Read: 2 Samuel 17:1-29; John 19:23-42; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 16:12-13
Ahithophel gave Absalom his advice which was to attack immediately. David and his men would be tired, while his men were refreshed. They would only have to kill David and the people could come home unharmed. It was great advise and would have probably worked but remember, David had prayed that God would confuse Ahithophel’s council. God had heard his prayer.
Absalom decided to ask Hushai his advise, who was secretly a spy of David’s. Hushai told Absalom that Ahithophel’s advise was not good this time. What he should do was to rally all Israel and then go after David. David and his men were too good of fighters to kill with a few men; he would need all of Israel. God turned Absalom’s heart to follow Hushai’s advice. Ahithophel was so rejected that his advise had not been used that he went home and hung himself.
In the meantime, Hushai was able to get word to David to get as far away from Israel as he could. Hushai had bought David some time for David and his men to rest up and be ready for the battle. David fled to the land of Gilead where he had made friends with the leaders of the Ammonites during his days of running from Saul. Three of the Ammonite leaders gave him and his army food and supplies. Once again, God had gone before David and prepared for him.
In John, Jesus was crucified and his garments divided among the soldiers. When it came to his robe they saw that there was no way to tear it because it had no seams. So they cast lots for it fulfilling Psalms 22:18 that says, “They part my garments among them, and cast lot upon my vesture.”
The last words of Jesus were “It is finished.” These were the same words being spoken by the priest at the same time on the other side of Jerusalem. At 3:00 in the afternoon on Passover, the high priest would slay the Passover Lamb which was to atone for the sin of all Israel. When he finished, he would say “it is finished” and everyone would leave and go home. Little did they realize that it was finished for all time. They would have no more need for sacrifices because THE LAMB of God had been sacrificed once and for all and sin had been atoned for, for eternity.
The next day would be the Sabbath so they asked Pilate to make sure the men on the crosses were dead so they could prepare their bodies before the Sabbath, since they couldn’t touch a dead person on the Sabbath. Pilate agreed and sent a soldier to make sure they were dead. If they weren’t, he would break their legs so they wouldn’t be able to push up with their legs and breathe. They would die of asphyxiation. When they came to Jesus, he was already dead fulfilling Psalms 34:20 which says, “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.”
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus got permission from Pilate to take Jesus’ body and bury it. They laid Jesus in a tomb in a garden and anointed his body with spices.
I keep seeing Pilates’ name mentioned and I wonder what he is thinking this whole time. He knows Jesus is not guilty of anything worthy of death but he can’t get away from the memory. He is approached all during the process with requests about him. He gives them anything they ask probably to try to rid himself of the guilt of what he has allowed to happen.
Lord, I gain more and more appreciation for what you did for us on the cross and am overwhelmed with gratefulness. Thank you for enduring all the shame and pain to purchase our salvation. You are the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the earth.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Thurs.’s Devo - Let God Call the Shots
Read: 2 Samuel 15:23-16:23; John 18:25-19:22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 16:10-11
Yesterday we read where Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley on the way to his death. Today, we read where David crossed the Kidron Valley barefoot and weeping. The Kidron Valley is associated with death and was a dumping place for idolatry.
The priests accompanied David with the ark of the covenant. They offered sacrifices on the altar until the people who were with David were safely out of the city, then David ordered Zadok to take the ark back to Jerusalem. Whether David got to see it again would be in God’s hands. Zadok and his two sons, Jonathan and Ahimaaz were to go back and be David’s spies.
David got news that one of his advisors, Ahithophel, had conspired with Absalom so he prayed that God would turn his counsel into foolishness.
David was greeted by many people on his way out of Jerusalem. One was Hushai, his friend and councelor which he sent back with the priests to gain intel for him.
Next, David met Ziba, Saul’s servant who David had given charge over Mephibosheth’s land. He met David with food and wine and a lie. He told David that Mephibosheth had stayed in Jerusalem to wait for Absalom hoping he would be made king. David, rashly gave Ziba all of Mephibosheth’s land for himself.
Lastly, David met a man named Shimei from Saul’s clan. He cursed David and his men and threw stones at them. Abishia, the kings body guard wanted to cut his head off but David wouldn’t let him. He hoped that one day God would turn this cursing into a blessing.
