Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 25, 2024

“God is to us a God of deliverances; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 23:15-29.

“Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.  And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.  Thus he said to him, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you;  and Saul my father knows that also.”  So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD;  and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

Then Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?  Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to do so;  and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.”  Saul said, “May you be blessed of the LORD, for you have had compassion on me.  Go now, make more sure, and investigate and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there;  for I am told that he is very cunning.  So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you;  and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul.  Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.  When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon.  And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.  Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain;  and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them.  But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.”  So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines;  therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.  David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.”  1 Samuel 23:15-29.

——————

As one way among many ways, God caused the Philistines to make a raid on Israel at the perfect time in order to cause Saul to return from pursuing David to provide an escape and deliverance of David.

“God is to us a God of deliverances;
And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.” Psalm 68:20.

“8 Keep me as the apple of the eye;
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
9 From the wicked who despoil me,
My deadly enemies who surround me.” Psalm 17:8-9.

“Had it not been the LORD who was on our side,”
Let Israel now say,
2 “Had it not been the LORD who was on our side
When men rose up against us,
3 Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their anger was kindled against us;
4 Then the waters would have engulfed us,
The stream would have swept over our soul;
5 Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.”

6 Blessed be the LORD,
Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth.
7 Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm chapter 124.

“Those who trust in the LORD
Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.” Psalm 125:1-2.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 24, 2024

“But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 22:20 to 1 Samuel 23:14.

“But one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.  Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.  Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul.  I have brought about the death of every person in your father’s household.  Stay with me;  do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are safe with me.”

Then they told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors.”  So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”  And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”  But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah.  How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?”  Then David inquired of the LORD once more.  And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”  So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines;  and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter.  Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.  When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.”  So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.  Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him;  so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”  Then David said, “O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account.  Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand?  Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard?  O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”  And the LORD said, “He will come down.”  Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?”  And the LORD said, “They will surrender you.”  Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go.  When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit.  David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph.  And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.”  1 Samuel 22:20 to 1 Samuel 23:14.

—————–

“Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.” Psalm 32:9.

We see the sovereignty of the LORD in rescuing Abiathar from the hand of Saul and causing him to flee to David and seek refuge with David.  We see the sovereignty of the LORD in making Abiathar and his ephod available for David to use to inquire of the LORD.  We see the sovereignty of the LORD in knowing and answering all of David’s questions.  In summary, we see the sovereignty of the LORD in leading and delivering David.  

We can and should trust the LORD for each step.  We should not reserve our trust and thanks until we reach heaven’s shores, so to speak.

There are those who are always waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak.  They want to hedge their bets, so to speak.  They think they are providing the LORD with a way out, so to speak.  

“But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”  James 1:6-8.

We can and should trust the LORD, be glad in the LORD, and rejoice for each step as the concluding Scripture leads us to do. 

“6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” Psalm 32:6-11.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 23, 2024

“Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy man?”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 22:6-19.

“Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered.  Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him.  Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites!  Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards?  Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?  For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.”  Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.  He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nob;  and all of them came to the king.  Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”  And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”  Saul then said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day?”

Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king’s son-in-law, who is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house?  Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today?  Far be it from me!  Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair.”  But the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!”  And the king said to the guards who were attending him, “Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me.”  But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the LORD.  Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and attack the priests.”  And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.  And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants;  also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword.”  1 Samuel 22:6-19.

——————

Saul falsely imputed to David that he (David) was against Saul and was conspiring against him.  Ahimelech perfectly refuted Saul, but Saul was blind with rage against David, and Saul falsely believed that there was no one trustworthy to help him (Saul).  

Today’s Scripture leads us to meditate on the importance of being trustworthy. 

“Many a man proclaims his own loyalty,
But who can find a trustworthy man?” Proverbs 20:6.

“4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
7 For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face.” Psalm 11:4-7.

“Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
2 They speak falsehood to one another;
With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” Psalm 12:1-4.

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverted mouth, I hate.” Proverbs 8:13.

“Hate evil, love good,
And establish justice in the gate!
Perhaps the LORD God of hosts
May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” Amos 5:15.

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”  Luke 14:26.

But, there is hope!

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”  Titus 2:11-14.

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6. 

