Do Times of Drought Make You Thirst For God?

Psalms 54; 63

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. ­– Psalm 63:1 NLT

Do you ever have those wilderness moments – those times when nothing seems to go right? Your job may not be going as well as you would like or you may not be making as much money as you think you need. Maybe you find yourself not doing well physically or emotionally. Your marriage may be struggling or your kids may be rebelling. It could be that you find yourself alone and lonely. Your world is not as you had hoped it would be. Your life seems to be one constant struggle. What do you long for in those moments? Release? More money? Better health? A healed marriage? A compliant child? A friend?

David found himself in the desert – literally. He was running from a madman who wanted to take his life. He had lost everything – his wife, his best friend, his mentor, his job, and seemingly, his opportunity to be the next king of Israel. He had been anointed the king by Samuel the prophet, handpicked by God Himself. But now he was little more than a fugitive with a bounty on his head and no place to call his home. Yet in spite of all that had happened in his life, David had a thirst for God. He craved God more than anything else. His circumstances produced in him a hunger and thirst for God that was insatiable. Because He knew that God was the solution to ALL his problems. God was NOT just the source to supply his needs. God was who David needed and he knew it. A palace wouldn't improve David's life. An end to his fugitive lifestyle would not meet David's need. Better food wouldn't satisfy David's needs. In fact, David said, "You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. I will praise you with songs of joy" (Psalms 63:5 NLT). David was in the wilderness and was learning that God was all he really needed. Nothing more. Listen to his words: "If I'm sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection. Because you've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play" (Psalms 63:6-7 NLT). Is that how you feel when you find yourself in a wilderness moment? When you wake up at night, unable to sleep, is God the first thing that come to your mind? Are you more grumpy than grateful? Does your soul pursue God or does it seek solutions to your problems? David's lack was a reminder of what he really needed: God. What does your lack make you thirsty for?

Father, I want to want You more than anything else. When I find myself in need of anything, may I realize that what I really need is You. Nothing can supply my needs like You can. More money only makes me less dependent on You. More peace only makes me less likely to turn to You because I think all is well. More friends give me less time for You. More material possessions only tend to make me less satisfied. What I need is You. May my soul increasingly thirst for You and nothing else. Amen

Where Do You Turn When Times Get Tough?

Psalms 17; 35

I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. ­– Psalm 17:6 NLT

David had been slandered, betrayed, hunted like an animal, abandoned, falsely accused, relegated to the life of a fugitive, humiliated, harassed, and almost killed numerous times. In other words, he had experienced some pretty tough moments in his life. Just like many of us. But what did he do when times got tough? David seemed to have a plan. He turned to God. He cried out to God. He poured out his heart to God. Sure, there were times when David took matters into his own hands, but more often than not, he turned to God. The Psalms are David's personal journal to his heavenly Father, where he shares his most intimate and intense feelings. He pulls no punches. He doesn't sugarcoat his feelings. His words are raw and honest. Because he seems to know that God is the only one who can help him in his time of distress. He doesn't waste time telling his problems to someone else. He goes straight to the one who has the capacity and the compassion to do something about it.

David asks God to "hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from an honest heart" (Psalm 17:1 NLT). He tells God "I am praying to you because I know you will answer" (Psalm 17:6 NLT). David knows he can call out to God and get a response. The size of his problems are no problem for God. The number of his enemies isn't an issue with God. David knows his God will rescue, vindicate, justify, restore, repay evil for good, set all things right, and prove David's innocence. Now, that didn't prevent David from giving God a few helpful hints as to how He might want to deal with his enemies, but at the end of the day, David was willing to let God do what was best. His job was to cry out. God's job was to respond. And David was confident He would. And when He did, David promised to "tell everyone of your justice and goodness" (Psalm 35:28 NLT). He said, "I will praise you all day long" (Psalm 35:28 NLT). There was no doubt in David's mind that God would intervene.

In a sense, you and I are living in a wilderness experience like David. We are aliens and strangers, fugitives, living in a hostile land relentlessly pursued by a merciless enemy. Yet we have been called by God and anointed with His Holy Spirit. We have been declared His heirs and children, adopted into His family. But we find ourselves constantly harassed by our enemy. He is out to destroy us. He wants us dead. Like David, we have been promised a place in the palace, but we are not there yet. We are living in the wilderness and we face constant struggles. So where do we turn? Who do we turn to when times get tough? Our finances? Our own abilities? Do we come up with our own plan of action? Do we attempt to save ourselves? David was learning that there was only one place to turn in the tough times. To God. Jesus said, "the thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness" (John 10:10 NLT). He wants to give us life in all its fullness – overflowing with abundance. But we have to turn to Him. We have to rely on Him. We have to trust Him with our lives, even in the midst of these desert days.