Meanwhile as Hushai and the priest were entering Jerusalem through one gate, Absalom and his entourage were entering another gate. They arrived at the palace the same time. When Absalom questioned Hushai’s loyalty, he convinced him that he was there to serve him just as he had faithfully served David. Absalom believed him but he took advise from Ahithophel. Ahithophel advised him to set up a tent on top of his palace and go in to his father’s concubines so all could see. This fulfilled the prophecy given to David in 2 Samuel 12:11.
In John, Peter is confronted two more times by people who recognize him as one of Jesus’ followers. He denied, and the rooster crowed.
Jesus had been up all night being interrogated and abused. When morning came, they took him from Caiphas’ house to the palace of the Roman governor, Pilate. He asked for the charge against Jesus and they couldn’t come up with a charge so he told them to judge Jesus theirselves by their laws. They explained that their laws didn’t allow capital punishment.
Pilate took Jesus into his house and questioned him. When he couldn’t find any reason to arrest or charge him he went back outside and told the Jews. He decided to let the people choose who he would pardon since it was their custom to pardon one prisoner at that season. He brought out a man named Barabbus who was in jail for murdering people who opposed his religious beliefs. He was the exact opposite of Jesus. Pilate thought for sure that they would want to save Jesus and crucify Barabbus but they wanted Barabbus released. Pilate had no backbone to stand against the mob so he had Jesus flogged. The soldiers made a crown of thorns and put it on his head and a robe on his shoulders. They mocked Jesus saying he was the king of the Jews.
Pilate asked Jesus if he was the son of God and when Jesus wouldn’t answer him he told him that he had the right to kill him. Jesus put him in his place and told him that no one could take his life. Only God could allow Pilate to kill him but the greater sin would go to the ones who turned him over to Pilate. Pilate was getting very nervous about the whole thing and did everything he knew to set Jesus free. When this became impossible, he handed Jesus over to be crucified. He prepared a sign to be read in Aramaic, Latin and Greek which said, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. When they tried to get him to change it to read, He claimed to be… Pilate refused to change it.
David and Jesus had so many similarities but I think the one that stands out the most to me is the fact that they let God call all the shots and didn’t try to change them. They didn’t manipulate situations to make their lives more comfortable or easy. They took the cross they were given and submitted to the pain and agony of their mission.
Lord, help us to embrace our trials as a chance to grow and not escape pain. Irritation and friction produces the best pearls.
Yesterday we read where Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley on the way to his death. Today, we read where David crossed the Kidron Valley barefoot and weeping. The Kidron Valley is associated with death and was a dumping place for idolatry.
The priests accompanied David with the ark of the covenant. They offered sacrifices on the altar until the people who were with David were safely out of the city, then David ordered Zadok to take the ark back to Jerusalem. Whether David got to see it again would be in God’s hands. Zadok and his two sons, Jonathan and Ahimaaz were to go back and be David’s spies.
David got news that one of his advisors, Ahithophel, had conspired with Absalom so he prayed that God would turn his counsel into foolishness.
David was greeted by many people on his way out of Jerusalem. One was Hushai, his friend and councelor which he sent back with the priests to gain intel for him.
Next, David met Ziba, Saul’s servant who David had given charge over Mephibosheth’s land. He met David with food and wine and a lie. He told David that Mephibosheth had stayed in Jerusalem to wait for Absalom hoping he would be made king. David, rashly gave Ziba all of Mephibosheth’s land for himself.
Lastly, David met a man named Shimei from Saul’s clan. He cursed David and his men and threw stones at them. Abishia, the kings body guard wanted to cut his head off but David wouldn’t let him. He hoped that one day God would turn this cursing into a blessing.
Meanwhile as Hushai and the priest were entering Jerusalem through one gate, Absalom and his entourage were entering another gate. They arrived at the palace the same time. When Absalom questioned Hushai’s loyalty, he convinced him that he was there to serve him just as he had faithfully served David. Absalom believed him but he took advise from Ahithophel. Ahithophel advised him to set up a tent on top of his palace and go in to his father’s concubines so all could see. This fulfilled the prophecy given to David in 2 Samuel 12:11.
