Month: March 2024

Thank God for Forgiveness 

At a time when David should
have been on the field of battle,
he finds himself instead on the
roof of the palace. A casual glance,
a lustful thought, an inquiry and
the king of Israel set in motion
a chain of events that culminates
in adultery and murder. God then
Sends Nathan To David to uncover
the whole ugly scheme; and David
Repents & Receives Forgiveness.

Lord, we Seek Your Forgiveness:
The Lord sent Nathan to David…
David’s anger was greatly aroused…
and he said to Nathan: the man
who has done this shall surely die!
Then Nathan said to David:
You are the man… Why have you
despised the commandment of
the Lord, to do evil in His sight…
So David said: I have sinned against
the Lord. And Nathan said to David:
The Lord also has Put Away your sin;
you shall not die (2Sam 12:1-13).
But because by this deed you have
made the enemies of the Lord show
utter contempt, the son born to you
shall surely die… David therefore
pleaded with God for the child, and
David fasted & lay all night on the
ground… Then on the seventh day…
the child died… So David arose from
the ground, washed and anointed
himself, and changed his clothes;
and went into the house of the Lord
& worshiped. Then he ate (v14-20).

Lord, grateful for Your tender
mercies and forgiving spirit that
was shown clearly when You put
away David’s sin & spare his life
despite serious transgressions
including adultery, false witness,
abusing of power and murder.
We purpose that when we fall
into sin, that we will not hide
but come to You in repentance
that we may receive mercy. Amen.

Gracious Lord, have mercy upon
me; blot out my transgressions;
and cleanse me from my sin. For
I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin is always before me.
Against You have I sinned & done
this unrighteousness in Your sight.
Create in me a clean heart O God
& renew steadfast spirit within me.
And restore to me the joy of Your
salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, here is an instance where
You denied a prayer in wisdom.
David’s request for the child of
his shame was denied in mercy
and judgment, for the child would
have been a perpetual reminder
of his sin. When the child was dead,
David humbled himself under the
mighty hand of God, and rested
grateful with His grace for him.
And then another son came whose
birth was no taint of shame. Amen.

Cooperatn with God Brings Success

Once the internal opposition against
his rule has been silenced, David
is free to secure his new kingdom
          against foreign invasion. In quick
succession the Moabites, Syrians,
     Edomites and Ammonites fall to
David’s troops, causing the other
neighbouring powers to surrender
     without a fight. Extensive new
territories are added to David’s
kingdom. But David nurses no
spirit of revenge, as evidence in
his dealings with Mephibosheth.

Lord, we’ll Show Justice & Kindness:
And David made himself a name
when he returned from killing 18,000
Syrians… Throughout all Edom
he put garrisons… And the Lord
 preserved David wherever he went.
So David reigned over all Israel; and
 David administered judgment and
justice to all his pple(2Sam8:13-15)
.              One day David began wondering
if anyone in Saul’s family was
still alive, for he had promised
.                  Jonathan that he would show
kindness to them. He summoned
Ziba, who had been Saul’s servant…
The king asked Ziba: Is anyone still
alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want
to show God’s kindness(2Sam 9:1-3)
.       When Joab saw that he would have     
to fight on both the front & the rear,
he Choose some Israel’s elite troops
and placed them under his personal
command to fight the Arameans…
He Left The Rest of the army under
the command of his brother Abishai,
who was to attack the Ammonites.
Joab told his brother: if Arameans
are too strong for me,come help me.
And if the Ammonites are too strong
for you, I will come and help you…
Let Us Fight bravely for our people
and the cities of our God. May the
Lord’s Will Be Done (2 Sam 10:9-12)

Lord, You are a just God and You
want us to show justice to everyone
like what David did in his country.
Help us Lord when we are
placed in a leadership position,
that we will be fair to everyone.
Help us not show favouritism to
people who have similar opinions
or similar backgrounds to ourselves.
Help us to defend and care for
especially the disadvantaged, the
weak and the downtrodden. Amen.

Lord, bring to my remembrance
people I have forgotten and those
You want me to show kindness.
Help me be generous to others;
for one kind act can lift up a
person and strengthen his faith.
When I make a commitment to
someone, help me fulfil it quickly
so that I don’t forget to do it.
Remind me often that You never
fail to fulfil Your promises. Amen.

Lord, we need to keep our actions
and our faith in You God in balance.
For we know that You expect us to
use our minds and our muscles even
while we depend on You for help.
Help us learn on the fair sharing
of resources in doing Your work.
So we purpose to use our resources
to obey God, while at the same time
trusting You for the outcome. Amen.

