TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 3-4 & Psalm 33-34
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 3- Loyalty

2 Samuel 3:9
“May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the Lord has sworn to him”

Abner is an interesting case study in human behavior. He was the commander of Saul’s armies. After Saul’s death, he became the commander of Ishbosheth’s army. In many ways, he …Read More

2 Samuel 4- Don’t Blame Me

2 Samuel 4:8
“And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, ‘Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.’”…Read More

Psalm 33- Beauty

Psalm 33:1
“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.”

There can be great value in getting away from our manmade world and looking at the creative work of God. Seeing the beauty of His creation seems to give us new… Read More

Psalm 34- Lacking Nothing

Psalm 34:10
“The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

One of the great benefits of being … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 1-2 & Psalm 31-32
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 1- The Opportunist

2 Samuel 1:8
“And he said to me, ‘Who are you? ’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’”

Some confusion has arisen from the two seemingly contradictory records of the death of Saul. 1 Samuel closes by recording the incident, and explaining that a wounded Saul, no doubt fearful of… Read More

2 Samuel 2- Shadow Boxing

2 Samuel 2:17

“So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.”

If we had a bird’s eye view of the events that transpired that day, we would see two armies positioned to fight against one another. On one side, the armies of … Read More

Psalm 31- Mercy

Psalms 31:9
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body!”

We cannot be certain of the situation that caused this psalm, but it is very clear the Psalmist was going through an extremely difficult season in life. He describes himself as being under severe attack and needing the Lord to be his fortress. He speaks of his troubles and his adversities, and his eyes wasting away in grief, as he cries before the Lord. He also goes into great length to speak of his emotional condition during this time. He describes himself as, “wasting away with grief… Read More

Psalm 32- Horses And Mules

Psalms 32:8-9
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.”

I am not a farmer, and do not have a lot of experience with either horses or mules. With my limited knowledge, I have observed, that bits are used in horses for an entirely different reason, than they are used in mules. Horses want to run free; they must be broken, and the harness and bit are to keep them from running off… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 29-31 & Psalm 29-30
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 29- Winning Team

1 Samuel 29:4
“But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, ‘Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary…’”

The Philistine lords gathered together to prepare an attack on Israel. Since David … Read More

1 Samuel- That’s Not Fair

1 Samuel 30:24-25
“’…But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.’ So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.”

As David and his men… Read More

Psalm 29- Give To The Lord

Psalm 29:1-2
“Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”… Read More

Psalm 30- Silence Is Not An Option

Psalms 30:1
“I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.”

David was a soldier.  His enemies carried swords and spears and sought to bring an end to his life. It is not a stretch to imagine officers gathering in tents a scheming how they might kill Israel’s military leader. I am not a soldier. My enemies look very … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 26-28 & Psalm 27-28
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 26- Leadership 

1 Samuel 26:6
“Then David answered, and said…
‘Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?’
And Abishai said, ‘I will go down with you.’”… Read More

1 Samuel 27- What Is Your Heart Saying?

1 Samuel 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.’”

It seems that David had reached his breaking point. After years of hiding in… Read More

1 Samuel 28- Where Are You?

1 Samuel 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.”

The Philistine armies were a constant threat to Israel. They occupied the coastal south of the nation, but not being content with the land they had, and regularly attempted to spread north. Saul, now an old man, is once again threatened by the war. Confused and frightened, he begins to seek… Read More

Psalm 27- The Heart’s Cry

Psalm 27:4
“One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, . . .”

Did you ever have that daydream, as a kid, where you found the magic lamp, and the genie promised to grant your wish, no matter how outlandish it may be? Imagine what it would be like if God appeared to you, declaring He would give you whatever you asked for. How would you respond? What would you ask from… Read More

Psalm 28- Strength And Shield 

Psalms 28:7
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.”

