RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.  Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house.  And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.  And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid…

BE LIGHT AND WATER This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.  For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?  This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.  —II Samuel 22:31-33 The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.  “For does not…

OUR STRENGTH IS IN HIM The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.  They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. —Psalm 92:12-15             There is so much we do not understand, but we can be content to know our Lord knows all and that we are safe in His hands.  The important thing is that we remain faithful to His will even in the…

VICTORIOUS THROUGH HIS WORD! And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. —II Samuel 7:28 And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. —II Samuel 8:6             The Lord God is God and we are not.  His words can be utterly trusted.  He has promised good things for His servants and we can rest in them fully.  We are to be His servants.  Just as the Lord gave “victory to David wherever he went” so also He is the One that gives victory wherever we go, wherever He sends us.  We go in…

GOD’S SERVANTS ”David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” —II Samuel 1:14 Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. —Hebrews 13:7-8 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you. —Hebrews 13:17 Keep watch over yourselves and…

HE IS GOOD, FORGIVING & LOVING For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. —Psalm 86:5             Yes!  God is good all the time… all the time!  Of course things do not seem good all the time to us because we are living in a fallen, sinful world where things go bad.  Sin has affected this creation, but take joy because the heavenly home before us will be sinless and perfect.  Then we will know completely the goodness of God without the negative influences of wickedness.             Be thankful that the Lord is forgiving.  If He was not forgiving then…

HE IS TAKING NOTICE! The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness… —I Samuel 26:23             The Lord knows all about you and he will reward you for your “righteousness and faithfulness.”  Let us not be like those who say, “It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?” (Malachi 3:14).  That type of thinking is foolish and selfish and those who speak such things do not have the bigger picture nor love for the Lord God Almighty.  Jesus said, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I…

REAL POWER! Blessed are those whose strength is in you… —Psalm 84:5 How strong is the strongest man on the planet?   Paul Anderson’s “best lifts of his career include an amazing 1206 pound squat(still unmatched), a 627 pound bench press, a 380 pound one arm press, a 600 pound push press(pressing the weight overhead),and an incredible 575 pound jerk press(pulling the weight up and pressing it out). He made the Guinness Book of World Records for lifting 6,270 pounds in the backlift. This weight is listed as the most weight ever lifted by a human being. He won the gold medal at the 1957 Melbourne Olympics. In all, he broke…

A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. —I Samuel 18:1             As the wall was joined together or the circuit completed as mentioned in Nehemiah 4:6 so also was Jonathan’s soul knit or joined together with the soul of David.  Jonathan loved David as he did his own soul.  Yes, they loved each other as they loved themselves (I Samuel 20:17).  Now here is a strongly bound friendship founded on doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  Saul was seeking to kill David and out of his love for David Jonathan sought…

MOTIVE Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. —I Samuel 15:23 “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. —I Samuel 16:7             The Lord sees man differently than man sees man.  Man can only see the outwardness of a man— his looks and his actions.  But the Lord sees the heart of a man.  He understands the motives and intent of the heart.              We are told that rebellion is as sinful as…