Tues.’s Devo - Stay Attached to the Vine

Read: 2 Samuel 9:1-11:27; John 15:1-27; Psalm 119:49-64;Provers 16:1-3 David wanted to honor anyone left in Jonathan’s house because of his love for Jonathan and the covenant they had made with each other. He learned from Ziba, who had been a servant of Saul, that Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth was still alive. He had been crippled since he was a small child. David called in Mephibosheth and told him that he was giving him all the land that had belonged to Saul, his grandfather, and that Ziba would be his servant and help him manage the land. But, Mephibosheth would live in Jerusalem and always eat at his table as one of his sons. Mephibosheth was humbled and grateful. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants so this was a blessing for him also. *** Nahash who had been king of the Ammonites died and David wanted to send his condolences to his son Hanun. David sent some men to console Hanun. The princes of Hanun convinced him that the only reason David sent men to him was to scout out their land so they could attack it later. *** Hanun believed his men and took David’s servants and had their beard shaved off and cut their garments at their hips and sent them home disgraced. David came to meet his men and let them stay in Jericho until their beards grew back. *** David was angry at the Ammonites. They knew it, so they hired the Syrians to fight with them against Israel. They divided their army in half and the Ammonite army came to the gate of the city while the Syrians waited in the field on the other side of the city. *** David’s army commander, Joab saw this and sent some of the best of his army to go with him to fight the Syrians. Joab put Abishai, his brother, in charge of the rest of the army who would fight the Ammonites. They would help each other if they needed help. *** The Syrians fled before Joab and his army and when the Ammonites saw them flee, they also fled. The Syrians called for their reserves who had been waiting beyond the Euphrates. David led his army to meet them. The Syrians fled before David and lost 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen. Their army commander Shobach was killed. When Syria realized they couldn’t win, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. They were afraid to ever fight for the Ammonites again. *** It was the spring of the year and David usually went out to war as their king, but this year he decided to stay in Jerusalem. He was walking on his roof and noticed a beautiful woman bathing. He inquired about her and found out she was married to Uriah, one of David’s mighty warriors who was off fighting for him. *** It didn’t matter to David that she was married, or that her husband was off risking his life for Israel; David sent for Bathsheba and slept with her. He soon learned Bathsheba was pregnant with his baby. He tried everything he could think of to have Uriah, her husband come home from the battle field and sleep with his wife, so he would think that the child was his. But, God was not going to let David hide his sin. *** David finally had Uriah killed, but it was done in a way that no one would know it was his doing. God knew, and he was not happy. *** Bathsheba mourned her husband’s death. Then David sent for Bathsheba and she became one of his wives. *** In John, Jesus told his disciples an allegory. God was like the owner of a vineyard. Jesus was the true vine that all the good grapes grew from. We, as his followers are the fruit of his vine. Apart from the vine, we can do nothing because he is our source of life. As long as we stay attached to the vine, we will be fruitful and healthy. If we don’t stay attached, we will be thrown away and thrown into the fire to be destroyed. It is believing in his words that keep us attached to him. It is the Fathers’s will that we bear fruit and abide in his love. We prove that we love him by obeying his commandments. Then, he can call us his friend instead of his master. It is his joy that we also love others in the family of God. *** We can expect the world to hate us, because they hated him also. They persecuted him, so we should expect them to do the same to us. They do this because they hate Jesus which means, they also hate God. *** The Helper was sent and he bore witness to the truth about Jesus. This witness is now our story, also. *** Lord, may we be your witnesses that you are the only way to truth and life. May we exemplify this truth to others today.