In John, Peter is confronted two more times by people who recognize him as one of Jesus’ followers. He denied, and the rooster crowed.
Jesus had been up all night being interrogated and abused. When morning came, they took him from Caiphas’ house to the palace of the Roman governor, Pilate. He asked for the charge against Jesus and they couldn’t come up with a charge so he told them to judge Jesus theirselves by their laws. They explained that their laws didn’t allow capital punishment.
Pilate took Jesus into his house and questioned him. When he couldn’t find any reason to arrest or charge him he went back outside and told the Jews. He decided to let the people choose who he would pardon since it was their custom to pardon one prisoner at that season. He brought out a man named Barabbus who was in jail for murdering people who opposed his religious beliefs. He was the exact opposite of Jesus. Pilate thought for sure that they would want to save Jesus and crucify Barabbus but they wanted Barabbus released. Pilate had no backbone to stand against the mob so he had Jesus flogged. The soldiers made a crown of thorns and put it on his head and a robe on his shoulders. They mocked Jesus saying he was the king of the Jews.
Pilate asked Jesus if he was the son of God and when Jesus wouldn’t answer him he told him that he had the right to kill him. Jesus put him in his place and told him that no one could take his life. Only God could allow Pilate to kill him but the greater sin would go to the ones who turned him over to Pilate. Pilate was getting very nervous about the whole thing and did everything he knew to set Jesus free. When this became impossible, he handed Jesus over to be crucified. He prepared a sign to be read in Aramaic, Latin and Greek which said, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. When they tried to get him to change it to read, He claimed to be… Pilate refused to change it.
David and Jesus had so many similarities but I think the one that stands out the most to me is the fact that they let God call all the shots and didn’t try to change them. They didn’t manipulate situations to make their lives more comfortable or easy. They took the cross they were given and submitted to the pain and agony of their mission.
Lord, help us to embrace our trials as a chance to grow and not escape pain. Irritation and friction produces the best pearls.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Wed.’s Devo - Two Different Things
Read: 2 Samuel 14:1-15:22; John 18:1-24; Psalm 119:97-112; Proverbs 16:8-9
Joab was David’s commander in chief and right hand man. He was faithful to David but also very tricky and manipulating. He had been in charge of Uriah’s death so that David could have Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. He was well trained in getting what he wanted. He saw that David was mourning his relationship with Absalom so he got a woman to act out a similar situation. It reminds me of what Nathan did but the difference was Nathan was led by the Lord and Joab was doing what he thought was best. Those are two different things.
The lady’s story did get David’s attention and he let Absalom come back and live in the area but he refused to see him. I’m not sure what David meant to accomplish by doing that because it only worked against him. After two years, Absalom had had enough of rejection and after trying to make an appointment with Joab unsuccessfully, he decided to get his attention by burning down his field. It worked; Joab got him an audience with King David.
David met with Absalom but it only gave Absalom more power to exalt his own kingdom. He used his good looks, availability and charisma to sway the hearts of the people. When he felt he had enough followers, he went to Hebron and pronounced himself king.
David knew enough about Absalom to know he better flee. He left 10 of his concubines to watch over the kingdom. Many of his servants went with him. A man named Ittai had just arrived in Israel because he had been exiled from his homeland of the Philistines. David told him he could stay if he wanted to, but he chose to go with David. He became the leader of David’s 600 men.
Absalom is a type of an anti-christ. We can see the attributes of Satan in Absalom’s life. He was self-motivated, a schemer, self-promoting and a usurper. David had the heart of Jesus. He was forgiving, humble and wise.
In John, Jesus finished his prayer and took his disciples across the Kidron Valley to an olive grove. If you have ever been to Israel you will be taken to this grove and shown the olive trees that produce a leaf that is speckled with red, like drops of blood. It is the only place on the earth that produces this leaf. It is truly a sign.
This is where Jesus was arrested and Peter, in his zeal, cut off Maichus’ ear. It doesn’t tell us in John, but in Luke, it tells us that he touched his ear and healed him (Luke 22:50). That same night Peter denied knowing Jesus. He stood up before a a detachment of soldiers, some officials from the chief priest and Pharisees to cut off the high priest servants’ ear only to cave before a servant girl.
