Devotionary

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Ep 613 – 1 Samuel 25:1-8 Aug 21, 2018

Show notes

We all know fools. We may not recognize them as such, but their conduct speaks for itself. The Bible has a lot to say about fools, with the Proverbs of Solomon dedicating a great deal of space to the topic. And in 1 Samuel 25:1-8, we are introduced to a man whose very name meant "fool." We're not told why his parents chose to give him that name, but as the story unfolds, we'll see that he had no problem living up to it. Even his wife will confirm his foolishness. But why is this story included in the Bible? And why did the Holy Spirit inspire the author of 1 Samuel to place it where it is in the story of the life of David. It should become apparent that the introduction of Nabal into the narrative is anything but a coincidence. He shows up at just the right time, providing an incredibly important insight into the heart of King Saul. Nabal was a fool, but so was King Saul. And David was going to get some helpful pointers on how to deal with a fool, straight from Nabal's wife. She had learned not to suffer fools gladly, and so would David.

Ep 612 – 1 Samuel 24:11-22 Aug 20, 2018

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The Bible puts a huge emphasis on the condition of the heart, not the physical organ that pumps blood through our bodies, but what the Hebrews understood to be the seat of man's emotions, will and intellect. And you can't read the story of David and not wonder why this particular man had been deemed by God to be a man after His own heart. Why? What was it about David that caused God to make this assessment? David, like all men, had plenty of flaws. And if you're familiar with his story, you know that he was capable of committing some pretty serious sins, including adultery and murder. And he seemed to struggle with doubt just like the rest of us. So, why does God single him out as a man after His own heart? Well, in 1 Samuel 24:11-12, we get a small glimpse into the heart of the man, as he has a chance encounter with King Saul. Missing are any hints of hatred and bitterness. He doesn't rail on Saul. He doesn't shake his fist in the face of God. Instead, he placed his fate in the hands of God, trusting in the goodness and grace of God to decide between he and Saul.

Ep 611 – 1 Samuel 24:1-10 Aug 19, 2018

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Taking matters into our own hands is always a constant temptation for the people of God. It's an occupational hazard that comes with the territory. But we have to resist it, because doing things our way always results in less-than-satisfactory outcomes. And the other danger we face is misreading the circumstances around us, and determining something to be the will of God simply because it seems to be the most attractive option. In 1 Samuel 24:1-10, David is going to be presented with just such an occasion. He will find himself face-to-face with his arch-nemesis, King Saul, and provided with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to eliminate this thorn in his side once and for all. But there's only one problem: David doesn't have permission from God. Yes, his friends assure him that this is a God-ordained chance to set things right, but they were speaking out of turn and without God's permission. They were well-meaning, but ran the risk of causing David to violate God's will. Had David listened, he could have eliminated his biggest problem, but sinned against God while doing so.

Ep 610 – 1 Samuel 23:15-29 Aug 18, 2018

Show notes

Trusting God can be difficult, even in the best of times. But when things start to go south and our circumstances take a turn for the worse, it becomes virtually impossible see God, let alone trust in Him. We begin to doubt and despair. We question His presence and raise issues concerning His goodness. But one of the things we have to learn is that God is present in our lives at all times. He is there in the good times and the bad times. And it is often that in the bad times we end up seeing Him most clearly if we look for Him closely. In 1 Samuel 23:15-29, David will find himself in yet another difficult situation. He will be betrayed once again by the people of Israel. This time, it will be the Ziphites who try to turn him in to Saul. And just when it looks like Saul has David backed into a corner, God steps in and provides a way of escape. But you have to look closely. Because, at first glance, it looks like little more than a coincidence. But God is there, behind the scenes, proving His power and assuring David of His ongoing presence – even in the worst of times.

Ep 609 – 1 Samuel 23:1-14 Aug 17, 2018

Show notes

When reading the story of the life of David, it is easy to make it all about the shepherd boy turned king. The tendency is to read the details of his life as history and seeing the various stories surrounding his life as purely biographical in nature. But it's important that we remember that we are reading divinely inspired Scripture, and there is far more here than meets the eye. David was a real man and the accounts we have about him in Scripture are true. But, ultimately, these passages are about something far greater. They provide a foreshadowing of someone far more important to come. And, in the case of David, his life provides us with some fascinating parallels to the Good Shepherd and King of kings who was to come. If we look closely at 1 Samuel 23:1-14, we can see some similarities between David and Jesus that are far from coincidental in nature. They are meant to link the man after God's own heart with the Son of Man in whom God was well pleased. David was a type of Christ, a man chosen by God to be king over His people and provide salvation from their enemies. Yet, like Jesus, David would find himself rejected by his own people.

