October 3 Morning Verse of the Day

Ver. 9. Destroy him not.—Vengeance left with him to whom it belongs:—
Our attention has been called to the fact that the first great victory achieved by David was over his own spirit. As we pursue his history, we are glad to find that his first triumph of this noblest kind was not his last. His cruel and implacable foe, who had come out with three thousand armed men determined either to take him prisoner or to hunt him to death, was now entirely in his hands. It was a golden opportunity, and David made a golden use of it, for he refused to avenge himself, and suffered his deadly enemy to depart in peace. For three years he had lived the life of a fugitive, and in many ways and places had sought to shelter himself against the unrighteous and pitiless wrath of Saul. There were many things to enkindle his resentment and make forbearance towards Saul a most difficult virtue. Think of what he had lost, and what he had suffered! How strangely things combined together to make the worse appear the better course! The promise and the providence of God both seemed on the side of instant and complete vengeance! But David was versed in the Law of God; and in one of the earlier books of his incomplete, but precious, priceless Bible, he had read these commandments: “Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” (Lev. 18–19.) David’s generous forbearance touched the heart of Saul, disarmed him of his rage, melted him into tears, and constrained him to become a suppliant at the feet of the man for whose blood he had been thirsting. This second display of magnanimity on David’s part was a greater triumph of saintly principle than the first. All the former reasons in favour of avenging himself still existed, and in greater force, because of the additional sufferings he had endured; and now there was to be added another reason of almost irresistible power. He had cast his pearl before swine which had turned again to rend him. His kindness had been shamefully abused, and evil had been returned for his good. The King’s life, which he had nobly spared, was consecrated afresh to the work of securing his destruction. To spare it a second time was for David to sharpen the sword by which he himself would be slain; and that surely would be charity degenerating into fanaticism. It is evident that David’s faith in God was one of the great roots out of which all these fruits of forbearance and patience and compassion grew. He was confident that God would in His own way and in His own time fulfil the promises which had been made; and, therefore, instead of taking the matter into his own hands, he could rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. They say that “Revenge is sweet.” There can be no doubt of the truth of this, for perverted natures have perverted tastes, and loathe what they ought to love, and banquet with delight on what they ought to abhor. David had feelings in his heart which would have been intensely gratified if he had taken vengeance on his enemy; but would not his revenge have been like the book the seer did eat in the Apocalypse, sweet in the mouth, but bitterness in the belly? Patience and meekness and forgiveness are often very hard to exercise, but when they become matters of memory, are they not things of beauty, and a joy for ever? The poet tells of one who sat by the grave of the friend from whom he had parted in anger, and wept at the remembrance of his former harshness:—“Cruel, cruel the words I said! Cruelly come they back to-day.” Probably there are men now sleeping in the dust who in their lifetime wronged and injured you. If you forgave them, and prayed for them, and sought to bless them, does the memory of that Christ-likeness on your part ever give you a moment’s sorrow? Yes, revenge may be sweet, but, like all the pleasures of sin, it is but for a season. Mercy is God’s delight. He who receives it through Jesus secures his passport to the skies. He who learns to imitate it, lays up treasure for himself in heaven. Happy he who by the grace of God so carries himself toward them that curse him and despitefully use him, that he does not invoke his own condemnation, when, in his daily prayer, he cries, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us.” (C. Vince.)
Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord and be guiltless?—David’s magnanimity:—
I. THE PERSONS HERE CONCERNED ARE SAUL AND DAVID, AND THE STATE IN WHICH THE TEXT SHEWS US THESE TWO WAS THAT OF ENMITY. Consider, therefore, that the prince that was his captive now, and at his mercy had somewhile since descended so below himself, as to become the envier and detractor from his praise, was poorly jealous of the honours he had purchased, and tried to blast the laurels he had gathered, at the expense of so much painful toil and hazard; and tis no little share of grace and goodness that can restrain a young aspiring hero from taking vengeance on the maligners of his praise, and from removing all impediments in his pursuit of fame and glory. When men’s lives are so apparently sought after, they usually lay all respects aside, and listen to the dictates of unruly Nature. He was a false, perfidious prince. Nothing affects a generous mind so sensibly as being cheated under shew of friendship; and treachery is never viler than when tis covered with the mask of godliness. But further, he was perjured. He had but lately taken a solemn oath before the Lord and Jonathan, David should not be slain. And when a prince has thus abandoned common honesty, broken the sacred cords that knit societies, and keep up governments and mutual correspondences, he is justly delivered into the hands of those whose innocence and good credulity he had imposed on, and abused almost to their destruction. Oh, what a mighty measure of God’s grace must fill the heart of him that then could say, “The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” There are some things besides our lives and persons, in which, if we are touched, we think ourselves extremely injured; and they are specially our friends, our fortunes and religion; and David was in every one of these affected more or less by Saul’s implacable pursuit, and hunting after him. But notwithstanding all this, great as he was in court, great as he was in camp, and greater yet in favour of the people, he would not venture on the impious fact, still it was, “The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” ’Tis surely with ambition, as with other passions, the imaginary joys are greater than the experienced and substantial ones: The hopes and expectations far exceed the pleasures of possession. Whatever cares belong to crowns, they lie concealed within their circles, and are more seldom seen than felt. But this temptation found no place with David, young, and gay, and vigorous as he was, and even so near the crown, that by conniving at Abishai’s blow, he might have been in full and sure possession of it; yet he suffered not himself to be transported beyond the bounds of rigid honesty and loyalty, and still cries out, “The Lord forbid.” Now, to conclude, and to complete this character, add, lastly, to these great advantages of being son-in-law, a mighty man of valour, and accepted in the sight of all the people, of knowing Saul rejected, and himself designed for successor, the greatest yet of all advantages, and that is opportunity; that without which all others signify but little; and that with which alone men serve their turns, and make up the defects of all the rest; that pander to all sin, and fatal snare of virtue! That that has ruined many thousand souls, and betrayed them into most detestable commissions. Opportunity, that few have virtue, few have strength sufficient to withstand, and of all opportunities, none are so strong, and work so powerfully upon the minds of men as those that look providential ones, and seem to come from God. Yet this was David’s opportunity, and yet withstood.
II. CONSIDER THE REASON DAVID GAVE FOR HIS REFUSAL OF ABISHAI’S AND THE SOLDIERS’ PROFFER, “It is the Lord’s anointed.” The laws of God did certainly secure the lives of kings as well as other men’s, if it did no more. The Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come, or he shall perish in the battle, that is, I leave him to God’s disposal; let God, the Judge of all the earth, do with him as he pleases. And though we think the leaving wicked kings to God is the lightest and the kindest expression of nothing in the world that can be; yet we would quickly alter our opinions and be of David’s mind, if we would give ourselves leave to consider:

1. That he hates injustice more.
2. That he is much more ready.
3. Much more able to punish it than we can be. (W. Fleetwood.)