This reminds me of how strong and empowered I feel when I am tangibly in the presence of the Lord and how quickly I forget in the everyday trials of life. Jesus was just as present with Peter when he stood next to him as when he was separated from him. His presence is ever present with us too.
Jesus made it clear that they were not in control. He was drinking the cup his Father had given him. God was in control. He was not about to be murdered, he was about to lay his life down. Those are two different things.
Lord, help us to have your perspective in every situation. You are in control.
Joab was David’s commander in chief and right hand man. He was faithful to David but also very tricky and manipulating. He had been in charge of Uriah’s death so that David could have Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. He was well trained in getting what he wanted. He saw that David was mourning his relationship with Absalom so he got a woman to act out a similar situation. It reminds me of what Nathan did but the difference was Nathan was led by the Lord and Joab was doing what he thought was best. Those are two different things.
The lady’s story did get David’s attention and he let Absalom come back and live in the area but he refused to see him. I’m not sure what David meant to accomplish by doing that because it only worked against him. After two years, Absalom had had enough of rejection and after trying to make an appointment with Joab unsuccessfully, he decided to get his attention by burning down his field. It worked; Joab got him an audience with King David.
David met with Absalom but it only gave Absalom more power to exalt his own kingdom. He used his good looks, availability and charisma to sway the hearts of the people. When he felt he had enough followers, he went to Hebron and pronounced himself king.
David knew enough about Absalom to know he better flee. He left 10 of his concubines to watch over the kingdom. Many of his servants went with him. A man named Ittai had just arrived in Israel because he had been exiled from his homeland of the Philistines. David told him he could stay if he wanted to, but he chose to go with David. He became the leader of David’s 600 men.
Absalom is a type of an anti-christ. We can see the attributes of Satan in Absalom’s life. He was self-motivated, a schemer, self-promoting and a usurper. David had the heart of Jesus. He was forgiving, humble and wise.
In John, Jesus finished his prayer and took his disciples across the Kidron Valley to an olive grove. If you have ever been to Israel you will be taken to this grove and shown the olive trees that produce a leaf that is speckled with red, like drops of blood. It is the only place on the earth that produces this leaf. It is truly a sign.
This is where Jesus was arrested and Peter, in his zeal, cut off Maichus’ ear. It doesn’t tell us in John, but in Luke, it tells us that he touched his ear and healed him (Luke 22:50). That same night Peter denied knowing Jesus. He stood up before a a detachment of soldiers, some officials from the chief priest and Pharisees to cut off the high priest servants’ ear only to cave before a servant girl.
This reminds me of how strong and empowered I feel when I am tangibly in the presence of the Lord and how quickly I forget in the everyday trials of life. Jesus was just as present with Peter when he stood next to him as when he was separated from him. His presence is ever present with us too.
Jesus made it clear that they were not in control. He was drinking the cup his Father had given him. God was in control. He was not about to be murdered, he was about to lay his life down. Those are two different things.
Lord, help us to have your perspective in every situation. You are in control.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Tues.’s Devo - Family Issues
Read: 2 Samuel 13:1-39; John 17:1-26; Psalm 119-81-96; Proverbs 16:6-7
If you have family problems then you will be able to relate to David’s family. Amnon was David’s son who fell in lust with his sister, Tamar, from another mother. Ironically, Amnon’s name means “faithful” but I think the only one Amnon was faithful to was himself. Since Tamar was a virgin and Amnon was not, he didn’t know how to approach nice girls. He and his cousin devised an evil plan to get Tamar alone. When he had her in his bedroom, he raped her, then despised her.
Poor Tamar’s life was ruined over Amnon’s selfishness and disrespect. She lived distraught in the house of Absalom, her brother. Absalom was furious at Amnon and waited for the perfect time to kill him. He finally found it two years later at sheep-shearing time. He talked his father, David into letting him take his brothers with him to shear the sheep. When he had gotten them away to himself, he told his servants to kill Amnon. They obeyed and the other sons fled.