Years ago I injured my knee and required surgery. Before the operation, I was given a detailed description of the human knee. I learned how it was constructed, how it functioned and how mine was damaged. When the surgery… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 24-25 & Psalm 25-26
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 24- Conviction

1 Samuel 24:5
“Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.”

Life is filled with obstacles. We face constant trials that make this journey difficult. Yet, it seems we can handle almost anything except a troubled heart. When we are overwhelmed from within, it makes even the lightest burdens seem … Read More

1 Samuel 25- Heritage 

1 Samuel 25:3

“… but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.”

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 22-23 & Psalm 23-24
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 22- Great Opportunities

1 Samuel 22:1-2
“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his

brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And … Read More

1 Samuel 23- Strong hands

1 Samuel 23:16
“Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.”

Things seem to be going from bad to worse for David. Saul’s rage forced him to flee the palace, and live the life of a fugitive. For safety sake, he dwelt in caves to hide from the king and his spies. He and his men came out of hiding at the command of the Lord, and risked their lives to rescue the city  … Read More

Psalm 23- Good Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 
“The Lord is my Shepherd . . .”

In this Psalm, David uses the illustration of a shepherd to speak of God’s care for those who belong to Him. This Psalm speaks of the benefits true to all who are in a covenant relationship with God. He speaks of God’s provision… Read More

Psalm 24- Coming Messiah

Psalms 24:9-10
“Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”
It seems the Psalmist is… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 20-21 & Psalm 21-22
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 20- A Turning Point

1 Samuel 20:19
“And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel.”

The stone Ezel would forever … Read More

1 Samuel 21- The Sword

1 Samuel 21:9
“So the priest said, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.’And David said, ‘There is none like it; give it to me.’”… Read More

Psalm 21- Greater Is He

Psalms 21:11
“For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.”

The thing that makes following Christ so difficult is the enemies we face. The primary enemy of the Christian is the devil and his minions. Scripture describes the devil as a schemer who seeks to derail us from following and … Read More

Psalm 22- Forsaken

Psalm 22:1
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?”

Although David wrote this Psalm as an expression of the experiences he was facing, it has a much bigger application than he ever could have conceived. It was,… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 18-19 & Psalm 19-20
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 18- Friends

1 Samuel 18:1
“Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

The relationship between David and Jonathan is one of the most beautiful and … Read More
1 Samuel 19- Guilty

1 Samuel 19:9
“Now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand.”

Like all of us, King Saul struggled with his emotions. When he looked at David, he did not see Israel’s rising star, or a man after God’s heart, but only a man who was a threat to his … Read More

Psalm 19- Treasure

Psalm 19:10 
“More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

We have all had the silly daydream of winning the lottery, finding a stash of money in a secret compartment in the attic, inheriting … Read More
Psalm 20- Shepherd’s Heart

Psalms 20:1-4
“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.”

The bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart. I am sure the meaning behind that statement is many faceted.  While I do not pretend to know all that it means, I am pretty certain that it has a lot to do … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 16-17 & Psalm 17-18
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 16- Distressing Spirit

1 Samuel 16:14
“But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.”

1 Samuel 16:16
“Let our master now command your… Read More 

1 Samuel 17- Oh My!

1 Samuel 17:37
“Moreover David said, ‘The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’”

David had many reasons not to … Read More

Psalm 17- Full Grown

Psalms 17:15 
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

I remember years ago listening to Pastor Chuck Smith teaching from John 15 on the Vine and the branches. To illustrate our need to bear fruit, he asked, “What does a full grown tree look like?” Immediately, my mind was filled with visions of the massive Redwoods of Northern California. I remember, as a … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 14-15 & Psalm 15-16
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 14- It Happened One Day

1 Samuel 14:1
“Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, ‘Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.’”

There is no doubt, while all of the Bible is inspire by God and “profitable… Read More

1 Samuel 15- Good Or Bad

1 Samuel 15:9
“But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”… Read More

Psalm 15- Action

Psalms 15:2
“He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his hear; . . . “

We have all heard the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words.” The sentiment behind that is simple; our behaviors speak more to our belief system, than our words ever could. Psalm 15 addresses the subject of true righteousness, and in a poetic fashion addresses our … Read More

Psalm 16- Life Is Good

Psalms 16:5-6
“O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.”… Read More