Exell, J. S. (n.d.). The Biblical Illustrator: I Samuel (pp. 555–557). Fleming H. Revell Company.

September 6 Morning Verse of the Day

30:6 The pain the troops felt over the loss of their sons and daughters led some to blame David for their troubles. Nonetheless, David found strength (lit “strengthened himself”) in the LORD his God, a testimony to his faith in difficult times.

Beyer, B. E. (2017). 1 Samuel. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 456). Holman Bible Publishers.

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30:6 spoke of stoning him They perceived that David’s plan to beguile the Philistines caused their loss.

Yahweh his God Here, Yahweh is called David’s God. In contrast, Saul refers to Yahweh as Samuel’s God (compare 15:15, 21, 30).

This is the book’s final comparison between righteous David and wicked Saul. Saul disregarded the Law while David obeyed it. Saul inquired of a dead prophet while David inquired of Yahweh Himself. Saul consulted a medium while David consulted a priest. Saul received a message of death and destruction while David receives a message of life and victory.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Sa 30:6). Lexham Press.

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30:6 But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God, and God comforts and strengthens him. Rather than despairing, David turns to God in prayer and worship (cf. Ps. 56:3–4).

Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 538). Crossway Bibles.

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30:6 distressed … embittered. Arriving home to the reality of their great tragedy caused David immense distress and provoked the wickedness of his men to entertain the treasonous idea of stoning him. Having not inquired of the Lord before his departure to support Achish in battle, David was in need of God’s getting his attention. strengthened himself in the LORD his God. This was the key to David being a man after God’s heart (cf. 1Sa 13:14; Ac 13:22).

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Sa 30:6). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

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30:6 David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. In this critical moment, David turns to God (vv 7–8). Instead of complaining or blaming God for this latest tragedy, David poured out his feelings freely in prayer and received the comfort and strength he needed to face this darkest of days.

Engelbrecht, E. A. (2009). The Lutheran Study Bible (p. 483). Concordia Publishing House.

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30:6 — … But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
In a previous hard time, Jonathan, David’s friend, had encouraged him in his faith (1 Sam. 23:16). But in his friend’s absence, David chose to strengthen himself in God. We must encourage each other so that we can strengthen ourselves.

Stanley, C. F. (2005). The Charles F. Stanley life principles Bible: New King James Version (1 Sa 30:6). Nelson Bibles.

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30:6 David faced a serious crisis in his leadership. He was distressed not only because of his personal grief but by the difficult situation pressing on him. the people spoke of stoning him: It is often the nature of unhappy people to vent their frustration through acts of hostility against their leaders (Ex. 17:4). strengthened himself in the LORD his God: Unlike Saul, David knew where to turn in a time of crisis (Phil. 4:13). He had learned to wait on God, confident of God’s eventual deliverance (Ps. 40:1–3).

Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 382). T. Nelson Publishers.

A Lifeline in the Darkness – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon (2 Thessalonians 1:1-5)

A Lifeline in the Darkness – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon (2 Thessalonians 1:1-5)

▶️Pastor Patrick Hines (PLAYLIST): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzOwqed_gET2vqbY_shSW0MfXtYGSoCnT

A Lifeline in the Darkness – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon (2 Thessalonians 1:1-5)

[1Sa 23:15-16, 18-29 NASB20] 15 Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph, at Horesh. 16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. … 18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; and David stayed at Horesh, while Jonathan went to his house. 19 Then Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not keeping himself hidden with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20 “Now then, O king, come down, since you fully desire to do so; and our part [shall be] to hand him over to the king.” 21 Saul said, “May you be blessed of the LORD, since you have had compassion on me. 22 “Go now, be more persistent, and investigate and see his place where he is hiding, [and] who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. 23 “So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he keeps himself hidden, and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his men went to seek [him,] they informed David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard [about it,] he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to apprehend them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have launched an attack against the land!” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Division. 29 And David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.

▶️Pastor Patrick Hines has recently had a brand new book published, called, “Earth’s Foundational History – Part 1: Genesis Chapters 1 Through 5.” (Paperback – May 4, 2023) https://cutt.ly/16RCeZ0

These two books are also available on Amazon. All proceeds go directly to Pastor Hines:

▶️Am I Right With God?: The Gospel, Justification, Saving Faith, Repentance, Assurance, & The New Birth https://cutt.ly/S6RCbuM

▶️Redrawing the Battle Lines: 23 Sermons on Critical Issues Facing the Church https://cutt.ly/m6RCTi0

▶️Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church http://www.bridwellheightschurch.org/

▶️Reformed Presbyterian Pulpit Supplemental (Pastor Hines’ YouTube Channel):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClW5Qzh27Zx7HO2fKkCcR5g

From the church website:

We subscribe to the Westminster Standards as our doctrinal statement. It consists of the following documents:

The Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Larger Catechism
The Westminster Shorter Catechism

We also believe that Christian Worship is to be regulated and defined by God’s Word, the Bible.

We embrace and promote a comprehensive Christian world and life view.

There is no area of life which is not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is to God and His law which all people, including governments and civil rulers, will answer. The Word of God embraces and informs the way we view marriage, the family, children, education, politics, worship, law, government, war, the church, missions, evangelism, and worship. In the world today there is a battle of opposing worldviews. There are basically only two positions: God’s Word and man’s ideas. We stand positively for Biblical truth and negatively against man’s ideas which are opposed to Biblical truth.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for mankind.

Because all men fall short of obeying God’s law, all men everywhere are in need of divine grace and salvation from God. This salvation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for sinners, was buried, rose again, and is alive today seated at God the Father’s right hand.

We Worship God Together as Families.