Word got back to David that all his sons had been killed. He fell on the floor in despair. Then he learned that only Amnon had died because of what he did to Tamar. Absalom fled to Geshur and stayed with the king there. David mourned for Amnon for three years. Then he started missing Absalom.
Anger leads to murder. Absalom had two years to forgive Amnon, but instead he let his anger grow to murder. We will hopefully never kill a person, but when we get angry we kill them with our words. It all comes from the same spirit which is rooted in unforgiveness. Unforgiveness is a seed which will grow if we water it. Or, we can choose to kill it with forgiveness and water our hearts with the Word. We are constantly planting seeds in our lives. We want to be planting seeds that bring forth life and not death.
In John, Jesus invited his disciples into his intimate fellowship with his father. He had just finished making the statement that his disciples finally got who he was and now he felt they could experience his prayer life. In Jesus’ prayer, we see that he knows who he is and he knows his mission. He knows who God is also. He prays for his disciples, not that God would spare them from the world but that they would be sanctified by the truth. He prayed for us that would come to know him centuries later that we would be one just like he and God were one. He prayed that we would be in heaven and see his glory. He also prayed that we would have the same love Jesus had for God and that Jesus would be in us.
I pray that too. Lord, let your love be in us just like it is in you.
If you have family problems then you will be able to relate to David’s family. Amnon was David’s son who fell in lust with his sister, Tamar, from another mother. Ironically, Amnon’s name means “faithful” but I think the only one Amnon was faithful to was himself. Since Tamar was a virgin and Amnon was not, he didn’t know how to approach nice girls. He and his cousin devised an evil plan to get Tamar alone. When he had her in his bedroom, he raped her, then despised her.
Poor Tamar’s life was ruined over Amnon’s selfishness and disrespect. She lived distraught in the house of Absalom, her brother. Absalom was furious at Amnon and waited for the perfect time to kill him. He finally found it two years later at sheep-shearing time. He talked his father, David into letting him take his brothers with him to shear the sheep. When he had gotten them away to himself, he told his servants to kill Amnon. They obeyed and the other sons fled.
Word got back to David that all his sons had been killed. He fell on the floor in despair. Then he learned that only Amnon had died because of what he did to Tamar. Absalom fled to Geshur and stayed with the king there. David mourned for Amnon for three years. Then he started missing Absalom.
Anger leads to murder. Absalom had two years to forgive Amnon, but instead he let his anger grow to murder. We will hopefully never kill a person, but when we get angry we kill them with our words. It all comes from the same spirit which is rooted in unforgiveness. Unforgiveness is a seed which will grow if we water it. Or, we can choose to kill it with forgiveness and water our hearts with the Word. We are constantly planting seeds in our lives. We want to be planting seeds that bring forth life and not death.
In John, Jesus invited his disciples into his intimate fellowship with his father. He had just finished making the statement that his disciples finally got who he was and now he felt they could experience his prayer life. In Jesus’ prayer, we see that he knows who he is and he knows his mission. He knows who God is also. He prays for his disciples, not that God would spare them from the world but that they would be sanctified by the truth. He prayed for us that would come to know him centuries later that we would be one just like he and God were one. He prayed that we would be in heaven and see his glory. He also prayed that we would have the same love Jesus had for God and that Jesus would be in us.
I pray that too. Lord, let your love be in us just like it is in you.
Monday, May 27, 2019
Mon’s Devo - Repentance Brings Promotion
Read: 2 Samuel 12:1-31; John 16:1-33; Psalm 119:65-80: Proverbs 16:4-5
The Lord sent Nathan to David to give him an allegory of his own life. David was blinded to his own sin but fully alive to this man’s sin in the story. When David was outraged, Nathan told him that he was the man in the story and that because he did this in secret, God would do the same to him publicly. Calamity would come to his kingdom and his wives would be taken by someone who was close to David. This person would lay with his wives in broad daylight.
Instead of protesting, David repented, but he would lose the life of his son. Because David knew the mercy and kindness of the Lord, he fasted and prayed for mercy for his son. His son lived seven days before he died. Then David got up and ate. His servants didn’t understand David’s actions so he explained that while the child was alive, he prayed for him, but now there was nothing left to pray for. He went and comforted Bathsheba. God blessed David’s repentance and gave them another son. David named this son Solomon which means “peaceableness”. Nathan named him Jedidiah which means “beloved of God”. God had put his stamp of approval on this child.