God Provides the Direction

With the death of Ish-Bosheth,
the people of Israel transfer their
allegiance to David as their rightful
king. As his first official act, David
conquers the strategic Jebusite
stronghold of Jerusalem and makes
it the new capital of the nation.
But something more than political
and military reform is necessary.
The worship of God must be
returned to its place of primacy.
Knowing this, David makes plans
to bring the ark of the covenant
to Jerusalem and build a fitting
place for it. In the process,
he learns some hard lessons
about doing God’s Will in
God’s Way and in God’s Timing.

Lord, we’ll Follow Your Direction:
Then all the tribes of Israel went
to David at Hebron and told him:
The Lord told you: You will be the
shepherd of my people Israel… So
there at Hebron, King David made
a covenant before the Lord with all
the elders of Israel & they anointed
him king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-3).
David inquired of the Lord: Shall
I go up against the Philistines?
And the Lord said: Go up for I’ll
doubtless deliver the Philistines
into your hand. So David went to
Baal Perazim and defeated them…
Then the Philistines went up once
again and deployed themselves
in the valley of Rephaim. So David
inquired of the Lord and He said:
You shall Not Go Up; circle around
Behind them. And David Did As
the Lord commanded him and he
drove back the Philistines (v19-25)

Lord, even as we pray for grace
to grow in submission to You
King Jesus, realize that we have
the tendency towards autonomy.
Forgive us for believing the lie that
Your rule in our lives will somehow
diminish our lives and freedom
rather than give us life and freedom.
Grant us the grace of submission &
the joy of having You as King. Amen.

Lord, praise You for Your faithfulness
and we are inspired by David on
his dependence on You for success.
Help us Follow Your Instructions
and not stray from Your will.
Help us Accept Your answer
to our prayers even when the
answers are not what we expect,
for You know what is best for us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You don’t want us to make 
decisions without Your leading.
For You care about the details
of our lives and want to guide
us in the way we should go.
When we step off the path of Your
blessing, redirect us back to it.
Help us not stray from Your perfect
will; which is good for us, Amen.

God Gives Direction (March 11)

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel are
actually a single continuous story.
In 1 Samuel, the mood is despair;
in 2 Samuel, a ray of hope shines.
In 1Sam, Saul’s dynasty is destroyed;
in 2Sam,David’s dynasty secured.
But transition of power is not simple:
Proper mourning for departed king,
the inauguration of the new leader,
the purging of rebellious elements,
all these things must be done
before David can rule in peace.

Lord, we Seek Yr Direction & Timing:
A man arrived fr Saul’s army camp…
Our entire army fled from the battle.
Many of the men are dead and Saul
and his son Jonathan are also dead.
David and his men tore their clothes
in sorrow when they heard the news.
They mourned and wept and fasted
all day for Saul… his son Jonathan
& for the Lord’s army (2S1:1-4,11-12)
David inquired of the Lord: Shall
I go to any of the cities of Judah?
The Lord said:Go up. David asked
Where? And He said: To Hebron.
So David went up there. Then
the men of Judah anointed David
king of Judah. And they told David:
The men of Jabesh Gilead buried
Saul. So David sent messengers
to Jabesh Gilead and said:
l’ll repay this kindness (2Sam 2:1-6).
The war bet the house of Saul and
the hse of David lasted a long time.
David grew stronger and stronger,
while the house of Saul grew
weaker and weaker (2 Sam 3:1).

Lord, praise You for Your faithfulness
and we are inspired by David on
his dependence on You for success.
Prompt us Lord to Inquire of Your
will for guidance in the way to go.
When we don’t quite understand
why You move so slowly at times,
grant us sufficient signs to trust
that Your promises will be fulfilled.
Help us focus on Your purpose and 
help us wait on Your timing. Amen.

Lord, we see David’s loyalty to
Your purpose as he mourned for
Saul who was the Lord’s anointed.
And because David trusted You God,
he would not rejoice in Saul’s death.
Give us Lord greater passion
for Your will and purpose rather
than our ambition and interest.
In Jesus ‘ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we note that when Saul died,
David did not rush to make himself
the king of Israel. Help us Lord
not to assume that we know
what is best but seek wisdom
in Your Word and Your Spirit.
Help us Lord to inquire of You,
follow Your direction, and wait
patiently for Your promises to be
fulfilled for we trust in You. Amen.

