Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

DID YOU KNOW…

Long before Disney’s production, the original “Beauty and the Beast” was a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740.  Villeneuve’s lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and published by French novelist Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756 to produce the most commonly retold version. Throughout the centuries variants of the tale are known across Europe.  In France, for example, Zémire and Azor is an operatic version of the story, written by Jean-François Marmontel and composed by André Grétry in 1771, which had enormous success into the 19th century. According to researchers at universities in Durham and Lisbon, the story originated about 4,000 years ago.

THE ORIGINAL STORY:  A widowed merchant lives in a mansion in a city with his twelve children: six sons and six daughters. All his daughters are very beautiful, but the youngest, Beauty, is the loveliest. Beauty is also kind and pure of heart; her elder sisters, in contrast, are cruel, selfish, and jealous of Beauty. The merchant and his children become poor when their house burns down, and his ships are lost. The family of thirteen is forced to move to a small cottage in the countryside and work for a living.

Two years later, the merchant hears that one of his trade ships has returned. Before leaving to retrieve it, and possibly their fortune, he asks his children if they wish for him to bring any gifts back for them. His oldest daughters ask for clothing, jewels, and the finest dresses possible as they think that his wealth has returned. Beauty asks for nothing but her father to return home safely, but when he insists on buying her a present, she is satisfied with the promise of a rose.

When he arrives to the port to see his ship the merchant is dismayed to learn that his colleagues have already sold the cargo, thus leaving him penniless and unable to buy his daughters’ presents. During his trip back home the merchant becomes lost in a vicious snowstorm. Seeking shelter, he comes upon a castle surrounded by lifelike statues. Seeing that no one is home, the merchant sneaks in and finds tables inside laden with food and drink, which seem to have been left for him by the castle’s invisible owner. The merchant accepts this gift and spends the night there.

he next morning, he is about to leave when he sees a rose garden and recalls that Beauty had desired a rose. The merchant quickly plucks the loveliest rose he can find. He is then confronted by a hideous “Beast” who tries to kill him for stealing his most precious possession even after accepting his hospitality. The merchant begs to be let go, revealing that he had only picked the rose as a gift for his youngest daughter. The Beast agrees to let him go, but only if he brings one of his daughters back to live with the Beast instead. He makes it clear that she must agree while under no illusions about her predicament.

The merchant is upset, but accepts this condition for the sake of his own life. The Beast sends him on his way with wealth, jewels, and fine clothes for his sons and daughters, and stresses that he must not lie to his daughters.

Upon arriving home, the merchant hands Beauty the rose she requested and informs her that it had a terrible price, before relaying what had happened during his absence. Her brothers say that they will go to the castle and fight the Beast, while his older daughters refuse to leave and place blame on Beauty, urging her to right her own wrong. The merchant forbids his children from ever going near the Beast. But Beauty willingly decides to go to the Beast’s castle, moving her father who remembers a Romani fortune-teller’s prophecy about his youngest daughter making his household lucky.

Once they arrive at the castle, the Beast receives Beauty with great ceremony. The merchant is sent home with a reward. The Beast gives Beauty lavish clothing, food and entertainment along with animal servants. He visits her each evening to ask her how she is doing. Although they converse at length, he seems unable to express himself well, leading her to assume he is not intelligent. Every night he asks Beauty to let him sleep with her: and she refuses. After each proposal Beauty dreams of a handsome stranger who is imprisoned in the castle, along with an apparition of a fairy who tells her not to be deceived by appearances.

For several months Beauty lives a life of luxury at the Beast’s castle. Her feelings for the man in her dreams and her gratitude toward the Beast come into conflict. When the Beast asks her what is wrong, she pleads homesickness and he sadly allows her to leave, warning her that if she does not return within two months he will die of a broken heart.  The Beast gives her an enchanted ring allowing her to return home instantly.

Her sisters are jealous of her good wealth and her brothers demand that she stay home and not go back.  But Beauty thinks of the Beast’s broken heart and returns to him.  Once she is back in the castle, Beauty’s fears are confirmed as she finds the Beast near death in a cave on the grounds. Seeing this, Beauty is distraught, realizing that she loves him. She fetches water from a nearby spring, which she uses to resuscitate him.

