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 are 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 serving Christ. He will use the weakness of our humanity as a tool to get us to stumble into sin. When at times, it may seem as though the temptations and the obstacles  are too great to overcome, we can be greatly encouraged by this promise. 

Psalms 21:11

“For they intended evil against You;

They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.”

Satan sought to destroy Israel the moment they stepped out of Egypt, yet God intervened and their enemies were drown in the sea. Later, the same demonic…

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 of Keilah from Philistine invaders, only to find the citizens of Keilah had sold them out to Saul. It is easy to see why both David and his men could become discouraged by their circumstances.

It is during this dark hour that David receives a visit from his closest friend. This visit will prove to be a source of great strength for David, and a powerful…

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 millions from an uncle we did not know we had, or inventing the next great product everyone wants to own. Why? I think the answer is simply that we would all love to have an unlimited supply of cash; not for it’s intrinsic value, but because of what we can obtain with it, and for the security that it brings. Imagine never having to worry about the bills again.

Here the Psalmist declares there is something he desires, perhaps even daydreams about, more than riches. His desire was for the Word of God. Using such sweet poetry, he declares that God’s Words…

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.’”

Saul’s rage forced David to flee for his life. He left home and family in such a hurry that he took almost nothing with him. When he arrived in Nob, he immediately searched for both food and weapons. Since he arrived at the home of the priest, and not a military compound, weapons were hard to come by.  The only available sword was the one David had taken from Goliath, and it probably sat in a display case. 

I find it interesting, this is not the first time David had handled someone else’s sword. On…

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 mark a turning point in the life of David. He had been sensing more and more that Saul’s jealous fits of rage would result in his own death. To clarify the matter, he and Jonathan had developed a plan to uncover Saul’s true desires. David would skip out on the palace celebration. In a few days, it would become evident he was not there. If Saul’s reaction was hostile, they determined David must flee for his life. In order to keep David informed of the news, Jonathan would shoot three arrows into the distance. If the arrows fell short of his location, David would know it was good news. If they flew…

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 child, driving our car through a tunnel cut out of a tree in Humboldt County. After pausing to let the question sink in, he responded, “A full grown tree looks like firewood.” You see, a tree grows as long as it is alive. The moment it stops growing, is the moment it has died.

We are like that. Once we begin a relationship with God, a process known as “Sanctification” begins. Sanctification is…

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 throne. Saul found himself filled with jealousy, fear, pride, and anger. As the story unfolds, we find these sins ultimately became his downfall. His failure was partly due to the way he dealt with his sin.

We read time and time again of a “distressing spirit from the Lord” that came upon Saul. This spirit was no doubt a strong conviction for the things he was doing wrong. Instead of allowing his conviction to bring him to repentance, Saul tried…

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 encouraging in all of Scripture. We find that these two young men met while serving the Lord and furthering His kingdom. Their relationship was built on love, humility, and self sacrifice. It was this relationship that proved to be a constant source of encouragement to David, and a means by which Jonathan learned to discover God’s plan for his life. 

Friendships are essential to a healthy Christian life. Solomon wrote, 

Proverbs 12:26

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

Proverbs 27:17

“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

David’s life was greatly enhanced by the…

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.”

The Psalmist is describing his life. The lines he refers to speak of his experiences in life. They might include his family life, his marriage, his ministry experiences, and even his recreational pursuits. He is saying, life is good. To use the words of Jesus, he is experiencing life in abundance. I think every one of us would like to be able to sing these words. The question is, how did he get there.?

Early on in Israel’s history, God divided the nation into sections, and each tribe was given a portion or a lot to occupy. These lots were determined by two things. First, where they lived was determined by the Lord. It was the sovereign will…

Psalms 15:2

“He who walks uprightly,

And works righteousness,

And speaks the truth in his heart.“

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 walk, works, and words. All three of these speak volumes regarding what we truly believe. Like balancing a check book to determine where all the money has gone, we can examine where we go, what we do, and what we say to determine the real driving forces in our lives. 

If we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, our feet should be taking us daily to the Word of God, and at least weekly to the congregation, where we meet with the people of…