Scripture:
I Samuel 29:3b "He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him".
Observation:
David was prepared to go to battle with Achish of the Philistines. He had been fleeing from Saul for a long time and took a rest in his enemies region. Even as a man living in his enemy's territory after being anointed king of Israel, King Achish basically says that he trustes David to go and fight with them because he has found no fault in him for a year. David had a reputation of honesty and truth, even from his enemies.
Application:
Just as David became a man of truth, even when he was being treated totally unfairly, we need to be people of truth and integrity. People should be able to trust us completely. Our actions, in good times and in bad times, should cause people to trust us. Our lives are open books, people should read about truth in them. When our enemies see us, may they say, "I have found no fault in him". May our reputation be like David's.
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, thank you for speaking to me this morning. You are amazing and I appreciate you! Help me to live a life of integrity and character so that, even those who don't like me, can never question my walk with You. Help my life to speak out like David's. I want to be a pure reflection of You.
Yours,
Jeff
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
The Lord's Anointed
Scripture:
I Samuel 26:11 "But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let's go".
Observation:
Saul, the king anointed by God through the prophet Samuel, was chasing David for a long time wanting to kill him. At this point David came into Saul's camp at night while everyone was asleep and Abishai, David's servant wanted to kill him and get revenge. David stops Abishai and tells him that he should not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. I see here that David remained submissive to God's will, even when God's choice for a king was trying to kill him.
Application:
What God has ordered, we need to submit to. If God has a person in a position of authority, we need to treat it as David did. He wasn't going to let Saul kill him, but he also wasn't going to try to destroy Saul because he knew God had anointed Saul to be king at that time. David did not want to interfere with the hand of God working. He trusted God and we must do the same. If we really believe that God orders our steps, we would treat our employers differently. We would see them as God's oversight in our lives at this point. We must come to the place where we trust God with our lives.
Prayer:
Father, help me to be submissive to your will and not take things into my own hands. You are perfect and know what is best for me. Help me take my battles to prayer instead of in my own hands. You are trustworthy and you do take vengeance on Your enemies. Help me trust You more, even in the things I don't understand.
Yours,
Jeff
I Samuel 26:11 "But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let's go".
Observation:
Saul, the king anointed by God through the prophet Samuel, was chasing David for a long time wanting to kill him. At this point David came into Saul's camp at night while everyone was asleep and Abishai, David's servant wanted to kill him and get revenge. David stops Abishai and tells him that he should not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. I see here that David remained submissive to God's will, even when God's choice for a king was trying to kill him.
Application:
What God has ordered, we need to submit to. If God has a person in a position of authority, we need to treat it as David did. He wasn't going to let Saul kill him, but he also wasn't going to try to destroy Saul because he knew God had anointed Saul to be king at that time. David did not want to interfere with the hand of God working. He trusted God and we must do the same. If we really believe that God orders our steps, we would treat our employers differently. We would see them as God's oversight in our lives at this point. We must come to the place where we trust God with our lives.
Prayer:
Father, help me to be submissive to your will and not take things into my own hands. You are perfect and know what is best for me. Help me take my battles to prayer instead of in my own hands. You are trustworthy and you do take vengeance on Your enemies. Help me trust You more, even in the things I don't understand.
Yours,
Jeff
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Lord Was With Him
Scripture:
I Samuel 18:14 "In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him".
Observation:
I see here a clear cconnection between David's extreme success and the fact that the Lord was with him. David had been anointed by Samuel and from that time the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. David was one of those people who had incredible success in every area of life. The key was that the Lord was with him. David was a seeker of God. He was a man who was after God's heart. He fully loved the Lord and wanted to serve Him well.
Application:
When the Lord is with you, you can expect great success. As a child of God, I realize that the Lord is always with me. He is always there and never leaves or forsakes us. In David's life it says that the Lord was with him, which is why he had great success. Success follows being a lover of God. When you area a lover of God, He will fight your battles and order your steps. He will make you prosperous and successful. They key is that you can't love God just to get his blessing. You must love Him for who He is and the blessing will follow. This will be tested!
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, I love you and want to walk with You as David walked. I want to know You deeper and be who You want me to be. Help me to serve You well. I want my life to show the world that there is a God who loves His children and blesses them immensely. I want to make You look good!
Love Always,
Jeff
I Samuel 18:14 "In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him".