The next night when the Beast proposes, Beauty agrees to marry him. The sky is lit up by a magical fireworks show. That night he goes to bed with her, falling into an enchanted sleep as soon as he lies down. When Beauty wakes up next to him the next morning she finds that the Beast has transformed into the unknown man from her dreams.  AND there is a back story to complete that explains the chain of events that led to the marriage of Beauty and the Beast!  You can read “the rest of the story” at Wikipedia Encyclopedia!

It only takes one with a pure heart to resolve conflict who wants the best for all concerned. In our story of God in the life of David, Abigal is that person, the intelligent, quick-thinking Beauty who is married to Nabal, a grumpy, cruel, Beast of a man.

1 Samuel 25

David, Nabal and Abigail

Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.

² A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. ³ His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.

⁴ While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. ⁵ So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. ⁶ Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!

⁷ “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. ⁸ Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.’”

⁹ When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.

¹⁰ Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. ¹¹ Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”

¹² David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. ¹³ David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

¹⁴ One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. ¹⁵ Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. ¹⁶ Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. ¹⁷ Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”

¹⁸ Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. ¹⁹ Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

²⁰ As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. ²¹ David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. ²² May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. ²⁴ She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. ²⁵ Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. ²⁶ And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. ²⁷ And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.

²⁸ “Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. ³⁰ When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, ³¹ my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.”

³² David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. ³³ May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. ³⁴ Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.”

³⁵ Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”

³⁶ When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak. ³⁷ Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. ³⁸ About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. ⁴⁰ His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

⁴¹ She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” ⁴² Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. ⁴³ David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. ⁴⁴ But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

There are so many lessons to learn in God’s story of David, Abigail and Nabal that teach us with reminders of better ways to respond to each other.  Consider these opportunities of response:

• We may work with “beasts” at work who are surly and mean who deliver consistent negative put downs.  Do we deliver meaner comebacks with an effort to put them in their place?
• We might have that one extended family member that we avoid like the plague because of their plague of comments served on a plate of steamy sarcasm. Do seethe with anger and hold grudges against them?
• There might be that person at church who judges harshly and gossips unmercifully. Do we join in as a team sport?

Truth is, everyone has a backstory.  This is not an excuse for cruel behavior but merely a fact of life that requires consideration when responding to the beasts in our lives. We can tame a lot of beasts by offering what they seek most—unconditional love with a listening ear.  But how?  I’m glad you asked…

Jesus gives us perfect examples of response:

Jesus taught his followers to respond to others with love, forgiveness, and compassion, even towards enemies and those who mistreat them. This includes turning the other cheek, blessing those who curse them, and praying for those who persecute them. Jesus emphasized serving others, showing mercy, and seeking reconciliation. 

Jesus also warned us about judging others because we will be judged in the same manner.  Don’t dish out what might be served up to you later in larger portions!  Only Jesus is our High Priest, Advocate, and Judge.  Jesus is God in the flesh who knows our hearts, our backstories, and our personalities with how we think and will respond. God forgives, forgets, and wants His very best for each one of His created.  God is merciful, kind, compassionate, and full of love and grace.  To be more like Jesus, we must learn to think and respond like Jesus demonstrated for us.

The gospels overflow with Jesus’ response to the lost, broken, unloved, poor, plagued outcasts of society, abused and hurt from the inside out.  Jesus dealt with the “beasts” who were oppressive to others as He walked on earth with His followers.  He reminded religious bullies compassionately of what God desired most—for their hearts to return to Him.  He fulfilled all God’s saying through His prophets of how His people should respond to those who oppose them with examples of putting those words into action.

Peter, the Rock upon whom Jesus built His church, learned and applied Jesus’ lessons well.  He writes;

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:21–23 NIV)

Pause, reflect prayerfully, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts…

What is my first thought of response when I’m insulted? Especially when insulted for being a follower of Jesus? Our natural tendency is to insult back, right? And all too often, we give in to that desire, responding to an insult with an insult. But Peter, who learned from Jesus, tells us that there is a better way to respond.

Jesus suffered on our behalf. And He did; Jesus demonstrated the love of God in His response. When Jesus was insulted, He did not respond with insult or threaten those who beat Him and hung Him on a cross. There was no fault to be found in anything He said or did in response to insults and suffering.  Instead, He entrusted himself to God, the one who judges justly. Jesus chose to allow the Father to respond for him.  “May Your Will be done” were words of resolution to God before going to the cross.  He trusted God completely.

