Month: January 2023

Scripture 1 Sam 29:6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you.

Observation: Am I upright or do people even think that I’m upright? Unfortunately the answer is no. I’m not upright and that is what God calls me to be and not just to appear upright, but that people would know that I am and that they couldn’t find any evil in me. I try each day to be better, but each day I fail as the evil in my mind takes over at times showing others that I am not upright. Surely as the Lord lives I’m inconsistent at best having times when I please God standing on His word and love and then the others where I want to have my way no matter who it might hurt.

Application: I need to strive to be upright, that no one would doubt my love for God and them. It’s a decision I must make each day to put God first and live a life that is upright. I know it won’t just happen without me drawing close to God, because I have a whole life of not being upright, but being untrustworthy and selfish. I need to stay in constant prayer and think before I answer anyone or before I do anything to make sure the way I am is honoring.

Prayer: Dear Lord I can’t do this without you, I’m a sinner and still have sinful ways. I need the Holy Spirit to be with me and show me what to do. I need to be aware of anytime that I’m not upright and that my love comes into question. Please Lord keep me on the path of righteousness and don’t let me stray.

Scripture 1 Sam 28:6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

Observation: Saul has sinned greatly before God and he had been disobedient in what God called him to do. God won’t answer sin, if we are to sin we can’t expect God to answer us when we call out. God hates sin and that is why Jesus had to come and die for us. We need to be in communion with God and that means to be in His will, doing what He calls us to do and obeying His commands. Saul was doing the opposite and was paying for his sins, by the silence of the Lord. God told Saul in the beginning what he had to do and Saul didn’t listen and now God isn’t listening to Saul.

Application: I am a sinner and if I continue in my sins I can’t expect God to be there and hear me when I cry out. I know what I should be doing and I know God’s commands in my life and I need to hear from my Lord each day. It’s up to me if I’m going to be the person God wants to talk to or not. God doesn’t need me it is I that needs God.

Prayer: Dear Lord I need you and wouldn’t be able to go on without you. Please Lord speak to your servant and guide me, keep me from sinning and soften my heart taking any anger from me. I want to do what is right, I want to please you and I want to serve you. I love you Lord help me live a life that shows it.

Scripture 1 Sam 27:1 And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”

Observation: I use to talk a lot to my heart when I was depressed. All my thoughts were negative and I would play them over and over again, until my heart started to break. Even now I speak to myself much more than I speak to God which is wrong. Most of the time my heart or mind doesn’t know what to do and I get myself so preoccupied with these thoughts I’m not moving forward to where God desires me. I talk too much to my heart and don’t stop to listen to what God is telling me. I don’t know if this plan of David’s was approved by God, but I would think David would have been better talking to his Heavenly father than a heart that wasn’t pure.

Application: If I would just stop all of these thoughts that I have that do me no good and directed my energy to God I would be a much better man. I know I need to plan, but if those plans don’t include God, what good are they. God loves and cares for me and this is something I need to trust, because if I trust this then I can trust that God wants to be a part of my life. I need to spend less time trying to reason with myself and more time with my Father.

Prayer: Dear Lord a day doesn’t go by without me thinking and rethinking things and almost always they become negative thoughts. I need to hear from you and I need the strength to stand and seek your face in my life. The enemy has a hold on me so often and I need you to release that hold and hold me close to hear what you want of me. Help me please lead a better life, a life that will glorify you.

Scripture 1 Sam 26:24 And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”

Observation: A scripture says to treat others the way you want to be treated. That doesn’t necessary mean that they will turn around and treat you will, but what it does mean that it pleases God. He calls us to love one another as we love ourselves and Jesus said in John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. Our goal is to do God’s will and loving each other is a big part of it. So what we do to or for others reflects the love we have for God.

Application: My heart is so full of anger at times and when I look at others my first thoughts are almost always negative, instead of loving. That needs to change. When I tell God that I love Him, how can He believe it if I treat his children poorly. I need to look at every person as God’s children, knowing that I will be held accountable for my actions. God has delivered me from so much and I need to be obedient with one of his most important commands to love others. The first and most important commandment was to love the Lord my God with all of my heart, mind and soul and the one right behind that was to love others.

Prayer: forgive me Father for my thoughts and negative ways I treat your children. Give me a kinder heart and an obedient spirit that my love for others will glorify and please you. Take any self-centerness from me and may I be focused on serving you and others in your name.

Scripture 1 Sam 25:32 Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!

Observation: That is what we should be doing blessing the Lord. We always want God’s blessings and you always hear God bless America, even though there is very little to bless. Maybe we think it’s beyond what we can do, bless the Almighty God, but I think we are the only ones able to do it. We have choices, we can choose how to treat God. If we chose to humble ourselves before God and do his will in our life, that surely blesses him. Just think we can bless the All Powerful Lord with our choices and He deserves all of our praise, worship and obedience.

Application: I need to think of ways to bless God each day. I need to be deliberate in the way I spend my time each day and how I talk to others. My life should be a reflection of how Jesus lived while He was here. I know what I should be doing and know I must make sure that I do it. I need to plan my day and put God into my heart so that others may see my life for what it is a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

Prayer: My Lord you deserve the very best of me and I want to bless you each day. I don’t want a day to end without bringing a smile to your face and joy to your spirit. I’m a humble servant and everything I have is a privilege from you, may I live a life of gratitude and praise to you.

Scripture 1 Sam 24:12 Let the LORD judge between you and me, and let the LORD avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you.

Observation: I’m so fast to judge others and what to defend myself, when there is nothing to defend. My focus is on me and I feel I deserve so much more than others, when I deserve nothing. When someone might wrong me in my opinion I want revenge or justification that I was the one that was right. The closer I get to God the more I realize I deserve nothing and everything that I have is a privilege give to me by God. I need to turn the other cheek and in all I do I need to give God the glory and not try to win a fight, but give it to God and let Him judge and take care of it the way He wants.

Application: I need to humble myself, since that is a lot of my problem, I want what I think I deserve, which in reality is nothing. I need to humble myself to the Lord and seek his will for my life. I’m a servant and need to start acting like one being submissive to my Master. Use any opportunity to humble myself before others whether I’m right or wrong and point to my Lord so that He gets the glory.

Prayer: My Lord I humbly come before you and ask that you guide me to what you desire of me. Take this pride from me and show me what to do, humble me before others so that they would see your grace. Get me out of my own way and take charge. It is yours to judge and mine to follow.

Scripture 1 Sam 23:4 Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

Observation: How often do we inquire of the Lord before we do anything. I know for myself I usually inquire of the Lord when I botch up things so bad I don’t know what else to do. It’s not very often that I inquire of the Lord before I start an ordinary task or ask His advice about finances, even though everything is His. If we diligently seek Him we will find Him and if we ask with humble hearts He will answer. We seem to do everything so fast that we don’t have time to wait or listen and then we usually mess things up or don’t get the result God intended us to have.

Application: I need to be more like David and ask God before I do anything. God has the purpose and meaning for my life and if I don’t ask what He wants me to do I’ll never find that meaning. I have a tendency to think I know better and I need to humble myself and know that I don’t. When I’m not seeking or talking to God my mind wanders and always to a negative thought. I’m a sinner and I need my Father to guide me through this life and to the next.

Prayer: Dear Father forgive me for being so arrogant and thinking I know what I’m doing when I don’t. I need to seek you and do what you desire of me. I feel so lost so often, because I strayed off the path you wanted me on. When I come and seek you please speak to your servant and tell me what to do. I love you Lord, please help me serve you in a way that pleases you.