Observation:
I see here a clear cconnection between David's extreme success and the fact that the Lord was with him. David had been anointed by Samuel and from that time the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. David was one of those people who had incredible success in every area of life. The key was that the Lord was with him. David was a seeker of God. He was a man who was after God's heart. He fully loved the Lord and wanted to serve Him well.
Application:
When the Lord is with you, you can expect great success. As a child of God, I realize that the Lord is always with me. He is always there and never leaves or forsakes us. In David's life it says that the Lord was with him, which is why he had great success. Success follows being a lover of God. When you area a lover of God, He will fight your battles and order your steps. He will make you prosperous and successful. They key is that you can't love God just to get his blessing. You must love Him for who He is and the blessing will follow. This will be tested!
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, I love you and want to walk with You as David walked. I want to know You deeper and be who You want me to be. Help me to serve You well. I want my life to show the world that there is a God who loves His children and blesses them immensely. I want to make You look good!
Love Always,
Jeff
Thursday, November 15, 2012
So I Gave in to Them
Scripture:
I Samuel 15:24 "Then Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men, so I gave in to them'".
Observation:
Saul had been commanded by God to utterly destroy the Amalekites. He decided to destroy alomist everything, but to save the best flock to bring back as an offering to God for His blessings and victory. It seemed like a good thing to do and his men were apparently telling him it was a good idea, but it was not what God had asked of them. In his explanation to Samuel about what had happened, Saul says he was afraid of the men so he gave in to them.
Application:
How many times do we give in to what we know is not God's best because we are afraid of man and what they might think about us? Saul lost his kingdom because he didn't fully follow the Lord's commands. He lost everything because of partial obedience and he even had a great explanation of how he was doing it for the Lord, in order to bring the best sacrifices and offering to the Lord. The bottom line is that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings disaster. We must follow through on what the Lord asks us to do and not be afraid of man.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for Your word. It speaks to me daily and empowers my life. Help me to not give in on things I know I have heard from You. Help me to finish the work you have for me with excellence and to fulfill Your desire for my life. I surrender to You and Your will. Strengthen me to follow it completely and not fear any person.
Yours Forever,
Jeff
I Samuel 15:24 "Then Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men, so I gave in to them'".
Observation:
Saul had been commanded by God to utterly destroy the Amalekites. He decided to destroy alomist everything, but to save the best flock to bring back as an offering to God for His blessings and victory. It seemed like a good thing to do and his men were apparently telling him it was a good idea, but it was not what God had asked of them. In his explanation to Samuel about what had happened, Saul says he was afraid of the men so he gave in to them.
Application:
How many times do we give in to what we know is not God's best because we are afraid of man and what they might think about us? Saul lost his kingdom because he didn't fully follow the Lord's commands. He lost everything because of partial obedience and he even had a great explanation of how he was doing it for the Lord, in order to bring the best sacrifices and offering to the Lord. The bottom line is that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings disaster. We must follow through on what the Lord asks us to do and not be afraid of man.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for Your word. It speaks to me daily and empowers my life. Help me to not give in on things I know I have heard from You. Help me to finish the work you have for me with excellence and to fulfill Your desire for my life. I surrender to You and Your will. Strengthen me to follow it completely and not fear any person.
Yours Forever,
Jeff
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Rejecting God
Scripture:
I Samuel 10:19 "But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, 'No, appoint a king over us.' So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans".
Observation:
God is speaking through Samuel to Israel at this point. He has just anointed Saul to be king because the people wanted a king like all of the other nations around them. They wanted to be like everyone else. Just one problem, God always wanted to be Israel's king. He didn't want them to have another king besides Him, but because of their constant whining about wanting a king, He gave them one. In desiring another king for their nation, God said that they were rejecting Him.
Application:
How many times do we reject God because we do things our own way instead of His? How many times do we reject God by trying to figure everything out on our own instead of asking Him? He desires to be our king still today, but we often reject Him by taking everything into our own hands and being our own king. We often reject His leadership because we think we know better what we should do. I don't want to reject God's leadership in my life any more. I want to follow Him fully and completely.
Prayer:
Father, I know it is easier to say these things than it is to live them, but with Your help on this I know I can do it. I want You to lead my life. I don't want to continue rejecting You because I am not doing what You want. Help me to follow You more closely than ever before in my life. You are awesome and I love you.
Your Son,
Jeff
I Samuel 10:19 "But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, 'No, appoint a king over us.' So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans".