Ep 608 – 1 Samuel 22:14-23 Aug 16, 2018

Show notes

Have you ever experienced dark days? Of course, you have. We all have. Even as followers of Christ, we can find ourselves walking through what David once described as the valley of the shadow of death. Faith in Christ is not some kind of spiritual force field that protects us from days filled with difficulty or moments that bring despair. One of the things about faith is that it is based on what is unseen. The author of Hebrews put it this way: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1 NLT). And in 1 Samuel 22:14-23, we will see David having to place his hope in God when everything around him seemed to be spiraling into a black hole of doubt and despair. His actions had resulted in the slaughter of the priests of God, their families and all the citizens of Nob. And he felt responsible, even though the genocide was the work of Doeg the Edomite, under the orders of King Saul. David couldn't believe what he had heard. He was shocked at the ungodly actions of the man who was supposed to be the shepherd of Israel. But through it all, David was learning some costly, yet invaluable lessons about trusting God.

Ep 607 – 1 Samuel 22:6-13 Aug 15, 2018

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There are few things as unattractive as self-pity. But the myopic, me-centered nature that accompanies feeling sorry for yourself is usually visible to everyone but the person having the pity party. They see their actions as justified and expect everyone around them to agree with their assessment of the situation. And in 1 Samuel 22:6-13, we get to see King Saul having a royal pity party, accusing all those around him of betrayal and demanding that they see him as the victim. But Saul's problem was not a lack of compassion on the part of his servants, but the lack of a relationship with God. He was on his own. God had removed His Spirit from Saul and his ability to see things from a godly perspective had vanished at the same time. All that remained for him was a life of pervasive self-pity and paranoia. He could trust no one. Even his own family members. And, in spite of being the king, surrounded with all the royal trappings of success and comfort, he could find no joy or satisfaction in life. He had disobeyed God and was now experiencing what it was like to live without Him.

Ep 606 – 1 Samuel 22:1-5 Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

The ways of God can be mysterious and, sometimes, even a bit strange. And nobody knew that better than David. Here was a man who had been chosen by God, anointed by the prophet of God, and yet found himself living like a fugitive with a bounty on his head. He went from being the son-in-law of the king to the top spot on Israel's most-wanted list. And in 1 Samuel 22:1-5, we have the story of David seeking refuge in the cave of Adullam where he is joined by a ragtag group of disgruntled Israelites who want to make him their leader. Whether he liked it or not, David was going to be thrust into a leadership position by God. He was going to learn how to shepherd the flock of God by inheriting a motley group of misfits and malcontents who shared a common dislike for Saul. God's school of leadership was not going to be easy. His preparation of David to ascend to the throne of Israel was going to be filled with difficult days and even more difficult people to manage. But David was going to learn to trust God. His increasing responsibilities were going to make him ever-more dependent upon God for wisdom, strength and direction.

Ep 605 – 1 Samuel 21:10-15 Aug 13, 2018

Show notes

Sometimes, trying to live the Christian life can leave you feeling a bit crazy. It's not exactly easy trying to live out your faith in the midst of a sin-filled world. And there are times when this life of faith leads us to do some crazy things in order to survive. Rather than trust God, we find ourselves taking matters into our own hands and the results are always less-than-satisfactory. David would learn that invaluable lesson when he made the fateful decision to run from King Saul and seek refuge among the Philistines – the sworn enemies of Israel. David's strategy was not God-ordained and would end up putting him in a very precarious position. Seeking to preserve his own life by his own methods, he would end up risking death at the hands of his enemies. His solution would prove far from ideal. And it all began when he failed to trust God. The very same God who had anointed him king was fully capable of making him king. But David had his doubts. He let his outer circumstances determine his outlook on God. He saw his trials as evidence of God's absence and his own need to take matters into his own hands. But God had not left him and God was not done with him.

Ep 604 – 1 Samuel 21:1-9 Aug 12, 2018

Show notes

Where do you go when you have nowhere to go? Most of us have never been in the predicament, but that is exactly the scenario David was facing. He had fled from Jerusalem, afraid for his life and anxious to put as many miles as possible between he and Saul. But where was he supposed to go? Who could he turn to? He probably feared the presence of Saul's spies everywhere he went. So, he headed to Nob, where the priests of God lived. Maybe they would be willing to show him some grace. But when David arrived the high priest was suspicious, wondering why David had appeared at their compound all alone, with no troops riding along with him. But David concocted a story that seemed to satisfy the priest's apprehensions and, before he knew it, he was on his way with five loaves of bread and the sword of Goliath. But David had to resort to lies and deception to get what he needed. This was early on in the fugitive stage of his training with God and David had not yet learned the invaluable lesson of relying upon the strength of God. But in time, he would.

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