lMerry Christmas!lOverview of: 1 SAMUEL
Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 23:7-29
"Saul Pursues David"
Focus Verses: 1 Samuel 23:13-14
13 So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there. 14 David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
Insight:
Samuel had anointed David as King of Israel but King Saul would not let go of his power and position. Instead of humbling himself before God and relinquishing his throne, he pursued David with the intent to kill him.
Hundreds of soldiers gathered around David in his support and defense. Even Jonathan, the son of King Saul, acknowledged David's rightful ascent to the throne. But rather than fighting or attacking Saul, David waited on the Lord. He trusted God to defend him and to raise him to the position of King in God's time and in God's way.
Response and Action:
Sometimes it's hard to wait on the Lord. God's promises can seem very far away from my present circumstances. I will take David's example to heart when I am tempted to give up or to just try to make things happen in my own strength and in my own way. I will do my best to be faithful in the difficulties of today, trusting that God will sustain me and keep his promises. I trust God to lead and provide for me in his own way and in his own time. I also trust that his way and his time are best for me, and the best for accomplishing God's will.
O God, teach me your ways; show me how to best deal with the troubles and problems I face. Don't let me be overwhelmed or defeated by lies, by enemies, or by hardships. I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in my lifetime. I tell my heart and soul, "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Help me to press on through Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.
Proverb for Today: Prov. 25:28
"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control."
New Testament for Today: Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
In Context: Titus 2
Recommended Reading:
Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent
by Ben Patterson
