Mon.’s Devo - Tying up Loose Ends

Read: 2 Samuel 20:14-21:22; Acts 1:1-26; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 16:18 Sheba traveled throughout the tribes of Israel until he came to the town of Abel-beth-maacah. Joab and his forces arrived and built a siege ramp against the town’s walls. A wise woman called to Joab from the top of the wall and ask him why he was attacking their city. Joab told her that he had nothing against the people. All he wanted was Sheba. *** The woman went back to the people of her town and convinced them to kill Sheba and throw his head over the wall to Joab. Joab and his men blew the ram’s horn and returned to Jerusalem. *** A famine arose in the land. After three years, David asked the Lord about why it was there. He told him it was because Saul tried to annihilate the Gibeonites who Joshua had made a covenant of peace with. *** David summoned the Gibeonites and asked them how he could make amends with them. Money wouldn’t be enough, they wanted seven of Saul’s sons so they could execute them at Gibeon. *** David spared Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth but gave them seven other sons. They were all executed around Pentecost. *** Rizpah was the mothers of two of the sons that were killed. She watched over their dead bodies all through the harvest season to keep the birds from eating their bodies. When David found out, he had their bodies and all the bone of Saul and his family be brought and buried in their hometown of Zela. God then ended the famine. *** The Israelites went to war with the Philistines again. David was almost killed but Aisha came to his rescue. That was when David’s men convinced David to stop going out to battle anymore. Four giants were killed in their battles with the Philistines. *** In Acts, Luke writes to Theophilus all the things that Jesus did when he appeared to the disciples after he died. Jesus had talked to then about the Kingdom of God. *** He told then to stay in Jerusalem until the Father sends them the gift of the Holy Spirit and he baptizes them. The Holy Spirit would give them power to be his witnesses. After Jesus told him this, he was taken up to heaven. Two angels appeared to them and said that Jesus would one day return from heaven in the same way they saw him leave. *** Jesus’ followers all met together in prayer and waited. There were about 120 of them. Peter stood up and reported the awful death of Judas and what the scriptures said about replacing him. They nominated two men: Joseph and Matthias. They cast lots and it fell on Matthias. *** God doesn’t like loose ends. He finishes what he started. Breaking covenant with the Gibeonites was a big deal to God and he didn’t forget their promise. Lord, help us to close all the doors to sin and not leave anything open that he could reenter. May you shut every door we have left open and open every door that needs to be opened in our lives.