Gracious God Is Our Helper: Inspiring   Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Robert Robinson (1735-1790)
had always been prone to wander.
And as a wild youth he came to repentance. He became a pastor and wrote a few hymns; and Come
Thou Fount was written in 1757;
inspired very much by 1 Samuel 7.
Late in life he wandered fr the Lord.
But he met a lady in a coach who
shared the hymn Come Thou Fount
to him. He replied: I’m the unhappy
man who wrote the hymn years ago
and I would give a thousand worlds
to enjoy the feelings I had then.”
She told him:’the ‘streams of mercy’
are still flowing.” And he repented…

Lord, we Call on You for Help:
And Samuel said: Gather all Israel
to Mizpah and I will pray to the
Lord for you… And they fasted
that day and said: We have sinned
against the Lord (1Sam 7:5-6).
(Samuel) pleaded with the Lord
to help Israel & the Lord answered.
Just as Samuel was sacrificing
the burnt offering, the Philistines
arrived for battle. But the Lord
spoke with a mighty voice of
thunder… and the Philistines were
thrown into confusion that the
Israelites defeated them (v9-10).
Then Samuel took a stone… set it
up and called its name Ebenezer,
saying: Thus far the Lord has helped
us. So the Philistines were subdued,
and they did not come anymore
into the territory of Israel (v12-13).

Lord, we realized You are more
ready to hear the prayers of Your
people when they are repentant.
You listened to Your servants’
intercession for divine favour.
We note Samuel’s good practice
of erecting Ebenezer memorial as
Thanksgiving, which reminds us
of Your goodness and power that
we can call on You for help. Amen.

Father, thanks for streams of mercy
that call for songs of loudest praise.
We yearn to be able to erect our
Ebenezer like Samuel & testify of U.
But Lord, we are human, and like
Robertson we are prone to wander.
Cause us to always remember the
Lord has helped us & be grateful.
So, here’s my heart; take & seal it;
seal it for Your courts above. Amen.

Lord, Thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wondering from the fold of God.
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood…
Lord, I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by Thy help I come.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander Lord I feel it;
prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of First Samuel 
is to record the life of Samuel,
Israel’s last judge, thru reign and
decline of Saul, the first king;
and the choice and preparation
of David, Israel’s greatest king.
Establishing a monarchy did
not solve Israel’s problems.
What God desires is the genuine
devotion of each person’s mind
and heart to Him. No government
or set of laws can substitute for
the rule of God in your heart & life.

On Monday, we learn from 1Sam 1
that God Cares about Our Concerns.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Sam 7
that God Is Our Mighty Helper.
On Wed, we learn from 1Sam 10
that Spirit of God Empowers Us.
On Thursday, we learn from 17
that God Delivers the Faithful.
On Friday, we learn fr 1Sam 20/22
that God Cares for Downtrodden.
On Sat, we learn from 1Sam 30
that Gracious God Is Our Strength.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You Care about Our Concerns;
especially when are Downtrodden;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You Deliver and Empower Us;
For You are worthy of our Praise
being Mighty Helper & Our Strength.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Is Our Strength (Mar 9)

After months of running for his life,
David concludes that leaving
Israel entirely is the only way to
escape Saul’s relentless pursuit.
By convincing the Philistines he is
a defector, David is given the city
of Ziklag as his base of operations.
But instead of aiding the enemy,
David and his army methodically
destroy Philistine strongholds.
Meanwhile, Saul’s desperate
attempts to counter the Philistine
threat lead him to consult a medium.
And instead of promise of victory,
Saul heard frightening prediction of
defeat and death, forecasts which
came true the very next day as he
& his sons die on the field of battle.

Lord, You are God of My Strength:
It happened when David and his men
came to Ziglag, on the third day that
the Amalekites invaded the South
burned it… and had taken captives…
Then David and the people who
were with him… wept until they
had no more power to weep… Now
David was greatly distressed for
the people spoke of stoning him…
But David Strengthen himself
in the Lord his God (1Sam 30:1-6).
Then David said to Abiathar the
priest… Bring the ephod to me…
So David inquired of the Lord:
Shall I pursue this troop?…
And He answered him: Pursue,
for you shall surely overtake them
and without fail Recover all (v7-8).
Then David attacked them from
twilight until the evening of the next
day. Not a man of them escaped,
except 400 young man… who fled.
So David recovered all that the
Amalekites had carried away(v17-18)

Lord, we learnt from David that
we can strengthen ourselves in You.
For You are our strong fortress and
You are the God of our strength.
In You Lord are power and might;
and in You we find all that we need
when we are weary or go out of gas.
Forgive us for doubting Yr strength
and failing to access it in our life.
As Your children we claim access
to Your strength, rather than walk
in our own limited power. Amen.

