. Will he? Stay tuned! Father, integrity is not the norm in this sin-filled world, but let it be found in me.