Mon.’s Devo - Building God’s House

Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-8:18; John 14:15-31; Psalm 119:33-48; Proverbs 15:33 David built his house, and when he began to live in it he thought about how he had this beautiful house of cedar, and God lived out in a tent. He told Nathan that he wanted to build God a house. Nathan told him to do it because it was obvious God was with David. But that night, the Lord came to Nathan and told him that he had always moved with his people in a tent and why would he want to settle down in a house made of cedar. He had never told any one to build him a house before. It was he who had built houses for his children. *** God continued. He had taken David from the sheepfold and made him ruler over all Israel. He had made his name great and given the people land to live in. He would give them peace from their enemies. God will make David a house. But, his offspring after him would be the one to build God a house. This man would be a son to God and God would discipline him as a son. God would always love him and David’s house and his kingdom would be established forever. *** Nathan told all this to David and his response was to go and sit before the Lord and pray. He worshiped God for choosing him. He realized that what God said was not just for then but for a great while to come, and it was the instruction for mankind. *** Israel was the one nation on earth who God came down to redeem to be his people. He make himself known through them. He took them out of the bondage of Egypt and its gods. He established that the children of Israel were his people. David was blessed that his family was chosen to reign over God’s people. He prayed that God would bless his house forever. *** After this, David went out and defeated the Philistines, the Moabites, the Rehobites, the Syrians, the Ammonites, the Edomites and the Amalekites. God was with him and gave him victory wherever he went. David brought the spoils and tribute and stored them in his treasuries for the Lord. They would be used to built God’s house. *** I look at David’s reign as what we have been going through in the world. We are fighting the Lord’s battles and defeating evil forces who have been ruling over us. We are entering into Solomon’s reign where we will built God’s temple here on earth (figuratively or physically, I don’t know). It will be a time of great peace and prosperity. Right now, God is giving us victory wherever we go. *** In John, Jesus tells his disciples of the Helper he has asked God to send us. He is the Spirit of truth that the world would not be able to receive. It won’t be able to see him or know him. We will know him because he will live in us. *** Jesus was not leaving them or us without a father. He promised to come back. He promised not to die but to live in us. We who follow God’s commandments will be loved by him and Jesus will manifest himself to us. Jesus and God will come make their home in us. This was what God was saying through Jesus. *** The Holy Spirit will come and be our Helper. He will teach us all the things Jesus said and teach us what they meant. Jesus leaves us with the gift of peace. *** Jesus told them he was going away, but he would come to them. He was going back to God and doesn’t have much longer to talk to them. The ruler of the world was coming but he has no claim on Jesus. Jesus submitted to God and demonstrated that love for his Father. *** Lord, may we live our lives demonstrating that we love you and will do whatever you ask us to do.

Sun.’s Devo - David’s Kingdom is Established

Read: 2 Samuel 4:1-6:23; John 13:31-14:14; Psalm 119:17-32; Proverbs 15:31-32 Baanah and Rechab were the captains of Saul’s raiding bands. When they heard that Abner had been killed at Hebron, so they went to Ish-bosheth’s house and killed him in his bed. They cut off his head and took it to David expecting a reward. Instead, they got the same reward as the man who gave David the news that Saul had been killed. David commanded his men to kill them and cut off their hands and feet and hang them beside the pool at Hebron. Their hands and feet had done a terrible sin. *** All the tribes of Israel came to Hebron to make David their king. David was 30 years old and reigned for 40 years over all Israel. *** David took his army to Jerusalem to fight the Jebusites who had said that even the blind and the lame could win over David. He took the city and named it the city of David. *** When Hiram the king of Tyre sent cedar trees, carpenters, and masons to build David a house, David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel. He would finally have a permanent house in Israel. Even other nations were recognizing him and honoring him. *** David began to build his family with more concubines and wives. But, when the Philstines learned that David had become king of Israel, they were not as welcoming. They came to kill him. *** David asked the Lord if he should go out against the Philistines and if He would give them success. The Lord told him to go and he would win. David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines. Davids’ men carried the Philistine idols away with them. *** The Philisines then went to the Valley of Rephaim. God told David to do a rear attack. God would chase them right into their hands. David’s army struck them down and chased them from Geba to Gezer. *** David then gathered all the chosen men of Israel which were 30,000 at Baale-Judah to bring up the ark of God. They brought it on a new cart out of the house of Abinadab. *** David danced before the Lord to the music of all kinds of instruments. Abinadab’s house was on a hill and when the ark came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled. Uzzah put out his hand to the steady the ark. God was so angry, he killed him. *** David was angry and afraid of the Lord because he killed Uzzah. He wondered how he would ever get to bring the ark up to him. He left the ark at the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite. It stayed there for 3 months. During that short time, God blessed the house of Obed-edom. *** When David learned that God had so blessed Obed-edom, he felt confident to bring the ark to the city of David. This time, he brought the ark on the shoulders of priests and sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal every 6 steps. He rejoiced and danced before the ark with all his might. *** David had prepared a tent to house the ark and when the ark arrived there, David offered burnt offerings and peace offering before the Lord. He then blessed the people in the name of the Lord and gave them all bread, meat and some raisins. The people went home. *** When David arrived at his house, Michal, his wife who was Saul’s daughter came to meet him. She mocked how he had danced without his kingly garments before the people. She called him vulgar and shameless. David rebuked her and told her that he had done this before the Lord who had chosen him to be king over her father. He would become more dishonorable to her than this. From that day, Michal was not able to have children. *** In John, Jesus told his disciples that God was now going to be glorified in him. They had just left the place where they had their last supper together. He told them he was leaving them and they couldn’t come where he was going. He then gave them a new commandment. Instead of loving others as they love themselves, they were to love others as he had loved them. He had demonstrated to them and would demonstrate what that meant. It would mean laying down your lives for someone else which was much more powerful than loving others the same as you love yourself. *** Of course, Peter wanted to know where Jesus was going that they couldn’t come. Peter offered to lay down his life for Jesus, but Jesus let Peter know that he was not ready to do that. Before the rooster crowed he would have denied knowing him three times. *** Jesus told his disciples not to worry, but believe in God and in himself. He is going to prepare a place for them to come. He told them they knew where he was going. Thomas assured him, they did not know where he was going, so how would they know how to find him. Jesus told him that he was the way, the truth, and the life. God was in Jesus and because they had seen him, they had seen God. *** Phillip still didn’t get it and asked Jesus to show them God. Jesus said, ‘have I been with you for all this time and you still haven’t understood?’ It is God in him who says what he says and does all he does. Whoever believes in him will also do the works he does and greater works because he is going to his Father. He told them that whatever they ask in his name, he will do it so that God would be glorified. *** Jesus, we believe that you are who you say you are and that you answer all our prayers accordingly to your promises. Lord God, may you be glorified in our lives.