Therefore, when someone insults us because of our faith in Jesus; we have a choice. We can insult them back and “beat them over the head” with the Scriptures we know. But when we take that approach; we are failing to follow Jesus’ example. Yes, He quoted scriptures when tempted by Satan our real Enemy in the spiritual rhelms.  But when we demonstrate to the one insulting us that we are no different than they are with anger and resentment, we are justifying their rejection of the God we serve.  In fact, Jesus showed us how not to retaliate.  We can respond to insult with blessing (1 Peter 3:9). That will confuse the one insulting us while demonstrating to them that we are different because of Jesus living in us.  We then show them that just maybe there is something to the God we claim to love and serve. 

Jesus, who is Peace, taught us to be Peace.  Matthew 5:44 says to “love your enemies,” and Matthew 5:9 says peacemakers will be blessed. Luke 6:28 even says, “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”  Abigail demonstrated this truth. 

Here are the extended words of Jesus with how to respond perfectly to each other;

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”—Jesus, Matthew 5:38-48.

Oh Lord,

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptations of revenge, grudge holding, or resentment but DELIVER us from all evil and evil’s schemes to divide us. Help us by your power working in us.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Paranoia is synonymous with fear, mistrust, suspicion, and obsession.

When we fear the losses of affection, trust, and loyalty of those around us; we tend to first look at what is wrong with them instead of looking inside to see what has gone wrong with us. King Saul refuses to look inside himself and is obsessed with being god of his small world. He trusts no one, not even his own son, and feels he has the right to murder all those he thinks disagrees with him.  King Saul throws spears in anger at those most loyal to him and then wonders why they run from him. 

But at the heart of this king’s demise is God’s rejection of Saul’s his evil, disobedient behaviors toward the God of all.  Without God’s Holy Spirit in Saul he is now paranoid, angry, and most arrogant.  It is God who is sovereign and has all authority.  God knows all hearts and knows that King Saul’s heart is full of deceit, resentment and bitterness.  Because King Saul has rejected God; God is removing him from his position as King of Israel and replacing him with a man after God’s own heart—David. Deep inside, Saul knows that his days are ending, so his paranoia builds to heights beyond self-control.   `

When God is no longer our focus in life; our life grows dim and dark with worry, frustration, and deep anxieties beyond our control.  We do life at work and at home based on our own presumptions and assumptions without power.  We love less and judge more. Hate becomes the force of our existence.  We unfairly punish others quickly before they betray us driven by our own lack of discipline, loyalty, and faith in God. We live in rejection of all that is good and best for us.  We operate with guilt deep inside our souls.  We walk in darkness, succumbing to being and doing all things that are dark until we come back to God through Jesus who is Truth and Light.  In the middle of all this is a waste of precious time.

1 Samuel 22

David at Adullam and Mizpah

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. ² All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

³ From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” ⁴ So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

⁵ But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

⁶ Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. ⁷ He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

⁹ But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. ¹⁰ Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. ¹² Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”

“Yes, my lord,” he answered.

¹³ Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”

¹⁴ Ahimelek answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? ¹⁵ Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

¹⁶ But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.”

¹⁷ Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”

But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

¹⁸ The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹ He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

²⁰ But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. ²¹ He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. ²² Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. ²³ Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

As Saul falls; David rises as the true leader.  However, as David rises, his faith falters as he runs from Saul. His desperation and hunger becomes evident when he meets the priest Ahimelek and lies to him.  Oh, David, you didn’t have to do that. Isn’t that what we might be thinking?  Desperate, David resorts to two lies only to get fed. Ahimelek wants to help but only has the holy bread of Presence, the “show bread” from the altar to feed himself and his men. David is now forcing the priest to sin.  This bread after being on the altar for a week, according to Law, meant for priests to eat.

This surprises us. So far David has been stellar, spotless, stainless but when speared to the wall and on the run from his enemy; fear takes over his thoughts and actions.  Do we do that?