All who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and are members of an evangelical church are cordially invited to participate with us in the Lord’s Supper.

On Calling Out Sin | CultureWatch

On Calling Out Sin

We need to be careful in dealing with the sins of others:

When a public church figure sins, it is always a tragic situation. Then again, when ANY Christian sins it is always a tragic situation. But when pastors and church leaders sin, it impacts them, their families, their followers, and the public as a whole. It drags the name of Christ in the mud of course, and it casts yet another slur on the church, which is meant to be the bride of Christ, without spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:27).

How we deal with these fallen leaders is crucial. One wrong way is to pretend it is no big deal, and to act as if the person’s ministry can just keep on going as if nothing happened. Another wrong way to react is to look down on the one who fell, arrogantly thinking that WE would never do such a thing, never sin such a sin.

The truth is, we are all capable of falling into sin in so many ways. It really is the grace of God alone that has kept us from going off the rails big time. We all have our dark issues that we are good at keeping hidden from others. As we read in 1 Timothy 5:24: “The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.”

And now in the internet and social media age, it is getting easier and easier to have some sin found out and advertised to the whole world. Just as there are now many ‘heresy-hunting’ ministries which delight in calling out others who do not believe in the exact way that the hunters prefer (and yes, there is real heresy, and it does need to be called out), so too we now have some ministries that exist to expose various failures, sins and the like.

These too can have a place, but like the hunters, they really need great care, wisdom and humility. Too often it seems that the ones exposing private or public sins in Christians – especially Christian leaders and pastors – almost seem to take a real delight in doing so: ‘Ha, we caught another one!’

The truth is, such a ministry should only be done while on our knees and with tears in our eyes. We should not delight in the fall of fellow believers. It should sadden us, and it should make us want to even more carefully examine our own hearts and souls. That is the proper attitude to have here.

And as I have said so often, the general biblical principle goes like this: private sin, private rebuke; public sin, public rebuke. See more on this matter in this recent article: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2025/03/15/on-the-confession-of-sin/

Lessons from Saul and David

Given that I am again reading through 1 and 2 Samuel, I am finding a lot of biblical truths that we can apply to this matter of when leaders fall. Not every question raised concerning the lives of these two kings of Israel can be dealt with here. For example, why would God choose both men, knowing that both would fall so spectacularly?

As I discuss the pair, I will provide some words from just one commentator, David Toshio Tsumura, and his two books in the NICOT series: 1 Samuel (Eerdmans, 2007), and 2 Samuel (Eerdmans, 2019).

As to Saul, we know he had issues early on, including his longstanding enmity against young David, his unlawful sacrifice (1 Sam. 13), his rash vow (1 Sam. 14), and his consultation with the witch of Endor (1 Sam. 28). So we read back in 1 Samuel 15 how the Lord rejects Saul. But note how the prophet Samuel views all this: not with glee but with great concern. Consider these verses:

The word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. (1 Sam. 15:10-11)

Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. (1 Sam. 15:34-35)

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” (1 Sam. 16:1)

Grief, and not elation, was how the prophet dealt with the fall of Saul. We too should have such a spirit if we call out the sins of others, or when we hear of some public sin of a noted Christian leader. As Tsumura remarks: “Samuel grieved even over one with whom he probably had a rather rocky relation. Here we can see a true pastor and prophet who did not rejoice in the wrong.”

The Second Book of Samuel (New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT)) by Tsumura, David Toshio (Author)

As to King David, we know that his major sin had to do with Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11). Nathan the prophet had to confront him on this, David was smitten by the words, and he was forgiven. In 2 Samuel 12:9-15 we read the following:

Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house.

Several things can be said about this. First, we read about the confession of his sin in Psalm 51. Second, I had one person recently complain about a fallen American pastor and his public confession, saying he had used words like “I’ and “my” a lot, and the focus was really just on himself. Well, it seems pretty hard NOT to use such words when a person is discussing his own sin! Tsumura writes:

Thus, in vv. 1-17 [of Psalm 51], King David humbly comes before the merciful God begging for forgiveness of his personal sin; note the frequent use of the first-­person singular forms, that is, the independent pronoun, pronominal suffixes, verbal forms (“me,” “my,” “I”) in vv. 1-16:

vv. 1 (2×), 2 (4×), 3 (5×), 4 (2×), 5 (3×), 6 (1×), 7 (4×), 8 (1×), 9 (2×), 10 (2×), 11 (2×), 12 (2×), 13 (1×), 14 (3×), 15 (3×), 16 (1×).

So personal confession of sin cannot avoid such words. But of course, when others have been wronged in the sin, then they too need to be mentioned. First and foremost when we sin, God is the aggrieved party. But we hurt so many other people when we sin as well.

And that leads to a third thing that can be said about David’s sin: while sins can be forgiven, there are usually consequences to those sins that one must live with. That certainly was the case with David. For the rest of his reign, he really went through the wringer, with so much family trouble and turmoil – betrayal, disobedience, bloodshed and the like – all as the prophet had stated.

Reading the chapters that follow Nathan’s rebuke is a very sad experience. David went through one difficult time after another. Again, the Lord had forgiven him, but he still had to pay a heavy price for his sin. Tsumura comments as follows about this:

Chapters 13 to 20 show the ‘evil . . . from your house’ (12;11) that Nathan announced to David, centering around the rebellion of his son Absalom. Absalom kills his brother Amnon to avenge the rape of his sister, but is eventually pardoned by David. Absalom then forms a conspiracy and declares himself king, but the rebellion is put down and Absalom is killed. In the aftermath there is an attempt by a group of Benjaminites to withdraw from Israel, but it also is put down. Even though it was the Lord who raised evil out of David’s house, he did not do it by some external force, but by the natural qualities of David and his family.

For more on this matter of forgiveness and consequences, see a piece I penned some years ago on the issue: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2007/10/14/sin-forgiveness-and-consequences/

In that piece I asked – and sought to answer – some hard questions, such as why did David not die for his sin, as the law had demanded, and why did an innocent person – David’s son – die for his wrongdoing? I finished that article with these words:

In sum, we have a wonderful saviour who offers complete and amazing forgiveness. He has taken upon himself the penalty for our sins. But sometimes we still must bear the consequences of our actions. Indeed, if I, as a forgiven and redeemed Christian, go out and murder someone, why should I expect to be let off the hook? I may repent and be forgiven by God, but I still must pay off my debt to society.

