Thurs. devo - Be Significant!

Read 2 Sam. 2: 17-
David's men are fighting Abner's men for the throne. Abner's men are losing so Abner makes a break for it. Three of David's men follow him. Abner recognizes his cousin, Asahel and tries to convince him to go after someone younger so he won't have to kill him. But Asahel and his friends keep following him. Abner finally takes his sword and stabs Asahel with the blunt end of it "under the 5th rib." (Another saying that is used over and over.) I haven't figured its significance out yet, but it is significant. It is also significant that these 3 mens name mean: "God is father (God), the gift (Holy Spirit), and wrought of God (Jesus). Looks like the trinity to me. Also interesting, the one associated with Jesus is the one who gets the spear in the side.
Both captains Joab and Abner have a meeting and decide to end the battle. Joab blows a trumpet and the battle is over.
The battle count comes in and David has lost 20 men, Abner has lost 360. Asahel's body is taken to Bethlehem to be buried.
So what do we learn from this? Life in the Old Testament seems so insignificant (there's that word again). They are born and they are killed. Yet their life is important because it is part of God's big plan. Jesus only lived 33 years, but I would say his life was pretty significant. But his death was the most significant. Asahel's death must have been significant because when the people came to the place where he died they stood still. And when they numbered the slain he was named, not numbered. Lord, may our lives for you be significant to the kingdom of God. May we be a name, not a number.
Wednesday's Devo- Collecting on an Old Debt. 2-17-09
Read 2 Sam. 2:1-16
Saul has been killed and it's David's turn to become king. But how does one go about becoming king? David knows - he asks God where to go. God says: Hebron. Hebron was an enemy stronghold. It was owned by the children of Heth and "Heth" means "terror". It is one of the highest cites in Palestine which meant it was demonically strong. Abraham had sojourned there for most of his life. He bought the cave and burying grounds of Macpelah to bury his wife, Sarah. Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were buried there also. And this is the land that the 12 spies explored, so it is part of the Promise Land. Isn't that the way it always goes. God promises us something that we have to get back from the enemy, and "fear" is usually the owner. Also, it usually costs us our lives. But that's OK because God is trying to kill our old man.... to resurrect a new one. The Devil is trying to kill us to deem us unoperable.
Of course, David can't become king without opposition, because the devil has worked too hard to keep this from happening to give up now. So he uses Abner, Saul's right- hand-man as his tool to oppose David's kingship. Abner takes Saul's son, Ish-bosheth (which means "man of shame") and crowns him king over Israel and David is king over Judah.
Both kings meet for a battle. They offer up 12 men apiece to fight each other. They match up man-for-man and each kill each other - stalemate. So David's army have to fight Abner's.
What has God promised you that is now in the enemies' camp? Your child, your husband, your dream. You can "buy it back". It's costly, and won't come without a fight; but it's so worth it and Jesus has already paid the bill, you just need to collect.