Father, like David, I am slowly learning to turn to You. I am learning to cry out to You. But I have a long way to go. I am still tempted to take matters into my own hands and solve my own problems. Thank You for Your patience as You wait for me to wake up and realize that You alone are my source of fullness of life. You alone can rescue, restore and redeem my situation. Never let me forget that. Amen

When Doubt Leads To Despair and Deception.

1 Samuel 27

But David kept thinking to himself, "Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing for me to do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me, and I will finally be safe." ­– 1 Samuel 27:1 NLT

Consulting with yourself can be hazardous to your health. When we stop talking to God and start taking advice from ourselves, it usually doesn't end well. And it usually starts with a little doubt. We begin to wonder if God is really going to take care of us. Is He really going to come through and accomplish all He has promised? Things start going a little south and we decide that God is either not there or He doesn't care, so we take matters into our own hands. Our doubt leads us to despair. That's what seems to have happened to David in this chapter. Listen to what he says: "Someday Saul is going to get me." David had been running and hiding for some time now. He was tired. He was frustrated. And in spite of the fact that he had been anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel, and had seen God preserve his life from Saul time and time again, he began to conclude that he was going to die someday at the hands of Saul. He doubted God's word. His doubt led to despair. His despair led to a really poor decision. He and his men return to Gath – the hometown of Goliath – the man David had killed. David is so down that his decision to go find refuge with the enemy sounded plausible and preferable to running from Saul. David seemed to forget his last experience in Gath when he had to pretend he was certifiably crazy just to escape. No, David consults with himself and comes up with the great idea to flee to the Philistines for safety.

Nowhere in this chapter do you see the name of God. David doesn't consult with God as he has done before. He doesn't seek God's advice or counsel. David had concluded that he was going to die if he stayed in the land of Judah, in spite of the promises of God and His prophet. David was human. He wasn't divine. His life as a fugitive had taken its toll. He couldn't see any other way out of his circumstance, so he made a decision. But it does not appear that his was the decision God wanted him to make. Yet in spite of his ill-conceived, self-determined plan, God remained with him. God continued to use him. David may have suffered a lapse of faith, but he was still committed to God and His cause.

David's doubt led to despair. His despair led to a poor decision. And that decision led to a life of deception. In order for David to remain in the land of the Philistines, he had to deceive king Achish into believing he was on his side. Yet David also wanted to remain true to his God. King Achish seems to have agreed to let David and his 600 warriors remain in his land because he was convinced that David had turned against Saul. Achish believed that David and his men would fight against Saul and the people of Israel because they were now sworn enemies of Saul. And David was willing to give Achish's conclusion support. He asks king Achish to give him a town in which to live with his men, and the king gives him the town of Ziklag. David uses a false humility as his rationale for moving out of the royal city. But his real motive was to use Ziklag as a base of operations to run raids into the land of Judah to fight against Israel's enemies. For almost a year and a half, David kept up a deception that led Achish to believe he was attacking Israelite cities, while in reality, David was wiping out the enemies of Israel. In fact, David was accomplishing the will of God. He was clearing the Promised Land of the enemy just as God had commanded and the people had failed to do all these years. But David was mixing his obedience with deception. He was doing God's will, but in his own way. Always a dangerous combination.

David would experience a measure of success with his plan. He would escape the constant threat of Saul. He would successfully wipe out the enemies of Israel. But he would also have to live a life for almost a year and a half. And as we will find out, his decision would ultimately result in destruction. God's will done man's way never ends well. David's compromise with the enemy was going to have negative ramifications. He may have escaped Saul, but he was not going to escape the results of his god-less decision. Seeking God's will is always the best way. Leaning on our own understanding is always dangerous. Allowing our doubt to led to despair will always result in a life of deception and end in destruction.

Father, I have seen time and time again in my life where my doubt in You has caused me to despair and then it has led me to make self-conceived plans that never end up turning out quite like I had planned. Help me to trust You at all times. But thank You that even when I doubt and make bad plans, You never leave me. You let me learn from my mistakes. You teach me to trust You more by exposing that I can't be trusted. My ways are not Your ways. My plans will never measure up to Yours. Amen

Recognizing the Hand of God.