So we all can rejoice in God’s marvellous forgiveness. But his forgiveness has come at a price – the death of his son. And the principle of sowing and reaping is not just an Old Testament concept. It is found in the New Testament as well. Thus the biblical Christian takes seriously both the tragedy of sin and its consequences, and the matchless grace and forgiveness as found on Christ.

Sin is nothing to ever take lightly, be it in our own lives or that of others. We should not gloat when a brother or sister falls, but grieve and pray. And while we rejoice in the forgiveness that God provides in Christ, we must bear in mind that consequences for sin still often remain.

Sin, in other words, is never a laughing matter.

[1787 words]

The post On Calling Out Sin appeared first on CultureWatch.

MARCH 6 | SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HEART

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.—MATT. 5:8

Throughout Scripture the heart is used metaphorically to represent the inner person, the seat of motives and attitudes, the center of personality. But in Scripture it also includes the thinking process, particularly the will. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (KJV). The heart is the control center of the mind and will, as well as emotion.
Jesus said that it is in the inner person, in the core of our very being, that God requires purity. This was not a new truth but an old one long forgotten in ceremony and tradition. “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life,” counseled the writer of Proverbs 4:23.
God has always been concerned above all else with the condition of a person’s heart. When the Lord called Saul to be Israel’s first king, “God changed his heart” (1 Sam. 10:9). Until then Saul had been handsome and athletic, but not much more. Soon the new king began to revert to his old heart patterns. He refused to live by the new heart God had given him.
Consequently, the Lord took the kingdom from Saul and gave it to David because David was “a man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14). David’s deepest desire was, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Ps. 19:14). May that be your desire as well.

ASK YOURSELF
What are some things you’ve learned about your heart over the years? What motivates it to action? How trustworthy is it? Where does it usually like to lead you? When do its passions most vividly fire into flame? How inclined is it to purity?

MacArthur, J. (2008). Daily readings from the life of Christ (p. 74). Moody Publishers.

He Will Deliver | Pastor Jack Hibbs

He Will Deliver

Samuel 24:15

“Therefore let the LORD be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.” 

Saul’s murderous ways against David were well known before this meeting of the two, and what a sad story it is. Look at poor Saul. Tall of stature, mighty in battle, the king who was once mightily used by God, now driven by jealous rage against the psalm-writing shepherd.

Look at David. Here is a man of no ambition who delights in the presence of the Lord and hopes for nothing more than continual fellowship with his God. David trusted the One who had upheld and delivered him from every trouble and foe. Saul had no reason to go up against David, yet Scripture says, “Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him” (1 Samuel 18:12).

Are you being attacked by those whom you hold nothing against? Is someone in relentless pursuit of your downfall because you worship God? If so, take instruction from David. 

During this time, David penned Psalm 59, and in verse 5, he calls upon the “LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel.” No greater title could have flowed from David’s lips. David appealed to the One who can remedy all of life’s situations—his, yours, and mine—to come to his rescue. He is the all-powerful, unchanging LORD, Commander of the heavenly host, the God of Israel who will keep His eternal covenant with His people, now and forevermore.

And so, it is with us today. This same Lord of all is Lord for all. Cry out to Him who can deliver you.

Awaiting His Return,

– Pastor Jack

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Morning, March 2 | “But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.”—1 Samuel 13:20

We are engaged in a great war with the Philistines of evil. Every weapon within our reach must be used. Preaching, teaching, praying, giving, all must be brought into action, and talents which have been thought too mean for service, must now be employed. Coulter, and axe, and mattock, may all be useful in slaying Philistines; rough tools may deal hard blows, and killing need not be elegantly done, so long as it is done effectually. Each moment of time, in season or out of season; each fragment of ability, educated or untutored; each opportunity, favourable or unfavourable, must be used, for our foes are many and our force but slender.

Most of our tools want sharpening; we need quickness of perception, tact, energy, promptness, in a word, complete adaptation for the Lord’s work. Practical common sense is a very scarce thing among the conductors of Christian enterprises. We might learn from our enemies if we would, and so make the Philistines sharpen our weapons. This morning let us note enough to sharpen our zeal during this day by the aid of the Holy Spirit. See the energy of the Papists, how they compass sea and land to make one proselyte, are they to monopolize all the earnestness? Mark the heathen devotees, what tortures they endure in the service of their idols! are they alone to exhibit patience and self-sacrifice? Observe the prince of darkness, how persevering in his endeavours, how unabashed in his attempts, how daring in his plans, how thoughtful in his plots, how energetic in all! The devils are united as one man in their infamous rebellion, while we believers in Jesus are divided in our service of God, and scarcely ever work with unanimity. O that from Satan’s infernal industry we may learn to go about like good Samaritans, seeking whom we may bless!

Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.

After dropping 748 points Friday, what will stocks do next? | Denison Forum

After dropping 748 points Friday, what will stocks do next?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 748 points on Friday, its worst slide in two months. The Financial Times explained: “A bout of gloomy economic data showed sentiment among consumers and businesses has cooled a month into Donald Trump’s presidency.”

For all I know, the markets will rebound today. Or they could close mixed, or they could continue to decline. But you’re not reading this article because you want stock market advice from me. The next finance class I take will be my first one. My economics acumen rivals my ability to dunk a basketball or fly a jumbo jet.

However, I am interested in discussing with you a verse I encountered in my personal Bible study over the weekend; one that speaks to foundational issues we all face, whatever the markets do today.

“Don’t do what I did”

Psalm 52 was written by David after someone named “Doeg the Edomite” betrayed his whereabouts to King Saul (1 Samuel 22:9–10). This mattered because Saul at the time saw David as a threat to his throne and sought to kill him.

David said to Doeg and to all whose character he represents, “Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? . . . Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit” (vv. 1–2). The future king goes on to warn Doeg that “God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent” (v. 5).

Now comes the part that caught my eye: “The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, ‘See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!’” (vv. 6–7).

Stop there for a moment. According to David, the person who “trusted in the abundance of his riches” is the same person who “sought refuge in his own destruction.” Repetition is a central feature of Hebrew poetry. In this case, the second phrase affirms and amplifies the first.