Because David put things in the right order and repented, God gave him victory over the Ammonites and gave him a new crown.
When we repent. we get promoted in God’s kingdom. God doesn’t look at the horribleness of our sin, but the purity of our heart when we repent. When God forgives, he does it completely. He never goes back to rehash it like we do. He only goes forward to the next assignment.
In John, Jesus warned his disciples of what was ahead for them. They were headed for social, religious and personal persecution because they had followed Jesus. Jesus comforted them with the fact that they would not face this alone but the Holy Spirit would be given them to help them. He would convict the world of their sin, bring righteousness to the earth, and judge the devil.
Jesus told them that in a little while they wouldn’t see him then in a little while they would see him again. They had no idea what his riddle meant so he explained that he was going to leave them and go to heaven, but then he would come back to them. Before he left, they would leave him and be scattered. He would be all alone but they were not to worry about him because his father would be with him. Jesus was referring to his arrest and his trial. Jesus told them this, so they could have some peace of mind when it happened. He reminded them that he had overcome the world.
I wonder what they thought when he told them he had overcome the world. Maybe, that he really was going to become a king and set Israel free. In their wildest imaginations, they couldn’t have seen what was about to happen. It tested their faith to the core. The trials we go through do the same to us. We have to find joy in the pain and rejoice in our sorrow. Then God can lift up our heads and give us peace.
Lord, we remember what you did on the cross and the resurrection. Help us to concentrate on the resurrection. There is life in every death! In every repentance there is great promotion! Thank you for all the men who died serving our country and giving us a life of peace. Bless them and their families.
The Lord sent Nathan to David to give him an allegory of his own life. David was blinded to his own sin but fully alive to this man’s sin in the story. When David was outraged, Nathan told him that he was the man in the story and that because he did this in secret, God would do the same to him publicly. Calamity would come to his kingdom and his wives would be taken by someone who was close to David. This person would lay with his wives in broad daylight.
Instead of protesting, David repented, but he would lose the life of his son. Because David knew the mercy and kindness of the Lord, he fasted and prayed for mercy for his son. His son lived seven days before he died. Then David got up and ate. His servants didn’t understand David’s actions so he explained that while the child was alive, he prayed for him, but now there was nothing left to pray for. He went and comforted Bathsheba. God blessed David’s repentance and gave them another son. David named this son Solomon which means “peaceableness”. Nathan named him Jedidiah which means “beloved of God”. God had put his stamp of approval on this child.
Because David put things in the right order and repented, God gave him victory over the Ammonites and gave him a new crown.
When we repent. we get promoted in God’s kingdom. God doesn’t look at the horribleness of our sin, but the purity of our heart when we repent. When God forgives, he does it completely. He never goes back to rehash it like we do. He only goes forward to the next assignment.
In John, Jesus warned his disciples of what was ahead for them. They were headed for social, religious and personal persecution because they had followed Jesus. Jesus comforted them with the fact that they would not face this alone but the Holy Spirit would be given them to help them. He would convict the world of their sin, bring righteousness to the earth, and judge the devil.
Jesus told them that in a little while they wouldn’t see him then in a little while they would see him again. They had no idea what his riddle meant so he explained that he was going to leave them and go to heaven, but then he would come back to them. Before he left, they would leave him and be scattered. He would be all alone but they were not to worry about him because his father would be with him. Jesus was referring to his arrest and his trial. Jesus told them this, so they could have some peace of mind when it happened. He reminded them that he had overcome the world.
I wonder what they thought when he told them he had overcome the world. Maybe, that he really was going to become a king and set Israel free. In their wildest imaginations, they couldn’t have seen what was about to happen. It tested their faith to the core. The trials we go through do the same to us. We have to find joy in the pain and rejoice in our sorrow. Then God can lift up our heads and give us peace.