1 Samuel 25-26

The LORD gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the LORD placed you in my power, for you are the LORD’s anointed one. ­– 1 Samuel 26:23 NLT

Life has its ups and downs. There are days when things go well, and days when things go poorly. At times we can make decisions that are totally in line with God's will and other times when we stubbornly and stupidly decide to do things our way. But as believers there is one thing that is always consistent about our lives – the sovereign presence of God. In these two stories found in chapters 25 and 26 of 1 Samuel we are reminded of God's sovereign purpose and presence in the life of David. In the story of Abigail, we see a rather hot-headed David reacting to an undeserved snub by the foolish Nabal. This wealthy man had the audacity to refuse David's request for food for his men after they had protected Nabal's shepherds and livestock in the wilderness. David's reaction was to wipe out Nabal and every other male who worked for him. He is hot and it appears that David has had just about enough of being treated like a second-class citizen. He has been hiding in caves, running from Saul, and eking out a living for he and his men for some time now. So Nabal's response pushes David over the edge. The only thing that prevented David from following through with his ill-conceived plan was the quick-thinking of Nabal's wife, Abigail. She intervenes, bringing David and his men a peace offering and pleading with David to spare Nabal's worthless life. She appeals to David to reconsider what he is thinking and not to avenge himself against Nabal. Her intervention spared David from doing something he would have regretted. But was this just quick-thinking on the part of Abigail? Or was it the sovereign hand of God directing her decisions and giving her the words to say? I tend to think it was the latter. David seems to recognize that it was God who had sent Abigail. "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murdering the man and carrying out vengeance with my own hands" (1 Samuel 25:32-33 NLT). God had used Abigail to prevent David from acting rashly and potentially harming his future legacy.

In chapter 26 we see the hand of God again as David is presented with yet another opportunity to eliminate the threat to his life by taking the life of Saul. In a situation similar to that found in chapter 24, David is betrayed by the Ziphites, resulting in Saul and his 3,000 mercenaries coming after David in the wilderness. In the middle of the night, David and one of his men sneak into Saul's camp, finding him sound asleep (thanks to God), and David takes Saul's spear. He rejects the counsel of his own man to see this as a God-given opportunity to kill Saul, even though it was probably tempting to view things that way. Instead, David appeals to Saul and claims his own innocence. He acknowledges that God had given Saul into his hand, but that he refused to take Saul's life. David saw God's hands all over this situation. He had used the betrayal of the Ziphites and the anger-driven response of Saul to bring him right to that exact spot. God had caused Saul and his entire camp to sleep so soundly that they never heard David come into the camp. But David also knew that God was going to deal with Saul just like He did with Nabal – according to His own terms and in His own timing. David could trust God to take care of everything. He didn't have to take matters into his own hands.

God was there and David recognized it. But do I? Do I see the hand of God at work in and around my life? He is sovereign and in complete control. I don't need to panic. He prevents me from doing things I don't need to do and then does for me things I would never think to do. He uses others in my life to guide and direct me. He uses circumstances to teach me. He is in large and in charge, and I can trust Him.

Father, help me to see You more clearly and more consistently in and around me life. I know You are there, but I don't always recognize or acknowledge Your hand in my life. Open my eyes. Help me see. Amen

He Knows My Path.

Psalms 140-142

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. ­– Psalm 142:3a NASB

Even when my strength leaves me, you know my footsteps. That is how the NET Bible translates verse 3 of Psalm 142. When David was weak, feeling overwhelmed, and struggling with despair, he still knew that God was fully aware of his circumstances and was watching over him. Yet even though David knew God was aware of what was going on, it didn't stop him from crying out and pouring out his heart. He told God exactly how he was feeling. No mincing words. No pulling punches. David wrote honestly, freely, and expectantly. He knew God was listening and that God would respond.

David may not have had anybody on his side, but he knew he had God as a resource and a refuge. We need to learn with David that while others may disappoint us or even abandon us, God never will. He is faithful all the time and is there when we call on Him. We will never tell Him anything He doesn't already know, but He still wants to hear from us. Our cries to God express our dependency like nothing else. They acknowledge our need for Him and trust in Him.

Father, I don't cry to You enough. Maybe it's because I don't sense You watching and listening. Maybe I doubt that You will really answer. But I want to be like David, completely honest and open with You about my feelings and my frustrations. Not to complain, but because I believe You are listening and that You will respond. May my prayer life be an expression of my faith life. Amen

God Is On My Side!