David’s first lie was to tell the priest he was on a mission for Saul.  We all know that he was running from Saul!  David’s second lie was in response to Ahimelek’s way of stretching the law by asking if his men were pure and responsible enough to eat the bread.  David said, of course!  The priest had no reason to doubt the one famous for slaying the giant in the Name of Yahweh!  Our lies no only hurt ourselves but all those around us.  Everyone suffers from the deeds of darkness.

What happened?  Is David already losing his God-focus?  Is the defeat of Goliath by Gd through David only a faint memory? Truly desperation has set in.  When that happens, our real Enemy takes our desperation as his clue to dive in to distract our focus, discourage our being, disrupt our lives with lies, dismantle our belief system with attention on self.  Satan’s ultimate goal is to destroy our faith in Almighty, All Powerful God.  Turn back to God to avoid all these pitfalls; it is God who overcomes, prevails and never fails to defeat the enemy in victory.  In the end—God wins!

OUR RESPONSE? Sometimes our desperation or fear causes us to act rashly and displease God. Such acts separate us from our eternal Father and strain our relationship with him. As soon as we are aware of what is happening in us—run to God, and confess in Jesus Name!  Ask for His cleansing, renewing, refreshing, and restoration.  Need help with the words? David the poet and a man after God’s own heart provides all we need to say—

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.” (Psalm 51)

Humbly praying this with a sincere heart gets God’s attention and brings our view of God back into clear focus. Pray in Jesus Name for HE provided the Way back to God.  God answers prayers of humble repentance.  Jesus said all of heaven stops to listen to our repentant prayers and then wildly rejoices in our redemption!  “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”—Jesus, Luke 15:10

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Have you ever been on the run from something you didn’t want to face?  We’ve all made these “runs” more times that we want to admit.  We put off facing what lies ahead as our minds imagine the worst that could happen with gruesome unrealized scenarios.  Our fear builds, overcomes the current reality, and shatters our faith.

We allow the fear of our assumed outcomes lead our imaginations farther and farther from the reality of our current situation as we dream of the dreaded unknown!  But like God taught David whose faith drove him to run to the battle with Goliath; God teaches us that facing our fears of unknown outcomes with faith in our known God is our real Source of Life and Truth.  Trust in God who brings victory after trials and suffering.  Trust God for guidance to walk through high waters of pain and desperation.  Trust God for what will happen next because He knows! Trust God for all outcomes of troubling circumstances. The outcome might not look like what we imagined, it rarely does, but it will be God’s best for us at that time.  The real outcome that God seeks is for our faith to grow and solidify in Him who provides all we need.

It is God who gives us courage, strength, and wisdom beyond ourselves.  It is God who fills us to overflow with His Holy Spirit wisdom and power.  Our reality, within our small thinking minds, doesn’t come close to God’s higher thinking, the One who is Truth.  Jesus, Son of God, was Truth who demonstrated God’s love for us on earth for all the known world to see.  Jesus sent by God was never on the run but on a mission to seek and to save the lost without God. Jesus turned the current reality and thinking of all who listened upside down and inside out with His compassionate love, profound teaching and his final act on earth—His obedient, sacrificial death on a cross, time in the tomb, then resurrecting from death to life three days later in victory to prove God was, is and always will be God. God is the God of all outcomes. God is real—He must be our reality! No man on earth can be God. Do we believe Him or not?

Seek God, trust God who is the Truth. God stands ready to meet us where we are. God is unfailing in His ways, unchanging in His love, mercy, and grace, and is forever faithful to us. Trust God. He knows what He is doing. He knows us. He loves us, still.  God is for us not against us.

David, pursued by Saul, is on the run from Saul.  David seeks rest at the town of Nob. He and his men are starving.  Desperation and fear are taking over their lives of running as fugitives. David seeks the priest of the town for help.  Ahimelek the priest supplied holy bread for David and his men.

Later, when Saul discovered David had been at Nob, he condemned all the priests who aided David. Fearful of a conspiracy against himself, Saul ordered 85 priests killed and the town of Nob destroyed. Only one son of Ahimelek escaped to join David. But we get ahead of ourselves.  We discover in this passage that David’s faith is slipping as he runs fearfully from Saul. His desperation becomes evident when he meets the priest Ahimelek and lies to him. Then there’s the insane act of David, whoa, read on…David loses all reality in his running.