Lord, we remember what you did on the cross and the resurrection. Help us to concentrate on the resurrection. There is life in every death! In every repentance there is great promotion! Thank you for all the men who died serving our country and giving us a life of peace. Bless them and their families.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Sun.’s Devo - The True Vine
Read: 2 Samuel 9:1-11:27; John 15:1-27; Psalm 119:49-64; Proverbs 16:1-3
David wanted to honor anyone who was left of Saul’s household for Jonathan’s sake. Saul had a servant named Ziba who had been caring for Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. Mephebosheth had become lame in both legs a the age of five when he fell, fleeing from the enemy.
David gave all of Saul’s land to Mephiboshth and asked Ziba to farm it for his family and for Mephibosheth, but Mephibosheth and his son, Mica, were to eat every meal with David at the palace.
David also wanted to show sympathy to Hanun the new king of the Ammonites because his father had died. His father had been kind to David when he was running from Saul. David sent his men with words of comfort to Hanun but his advisors believed David’s men to be spies. They had David’s mens beards shaved and the skirts of their uniforms cut off explosing them. When David found out he sent these men to a secluded town till their beards could grow back and rallied his troops for war. Hanun knew this was coming so he hired the Armenians to fight with him. Israel won and the Armenians never helped the Ammonites again. Instead they both served David and paid him tribute.
In the spring, when David should have been out to war, he stayed home and was idle. He walked out on his balcony and saw Bathsheba bathing from her monthly period. He wanted her, so he sent for her. It didn’t seem to matter to David that she was married and that her husband was one of the best soldiers serving in his army. He had sex with her and when he found out she was pregnant, he did everything he could think of to cover his sin. David had to resort to killing her husband, Uriah, so he could legally have Bathsheba and hide his sin. He couldn’t hide it from God and I’m pretty sure most of David’s household servants knew the truth also.
In John, Jesus told his disciples that he is the true vine. A vine is a picture of a family line. If Jesus is the true vine, then there is a false vine also that produces a bad family line. Cain, Esau, and Ahab were all examples of fruit from Satan’s line.
If we are born again, then we are part of God’s vine and the only way we can produce fruit is to get the nourishment of the vine. To do this we must remain attached to the vine. Everything God does stems from the blood flowing through this vine so apart from it we are lifeless and we will die.
In case this seems confining, Jesus said that if we remain on the vine, in him, we are his friends. On the vine, we can ask anything and it will be ours because we will be asking what God wants. We will have his heart and his blood flowing through our veins. To help us know God’s heart, God sent us his Holy Spirit to give us truth.
Lord, help us to remain in you so that our words can bring life.
David wanted to honor anyone who was left of Saul’s household for Jonathan’s sake. Saul had a servant named Ziba who had been caring for Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. Mephebosheth had become lame in both legs a the age of five when he fell, fleeing from the enemy.
David gave all of Saul’s land to Mephiboshth and asked Ziba to farm it for his family and for Mephibosheth, but Mephibosheth and his son, Mica, were to eat every meal with David at the palace.
David also wanted to show sympathy to Hanun the new king of the Ammonites because his father had died. His father had been kind to David when he was running from Saul. David sent his men with words of comfort to Hanun but his advisors believed David’s men to be spies. They had David’s mens beards shaved and the skirts of their uniforms cut off explosing them. When David found out he sent these men to a secluded town till their beards could grow back and rallied his troops for war. Hanun knew this was coming so he hired the Armenians to fight with him. Israel won and the Armenians never helped the Ammonites again. Instead they both served David and paid him tribute.
In the spring, when David should have been out to war, he stayed home and was idle. He walked out on his balcony and saw Bathsheba bathing from her monthly period. He wanted her, so he sent for her. It didn’t seem to matter to David that she was married and that her husband was one of the best soldiers serving in his army. He had sex with her and when he found out she was pregnant, he did everything he could think of to cover his sin. David had to resort to killing her husband, Uriah, so he could legally have Bathsheba and hide his sin. He couldn’t hide it from God and I’m pretty sure most of David’s household servants knew the truth also.
In John, Jesus told his disciples that he is the true vine. A vine is a picture of a family line. If Jesus is the true vine, then there is a false vine also that produces a bad family line. Cain, Esau, and Ahab were all examples of fruit from Satan’s line.
