Daily Devotional

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.

Scripture 1 Sam 22:17 Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the LORD.

Observation: You would think after Saul said the Lord’s priests that he would stop and think. If it’s the Lord’s wouldn’t you honor it or at least respect it. Saul does the opposite he kills what belongs to the Lord. In our anger or just lack of respect how many times do we destroy what is the Lord’s. We are all children of God so when we treat others poorly isn’t that being disrespectful to God? Everything belongs to God this is His creation including ourselves. Not taking care of ourselves can be considered an act of disrespect towards God, we are His temple.

Application: I need to see things more clearly from God’s perspective. People are not just people, but children of God, this earth is God’s creation along with the animals. Before arguing with anyone or treating them harshly I need to realize that they are God’s. I have no right to be angry, unless it’s righteous anger, which doesn’t happen very often. I have no rights of my own, only privileges given to me by God. I need to treat others as God’s children and treat them with the love and respect that God deserves from me.

Prayer: My Lord please give me peace and patience. Help me see others through your eyes and that you would fill my heart with love towards them. May I realize by disrespecting them I’m disrespecting you. Soften my heart and give me the wisdom that I will need to honor you.

Scripture 1 Sam 21:11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”

Observation: This was the saying that put Saul against David and made Saul jealous and now he wants to put David to death. I wonder what might have happened if David gave God the glory right away, that he had nothing to do with the victories that it was God fighting for Israel? What if David proclaimed the Lord was the king of the land. What if he stood in front of the people and Saul when the people began to sing and he insisted to change the words to the Lord has slain his ten thousands? What if David gave God all the glory, what an example he might have set for Saul and the people.

Application: My ego is so big and I always end up it seems wanting the credit for things that I could have only done through my Lord. I might be much better than I use to be, but I’m still so far away from where I should be. There is nothing that I have that God hasn’t given me and when an opportunity comes up as people are pointing to me I should be pointing to God. People don’t need to see or know me, but they do need to know God. I can’t give them anything of any importance, but God can give them salvation. My life should be a reflector, reflecting the light God has given me. God is the king of the land and I owe Him everything, may people be able to see that in my life.

Prayer: My Lord and my King. May I be a representative of you and my good deeds always point to you. I’m merely a servant doing the will of my Master, may others see that in my life, that I serve you. Humble me so whenever I accomplish something good, that it was you using me to do your will.