How would a person who “sought refuge in his own destruction” do so? He might seek shelter from a hurricane in a building that then collapsed and killed him. Or he might consume poison thinking it was medicine and die. Or he might react to adversity by using drugs that kill him.

I remember watching a sports icon being interviewed shortly before his death. After many years of drinking that he thought made his life better, he was dying of cirrhosis of the liver. He looked into the camera and said, “Don’t do what I did.”

How can we take his advice today?

“God means to fill each of you with what is good”

David continued: “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever” (v. 8). Again, the second phrase amplifies the first: if we trust not in material wealth but in the unconditional love of God, we are comparable to a “green olive tree in the house of God”—alive and perpetually thriving.

I am reminded of CS Lewis’s famous maxim: “Aim at Heaven and you get Earth ‘thrown in’; aim at Earth and you will get neither.” Living for eternity is the best way to maximize our temporal lives. Focusing on heavenly reward leads to our earthly best.

Why is this so?

St. Augustine (AD 354–430) explained:

Suppose you are going to fill some holder or container, and you know you will be given a large amount. Then you set about stretching your sack or wineskin or whatever it is. Why? Because you know the quantity you will have to put in it and your eyes tell you there is not enough room. By stretching it, therefore, you increase the capacity of the sack, and this is how God deals with us. . . .

God means to fill each of you with what is good; so cast out what is bad! If he wishes to fill you with honey and you are full of sour wine, where is the honey to go? The vessel must be emptied of its contents and then be cleansed. Yes, it must be cleansed even if you have to work hard and scour it. It must be made fit for the new thing, whatever it may be.

Said differently, when we do what leads to reward in the next life, we live our best lives in this one. For example:

• Living for God’s glory rather than ours produces the humility that positions us to be empowered, led, and blessed by God’s Spirit (Proverbs 15:33; Ephesians 5:18).
• Thinking and living biblically aligns us with God’s “perfect” will for our lives today (Romans 12:2).
• Leading people to eternal life in Christ infuses us with purpose and significance that transcends anything secular culture can offer (Acts 1:8).
• Staying ready to meet Jesus requires us to refuse temptation that poisons our souls and corrupts our culture (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:2–11.

How to be “freed from selfish desires”

St. Maximus the Confessor (AD 580–662) noted:

If a man’s service toward his brothers is genuine and if he really renounces worldly concerns, he is freed from selfish desires. For he now shares in God’s own knowledge and love. Since he does possess God’s love, he does not experience weariness as he follows his Lord and God.

Theologian and novelist Frederick Buechner was therefore right:

“If you lose yourself in your work, you find who you are. If you express the best you have in you in your work, it is more than just the best you have in you that you are expressing.”

Will you “express the best you have in you” for God’s glory today?

The post After dropping 748 points Friday, what will stocks do next? appeared first on Denison Forum.

The Heart Restored | Ligonier Ministries

As we consider the history of God’s people in the Old Testament, we do not observe a people who served the Lord faithfully. The people of Israel did not demonstrate their love for God with all their hearts. Even some of the great heroes of Israel manifested the depths of depravity in their lives.

Nevertheless, it is through our careful study of Israel’s past that we find great comfort. With spiritually discerning minds, we have been given the ability to understand the way in which God’s redemption of His people has been displayed throughout history. As such, we possess insight into the unfolding drama of redemption, from the beginning of life itself to the very end when death itself is conquered.

It is for no small reason that God’s record of His people is replete with stories of failure and renewal. For it is in the history of redemption that the patient God of Israel restores His people time after time, demonstrating His enduring love and faithfulness. Despite their lawlessness and rebellion, the people of God in the Old Testament were repeatedly brought to repentance by the kindness of God and were always renewed in their sweet communion with Him. This common theme of restoration is perhaps best illustrated in the life of David who was the son of Jesse, the shepherd of Bethlehem, the defender of the kingdom of God, the king of Israel, the adulterer, the deceiver, and the murderer. In the biblical portrait of David, we observe a man whose heart was broken by his sin and healed by his Lord.

Upon the occasion of David’s anointing, we recall the words of God to Samuel concerning David’s older brother Eliab:

Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Sam. 16:7)

The boldness and sheer magnificence of these words demand that we hearken to the words of Samuel when he proclaimed to Saul that “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart…to be prince over his people” (1 Sam. 13:14). David was a man after God’s own heart, not because the heart of David was pure. Rather, he was a man after God’s own heart precisely because he understood that his heart was not pure, and for that reason he hid the Word of God in his heart so that he might not sin against the Lord and so that he might love the Lord with all his heart, coram Deo.

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FEBRUARY 8 | Freedom from Sin

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Samuel 15
KEY VERSES: Psalm 51:3–4

I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.

Saul deliberately disobeyed God, and even worse, he knowingly lied about it to the prophet Samuel. It was then that Samuel had to deliver the dreaded message that God had rejected Saul as king.
Was Saul sorry? Yes, but he never did accept full blame for his actions. You can hear the attempt at justification in his response: “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them” (1 Sam. 15:24 NIV).
Now look at the words of King David, whom God appointed to be ruler after Saul. David had sinned grievously as well, but he said this: “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned” (Ps. 51:3–4 NIV).
Can you tell the difference between these two confessions? Saul did not really repent because he refused to acknowledge the sin as his own. But David knew better. He fully acknowledged his sin, and he asked God for forgiveness.
That is the kind of repentance God wants from you. He knows your heart and your weaknesses, and He wants you to admit them. The Lord wants you to experience the relief and peace of being forgiven through Christ.

Master, I know my transgressions. My sin is always before me. Against You, and You only, have I sinned. I repent. Thank You for the blood of Jesus that cleanses my sin.

Stanley, C. F. (1999). On holy ground (p. 41). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The Son of David: Christ as the Fulfillment of Davidic Promises | Ligonier Ministries

King Henry VIII’s (1491–1597) insatiable desire to have a son to be heir of his kingdom serves as the basis for one of the great accounts of church history. When Catherine of Aragon, Henry’s first wife, could not bear him a son, he sought to have the marriage annulled by the Roman Catholic Church. When Pope Leo X refused an annulment, the king broke from the church of Rome. In God’s providence, Henry’s zeal for the perpetuation of his dynasty ultimately led to the English Reformation, as members of Parliament appointed Henry to be the head of the Church of England. The divine hand of providence overruled Henry’s fleshly attempts to procure an heir and brought about good for the church. There is, however, a far more significant record of how the divine hand of providence established a dynasty through a son for the good of His church—namely, in the fulfillment of God’s covenant with David.