Psalms 56; 120

This I know: God is on my side. O God, I praise your word. Yes, LORD, I praise your word. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? ­– Psalm 56:9-11 NLT

David was in deep trouble. He had sauntered into the Philistine city of Gath, the hometown of Goliath, who David had killed in battle, and he was wearing Goliath's sword and seeking shelter. What was he thinking? Why in the world would he run right into the enemy's hands expecting them to protect him from Saul? David had killed their champion. He had put an end to the Philistine lopsided oppression of Israel. So when he showed up in Gath, the people are shocked that David has walked right into their hands. King Achish is almost persuaded by David to provide the shelter he seeks. Maybe Achish thinks David can be turned against the Israelites and become the new Philistine champion. He could become their new secret weapon. But the people see trouble. They don't trust David or believe his story. Suddenly David sees the insanity of what he has done. He has stepped into a hornets nest. So his solution is to feign insanity. The people think he is crazy to have shown up in the first place, so he obliges them by acting like he's crazy. He puts on quite a performance, drooling in his beard and acting as if he has lost his mind. Not exactly the kind of actions to help build self-esteem. But it does the trick. It convinces Achish that David is nuts, so he releases him, and David escapes.

And sometimes after the events of this day, David writes, "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You" (Psalm 56:3 NASB). Do you think David was afraid that day? I think he was petrified. He was in a predicament that looked like it couldn't end in anything but disaster, and somehow he had escaped with his life. He was still alive and he was learning to trust in God. "O God, I praise your word. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?" (Psalm 56:4 NLT). "I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?" (Psalm 56:11 NLT).

In spite of all that was going on around him and happening to him, David was learning that God really was on his side. And with God on his side, he didn't have to worry. God had rescued him from death that day in Gath. He may have put on a good performance, but David knew that it was God who had rescued him and not his acting ability. "For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life–giving light" (Psalm 56:13 NLT). David had made the decision to seek refuge with the enemy. His choice had resulted in a really bad situation. But God was still with him and for him. God rescued David that day. Just like He does you and me each and every day of our lives. God is on our side. He is intimately aware of every circumstance of our lives. He never falls asleep on the job or turns His back and forgets about us. He knows every tear we cry, every difficulty we encounter, every stupid decision we make, every predicament we put ourselves into. "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book" (Psalm 56:8 NLT). He knows. He cares. He rescues. He restores. He is on your side. What can mere man do to you?

Father, I have put myself in a lot of bad circumstances over the years, but I am still here. Not because I am smart and clever, but because You are faithful and merciful. You are on my side. You are so aware of all my circumstances and You use them to teach me to trust You and not myself. Help me to see Your hand at work in my life. Give me the capacity to look back and see You at work in those moments when all was lost and failure seemed inescapable. You were on my side and You delivered, so I will put my trust in You. Amen

Betrayed, Yet Blessed.

Psalm 52

But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever. I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it. ­– Psalm 52:8-9 NASB

David has just been ratted out by Doeg, the Edomite. David, on the run from Saul, has made his way to Nob, to find help from Ahimelech the priest. But little did David know that Saul's chief shepherd, Doeg, was also there in Nob. When Doeg sees that David has come there to find shelter, he makes a bee line back to Saul to give him the news of David's whereabouts. Doeg's betrayal of David would lead to the destruction of the city of Nob and the deaths of all its inhabitants, along with 85 priests. This man's desire to find favor with the king would end up costing the lives of hundreds of innocent men, women, and children.

In this Psalm, written at the very time all this was happening, David compares the Doeg's betrayal with God's blessing. Doeg meant to David harm. His words were deceitful and destructive. But God meant David only good. In fact, David compares himself to an olive tree in the house of God. The olive tree lives for an incredibly long time. I was able to see this first hand when I got the opportunity to visit Israel. In the Garden of Gethsemane you can actually see trees that go back all the way to the time of Christ. Many of the trees in the garden today would have been alive when Jesus prayed there the night of His betrayal. David says that he is like one of those trees. He is prosperous and fruitful in spite of all the harm that Doeg meant to bring on his head. Doeg represents all those who do not turn to God, but choose to seek their refuge elsewhere. "Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness" (Psalm 52:7 NLT). Doeg was putting his hope in Saul. He wanted to find favor with the king and was willing to turn his back on God to do so. He was probably hoping to get some kind of reward from Saul for squealing on David. His desire for wealth and recognition drove him to do things that were directly opposed to God. But David puts his confidence in God. He acknowledges that God is in control of his life, regardless of how things may look at the moment. What is amazing is that David is writing all this while he is running and hiding from Saul. He is not writing this from the comfort of his palace, long after Saul is dead and gone and any threat to his life is over. No, he is penning these words in the middle of the mess that is his life. Yet he is able to say, "I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it" (Psalm 52:9 NASB). God is prospering David even in the midst of all that is going on. Doeg can't stop the hand of God. Neither can Saul. David knew that the blessings of God were not circumstantial. He knew that he couldn't just look at his surroundings and assume that he was either blessed or not blessed based on what was going on at the time. Like an olive tree, David was going to go through his fair share of storms, dark nights, cold spells, droughts, and days of difficulty. But he would remain green and prosperous because God was with him. We want the prosperity without the pain. We want the fruitfulness without having to remain faithful when the fruit doesn't come as expected. The betrayal of Doeg was readily apparent, but the blessings of God are not always as easy to see. It takes faith to wait on the Lord and trust that He will bless in His time and in His way.

