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

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