Observation:
God is speaking through Samuel to Israel at this point. He has just anointed Saul to be king because the people wanted a king like all of the other nations around them. They wanted to be like everyone else. Just one problem, God always wanted to be Israel's king. He didn't want them to have another king besides Him, but because of their constant whining about wanting a king, He gave them one. In desiring another king for their nation, God said that they were rejecting Him.
Application:
How many times do we reject God because we do things our own way instead of His? How many times do we reject God by trying to figure everything out on our own instead of asking Him? He desires to be our king still today, but we often reject Him by taking everything into our own hands and being our own king. We often reject His leadership because we think we know better what we should do. I don't want to reject God's leadership in my life any more. I want to follow Him fully and completely.
Prayer:
Father, I know it is easier to say these things than it is to live them, but with Your help on this I know I can do it. I want You to lead my life. I don't want to continue rejecting You because I am not doing what You want. Help me to follow You more closely than ever before in my life. You are awesome and I love you.
Your Son,
Jeff
Friday, November 9, 2012
Guardian Redeemer
Scripture:
Ruth 4:14 "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!"
Observation:
The women who were friends of Naomi were speaking about Boaz being her family guardian redeemer and how he has rescued her family's lives. Naomi had felt before that God has forsaken her and left her alone with no way of being taken care of all her life. Now Boaz is taking great care of her and she will be taken care of the rest of her life.
Application:
God is in control! He loves us and will take care of us when we are committed to Him. There will be times, like with Naomi, when we feel like He is not doing a good job taking care of us, but He is there and will never leave us or forsake us. He is Good!!! He always comes through, even when it feels like the last minute.
Prayer:
Lord, let me know you more. Help me to trust You more in my life. Teach me your ways and help me to grow in You more every day. You are amazing. You took care of Naomi and you still take care of us today.
Yours,
Jeff
Ruth 4:14 "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!"
Observation:
The women who were friends of Naomi were speaking about Boaz being her family guardian redeemer and how he has rescued her family's lives. Naomi had felt before that God has forsaken her and left her alone with no way of being taken care of all her life. Now Boaz is taking great care of her and she will be taken care of the rest of her life.
Application:
God is in control! He loves us and will take care of us when we are committed to Him. There will be times, like with Naomi, when we feel like He is not doing a good job taking care of us, but He is there and will never leave us or forsake us. He is Good!!! He always comes through, even when it feels like the last minute.
Prayer:
Lord, let me know you more. Help me to trust You more in my life. Teach me your ways and help me to grow in You more every day. You are amazing. You took care of Naomi and you still take care of us today.
Yours,
Jeff
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
So Your Daily Life Will Win Respect
Scripture:
I Thessalonians 4:11-12 "and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so you will not be dependent on anybody".
Observation:
Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and is giving them practical things to do in following the Lord until He comes again. He lets them know that Jesus is coming again, and also tells them how to live between now and then. He tells us to live a quiet life, mind your own business and work hard so that our daily lives earn the respect of those around us.
Application:
Our daily lives need to be earning the respect of those around us. They should look at our lives and not tell us what a great preacher we are, but how great of lives we live. He tells us that quiet, peaceful lives earn respect from those around us. We should have more peace than those unbelievers around us because the Prince of Peace lives in us. May our every day lives earn the respect of those around us.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me to live a quiet and peaceful life that brings you glory and earns the respect of the community around me. I want my life to be a life well-lived. Help me to have your attitude, thoughts and ways. Teach me to walk closer with you, that I may reflect you in the simplest parts of my everyday life.
Your Son,
Jeff
I Thessalonians 4:11-12 "and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so you will not be dependent on anybody".
Observation:
Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and is giving them practical things to do in following the Lord until He comes again. He lets them know that Jesus is coming again, and also tells them how to live between now and then. He tells us to live a quiet life, mind your own business and work hard so that our daily lives earn the respect of those around us.
Application:
Our daily lives need to be earning the respect of those around us. They should look at our lives and not tell us what a great preacher we are, but how great of lives we live. He tells us that quiet, peaceful lives earn respect from those around us. We should have more peace than those unbelievers around us because the Prince of Peace lives in us. May our every day lives earn the respect of those around us.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me to live a quiet and peaceful life that brings you glory and earns the respect of the community around me. I want my life to be a life well-lived. Help me to have your attitude, thoughts and ways. Teach me to walk closer with you, that I may reflect you in the simplest parts of my everyday life.
Your Son,
Jeff
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