Father, I want to learn to see myself as a green olive tree, growing old and prospering under Your care – regardless of what I see happening around me. I want to be like David, and see Your hand at work in my life even when things don't appear to be going the way I think they should. Give me eyes to see behind the scenes that dominate my life and see You in the background, faithfully working Your plan to perfection. Amen

Rock. Refuge. Redeemer.

Psalms 31; 34

Disciples so often get into trouble; still, GOD is there every time. ­– Psalm 34:19 MSG

The Psalms are not pleasant-sounding platitudes written by some theologian sitting in the comfort of his study. They are the open and honest thoughts of a man who has seen his world fall apart. David is writing on the run. He is living in caves and hiding from Saul, who is out to kill him. Little has gone right for him lately. He is a fugitive with a bounty on his head and no place to call home. He's got more enemies than friends and more than enough reasons to be miffed at God for his circumstances. Yet what does David say?

"I trust in the LORD." – Psalm 31:6 NLT

"I am overcome with joy because of your unfailing love." – Psalm 31:7 NLT

"But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, 'You are my God!'" – Psalm 31:14 NLT

"How great is Your goodness…" – Psalm 31:19 NASB

"Love the Lord, all you faithful followers of his!" – Psalm 31:23 NET

In the midst of all the suffering and sorrow he was experiencing, David was learning to trust God. His affliction was actually increasing his affection for God. To David, God was a rock, a stronghold, a fortress, and a source of strength. Why? Because that is what he needed at this point in his life. He needed all those things and he was discovering that God could deliver them all. Had it not been for this period of his life, as difficult as it was, he would not be learning these truths about his God. David was in God's advanced program for leadership development. He was transforming David from being a shepherd of sheep to being a shepherd of a nation. Over in Psalm 78 we read that God "chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants – God’s own people, Israel" (Psalm 78:70-71 NLT). David was learning to be a shepherd. But to do so, he first had to learn about the shepherding qualities of God Himself. And he would learn that best by being shepherded by God.

The more David experienced the grace, mercy, care, concern, and strong, steady hand of God in his life, the more he came to praise Him. "I bless GOD every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. I live and breathe GOD; if things aren't going well, hear this and be happy: Join me in spreading the news; together let's get the word out" (Psalm 34:1-3 MSG). David's experiences were expanding his knowledge of God. "By experience you will see that the Lord is good; happy is the man who has faith in him" (Psalm 34:8 BBE). A cave in the wilderness had become David's cathedral. His pain was transformed into praise. In the process of hiding from Saul, he had found God. His pain had resulted in great gain! His life was anything but easy, but it was resulting in a deeper relationship with God that he would have found in no other way. That's why he could say, "Disciples so often get into trouble; still, GOD is there every time" (Psalm 34:19 MSG). What about you? Can you say that same thing? Do you sense God's affection in the midst of your affliction? Does your pain result in praise? Have you discovered God to be your rock, your refuge, and your redeemer? David knew his life was in God's hands. We need to discover and embrace that same truth. Yet we doubt it daily. Why? Because we look at our circumstances and determine that whatever it is we are going through CANNOT be from God. We let difficulty deter us from God instead of drive us to Him. David saw his difficulties as God's opportunity to act on his behalf. His weakness was simply a chance for God to reveal His strength. And He still wants to show Himself strong today.

Father, too often I let what I see as negative circumstances drive me away from You instead of to You. I fail to see You in the midst of life's problems. Rather than turn to You, I try to figure out a way to get rid of my problem myself. I seek comfort rather than a relationship with You. Today Lord, may I learn to lean on You. May I see past the problem and look at the solution – You. Amen

Wait on the Lord.

Psalms 7; 27

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. ­– Psalm 27:14 NLT

Waiting on God can be hard work. Or at least it seems to feel that way. His timing is not the same as mine. His answers don't always come when I want or expect them. Sometimes it feels as if He is delaying needlessly. But the truth is that God is always on time and His answers are always right. These are just a few of the lessons David was learning about His God. The Psalms he wrote are daily journals of his thoughts, cares and concerns – expressed to God in an open and honest style that we all should try to emulate. David didn't pull any punches with God, telling Him exactly what he was feeling. He called out for salvation because he was in trouble. He claimed his own innocence. He cried out for retribution against his enemies. But more than anything else, he placed his faith and trust in God. While he had much to fear (with Saul in hot pursuit every day), he was learning to rely on God. "The LORD is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger – so why should I tremble?" (Psalm 27:1 NLT). Through the experiences of life, David was learning that His God could be trusted. "For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock" (Psalm 27:5 NLT).