In 2 Samuel 7:1–17, the Lord promised David that He would establish an everlasting kingdom, raising up a son who would reign on his throne forever (2 Sam. 7:8–16). God’s dealings with David in redemptive history form the climax of Old Testament revelation. Scripture reveals that Christ is the promised son of David (Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 20:30; 21:9; 22:42). He is the new David, the King who rules as covenant head of His people (Ezek. 34:23–24). One cannot fully understand the message of Scripture without recognizing that Jesus is the promised son of David who fulfills the covenant promises (2 Cor. 1:20–21; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8). Much of who Jesus is and what He did is directly related to the person of David and the promises God gave him. To establish the relationship between David and Christ, the Scriptures reveal the typological identification that exists between them.

David is arguably the most developed type of Christ in the Old Testament. The typological connection between him and Christ is first understood by his name. The prophets expressly refer to the promised messiah as “David” (Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25), as well as “the righteous Branch of David” (Jer. 23:5). This association is rooted in the seed promise God made to David in the Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7:17–23). David’s name carries a typical relation to the person of Christ, as David’s name is expressly connected to the Hebrew word translated “beloved.” Jesus is God’s beloved Son, the antitype of the beloved David (Isa. 5:1; Matt. 3:17; 12:19; 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17).

The typological relationship is next discerned by their birthplace. Both David and Christ came out of Bethlehem. This is no insignificant typical association. The prophet Micah specifically foretold the eternal (from everlasting) and the temporal (Bethlehem) origin of the Redeemer (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1–6). The eternal Son of David was born in Bethlehem, the city of David.

There is a close connection between the calling of David and Jesus. David was a shepherd when the Lord called him to rule over Israel (1 Sam. 16:19; 2 Sam. 7:8). The Lord chose and anointed David to shepherd His people (2 Sam. 5:1–2). Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the chosen and Anointed One appointed by God to shepherd His people, the true Israel (Isa. 42:1; Mic. 5:2; John 10).

David was a warrior who conquered God’s enemies in battle. Jesus is the eschatological, divine warrior who conquers all God’s enemies in battle on the cross (Ps. 45:3; Col. 2:15; 1 John 3:8). David typifies Christ by engaging in representative warfare with Goliath. The one who won this battle won it for his people (1 Sam. 17:9). David represented God’s people, ultimately defeating the Philistines in battle. Jesus faced off in representative warfare against Satan, ultimately defeating him and the spiritual forces of darkness on the cross (Col. 2:15). As David defeated Goliath with his own weapon, so Christ defeated Satan with His own weapon—namely, the cross. Jonathan Edwards helpfully observed,

God preserved [David] from [Goliath], and gave him the victory over him—so that he cut off his head with his own sword and made him therein the deliverer of his people—as Christ slew the spiritual Goliath with his own weapon, the cross, and so delivered his people.

As David had a group of mighty men with him in his sufferings, Jesus had His disciples with Him through His humiliation and suffering. David’s mighty men were with him when he ate the showbread in the tabernacle (1 Sam. 21:1–6). Jesus’ disciples were with Him when they walked through the grain fields on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1–8). It was Christ Himself who drew out this redemptive-historical connection (Mark 2:25–26).

Among the great suffering David endured were the attacks of Saul on account of his jealousy. The Son of David was maliciously treated from infancy, when King Herod sought to destroy Him out of jealousy. Just as David was derided by his brothers, so the Son of David was derided by His brethren. David was despised and rejected by the king, by his people, and by his own family. Jesus was rejected by His people, sentenced and executed by the Romans, denied by Peter, abandoned in His hour of trial by His disciples, tortured, attacked by Satan and demons, and forsaken by God when bearing the sin of the world. David crossed over the Brook Kidron as he was being betrayed by Ahithophel (2 Sam. 15:13–37). When his plot was uncovered, Ahithophel hung himself (2 Sam. 17:23). Jesus crossed over the Brook Kidron when being betrayed by Judas (John 18:1). After his betrayal, Judas went and hanged himself (Matt. 27:5).

The entire life of David was a series of typological deaths and resurrections until he was delivered and exalted. The whole of Christ’s life was one of suffering followed by resurrection glory. Jesus is “the root and the descendant of David” (Rev. 22:16), the One “who has the key of David” (Rev. 3:7). Christ has been exalted to the right hand of God to rule on the throne of David (Luke 1:32). The crucified, risen, and exalted son of David rules forever over the kingdom of God in righteousness, truth, and grace as the new David.

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Pray Like Samuel | IFA

The following is an excerpt from our daily devotional series Pray Like an Intercessor!

This mighty prophet was actually a living answer to his mother’s intercession. His first encounter with the Lord came when he was only a child. While the priest Eli was sleeping, the lamp in the Tabernacle was going out, something that was not supposed to happen. God calls to Samuel and reveals that He will bring judgment on Eli and his house for corrupting the priesthood. Young Samuel could have been afraid, but he told Eli everything the Lord had said. This courage and honesty at a tender age was a quality that was needed. God would raise Samuel as a mighty prophet in word and deed, but Samuel was also an intercessor. We find him seeking God’s deliverance from the Amalekites. He intercedes for the nation after the people rebelled by rejecting God and demanding a human king (see 1 Samuel 8:6–8).

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The Lord even answered Samuel’s prayers more than once with thunder and rain. We see Samuel interceding when King Saul disobeys the Lord, who then decides to anoint a new king. Samuel’s continual intercession proved that though the people were rebellious, he still cared for them. Because he loved them, he continued interceding and seeking God’s restoration. We can learn a thing or two from Samuel.

When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him (1 Samuel 7:7–9 NIV).

Lord, forgive us as intercessors for our lack of love. We love this nation and long to see it delivered not just from our physical enemies, but even from the spiritual enemies called apathy, complacency, and compromise. We want America to be restored to the destiny You had in mind when it was birthed. This nation has a purpose, but we’ve lost our way. Like the Israelites, we’ve sinned as a nation — looking elsewhere for deliverance, even though You alone are the Lord, King of kings. Like Saul, our leaders have sinned against You time and again. Move us with compassion so that we might mourn over how our leaders have betrayed You. Take our extreme anger and give us love, so that we may be steadfast in prayer. Align our hearts and minds so that our intercession will be precise for America and its leaders. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Read 1 Samuel 8 and ask the Lord to speak to you.

