David

Run to God and Wait

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalm 27:1 When I am aware of thoughts that are causing me to lose sleep or I have feelings of discomfort in my body — I am learning to just run to God. It is easy to blame others, like your spouse, a political party, or the government for your frustrations. I am thankful that as I run to God, I can just say, “Lord, this is what is on my mind and my heart. God, what is your answer to my frustration? How can I align with you in this situation?” I can then wait for God’s answer. God has victory in store for your life, and half of that victory is just believing that it is so. Looking at the life

May 8, 2022 No Comments

God Has the Final Say

“Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, ‘I will be king.’ So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never rebuked him by asking, ‘Why do you behave as you do?’ He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)” – 1 Kings 1:5,6 When David was a very old man and close to death, his son Adonijah thought that he should be Israel’s next leader and take his father’s place. However, the king had already decided that Solomon, his tenth son and the child of Bathsheba, would be his successor. Nevertheless, Adonijah usurped the throne and quickly gathered a group of officials around him to crown him king and throw him a coronation party. Hearing of this, Bathsheba alerted the prophet Nathan, and the two of them went to the ailing David and

September 7, 2021 1 Comment

Gratitude with Contentment

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:11-13 Well, we made it to Thanksgiving 2020. It’s been a rough nine months, and for most of us, the holidays look a great deal different than they did last year. Some of us are sad about not being with the people we love today, and others are grieving the loss of a friend or family member. Knowing this, it can be difficult to experience strong feelings of gratitude. So what do we do?

November 26, 2020 No Comments

Slinging Stones of Faith

“Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.” – 1 Samuel 17:49 We know that David killed Goliath with a slingshot, and though many of us were taught that it was a miracle that he was able to knock him down with just one stone, historically-speaking, slinging was a very effective way to hunt. While it was eventually replaced by archery because a bow and arrow have a longer range, a tiny rock slung within 20 feet of a target was just as powerful as a .44 pistol. Such a weapon was simple and inexpensive to fashion, and although there was considerable skill involved in mastering it, David was well-practiced since he was accustomed to fighting off the predatory animals that sought to attack his sheep.

November 25, 2020 No Comments

The Kingdom of No Labels or Limits

“David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.” – 1 Samuel 17:14,15 One of the things we forget about David is that he was young and almost naively courageous. Since he was the last born and lowest on the family food chain, he was entrusted with caring for the flocks. Unfortunately, being a shepherd in his time was the lowliest of professions, and it was usually reserved for eleven or twelve-year-old boys or fifteen to sixteen-year-old girls. Therefore, for David, being a young 20-something man and tending sheep was far from a badge of honor. Though he was gifted in many ways, it seems he was nearly invisible to his father, and his natural skills and abilities went largely unnoticed by his family. Thankfully, he had a deep and soul-building relationship with God, and

November 24, 2020 No Comments

Speak Victory!

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’” – 1 Samuel 17:45 Lest any of us forget, words are powerful, and the things we say to ourselves and to others dramatically impact our outcomes. David was proof of this. Although he was young, inexperienced, and may have looked foolhardy to some, he spoke affirmatively and confidently in the presence of people. In fact, such a leader was he that he used his words to comfort and assure King Saul himself, telling him not to lose heart, and reminding him that the Philistines would ultimately be defeated. Even when Goliath spoke violently and intimidatingly in his hearing, the young shepherd responded with resolve as he invoked the name of His great

November 23, 2020 1 Comment

Heavenly Armor

“Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.” – 1 Samuel 17:41,42 There’s usually something about villains that compels them to behave badly. Whether it’s bitterness, hurt, or even physical pain, most people who choose a life of violence, crime, or deception have traveled a rough road. Surprisingly, this may have been the case for Goliath. Historians believe that the fabled “bad guy” was afflicted by a condition called acromegaly, which is the result of a tumor on the pituitary gland that causes the body to release too much human growth hormone. As a result, though he was huge in size, his health was actually frail and brittle. In fact, it’s likely that he suffered from chronic pain and

November 21, 2020 2 Comments

Giants Fall

“Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.” – 1 Samuel 17:2,3 We learned yesterday that David was a skilled musician, but he was also a skilled warrior. In fact, when the Jews were in a major battle with the Philistines, he was the only one who dared to go out and fight Goliath, who was a giant enemy intimidator. The Bible says that there were two hills with a great valley in between, and on each hill, opposing armies were staged. In an effort to frighten the Jews and get them to back down, every night, they would send Goliath, who was about nine feet tall, to stand at the edge of the hill and hurl insults at the people of

November 20, 2020 No Comments

Anointed to Serve

“Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Saul’s attendants said to him, ‘See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.’” – 1 Samuel 16:14,15 Right after Samuel met David, the Lord confirmed to the prophet that he was the one who would be king, and without wasting a minute, he anointed the young man. While he wouldn’t take the throne for many years, at the moment he was chosen, the Holy Spirit came upon David and he was filled with God’s presence. Interestingly, at the same time, the Holy Spirit left Saul, and almost immediately, the king was tormented by a demon. Desperate for

November 19, 2020 No Comments

God Sees the Heart

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” – 1 Samuel 16:7 Yesterday, we learned about Saul and how, though he had all the worldly makings of a king, he was given over to arrogance that compromised his ability to lead. In fact, so upset was the Lord with his failure to govern justly that He decided a new ruler needed to be chosen. Once again, Samuel was appointed to find the right person for the job, so he headed over to the house of Jesse, who happened to have eight fine sons. When he arrived at their home, Jesse’s family nervously greeted the great man of God, wondering if he had come in peace.

November 18, 2020 1 Comment

Run to God and Wait

God Has the Final Say

Gratitude with Contentment

Slinging Stones of Faith

The Kingdom of No Labels or Limits

Speak Victory!

Heavenly Armor

Giants Fall

Anointed to Serve

God Sees the Heart

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