- Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 Samuel 21:1 – The situation David found himself in is outlined clearly in our verse. There was an extended famine in Israel, for three full years, long enough for David to recognize this was something not natural but a punishment from the Lord. He sought the Lord out on what was the cause of this supernatural punishment on the land and discovered it was because Saul had broken an ancient covenant with the Gibeonites. This sin of Saul was causing devastation for David and the whole land of Israel, long after Saul was dead and gone. Let’s never underestimate the damage sin can cause. So often when temptations to sin arise we minimize and isolate the damage that sin may bring so we feel more comfortable committing the sin. We say it won’t cause any trouble and we’re the only one it’s hurting anyway. Let though the stories we find in scripture open our eyes to the truth about our sin. Secret sins hurt many more people than just you. Sin can create scars that last in our story for a lifetime. Our sin can cause devastation in the lives of the innocent around us. Take the time today to take stock of the sin in your life that you may still be allowing to remain active and evaluate the damage it’s actually causing. Is it worth the hurt it will cause others? Is it worth the damage it’s actually causing in your walk with the Lord? Jesus made it possible for us to walk free from sin, let’s take the path He created for us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3040
- 1 Samuel 21 Daily DEVO And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 1 Samuel 21:5 – This passage connects so well with a favorite verse of mine. 1 Peter 3:15 speaks of always being ready to give an answer concerning the hope that you have. Meaning if someone asked you about your hope in Jesus, at all times we need to be ready to answer. Like for the men David was speaking of, they were kept ready for God not only for the big journeys, but for the ordinary ones too. We’re being challenged here to not only be ready for God to use us in the “big journeys” in our life such as Sunday mornings, retreats, or summer camps, but to be ready to be used even on the most common of days. This takes a daily commitment to stay steady in your walk with Him. Not just reading the Bible or praying on the weekend, but living life with God daily. Just realize God works in our world more than just on Sunday. He wants to use you in His work, but He can’t if you’re not available to Him. Challenge yourself to be ready each day to be used by God however He leads. Today might just be an ordinary journey, yet when we are ready for God on the ordinary journey, God knows He can use us for the world changing journeys as well. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 421
- And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” 1 Samuel 21:9 – When David fought Goliath, even King Saul’s armor was too big and clunky for him to use well, imagine then what Goliath’s armor and weapons would be like on young David? Yet here, years later, David is able to carry the sword of Goliath. In our walk with God there will be things God knows we aren’t ready to carry yet. It’s not the right time or maybe He knows it will be too much for us. We must not let this frustrate us and knock us off God’s path. Yes, maybe that door didn’t open that you longed to be open, but it wasn’t the right time. As with Goliath’s sword, God will bring the big things we’re called to carry in our story when we’re ready to carry them. That may come long after we think we’re ready, or long before. Just know if God isn’t giving you Goliath’s sword right now it’s for a good reason. Trust His timing and trust His provision when the timing seems off to you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1646
- And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 1 Samuel 21:12-13 – David, on the run from Saul, finds himself alone, hungry, and weaponless. Sadly, this is a chapter where we see David make the poor choice to lie to cover up the truth of what was really happening; lies we see him regret later on. He lies about being on a mission for the king and lie about his sanity to the king of Gath. Yet despite his choice to be deceptive, we see God’s hand of blessing and protection over David every step of the way. David even writes about this time in his life in Psalm 34 and 56. These psalms have reminders like ‘the Lord delivered me from all my fears’ and ‘the Lord is near to the brokenhearted.’ While this was likely one of the hardest seasons for David to go through, we see he could look back and write these psalms of praise to the Lord for it was evident to him that the Lord never left his side. Maybe you too are navigating right now a very difficult season in life. It feels as if control is lost, the future is so uncertain, and you may even feel so alone in what you are going through. Today, find time to read through Psalm 34 and 56. Remember these were written when David was in a season much like yours. God is with you, God is in control, and God has tomorrow handled. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2898
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