Fri.’s Devo - God’s Perfect Will

Read: 1 Samuel 29:1-31:13; John 11:55-12:19; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 15:24-26 When I read this story, I always wonder what David would have done if he had gone to war with Israel. Would he have turned on the Philistine army? I see it as God’s way of taking David completely out of the picture so no one could accuse him of killing Saul. God knew that this was Saul’s end and he needed David innocent. David had been offended when he was asked to leave and not fight with them but God needed him in another war fighting for his family. If David had been allowed to stay and fight he might have never seen his family again and all of his men would have wanted to kill him. God’s way was best and David and his men were able to recover everything that had been taken from them and even the plunder from battles they didn’t have to fight. That is what happens when we walk in the Spirit. God gives us back everything the devil has stolen and even more. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. Two hundred of his six hundred men had stayed behind with the equipment and when the others came back with the spoil, they didn’t want to share it with them. David rebuked them for their selfishness and made a law that those who guard the equipment get the same as those who go to war. Both are important. Many people cannot go on mission trips but they can support the ones who can with money and prayer. The ones who support the missions will get the same reward as those who go. Meanwhile, in the battle between the Philistines and Saul was playing out just as Samuel had said it would. Saul’s three sons, including Jonathan were killed on the battle field. Saul was wounded and asked his armor bearer to finish him off because he didn’t want the Philistines to taunt and torture him. When his armor bearer couldn’t kill him, Saul did it himself. His armor bearer followed suit. Then the Philistines took Saul’s body and taunted and tortured his body. They put his head in their temple to Ashroreth and hung his body and his son’s bodies on the wall at Beth-shan. Israel warriors came at night and took their bodies and buried them and fasted for seven days. In John, it was almost Passover and Jesus was making his way to Jerusalem where the leading priests had ordered anyone who saw Jesus to tell them so they could arrest him. Jesus stopped at the home of Lazareth’s and Mary anointed his feet with expensive perfume. Judas commented that her perfume was worth a years wages and instead of being wasted, it could have been sold and the money used for the poor. Judas was only thinking of how much of it he could have stolen for himself. Jesus told him to leave her alone because she was preparing his body for burial. No one understood that comment but they were used to that. News spread that Jesus was riding his donkey on his way to Jerusalem, so the people took palm branches and spread them on the road and sang the praises of the Hallel to him. He was fulfilling scripture that soon they would remember. There were such crowds around Jesus that the religious leaders realized they would not be able to arrest him in broad daylight or there would be chaos. Lord, thank you for reminding us that we might not understand our lives at the time, but it will all make sense in the end. Your will will be done.