“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Matthew 5:48.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 21, 2024

“I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 22:1-5.

“So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam;  and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him.  Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him;  and he became captain over them.  Now there were about four hundred men with him.

And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab;  and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”  Then he left them with the king of Moab;  and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.  The prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold;  depart, and go into the land of Judah.”  So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.”  1 Samuel 22:1-5.

—————–    

The cave of Adullam was a refuge to David and others, and it leads us to meditate on God being a refuge to us.

“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1.

We may think that a refuge must be one place, and when we leave that one place, we may be afraid.  But, God is our refuge, and God goes with us wherever we go.

“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9.

Even though we may go to many different places, in the language of the concluding Scripture, Psalm chapter 91, we “abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1.

We see even in today’s short Scripture that David left the cave of Adullam and went from there to Mizpah of Moab, dropped off his parents, and then David went to the forest of Hereth. 

We see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob wandered through many places.  “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance;  and he went out, not knowing where he was going.  By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;  for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  Hebrews 11:8-10.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For you have made the LORD, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10 No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 “With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.” Psalm chapter 91.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 20, 2024

“I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 21:7-15.

“Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD;  and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s shepherds.

David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand?  For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.”  Then the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod;  if you would take it for yourself, take it.  For there is no other except it here.”  And David said, “There is none like it;  give it to me.”

Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath.  But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land?  Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.  So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard.  Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman.  Why do you bring him to me?  Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in my presence?  Shall this one come into my house?”  1 Samuel 21:7-15.

——————-

David feared Saul and fled from him.  David also feared Achish king of Gath and acted insanely to escape from him.

We too have our fears.

But, there was hope for David, and there also is hope for us today!

“4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them. Psalm 34:4-7.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 19, 2024

“I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE” – “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 21:1-6.

“Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, “Why are you alone and no one with you?”  David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you;  and I have directed the young men to a certain place.’  Now therefore, what do you have on hand?  Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”  The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread;  if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”  David answered the priest and said to him, “Surely women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was an ordinary journey;  how much more then today will their vessels be holy?”  So the priest gave him consecrated bread;  for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.”  1 Samuel 21:1-6. 

————–

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.  But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”  But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?  Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?  But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.  But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”  Matthew 12:1-8.

“And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.  The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”  And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;  how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?”  Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is LORD even of the Sabbath.”  Mark 2:23-28.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 18, 2024

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 20:18-42.  Here is a link to this Scripture – 1 Samuel 20 NASB1995 – – Bible Gateway

I quote only the following verses.

“Then Jonathan said to him (David), “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty.  When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain by the stone Ezel.  I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target.  And behold, I will send the lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’  If I specifically say to the lad, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,’ then come;  for there is safety for you and no harm, as the LORD lives.  But if I say to the youth, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, for the LORD has sent you away.  As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”

…

Then Saul hurled his spear at him (Jonathan) to strike him down;  so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. 

…

“Jonathan said to David, “Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”  Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city.”  1 Samuel 20:18-23 and 33 and 42.

—————

Jonathan’s statement to David (“The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.”) leads us to meditate on the unity between Christians drawn together into one body by the LORD.

Using the language of the following Scriptures, the LORD draws Christians together and knits their souls together and unites them together into one body in perfect unity.

“Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.”  1 Samuel 18:1.

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;  that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;  I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”  John 17:20-23.

“But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.  If they were all one member, where would the body be?  But now there are many members, but one body.”  1 Corinthians 12:18-20. 

Christ is “the head (of the church), from whom the entire body (of individual Christians), being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”  Colossians 2:19.

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”  Ephesians 4:1-6.

The concluding Scripture shows how precious this unity is.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.” Psalm chapter 133.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 17, 2024

“let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 20:1-17. Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2020&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done?  What is my iniquity?  And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?”  He said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die.  Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me.  So why should my father hide this thing from me?  It is not so!”  Yet David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.’  But truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly a step between me and death.”  Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”  …

Then Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness!  When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you?  If it please my father to do you harm, may the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not make it known to you and send you away, that you may go in safety.  And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father.   If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, that I may not die?  You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”  So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD require it at the hands of David’s enemies.”  Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.”  1 Samuel 17:1-4 and 12-17.