1 Samuel 21

David at Nob

David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

² David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. ³ Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”

⁴ But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women.”

⁵ David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” ⁶ So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

⁷ Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief shepherd.

⁸ David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”

⁹ The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.”

David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David at Gath

¹⁰ That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. ¹¹ But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens of thousands’?”

¹² David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. ¹³ So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

¹⁴ Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? ¹⁵ Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Return, run to our First Love—God/Jesus/Holy Spirit—The Three-in-One—who is the Source of Life, Truth, and Reality of our lives!  Stopping running from the battle with evil. Run to the battle of what must be faced head on and forward with faith in God. Then watch with anticipation and assurance as God defeats evil every time.  He’s done it before and He’ll do it again—and again—and again.  In the process; God grows our faith and resolve. That is the real victory and outcome He seeks for us.

Max Lucado comments—

“David, what are you doing? Is lying not enough? Now you’re playing loose with Scripture and putting the soft sell on the preacher?

David’s faith is wavering. Not too long ago the shepherd’s sling was all he needed. Now the one who refused the armor and sword of Saul requests a weapon from the priest. What has happened to our hero?

Simple. He’s lost his God-focus. Goliath is on the big screen of David’s imagination. As a result, desperation has set in.

Sometimes our desperation or fear causes us to act rashly and to displease God. Such acts separate us from our eternal Father and strain our relationship with him. What did you fear or get angry about yesterday? Repent and ask for God’s forgiveness so that you do not act in a manner unworthy of him or set in motion consequences that you cannot control.” –Max Lucado, The Encouraging Word Bible

Avoid letting fear of the unknown drive us from the reality of a holy relationship with our known God.  God knows what we need right now in this place at this time. Trust Him, He knows what you think and desires to change our mind to match His desires for us.

Water You turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You

Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is healer, awesome in power
Our God, our God

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is healer, awesome in power
Our God, our God

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
Then what could stand against?

(“Our God,” Songwriters: Chris Tomlin / Jesse Reeves / Jonas Myrin / Matt Redman)

Oh Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing back to reality—You! I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.  Guide me in all I think, say, and do.  I’m listening for I am yours.

In Jesus Name, Amen     

Innocent of the crime, wrongly sentenced with circumstantial evidence, pronounced  guilty by the court of law of murdering his wife; the former doctor saw a chance to flee and took it.  Now a fugitive, he runs for his life for the purpose of gathering evidence to prove his innocence while looking for the “one-armed man” who actually did kill his beloved wife.  That’s the premise that held our attention weekly as we breathlessly watched as each episode unfolded from 1963-1967!  When will it all come together?  We all know he is innocent! Why can’t everyone else see the goodness of this man who helps others as he works to clear himself? With each episode Dr. Richard Kimble, comes close enough to touch the allusive one-armed man but not enough to catch this enemy so he can be exonerated of all charges against him—until the end of the series.  All of America watched to see how it would all turn out!

And so it is with David, the shepherd boy who played his harp for King Saul and then became a great soldier of God, is now accused of wrongdoings with false charges against him by the King who lost his mind.  David is the fugitive avoiding King Saul’s desire and treachery to murder him.  David, the one who once soothed King Saul of his dark moods with his songs of praise and hymns about God and then fought Israel’s giant enemy in the Name of the Lord remained loyal to Saul, God’s first chosen king! 

Notice that all glory was given to God by David and this alone angered the King who was filled with anger, envy, arrogance, jealousy, and greed.  King Saul once knew God well, was chosen by God to the first King, but turned from God and tried to take God’s place in all decision making.  Saul’s heart was far from God’s heart.  God pulled His power, His Holy Spirit, from Saul.  Yes, God intervenes for the good of His people and for His glory and authority to be declared and known as the One and Only God.

Will this fugitive be exonerated?  Read on….

1 Samuel 20

David and Jonathan

20 Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?”

² “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”

³ But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

⁴ Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

⁵ So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. ⁶ If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ ⁷ If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. ⁸ As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

⁹ “Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

¹⁰ David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

¹¹ “Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? ¹³ But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. ¹⁴ But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, ¹⁵ and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶ So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.” ¹⁷ And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. ¹⁹ The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. ²⁰ I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹ Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. ²² But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. ²³ And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever.”

