TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 19-20  & Psalm 49-50
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 19- It’s Not Free

2 Samuel 19:4
“But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, ‘O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!’”

I recently watched a news segment which focused on two teenagers who decided to rob a local business. One of the boys was reluctant to get involved, while the other boasted confidently that “no one… Read More

2 Samuel 20- Dissenter

2 Samuel 20:1
“And there happened to be there a rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said: ‘We have no share in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!’”… Read More

Psalm 49- Eternal Investments

Psalms 49:17
“For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.”

Have you ever heard the phrase “You can’t take it with you”? It seems like this sentiment might… Read More

Psalm 50- Promises

Psalm 50:16-17
“But to the wicked God says: ‘What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?’”

One of the strangest phenomenon… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 17-18  & Psalm 47-48
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 17- Be Prepared

2 Samuel 17:23
“Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb.”

It is remarkable how many Biblical phrases have become part of our everyday lives. When a person is diagnosed with a disease that advanced medicine has no hope of curing, it … Read More

2 Samuel 18- Pride

2 Samuel 18:9
“Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on.”… Read More

Psalm 47- Clap Your Hands

Psalm 47:1
“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!”

Sometimes knowing the setting in which a psalm was written is beneficial to understanding its content. Other times, like in this psalm, the setting is not given because the truth is universal. Whatever our condition, whether we would classify it as good or bad, blessing or trial, God remains the same and is always worthy of the highest praise. The truths tucked away in this psalm … Read More

Psalm 48- Growing In Christ

Psalm 48:9
“We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, In the midst of Your temple.”

We learn two very important… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 15-16 & Psalm 45-46
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 15- Memory Lane

2 Samuel 15:14
“So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, ‘Arise, and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.’”

Perhaps you have heard someone speak of having their whole life pass… Read More

2 Samuel 16- Love, Mercy and Grace

2 Samuel 16:4
“So the king said to Ziba, ‘Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.’ 
And Ziba said, ‘I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!’”

We are first introduced to Ziba in 2 Samuel 9 where he is described as a servant of king Saul. After David was established as king he began to look for descendants of king Saul. His search led him to Ziba who in turn… Read More

Psalm 45- Worship

Psalm 45:11b
“Because He is your Lord, worship Him.”

This is a Messianic Psalm, meaning that it is speaking prophetically of Israel’s coming Messiah. In it, the Psalmist is describing the glory of Jesus, our King, and the beauty of His Bride, the church. After describing Jesus as the King of Glory, girded … Read More

Psalm 46- Help In Trouble

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

A refuge is a shelter or protection from danger or trouble. It is not uncommon in places that are threatened with severe weather to… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 13-14  & Psalm 43-44
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 13- What’s Love Got To Do With It?

2 Samuel 13:1
“After this Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.”

“I love you” is one of the most common phrases in any language. It is the heartbeat behind many popular songs, movies … Read More 

2 Samuel 14- Banished

2 Samuel 14:14
“…God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.”

By killing his… Read More

Psalm 43- Vindicate Me

Psalms 43:1
“Vindicate me, O God,
And plead my cause…”

Arguments take place when we have differences of opinion. Both parties think they are right and the other is wrong. When these differences of opinion escalate they often lead to serious… Read Me

Psalm 44- Victorious

Psalm 44:3
“For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them.”

Even a casual reading of the Old Testament will lead to the conclusion that Israel did not… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 11-12 & Psalm 41-42
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11- It Happened One Evening

2 Samuel 11:2
“Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.”

David is one of the most famous men in history. He was a gifted singer, song writer and musician. By today’s standards, he would be considered a superstar. He was also a war hero, who led armies to great victory. No doubt, in that … Read More

2 Samuel 12- Loss

2 Samuel 12:22-23
“And he said, ‘While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, “Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?” But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.’”

David and Bathsheba found themselves face to face with a parent’s worse nightmare. Their child was diagnosed with a terminal illness for which modern medicine had no answer. Like any of us, David was … Read More

Psalm 41- The Poor

Psalms 41:1
“Blessed is he who considers the poor;
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.”

The Bible has much to say about the poor. The word poor is used almost 200 times in the NKJV of the Bible, Israel as a nation was required to set up a system where the poor was able… Read More

Psalm 42- Thirsty

Psalm 42:1-2
“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

This Psalm begins with the Psalmist describing his hunger for more of God. In a beautifully poetic fashion, he compares his desire for God to a deer panting for water. Thirst is one of our most basic drives, second only to the body’s need for oxygen. He is not only stating that he desires more of God in his life, but that he cannot live without Him. Psychologists have made lists of basic human needs for mental and emotional health. These… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 9-10 & Psalm 39-40
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 9- Kindness

2 Samuel 9:8
“Then he bowed himself, and said,’What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I.”

Years ago I heard the phrase, “There are three of you: the you you think you are, the you others think… Read More

2 Samuel 10- Courage

2 Samuel 10:12
“Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”

It is easy to become weary in the service of the Lord. This is especially true when it seems we have failed. David sent a group of men as ambassadors of Israel to King Hanun of Ammon. He desired to show kindness to the king after the loss of his father, Nahash. What seemed to be a relatively easy mission, turned out to be an embarrassing failure. Instead of being … Read More

Psalm 39- Guard My Tongue

Psalm 39:1-3
“I said, ‘I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me. I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; And my sorrow was stirred up. My heart was hot within me; While I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:’”… Read More

Psalm 40- Miry Clay

Psalms 40:1-3
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.”… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 7-8 & Psalm 37-38
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7- So Far So Good

2 Samuel 7:18
“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ‘Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?’”

Reflecting upon the Lord, and what He has done for you, is a valuable asset to your walk with God. David … Read More

2 Samuel 8- A Line In The Sand

2 Samuel 8:2
“Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought tribute.” … Read More

Psalm 37- Slippery Slope
Psalm 37:31 “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”

I am a sports fan. I enjoy watching a variety of athletics, and am always fascinated when an athlete achieves victory, almost effortlessly. No matter what the opponents do, they are unable to stop him. Over the years, I have come to understand that those who seem to win with the least effort, are really the ones who have put in the most effort. They are… Read More

Psalm 38- Guilt Free

Psalm 38:4
“For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.”

In this Psalm, we find David enduring the consequences of sin. Like all of us, he was drawn into something … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 5-6 & Psalm 35-36
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 5- Easy As 1,2,3

2 Samuel 5:7
“Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).”

After taking the throne and ruling over all of Israel, David focused his attention on three crucial areas that would help to guarantee a long and successful reign.

First, he established Jerusalem as the capital of the nation. Jerusalem was… Read More

2 Samuel 6- What Went Wrong?

2 Samuel 6:16
“Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.”

Looking back on the history of Israel, there are certain days that stand out above others. The day Abraham received the covenant, the day Israel was set free from Egypt, and the day Joshua led the nation across the Jordan. These are but a few of the… Read More

Psalm 35- God Fights For Me

Psalm 35:1
“Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

We cannot be sure the exact situation that stirred David to write this Psalm, but we do know that he seemed to be under continual … Read More

Psalm 36- No Fear Of God

Psalms 36:1
“An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.”

This Psalm is written as a result of David’s meditation upon what motivates people to sin. It seems to me, if we can… Read More

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