While David longed for the persecution to stop and for the days of running to come to an end, he desired something even more. He wanted to know God and His plan for his life. "Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the path of honesty, for my enemies are waiting for me to fall" (Psalm 27:11 NLT). He desired a relationship with God more than anything else. He was learning to view God not based on his circumstances or situation in life, but on His character. God was good. God was faithful. He would deliver. He would protect. While David couldn't trust anyone else, He was learning that he could trust God. But sometimes that trust required waiting. It required patient endurance. God has a plan and He is always working that plan to perfection. But not always according to our desires or timing. Later on his life David would write the familiar words, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths (Psalm 3:5-6 NLT). Waiting on the Lord requires trust. Trust requires patience. Patience teaches us to seek His will, not our own. Seeking His will demands that we give up our own. But always for our own good.

Father, David was learning. Sometimes I think I'm not. At least, I seem to be a slow learner. But thank You for Your patience and mercy. You continue to teach me through the circumstances of life. Help me to see what David saw. Help me to see Your power, presence, protection, and persistent care for my spiritual and physical well-being. Amen

Learning to Trust God, Not Man.

1 Samuel 23-24

This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the LORD placed you at my mercy back there in the cave, and some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm him – he is the LORD’s anointed one. ­– 1 Samuel 24:10 NLT

David was learning. As he went through the difficult days surrounding his flight from Saul, David was getting an up-close and personal lesson from God on His faithfulness. He was learning to talk to God and seek His counsel, because he really had no one else to turn to. He no longer had Samuel to bounce ideas off of or to seek God's input. So he was learning to take his problems, which were many, directly to God. Which is probably why his Psalms reflect such a personal relationship with God. It is in the wilderness that he learned to share with and listen to God. David sought God's counsel when he heard that the Philistines were plundering Keilah, and God told him to go and that He would give them into David's hand. When David heard that Saul and his men were coming to Keilah, David asked God if the people of the city would turn him over to Saul in order to preserve their city, and God told him they would. David was able to escape unharmed.

David was under a lot of stress. He was being pursued each and every day by a madman whose sole mission in life was to eliminate him at all costs. But God was taking care of David. He was proving to David that He was watching over him. God even used Saul's son, Jonathan, as a source of encouragement to David, assuring him that he would one day be king over Israel. "'Don’t be afraid,' Jonathan reassured him. 'My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father is well aware'" (1 Samuel 23:17 NLT). Yet in spite of all the assurances and words of encouragement, David still had to spend his days running and hiding, moving from one cave to another, trying to stay one step ahead of Saul. He was sold out on more than one occasion by the residents of the areas in which he was hiding, forcing him to move on again. Saul even appointed 3,000 trained soldiers with the task of hunting down David and his men. They scoured the wilderness in search of David. And on one such occasion, Saul actually found him. But he didn't know it. Saul stopped to relieve himself in a cave, not knowing that David and his men were hiding inside. David's men strongly encouraged David to kill Saul, insinuating that this had to be God's will because Saul had walked into the one cave in which they were hiding. But David, exhibiting the character of heart that God seemed to recognize in him, refused to life his hand against Saul. It appears that David was willing to let God take care of Saul. He was not going to step in and play god. David even grieved over having cut off a piece of the hem of Saul's robe. "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD" (1 Samuel 24:6 NLT). As far as David was concerned, Saul was still the king, and until God removed him from his throne, David was going to let God decide what to do with him. Can you imagine how hard that was for David to do? In one second he could have eliminated all his problems. He could have taken matters into his own hands and removed the biggest obstacle and threat to his life. But he chose to trust God instead. He told Saul, "May the LORD judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!" (1 Samuel 24:15 NLT). David was learning to trust God. He was learning to leave his future in God's hands and not his own. Which is a lesson we could all stand to learn. God had plans for David, and whether he enjoyed it or not, the situation in which he found himself was part of those plans. God was teaching David through the circumstances of life, molding him into the kind of man He wanted him to be.

Father, You are always teaching me. I don't always recognize it, but I know You are using every situation in my life to make me more like Your Son. Help me to be a willing and ready student. I want to learn to trust You more and more with my life and my future. Amen

What A Way To Start A Kingdom!