Intercessors are moved by love. It was love for God’s people that kept Samuel praying for them. Samuel’s persistence to pray, even in the face of all the trouble the Israelites brought on themselves, and his deep mourning for King Saul are evidence. Our prayers for America and our leaders must be motivated by love, or else we are nothing more than clanging cymbals or noisy gongs. We may be speaking many words, but are we saying anything? Remember: Of faith, hope, and love, the greatest is love, because God is love.

Did you like this article? If so, share it!

IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo Credit: Olivia Snow on Unsplash.

Source: https://ifapray.org/blog/pray-like-samuel/

January 31 | A PROMISING BEGINNING

SCRIPTURE READING:
1 Samuel 9–10
KEY VERSE:
1 Samuel 10:9

So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.

One of the most important elements in a race is a good start. In swift competition a poor start is tantamount to losing.
For believers, that start is the decision to trust Christ as Savior. Just as essential is the character building in the ensuing months and years. When the prophet Samuel identified Saul as king, it was obvious that Saul had begun his journey with admirable qualities. After Samuel anointed him king, Saul demonstrated his patience and humility by enduring the taunts of “certain worthless men” who mocked him, saying, “How can this one deliver us?” (1 Sam. 10:27 NASB).
Perhaps your beginning hasn’t been so favorable. Perhaps circumstances beyond your control have thwarted you at every turn. Perhaps you have never chosen to follow Christ. You can begin today. If you are not a believer, receive Jesus’ offer of salvation by inviting Him in as your personal Savior.
If you do know Jesus but are continually frustrated, submit completely to His lordship, asking Him to take control of you and your circumstances. Trust Him to use even your problems for your welfare. He can do it if you turn to Him.

I want a heart to follow You, O God. Give me a good start and the power and endurance to cross the finish line in victory.

Stanley, C. F. (1998). Enter His gates: a daily devotional. Thomas Nelson Publishers.

JANUARY 26 | Our help on life’s journey

As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.”
1 Samuel 7:10–12, ESV

Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; in You they trusted and were not disappointed.
Psalm 22:3–5, NASB

Here I raise my Ebenezer,
Hither by Thy help I’m come,
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Robert Robinson, 1735–90

Manser, M., ed. (2015). Daily Guidance (p. 35). Martin Manser.

JANUARY 21 | A Man After God’s Heart

SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Samuel 23:13–17
KEY VERSE: Acts 13:22

When He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”

Hidden within the text of 2 Samuel 23:13–17 is a revealing detail of King David’s life. The Philistines had captured Bethlehem, David’s birthplace, and established a garrison there. The city was shut up: no one could go in and no one could leave. David was in his stronghold in the nearby cave of Adullam. There with selected members of his mighty men, David plotted the next attack against the enemy.
There he longingly expressed a desire for a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem. As his men listened to his words, their devotion for their commander was stirred. Three of the men risked their lives by crossing enemy lines to bring a single cup of Bethlehem’s water to David. When he saw what they had done, David’s heart was humbled. He refused to drink the water, choosing instead to pour it out as a drink offering to God.
David recognized the valor of his men, but he also understood that only God was worthy of such devotion. The other aspect to the story is that David refused to elevate himself above the others.
The entirety of David’s heart was humbly committed to God. That is why God said of David: “He is a man after My own heart.” In God’s eyes, humility is a sign of greatness and obedience a characteristic of those who intimately walk with God.

Dear God, help me walk humbly and obediently with You. Make me a person after Your own heart.

Stanley, C. F. (2000). Into His presence (p. 22). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

JANUARY 17 | Conquering Faith

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Samuel 17:38–51
KEY VERSE: 1 Samuel 17:45

David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

David’s faith may seem to be of an almost superhuman kind—one beyond reach—if you focus on the feats he accomplished. Killing a giant with only some stones and a slingshot seems unbelievable.
But that is exactly the point. It was impossible and unbelievable. David’s simple, childlike faith in a great God produced the decisive victory for the Israelites that brought much glory to their Lord’s name.
The faith David had—conquering faith—is yours when you understand the true nature of his trust in God. Conquering faith is a faith that rejects the discouraging words of others.
What if David had listened to the taunts and questions of his brothers, or what if he had let Saul’s doubts coerce him to wear cumbersome, oversize armor? David knew that if he let God do the job that God had called him to do, success was the only possible outcome.
Conquering faith also recognizes the true nature of the battle. When Goliath in arrogance came against the army of God, the issue became spiritual, and David understood this principle immediately.
Are you facing a spiritual “Goliath” right now? God does not expect you to manage the situation on your own. Ask Him to handle the conflict. Conquering faith knows the One for the job.

Heavenly Father, give me conquering faith—a faith that rejects discouraging words from others and recognizes the true nature of the battle. Handle my conflicts. Defeat my spiritual Goliaths.

Stanley, C. F. (1999). On holy ground (p. 18). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

JANUARY 15 | Facing Giants in Faith

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Samuel 17:1–11
KEY VERSE: 1 John 5:4

Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Tomorrow she has to face the committee and tell them what she thinks. Last month they asked her to review books for a children’s reading club, and she feels that three of the books are detrimental and advocate unbiblical values. She also knows that most of the committee members are not believers and will not understand her arguments.
As she thinks about the conflict to come, panic sets in. It isn’t until she recalls past victories in the Lord that she calms down and recognizes that the battle is really His.
Look at David’s words of positive confession before he faced the sneering giant, Goliath: “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17:37 NASB).
David could say with unwavering confidence that God would give him the resounding victory. He called to mind former defenseless times when God delivered him from destruction, and he relied on God’s might to do it again.
What giant looms in your future? What battle are you headed for today? Are you claiming the victory right now in His name? Always remember—you have a faith that conquers.

Father God, there are giants ahead—tremendous battles to face. Give me the faith that conquers. I claim the victory right now in Your name.