If we are born again, then we are part of God’s vine and the only way we can produce fruit is to get the nourishment of the vine. To do this we must remain attached to the vine. Everything God does stems from the blood flowing through this vine so apart from it we are lifeless and we will die.
In case this seems confining, Jesus said that if we remain on the vine, in him, we are his friends. On the vine, we can ask anything and it will be ours because we will be asking what God wants. We will have his heart and his blood flowing through our veins. To help us know God’s heart, God sent us his Holy Spirit to give us truth.
Lord, help us to remain in you so that our words can bring life.
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Sat.’s Devo - The Principle of the Kingdom
Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-8:18; John 14:15-31; Psalm 119:33-48; Proverbs 15:33
When David had settled into his new role of king, he got the idea of building God a house to live in. He told his prophet, Nathan, who thought it was a good idea also until God spoke to Nathan and told him else wise. God said that he had never lived in a house but had traveled with the people wherever they roamed. It wasn’t time to build a house for him, but it would be the right timing for his son. So, David continued to fight the enemies and bring the booty from their nations into the treasury so that his son could use it to build a temple for God.
This is the principle of the kingdom. We are to plunder the enemy and take his treasury to use for God’s kingdom. Everything in the earth is the Lord’s and it is all there to bring him honor and glory. Evil men have prospered and they use God’s bounty as weapons against God. God wants his people to prosper so they can give God back what is already his to use to further his kingdom. That is why we are seeing very prominent people falling and justice being served. God is restoring his treasury house so he can build his kingdom. Wealth is not only money but it is excelling in inventions, ideas, position, leadership, business, entertainment, arts, sports, education, government, etc. His people are to be the head and not the tail. They should be the leaders in all these areas on the earth for God’s glory.
In John, Jesus was talking to his disciples for the last time. He explained that the key to the kingdom which is love. If you love God, you will love Jesus and if you love Jesus you will obey anything he says to do. Jesus was leaving them, but only in the natural. He was sending them his spirit to always be with them and remind him of everything he had told them. They didn’t understand most of what Jesus had said, but when he was gone, they would understand it so much better.
We have the gift of the Holy Spirit that does the same for us. We read the Bible and don’t always remember what we have read until we are in a trial, then the words of the Bible come back to comfort us and encourage us. If we don’t hide God’s Word in our hearts, we have no library to draw from when we need it.
Lord, help us to hide your Word deep in our hearts that we won’t fall when we are being tested.
When David had settled into his new role of king, he got the idea of building God a house to live in. He told his prophet, Nathan, who thought it was a good idea also until God spoke to Nathan and told him else wise. God said that he had never lived in a house but had traveled with the people wherever they roamed. It wasn’t time to build a house for him, but it would be the right timing for his son. So, David continued to fight the enemies and bring the booty from their nations into the treasury so that his son could use it to build a temple for God.
This is the principle of the kingdom. We are to plunder the enemy and take his treasury to use for God’s kingdom. Everything in the earth is the Lord’s and it is all there to bring him honor and glory. Evil men have prospered and they use God’s bounty as weapons against God. God wants his people to prosper so they can give God back what is already his to use to further his kingdom. That is why we are seeing very prominent people falling and justice being served. God is restoring his treasury house so he can build his kingdom. Wealth is not only money but it is excelling in inventions, ideas, position, leadership, business, entertainment, arts, sports, education, government, etc. His people are to be the head and not the tail. They should be the leaders in all these areas on the earth for God’s glory.
In John, Jesus was talking to his disciples for the last time. He explained that the key to the kingdom which is love. If you love God, you will love Jesus and if you love Jesus you will obey anything he says to do. Jesus was leaving them, but only in the natural. He was sending them his spirit to always be with them and remind him of everything he had told them. They didn’t understand most of what Jesus had said, but when he was gone, they would understand it so much better.
We have the gift of the Holy Spirit that does the same for us. We read the Bible and don’t always remember what we have read until we are in a trial, then the words of the Bible come back to comfort us and encourage us. If we don’t hide God’s Word in our hearts, we have no library to draw from when we need it.
Lord, help us to hide your Word deep in our hearts that we won’t fall when we are being tested.
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