Sat.’s Devo - David’s Rocky Start

Read: 2 Samuel 2:12-3:39; John 13:1-30; Psalm 119:1-16; Proverbs 15:29-30 Abner who was the army officer of Ishbosheth came head to head with Joab, David’s army officer at the pool of Gibeon. Abner suggested they have a contest. Twelve of his best men would fight 12 of Joab’s men. They agreed and they each killed the other. Then the real battle began. 
 *** Joab had two brothers named Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was a very fast runner, so he pursued Abner on foot. Abner was much older and didn’t want to kill Asahel, but when Asahel wouldn’t stop pursuing him, he struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear. The spear went all the way through his body. *** Joab and Abishai saw that Abner had killed their younger brother and chased after Abner till they came to the land of Benjamin. All the people of Benjamin came out in support of Joab. Abner called out to Joab to stop the killing and called a truce. Joab agreed. When Joab got back to his troops they found they had lost 19 men, but Abner had lost 360 men. *** The house of Saul continued to war with the house of David. David became stronger while Saul became weaker. *** During this time, David had six sons by six different wives. Their order was Amnon, Chilean, Absalom, Adonijah, Stephatiah, and Ithream. *** Abner was becoming powerful in Israel and went in to Ishbosheth’s concubine which showed great disrespect to the king. When Ishbosheth confronted Abner, he was very offended. He told Ishbosheth he had made him who he was today and he would unmake him just as easily. He was defecting to David’s side and would give him Israel. Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner from that day on. *** Abner went to David and offered to make a covenant with him to give him Israel. David said he would make a covenant with him if Abner would give him back his wife, Michal who Saul had given to Paltiel. Abner went and got Michal and brought her to David. Abner also met with the elders of Israel to tell them that it was time to make David their king. They agreed. *** Abner met with David again at Hebron and told him he would go throughout Israel and bring them there so they could make a covenant and make David their king. David let him go in peace. *** Meanwhile, Joab had just returned from a raid and was bringing all the spoils to David. He heard that Abner had met with David and had left in peace. He pursued Abner and killed him as revenge for killing his brother. *** When David found out what Joab did, he cursed his house with illness, leprosy, death and poverty. *** David made Joab and all who were with them tear their clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn for Abner. He refused to eat till the sun went down. The people of Israel loved David and approved of all he did. *** In John, Jesus was at his last supper with his disciples. Judas had already made up his mind to betray Jesus. Jesus knew he was going back to God and this was the last moments he would have with his disciples. He washed their feet. When Peter didn’t understand, Jesus told him he would understand later. *** Then Jesus asked them if they understood what he had just done. He told them that he had done this as an example for them to do to others. They were to remain humble and serving God, their creator and master. He told them that one of them was not clean and that he would lift his heel against him. He finally told them that one of them would betray him. They were all questioning who it was. Jesus dipped his bread and said that the one he gave it to was him. He gave it to Judas. He then sent Judas out to do what he had determined to do. The disciples didn’t understand what was happening and thought Jesus was sending him on a mission to buy something. Jesus was in truth sending him to sell him. *** Lord, how precious those last moments with your disciples must have been for you. Thank you that one day we will be able to see you face to face. May we enjoy your fellowship daily even now.