1 Samuel 21-22

Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him. ­– 1 Samuel 22:2 NASB

David is on the run. Saul is out to kill him and David has no choice but to high-tail it out of town. But these two chapters reveal more than David's travel itinerary during these early days as an outcast. They reveal some of his weaknesses. We get to see some areas of David's life in which God is going to have to work if David is going to be the kind of king God intends for him to be. As soon as David leaves he ends up in Nob, where he seeks aid from Ahimelech the priest. David concocts a story in order to get Ahimelech to help him and walks away with the bread of the Presence, right out of the Tabernacle, and the sword of Goliath. Jesus Himself uses this story as an example to teach that compassion for the needs of men took precedence over the legalistic adherence to the Law (Matthew 12:2; 4). But Jesus was in no way justifying David's lying. He was using the actions of Ahimelech, the priest, in feeding David, as a justification of His healing the needy on the Sabbath. David's lie would have ramifications. It would result in the senseless slaughter of Ahimelech and 84 other priests as well as the destruction of the city of Nob and all its inhabitants. David got food and a sword, but he compromised the safety of an entire town.

Next, David did something that reveals his desperation and lack of leading by God. He straps on the sword of Goliath, the Philistine champion he had killed, and heads straight to the recently deceased Philistine's hometown of Gath. We aren't told what David was thinking, but it seems insane. Which is exactly what David has to pretend he is when he gets there because the residents warn the king of Gath that he should not trust David. They know who he is and what he has done. Fearing for his life, David feigns insanity, drooling into his beard and acting like a madman. King Achish allows David to leave probably because in that culture the insane were a bad omen and avoided at all costs. From there, David flees to the cave of Adullum. Here is when things get really interesting. David, the anointed king of Israel find himself hiding in a remote cave in the wilderness of Adullum. And the passage tells us that he suddenly finds himself surrounded by a rag-tag and of misfits and malcontents. The Message describes them this way: "all who were down on their luck came around--losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts." The New American Standard describes them as the distressed, indebted, and discontented. What a way to start a kingdom! David is surrounded by people with all kinds of problems. They have been abused by Saul's reign. They have personally experienced what God had warned them about when they demanded a king (1 Samuel 8:11-18).

These early days of David's exile are not pretty. They do not paint a flattering picture of Israel's future king. But they do reflect a man who is being personally trained by God and having all his weaknesses exposed in order to transform him into the kind of king God desires. David was NOT a perfect man, but he was a man after God's own heart. He had a love for God. He had a desire to serve God. But we see that he was as flawed as the next man. He was impulsive, fearful, struggled with faith at times, and prone to fits of melancholy. But we also see that David took personal responsibility. Unlike Saul, who was always blaming everyone else for his sins, David took ownership. When he finds out that Saul has murdered Ahimelech and all the priests in Nob, David confesses to Abiathar, the lone survivor, "I have brought about the death of every person in your father’s household" (1 Samuel 22:22 NLT). We are seeing God's slow, steady transformation of a man into the kind of man He desires. Transformation requires transparency, or the exposure of our flaws. It requires brokenness so that we will learn to confess or sinfulness. It requires the removal of all the other props on which we lean, so that we will lean more and more on God. God was transforming David and He is transforming us. Can you see His hand at work? Sometimes we can't, but we can rest assured that He is always at work – using every event in our lives to do His will in our lives.

Father, thank You for Your sovereign rule and reign in my life. Thank You for reminding me that I am a work in process. You are not done with me yet. You are constantly molding and making me into the kind of man You intend for me to be. You use each and every circumstance to expose my weaknesses and failings. You are always breaking me, so that I might be more like Your Son. But You are always loving me too. You are at work in my life each and every day. Help me to see Your hand in every circumstance of life. Amen

Getting to Know God Through Adversity.

1 Samuel 20; Psalm 59

But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress. O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. ­– Psalm 59:16-17 NLT

David knew God. When we get introduced to David for the first time in the book of 1 Samuel, he is standing before King Saul and the army of Israel telling them about the exploits he had accomplished by God's power. David had defeated a lion and a bear and knew that it was because of God the he had been able to do so. He trusted in God's power. He had experienced it first hand. He knew God to be faithful. But there was a lot about God that David didn't know. He was a young man with limited experience. He had been a shepherd, working for his father. His life experiences were limited. But God had chosen him to be the next king of Israel. He had been anointed by God for the job. But there is a big difference between being anointed and being prepared. God was going to enroll David into His School of Leadership. Not just teach him what a good king should do, but to introduce him to the one true King.