Lord, some challenges we face can
make us feel insecure & doubtful.
Our fears tell us that if we take a
wrong step, we will fall into danger.
Help us learn from David to inquire
of You Lord; and remember of
Your assurance to provide us
strength as the feet of a deer.
Grant us direction and strength
to do what we are called to do.
And put Lord a spring in our steps
as we follow where You lead. Amen.

Lord, I need You for my strength is
limited but Your strength is endless.
Gird me with Your great strength
for I am weak but You are strong.
Strengthen my heart and resolve
when life seems so challenging.
Strengthen my mind to think
big because I serve a big God.
Strengthen my hands to do all
that You have called me to do;
for You are My Strength!! Amen.

God Cares for the Faithful 

David the king-elect of Israel –
anointed, approved in battle and
awaiting the inauguration of his
reign – is fleeing for his life from
the deranged Saul, the king rejected.
Saul’s pursuit drives David to
desperate measures such as eating
the forbidden shewbread at Nob
and feigning insanity at Gath.
But Scripture records that David’s
confidence in God never slackens,
as his frequent petitions to God for
direction & protection clearly testify.

Lord, we aspire to Be Faithful:
If he is angry and wants u killed,
may the Lord kill me if I don’t
warn you so u can escape & live.
May the Lord be with you as he
used to be with my father. And
may you treat me with the faithful
love of the Lord as long as I live…
So Jonathan made a covenant
with David saying: May the Lord
destroy all your enemies! And
Jonathan made David reaffirm
his vow of friendship again, for
Jonathan loved David as much as
he loved himself (1 Sam 20:13-17)
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 everyone
who was in distress, everyone who
was in debt and everyone who was
discontented gathered to him.
So he became captain over them.
And there were about four hundred
men with him (1 Sam 22:1-2).

Dear Lord, from the experience
of David on the run from king Saul,
we learn when treated unjustly that
we should not take matters into our
own hands. For God is just & faithful
and You care for the downtrodden.
Help us Lord to be faithful friends;
& help us avail ourselves for service.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we are inspired Jonathan
and David based their friendship
as well as their commitment to You.
Inspire us to be like Jonathan who
displays loving commitment and
let nothing comes between friends.
Help us be people of integrity
by keeping promises even though
it may involve sacrifice. Amen

Lord, we note that David with Your
help managed to mould the 400
men into a strong fighting men and
did great exploits for the kingdom.
Help our leaders to manage people
from a range of backgrounds and to
be humble in accepting their failings.
Help our leaders to be both strong
and humble for church leadership
can be pretty tough work. Amen.

God Delivers the Faithful

The rejection of a king after the
 people’s heart (Saul) sets the stage
for the choice of a king after God’s
 own heart (David).A young shepherd
with a disposition more suited to
the pasture than the palace, David
 possesses few claims to fame.
 He is a good marksman with a sling,
 an excellent lyre player and the
youngest of eight sons from an
 insignificant family in Bethlehem.
But his heart attitude is one of
 undivided devotion; a quality readily
visible in the way David dispatches
 the Philistine giant Goliath and
 handles Saul’s jealous attacks.

Lord,we Remember Yr Deliverance:
             Saul said to David: You are not
able to go against this Philistine;
for you are a youth, and he a
man of war from his youth…(But)
David said: The Lord Who Delivered
me from the paw of the bear,
He Will Deliver me from the hand
of this Philistine (1 Sam 17:33-37).
Then David said to the Philistine,
You came to me with a sword,
with a spear and with a javelin.
But I come to You in the name
 of the Lord of hosts, the God of
 Israel whom you have defiled…
So David prevailed over the
 Philistine with a sling and a stone
and… killed him (1 Sam 17:45-50)

Father God, just as You taught
 David to trust You when he killed
the bear and the lion, prepare me
 for the battles I will face one day.
And when I reach those battles,
 remind me I had overcome in other
 situations and that as You were with
 me then, You will be with me again.
Give me the courage of David to
 take up the armour of God, for with
it I can overcome anything. Amen.

Lord, help us remember our past
 deliverance and know that You
will continue to be our Deliverer.
Help us have the same perspective
of David where size of the giant
is irrelevant, for Goliath was puny
 when compared with almighty God.
Help us to be trained in the power
of God, fixing our eyes on You God,
then we’ll not fear the giant. Amen.

Lord, remind us that prayer is
not something that only happens
in the quietness of a moment.
Prompt us to cry out to You whilst
in battle & desperate moments for
deliverance may be a prayer away.
Strengthen our faith in You so that
we’ll not forget or give up praying.
And enable us to stand strong
in prayer, giving thanks for Your
presence and deliverance. Amen.