Fri.’s Devo - David Becomes King of Judah

Read: 2 Samuel 1:1-2:11; John 12:20-50; Psalm 118:19-29; Proverbs 15:27-28 Three days after David had been home from his victory over the Amalekites, a man from Saul’s camp came to see him, He bowed down to him and told him he had escaped from the battle with Israel. David wanted to hear all about it. The man told him that Israel had fled in the heat of battle and Saul and all his sons had been killed. David asked him how he knew for sure that Saul and his sons were dead. The man told him that he had happened upon Saul while he was leaning on his own sword. Saul asked him to kill him because he was dying too slowly. So the man killed him and took his crown and bracelet to bring to David. *** David was overcome with grief and tore his clothes. He mourned, wept and fasted till that evening. He found out the man who told him was an Amalekite. He rebuked him for not being afraid to kill God’s anointed and had him killed. He then quoted a prophecy from the Book of Jashar about the death of Saul and the defeat of Israel. *** David asked the Lord what he should do next and the Lord told him to move his family to Hebron. The men of Judah came and anointed him as the king over the house of Judah. *** David learned what the men of Jabesh-gilead had done to Saul and his sons bodies and blessed them and promised to reward them. *** Meanwhile, Abner made Ishbosheth king over Israel. Ishbosheth was 40 years old and only reigned 2 years. David was king in Hebron over Judah 7 years and 6 months. *** In John, it was the time of the Passover so all the Jewish men had come to Jerusalem to celebrate. Some Greeks also came to the feast and were hoping to see Jesus. Jesus told his disciples that it was time for the Son of Man to be glorified. *** Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat dies, it will not bear fruit. He was that seed. For a person to find their lives, they would have to lose it. Whoever wants to follow him will have to lose their life to find eternal life. *** Jesus was troubled in his soul but knew he was brought to the world for this very purpose. He praised that God’s name would be glorified. When he said this, God spoke from heaven and said, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd only heard God’s words as thunder. Others thought an angel had said the words. Jesus told them that the voice they heard was not for his sake, but for theirs. Judgement had come to the earth and the ruler of this wold would be cast out. When he was lifted up from the earth on the cross many would come to him. When they didn’t know who the Son of Man was, he told them he was the light. If they believed in his light, they would also walk in light. *** Jesus left and hid himself. Many, though they had seen the miracles he did, did not believe in him. It was just as Isaiah had said, God had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts or they would have believed. But, some did believe, but were afraid to admit it for fear of being kicked out of the synagogue. *** Jesus told him that he didn’t come to the world to condemn or judge it but to save it. He had spoken only what his Father had told him to say and his commandment brings eternal life to all who believe. *** Lord, thank you that you have given us eyes to see and a heart to understand who you are. May we always walk in your light and may our light show others the way to you.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Perfect Timing

Read: 1 Samuel 29:1-31:13; John 11:54-12:19; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 15:24-26 The Philistine armies met at Aphek to plan their attack on Israel. When Achish showed up with David and his men with him, the other commanders wanted to know why he had brought David. Achish defended David as a loyal ally, but the other officers remembered him as a fierce competitor. They refused to let David and his men fight with them. They feared he would side with Saul and turn against them in the midst of the battle. *** Achish had to call David in and tell him that the other officers refused to let them fight, so he and his men would need to go home, peacefully. David and his men left early the next morning to go back to Ziklag. When they got there, they found that Amalekites had raided their city and burned it with fire. They had taken all their women and children with them. David’s men were so upset with David, they talked of stoning him. *** David was in distress also, but he strengthened himself in the Lord. He told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the Lord if they should pursue the Amalekites and if they would be successful. The Lord told him to go and he would be successful. *** David’s 600 men left to rescue their families, but when they came to the brook Besor, 200 of his men were too exhausted to keep going. They stayed there and the other 400 continued. *** They found an Egyptian who had been left there by his Amalekite master because he had become sick. He hadn’t eaten in three days. David fed and him and found out he had been with the ones who raided their city. David promised not to kill him if he would take them to where the Amalekites were. He agreed. *** He took them to where the Amalekites were camped. They were eating and drinking and celebrating over their great spoil. David and his men attacked and fought them all day. He and his men recovered everything the Amalekites had stolen and took their spoil. *** They came back to where the 200 were that had been too exhausted to go on. Some of his worthless men didn’t want to share their spoil with these men, but David made it a statute that those who go to battle share their spoil with those stay with the baggage. David also sent presents from the spoil to all the places his men had stayed to thank them. *** Meanwhile, back at the battle between the Philistines and Israel. Saul and his three sons were killed in the battle. Israel fled. The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the ones who had died, they found the bodies of Saul and his sons. They cut off their heads and stripped them of their armor. They put Saul’s armor in the temple of Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what they had done, they came by night and stole Saul’s body and the body of his sons and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days. *** In John, it was not safe for Jesus to walk openly among the Jews so he went to a town near the wilderness called Ephraim and stayed there with is disciples. *** It was the time of the Passover and the Jews had many looking for him so they could arrest him. 
 *** Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany to visit Martha, Mary and Lazareth. After dinner, Mary took a pound of expensive ointment and anointed Jesus feet and wiped it with her hair. When Judas saw this, he asked why her perfume wasn’t sold and the money given to the poor instead of wasting it on Jesus’ feet. Judas wasn’t worried about the poor, he was a thief and was in charge of the money bag, so he saw this as a lost opportunity *** Jesus told Judas to leave her alone because she would use the rest for his burial. He added that they would always have the poor to help, but they would not always had him. *** A large crowd heard that Jesus was at Lazareth’s house and they came not only to see Jesus, but to see the man that he had risen from the dead. The chief priest realized that they wold need to put Lazareth to death also. *** Many learned that Jesus was coming to the feast and took their palm branches and laid them at his feet crying out 
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” This is the song they would sing every year while walking to Jerusalem, only this time they sang it to him. *** Jesus rode in on a donkey. His disciples understood later, that the prophets had said this about him. The Pharisees saw that the whole nation was going after Jesus and he had to be stopped. *** Lord, your timing is perfect. It was perfect that David and his men were not allowed to go to battle against Israel. Many would have blamed David for Saul’s death, but not they couldn’t because he wasn’t there. Thank you that you see the end from the beginning and you save us from many troubles. Your timing in Jesus’ life was also perfect. Every act was orchestrated to teach us about you and your ways. May we always praise you and worship you.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Sovereignty -

Read: 1 Samuel 26:1-28:25; John 11:1-53; Psal 117:1-2; Proverbs 15:22-23 The Ziphites came to Saul and told him where David was camping. Saul took 3,000 men to find him. When David saw Saul and his men he knew that Saul still wanted to kill him. He waited till night time and took Abishai with him to Saul’s camp. God had caused the men in Saul’s camp to go into a deep sleep. David and Abishai stole Saul’s sword and water jar. They put some distance between them and Saul before they woke them up. *** David yelled to Abner, Saul’s bodyguard and leader of his army and asked why he didn’t protect the king. David showed him his sword and water jar and told him he could have killed him but didn’t want to kill God’s anointed. He stated that as he had mercy on Saul and didn’t kill him, he prayed the Lord would return the favor and deliver him out of all his tribulation. (His tribulation had to do with Saul.) *** Saul prophesied that David would do many things and have success. They parted. *** It was obvious to David that he would never be able to live in Israel as long as Saul was alive, so he moved his 600 men to the land of the Philistines. He went to Achish, the same king he had acted like a mad man in front of and lived there with his household. Saul didn’t want to pursue David in the land of the Philistines. *** After living with Achish for a while, he asked him if he might have a city for him and his men to live in. Achish gave him the city of Ziklag. David lived there for a year and four months. *** David would take his men out to raid the Geshurites, the Girizites, and the Amalekites (Israel’s enemies). He made sure he killed everyone in the city so there would be no witness to tell Achish what he had done. When Achish asked him where he had been that day, he would tell him he had raided a city in Israel. So, Achish believed that David hated his land and his people. *** The Philistines came up to fight Saul and Achish told David that he and his men would be expected to fight with him. He wanted David to be his bodyguard for life. *** Saul was afraid to go out to war without asking the Lord if they would be successful. He didn’t have Samuel to ask and God wasn’t responding through the priest or the prophets, so he asked if anyone knew of a sorcerer to ask. He had had them banned from Israel, but one of his servants knew of a medium who lived in Endor. *** Saul discussed himself so she wouldn’t know he was the king and be afraid since mediums had been banned from Israel. He went to her and asked her to bring up a spirit from the dead. He assured her he wouldn’t kill her. *** She brought up Samuel for him. Immediately, she knew he was Saul. Saul promised again not to kill her. He asked Samuel if they would be successful the next day in battle against the Philistines. He explained that the Lord had turned away from him and he had no one else to turn to. Samuel told him the Lord had become his enemy and has torn the kingdom out of his hands and given it to David. He didn’t obey the voice of the Lord to kill all the Amelekites that day, so this is his consequence. He would die along with his sons, and the army of Israel would not succeed against the Philistines. *** Saul fainted on the ground in fear. The woman gave him some food and his men urged him to eat it. She fixed him his last supper - a lamb and unleavened bread. It must have been the season of Passover. The death angel would come for him the next day. *** In John, Lazareth, Mary and Martha’s brother became deathly ill. They sent word to Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus said that his illness would not lead to death, but the Son of God would be glorified in it. *** God had him wait till Lazareth had died before he sent him to where Lazareth was in Judea. His disciples discouraged him against going back to the town where they were trying to kill him. He told them that he must walk in the day (God’s light). Those that stumble are those who walk in darkness. He added that Lazareth had fallen asleep, but he was going to wake him up. He meant that he had died. *** When they got to Bethany, they found that Lazareth had been in his tomb dead for four days. Martha met him and told him that if he had been there, Lazareth would’t have died. Jesus said he would rise again because He was the resurrection and the life and anyone who believes in him will never die. He asked her if she believed in him. She proclaimed he was the Christ, the son of God. *** Martha went and got Mary who quickly came to Jesus. She fell at his feet and told him if he had been there, Lazareth would’t have died. Jesus asked where the tomb was that he had been laid. They took him there where Jesus wept. *** Jesus asked them to take the stone away and when Martha questioned this, he told her that if she believed she would see the glory of God. Then he prayed aloud to God. He then spoke to Lazareth and told him to come out. Lazareth came out with his death clothes on. Jesus told the people to take the linen strips off of him and set him free. *** Many believed in Jesus this day, but some of them went and told the Pharisees what he had done. The Pharisees gathered the council to talk about what their response would be to this. They knew that if they continued to let him do these signs, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and unseat them as the leaders of the Jews. *** Caiaphas, the high priest said, “Do you not understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, instead of the whole nation?” Little did he understand that he was prophesying exactly what Jesus would do. He would not only die for the nation but the whole world. From that day on they made plans to kill Jesus. *** God is sovereign, and it was his will that David become the king. No matter what Saul did, he could not kill David. The same was happening in Jesus’ day. They could not kill Jesus, no mater what they planned until God said it was time for Jesus to give up his life. God is the one in control, not man. *** Lord, it is easy to see that we are living in the same scenario. Those who are opposing what you are doing on the earth today are doing all they can do to kill our President who you have anointed. Obviously, his time has not come to leave the earth because God has protected him and kept him alive. May we be on the side of good and not evil in the days we are living. We trust in your plan.