²⁴ So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵ He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” ²⁷ But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

²⁸ Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. ²⁹ He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

³⁰ Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? ³¹ As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”

³² “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. ³³ But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.

³⁴ Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

³⁵ In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, ³⁶ and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷ When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” ³⁸ Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. ³⁹ (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) ⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

⁴¹ After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

⁴² Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

David and Jonathan stand out as examples of devoted friends. Jonathan was put in the middle between friendship and family.  Jonathan wanted to be loyal to his father while at the same time being a friend to the next king of Israel. Conflict of loyalties, especially in the family, is one of the most painful difficulties we face in the life of faith (Matthew 10:34–39), but Christ calls for supreme devotion to Him and His will for our lives. 

Seek first God who created us in his image, believe in Jesus who stated this Truth because He was Truth.  Jesus came to earth with purpose from God: to reconnect all God’s created to God who seeks a relationship with us by sacrificing Himself to pay for our sins—once and for all.  This relationship desire began in the Garden of Eden.  But was ushered in by the Enemy of God who tempted his first beloved humans.  They fell for sin.  Sin entered and disconnected Adam and Eve from God.  But God had a Plan from the beginning to bring us back to a right relationship with God—His Son, a part of God who came as Son of Man.  Centuries of animal sacrifices only covered the sins of God’s chosen people.  Jesus came, taught, loved and then died and rose again to reconcile ALL people to God who created ALL and is in ALL.  Our Almighty God knew all people created by Him would need a perfect sacrifice to remove our sins forever—”to be remembered no more.”

Our response is to lean in to listen closely to God’s Holy Spirit who lives in with counseling and helpful guidance.  Then do what He says is best for us.  God’s gift of His Spirit comes to dwell in us to guide us, with resurrection power.  That power is available to us!  Tap it and watch His power enable us to join God in His work in ways beyond our thinking or dreaming! God’s Spirit teaches us all that is true and right as we walk through life in an imperfect world.  His Spirit encourage us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we look up toward heaven as our final home.  His Spirit reminds us daily of our great hope of eternal life with God!  Listen to Him! 

Because God in us; we are assured and blessed by God’s Presence with us.  This is God who never changes, never lets us down, never gives up on us, never takes his love from us, never leaves or betrays us but is always faithful, loving, kind, generous, helpful, and gentle lives in us! (Colossians 1:27)  God’s Spirit will correct us with gentle discipline as Jesus did His beloved disciples who were learning and growing in an intimate relationship with Him!  (Notice that discipline and disciple share the same letters and purpose—”one who learns”.)

Our God is with us always, promised by Jesus who knew!  God is Provider, Healer, Redeemer, Restorer, Protector, Savior, and Lord. And God wins always and at the end when His Son, Jesus comes back to claim His own. 

God is for us. not against us.  No one on earth can claim all these characteristics, promises, and provisions.  No one.  Only God.

Lord,

There is no reason to stop believing in you now or ever!  You are God and we are not. You made us in your own image but your work of molding and shaping us to be more and more in every way like you in our being and doing is not complete yet. So, do what you must to help us grow in faith, love like you, while avoiding the enemy’s temptations to be like him. I’m listening…

In Jesus Name, Amen

When all is going well in our lives; we can become self-sufficient in our thinking. It is a strong temptation to think we deserve praise for successes that come our way.  This thinking leads to a trait unbecoming a leader—envy of anyone who also has successes in their lives.  I have observed this in pastors who speak great words of how we as the congregation should do our part; but then when we do step up and God gives us success in doing it, a “pedestal pastor” will growing fearful that he/she might be replaced. Wait, what, now?

You might be asking what is a pedestal pastor?  I admit I created this description from past experiences of watching great, passionate, once God-led leaders rising to great heights of adoration of those who put them there, to a place of feeling consistent fear, anxiety, jealously, envy, and even greed for attention and more wealth from the people.  None of these traits are of the Holy Spirit.  There is no other king on earth or in heaven but King Jesus, the one and only deserving of all our praise and thanksgiving!  He alone is the One worthy of our praise!  Only Jesus deserves the Highest position given to Him by God.  We are not Jesus. 