—————-

We see the love of Jonathan for David and his strong desire to protect David. Today’s Scripture leads us to meditate on God’s protection of us and how we should protect and provide for others.   

God protects us and provides for us.  

“5 The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.” Psalm 121:5-8.

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”  2 Thessalonians 3:3.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  1 Peter 1:3-5.

“But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:28-32.

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.

May God cause us to love, protect, and provide for others, especially our family and those of the household of faith. 

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”  Hebrews 11:7.

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  1 Timothy 5:8.

“So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”  Galatians 6:10.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4.

“Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8.

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”  Acts 20:28.

“preach the word;  be ready in season and out of season;  reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;  but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.  But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”  2 Timothy 4:2-5.

“And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,”  Ephesians 6:17-18.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 16, 2024

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” – “I am God … I will accomplish all My good pleasure”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Samuel 19:11-24.  Here is a link to this Scripture – 1 Samuel 19 NASB1995 – – Bible Gateway

I quote only the following verses.

“Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him.  And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.  It was told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”  Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul;  and they also prophesied.  When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied.  So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.  Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu;  and he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?”  And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”  He proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah;  and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah.  He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night.  Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”  1 Samuel 19:18-24. 

————

“…  the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul;  and they also prophesied.”  Verse 20.

Why would God send His Spirit to the messengers of Saul and to Saul himself so they would prophesy, in a total of three separate occasions, particularly considering that they were trying to kill David?

Why did God chose Saul to be the first king of Israel rather than just start with David? 

We do remember that God previously sent His Spirit on Saul so that he would prophesy, but that was part of the occasion of changing his heart and showing a sign that he (Saul) was to be king.  See 1 Samuel 10:9-12.

But, today’s Scripture is more puzzling and mysterious.  

Maybe, God wanted to demonstrate His sovereignty that right in the middle of Saul’s intent to kill David that He could cause both the messengers of Saul and Saul himself to prophesy.  God can even work in people who are doing evil to accomplish His purpose.   

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He wishes.” Proverbs 21:1.

“The LORD has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil.” Proverbs 16:4.

Consider the following from the Belgic Confession.

“Article 13: Of Divine Providence.

We believe that the same God, after he had created all things, did not forsake them, or give them up to fortune or chance, but that he rules and governs them according to his holy will, so that nothing happens in this world without his appointment: nevertheless, God neither is the author of, nor can be charged with, the sins which are committed. For his power and goodness are so great and incomprehensible, that he orders and executes his work in the most excellent and just manner, even then, when devils and wicked men act unjustly. And, as to what he doth surpassing human understanding, we will not curiously inquire into, farther than our capacity will admit of; but with the greatest humility and reverence adore the righteous judgments of God, which are hid from us, contenting ourselves that we are disciples of Christ, to learn only those things which he has revealed to us in his Word, without transgressing these limits. This doctrine affords us unspeakable consolation, since we are taught thereby that nothing can befall us by chance, but by the direction of our most gracious and heavenly Father; who watches over us with a paternal care, keeping all creatures so under his power, that not a hair of our head (for they are all numbered), nor a sparrow, can fall to the ground, without the will of our Father, in whom we do entirely trust; being persuaded, that he so restrains the devil and all our enemies, that without his will and permission, they cannot hurt us. And therefore we reject that damnable error of the Epicureans, who say that God regards nothing, but leaves all things to chance.”

“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.”  Romans 9:17.

Whether or not this was God’s purpose (to demonstrate His sovereignty and show that He can even work in people who are doing evil to accomplish His purpose) in sending His Spirit to the messengers of Saul and Saul himself so they would prophesy, today’s Scripture leads us to generally meditate on the sovereignty of God.

We do not need to understand all mysteries.  We do not need to understand God’s purpose in all of His actions in order to appreciate God’s sovereignty over all things and to trust Him.

Job, a righteous man, did not understand why God sent all the suffering to him. We may not understand why apparently bad things happen to good people.

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

2 “Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 “Now gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
5 Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
6 “On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:1-7.

“9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11.

“But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 115:3.

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.

“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.

“You too be patient;  strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. …  We count those blessed who endured.  You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”  James 5:8 and 11.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 14, 2024

“For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; … with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

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