Stanley, C. F. (1999). On holy ground (p. 16). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

One Man vs Goliath: David’s Faith in Battle – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon

One Man, David, With God – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon

1 Samuel 17:1-32
New American Standard Bible
17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul and the men of Israel were assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, and they drew up in battle formation to confront the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, while Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 4 Then a champion came forward from the army encampment of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath. His height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had a bronze helmet on his head, and he wore scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze saber slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-carrier walked in front of him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle formation? Am I not the Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man as your representative and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “I have defied the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man, so that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very fearful.

12 Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, the man whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13 The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who had gone into the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and second to him, Abinadab, and the third, Shammah. 14 So David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16 And the Philistine came forward morning and evening, and took his stand for forty days.

17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers. 18 Bring also these ten slices of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the well-being of your brothers and bring back confirmation from them. 19 For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.”

20 So David got up early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper, and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the entrenchment encircling the camp while the army was going out in battle formation, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army. 22 Then David left the baggage in the care of the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line. And he entered and greeted his brothers. 23 As he was speaking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard him.

24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were very fearful. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will make the man who kills him wealthy with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.”

26 Then David said to the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and rids Israel of the disgrace? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he has dared to defy the armies of the living God?” 27 The people answered him in agreement with this statement, saying, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard him when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why is it that you have come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I myself know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” 29 But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?” 30 Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people replied with the same words as before.

31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they informed Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “May no one’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

Source: One Man vs Goliath: David’s Faith in Battle – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon

December 23 | Making Course Corrections

Scripture reading: 1 Samuel 10:17–11:14

Key verse: Psalm 19:12

Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

There is a tendency to think of King Saul’s life as being sinister and foreboding. But Saul didn’t begin his reign as a baneful terrorist. The Bible tells us, “He was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said … ‘Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.’ So all the people shouted and said, ‘Long live the king!’ ” (1 Sam. 10:23–24 nasb).

Saul bore God’s anointing along with the love and respect of the people. The first obvious sign of erosion came in 1 Samuel 15 when Saul willfully disobeyed God and offered a sacrifice only Samuel was commanded to make. Pride and jealousy, combined with insecurity, led to even deeper erosion of his spiritual values. In the end, Saul’s life was void of all that was godly.

Most of us think there’s no way we would yield to such spiritual decline. Before you adopt this view, recall the life of Saul. He was a humble man when he first became king. But by the end of his life, disobedience and pride were his captors.

Ask God to surface any area of erosion in your life. Then pray He will give you wisdom and the ability to make the necessary course corrections in the days ahead.

Dear God, please surface any area of erosion in my life, and then give me the wisdom and ability to make the necessary course corrections.¹

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¹  Stanley, C. F. (2002). Seeking His face (p. 374). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Finding God’s Mercy When You Fail

Christ’s mercy says, “Do not despair. Do not lose hope, for you have living hope in Christ, an imperishable and incorruptible hope.” May you rejoice in this hope, and may you embrace it in faith. Every Christian has the sure hope of the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection. In Christ, the end of your story has already been written, and it is not a tragedy but rather the best of all endings—resurrection from the dead and a life everlasting to glorify God.

Have you ever wondered if you were beyond God’s mercy? Maybe you were given a host of opportunities in life, but you squandered them and are left with little or nothing to show for it. Maybe you hurt people and caused a lot of pain, and you can’t make it right. Will God forgive even you? Thankfully, God has given us the Bible so we can answer such crucial questions. We can learn a lot about God’s mercy by reading about King Saul in the first book of Samuel.

Saul wasn’t a king who struggled with idolatry; he always served the Lord. Yet, Saul was a king who just couldn’t bring himself to obey (1 Sam. 13:8-14; 15:1-10). He put himself and his own honor before obedience to the law. Even when the Lord told him that his reign was over, Saul clung to his throne with the iron grip of jealousy (1 Sam. 19).

In dying by his own hand, falling on his sword to avoid capture by the Philistines (1 Sam. 31:4), Saul attempted to spare himself from the curse of the uncircumcised. Ironically, his life ended depicting the classic consequence of sin. If there was ever a story demonstrating how “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), this is one.

Quite literally, Saul died by his own sin, and this was God’s punishment. Saul failed to execute the Lord’s wrath upon the Amalekites, and so that wrath fell upon him. Like all sinners, Saul attempted to escape his fate and free himself from God’s punishment. He tried to save himself by his own hand.

There is no “self-salvation” from sin.

There is no escaping God and his punishment. Indeed, Saul thought falling on his sword would spare him the shame of being savagely abused by the Philistines, but it happened anyway. The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and desecrated his body, cut off his head, and stripped him of his royal armor—just as he feared. The Philistines did to Saul what David did to Goliath, and then the Philistines gloated about the evil they had perpetrated against Israel’s king.

The Philistines deposited Saul’s armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, the goddess of war. According to 1 Chronicles 10:10, Saul’s head was placed in the temple of Dagon. To deposit such trophies in a temple is to give credit to the temple’s god for the victory. The Philistines then proceeded to proclaim their triumph throughout the land, praising Ashtaroth and Dagon for their victory over Saul and Yahweh.

As a king, it is bad enough to have your people die for your own sins, but it is even worse to dishonor the holy name of the Lord. So, in his sin Saul gave the Philistines an occasion to gloat in their idols; he brought shame upon the name of God.

The Philistines took the headless bodies of Saul and his sons and nailed them to the wall of Beth Shan. They exposed Saul’s body to the elements—and to the scavengers and vultures. As the law says, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Gal. 3:13; Deut. 21:23). This was not some victory of an idol but rather God’s just punishment. For his royal disobedience, the Lord’s curse fell upon Saul. Truly, “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). The day of the Lord’s judgment and wrath is a dark day.

This dark day is pierced by a ray of hope.

And yet, just as the shadow of wrath appears to be total, it is pierced by a ray of hope. Imagine seeing your king beheaded and nailed to a wall. What could be more despairing? Once again, Israel could cry out, “Ichabod!” (“The glory has departed from Israel!” [1 Sam. 4:21].) And yet, as all other Israelites ran away in hopelessness, a few good men stood up.

The valiant men of Jabesh-gilead rose to the occasion. These men remembered what Saul had done for them. In 1 Samuel 11, the Ammonites had besieged Jabesh-gilead and were going to enslave them cruelly.

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