“Go and teach,” says Jesus.  We need to climb down from our pedestals and teach others to teach others.  This should make our joy complete in Jesus!  When we are Christ-focused and Holy Spirit led; our joy will overflow when we see those we mentor also lean into God’s wisdom with focus on Jesus.  We joyfully watch as their faith becomes stronger and more resolute in their walk as a Godly leader fulfilling His purpose in their lives.  I will never forget Andy Stanley’s words regarding mentoring leaders; “In fact, I receive more joy in seeing who I trained begin to do what I did better than the way I did it.”  Read that again.  

This is like the advice Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:10-12 

Jesus tells his disciples that those who believe in him will not only do the same works he has done, but will also do “greater works”, in His Name! This promise is linked to Jesus’ impending departure to the Father and the subsequent sending of the Holy Spirit. The “greater works” are often interpreted as the broader impact and reach of the Christian faith after Pentecost, as believers, empowered by the Holy Spirit, spread the gospel and perform acts of service and ministry on a larger scale because there are exponentially more disciples to do what Jesus did!  This makes Jesus smile!

Paul, a great missionary, church builder, and mentor to young Timothy who is in training to be a church leader advises; “Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” 2 Timothy 2:2, NLT

The church, built on the Cornerstone of Jesus Christ as Head of the Body of believers, would not be here today without Jesus training a group of young men and women to do what He did in His Name for God’s glory so others will know Him.  The work of Jesus’ disciples by the power of His Holy Spirit led them to not only preach Jesus but to train other to preach Jesus. God called many from various walks of life to deliver His message of salvation to the world!  Paul was one of those but not until Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus and gave him redemption with a new purpose—God’s purpose.  He was then trained by church leaders who were trained by the disciples of Jesus.  Do you see the pattern here? Paul spent his life training God-called leaders to train leaders to train leaders…passing it on.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…”—Paul, Philippians 2:1-5.  I highly recommend reading the rest of this chapter for ways to remove ourselves from all our undeserving pedestals of praise.

Saul fell from the pedestal of selfish ambition and vane conceit who valued himself to be the new god.  But God intervened.  God’s Holy Sprit was no longer with Saul. Samuel’s mentoring of Saul became a useless work because Saul was no longer teachable. Paranoia and fear replace all he once knew. 

1 Samuel 18

Saul’s Growing Fear of David

After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. ² From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. ³ And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴ Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

⁵ Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

⁶ When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. ⁷ As they danced, they sang:

“Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens of thousands.”

⁸ Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” ⁹ And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand ¹¹ and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

¹² Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. ¹³ So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. ¹⁴ In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.

¹⁷ Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” ¹⁹ So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. ²¹ “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²² Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³ They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴ When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, ²⁵ Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶ When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, ²⁷ David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

²⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, ²⁹ Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰ The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How we respond to praise reveals what we’re made of and whether or not we’re ready to take on new responsibilities. If praise humbles us, then God can use us. If praise puffs us up, however, we’re not yet ready for “greater things” in God’s kingdom work. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”—Jesus, Luke 16:10  God knows our hearts.

“Envy is a dangerous and insidious enemy, a cancer that slowly eats out our inner life and leads us to say and do terrible things. Proverbs 14:30 rightly calls it “rottenness to the bones.” Envy is the pain we feel within when somebody achieves or receives what we think belongs to us. Envy is the sin of successful people who can’t stand to see others reach the heights they have reached and eventually replace them. Envy easily leads to anger, and anger is often the first step toward murder (Matthew 5:21–26).”—Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible

Saul is so filled with envy and arrogance that it has made him fearful and paranoid concerning David.  Is he getting a glimpse of what God is doing in David?  No matter what he’s thinking, God will accomplish His purpose for His People.  God has not given up His authority. To his dying days, Saul’s anger from envy, pride, jealousy, and greed for attention and praise will not cease.  This is not the leader God desires for his people.  God wants His best for us always.

God will intervene in ways beyond our own imaginations.  Count on God. Trust God.  Believe. Do more what Jesus did and commands us to be and do…

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Lord,

Thank you for teaching us this morning.  Jonathan gave us the example of loving friendship with each other.  David shows us how to be humble while doing the work you give us for your glory.  Saul shows us how not to be and what not to do!  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the joy of your salvation in us.  Teach us what you what us to teach others so all will know who you are and what you gave us—salvation with eternal life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen