Tuesday's Devo - Keep Your Eyes Open

Read 1 Chron. 19
Nahash the Ammonite king dies and David wants to do something nice for his son, Hanun because Nahash had been nice to the Israelites. Nahash means "a snake" and his kindness was that when he came us to attack Jabeshgilead he didn't kill them. The people of Jabeshgilead asked him to make a covenant with him that they would serve him if they promised to spare their lives. Nahash said OK if you have to let me thrust out all of your right eyes. Thank God, Saul heard about what was going on and mustered up Israel to fight and they didn't have to lose an eye. Later on God reproved them for even asking Nahash to be their king. That does not seem to be a kindness that needs to be repaid, but apparently David thought so.
David sent his servants to comfort Hanun and his men told him they thought David was using this excuse to spy out the land so he could come back and attack. So he ordered David's men to be shaved and their garments cut off in the middle of their buttocks. (What a visual!) This was a total humiliation to them so David let them live in Jericho till their beards grew back. David was pretty ticked and Hanum knew it so Hanum hired out some chariots and horsemen from Syria and they met David's men on the battlefield. Half of David's men fought the Ammonites and the other half fought the Syrians. The Ammonites fled and Syrians lost so bad they promised to become their servants and never to help the Ammonites any more.
Satan, the snake is a pretty good deceiver. He convinced Eve to eat the apple and he convinced David to think Nahash was a friend to be honored when he was really a snake in the grass. The enemy is tricky and will hurt you and make you think he is doing you a favor. He loves to make bargains: an eye for your life. That would be like telling you not to go any deeper with God because it is causing problems in your marriage. Let's just cut out part of your ability to see into the spirit, but you can live in peace at home. How about this instead: you going deeper with God and be quiet about it. Your meekness and change of attitude will be attractive instead of intimidating and you will draw your husband in by your quiet and gentle spirit. (1 Pet. 3:4)
Lord, open both our eyes: our spiritual and our natural and help us to see the devil for what he is and serve only you.