I've always found it interesting that God had Samuel anoint David to be Saul's replacement, but then left Saul on the throne. Then God removed His Spirit from Saul and placed an evil spirit on him that caused him to react in rage and anger toward David. God caused David to prosper and every time David did, Saul because increasingly angry. So much so, that he tried to pin David to a wall with a spear – twice. God was behind all of this. He could have just removed Saul from his throne and put David in his place, but God had other plans. And those plans included David going through some extremely difficult days. He would lose his position, his wife, his best friend, and ultimately, his mentor Samuel. But David would gain so much more. He was going to learn things about His God he would have learned no other way. It was going to be through adversity that David learned reliability and sovereignty of God. As David experienced the hatred of Saul and was forced to run for his life, he would find himself with nothing to trust in, except his God.

That is why David's Psalms resonate so well with most of us. They are journals of his life – intimate glimpses into those dark moments of the soul where David honestly and sometimes glaringly shares his heart. Psalm 59 is just such a Psalm. In it, David expresses his feelings as he runs from Saul and his men who want to take his life. David cries to God for deliverance. He admits that he feels like God is asleep at the wheel and unaware of his circumstances. He begs God to destroy them. But through it all, he learning things about his God that he didn't know before. He already knew God was strong. But now he is learning that there is more to God than just power. He is a God of lovingkindness and tenderness. He is a refuge or place of safety when times are tough. He is a stronghold where David can hide when his enemies are out to get him. David is learning about God as he is forced to trust and lean on God. God is using adversity to educate and prepare David for what lies ahead. His reign will be a long one, and it will be filled with ups and downs, successes and failures. David is going to need God, but more than anything else, he is going to need to KNOW God. It is in the tough times that we learn the tenderness of God. It is in the difficulties of life that we learn nothing is too difficult for God. It is in our moments of despair that we discover God is a source of hope. Our adversity is God's opportunity to reveal to us just who He is in all His glory.

Father, thank You for adversity. I don't like it, but I realize that it is in the difficulties of life that I really get to know You – IF I will learn to turn to You. David had nowhere else to turn. But when he did look for You, he always found You, because You are faithful all time time. David got to know You as he went through the difficulties of life. Help me to see You in the dark moments of my life, not just the good times. Amen

A Good God Even in the Bad Times.

1 Samuel 18-19; Psalm 11

Certainly the Lord is just; he rewards godly deed; the upright will experience his favor. ­– Psalm 11:7 NET

The life of David is a roller-coaster ride filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, thrills and chills that can leave you feeling exhausted just reading about it. Here was a young shepherd boy who was thrust into the limelight one day and his life would never be the same. After his miraculous defeat of Goliath, he found himself employed by the king. He was working for the very man he was to one day replace. And while David had been anointed by Samuel as Saul's replacement, God was not going to allow him to have the throne right away. Instead, God was going to allow David to work for Saul, learning to serve someone who would grow increasingly hostile toward him. If you think you've ever had a bad employer, consider David. I can't think of one boss that I have had who tried to kill me! But Saul tried to personally murder David twice by throwing spears at him in fits of rage. He also tried to have him murdered on numerous occasions. But God protected David each and every time.

David was doing everything he was asked to do by Saul. He fought for him and won. He did exactly what Saul asked to win his daughter's hand in marriage. He served faithfully, but in return all he got in return was anger (1 Samuel 18:8), suspicion (1 Samuel 18:9), fear (1 Samuel 18:12), dread (1 Samuel 18:15), and a life-long enemy (1 Samuel 18:29). Yet David prospered because God was with him. In spite of the circumstances surrounding him and the difficult situation in which he found himself, David was blessed by God. Jonathan, the king's son, loved him and protected him. His wife Michal, the king's daughter, was willing to lie for him in order to protect him. The people highly esteemed him. Why? Because God's hand was on David.

Even when things got really bad and Saul sent men to murder David in his own home, David escaped and ran away to hide with Samuel, the prophet who had anointed him to be the future king. Saul sent me to kill David, but God intervened, turning the would-be murderers into prophets of God. This happened three different times. They came with one intention, but God changed their minds and their motives. Even when Saul came personally to take David's life, he too ended up prophesying instead of murdering. God had stepped in. He was going to protect His own. No one could do to David anything God would not allow. And these early days of David's life were going to be a schoolroom where David would learn the faithfulness of God. Psalm 11 was most likely written at this time. In his time of difficulty and loss, David was learning just how trustworthy his God was. David was under siege, but he had a shelter in God. David had a mortal enemy, but he had a protector in God. David had a king who wanted him dead and would not stop at anything to see it happen, but he had a heavenly king seated on His throne who would guarantee that it not happen. It was the very circumstances in which David found himself that allowed him to learn the truth about his God. Our difficulties are God's opportunities. It is in the dark moments that we get to see the light of God shine brightest. David's greatest days were ahead of him. But he would have to navigate the dark days of the present with the light of God's prevailing presence. We best learn to trust God when we find ourselves in situations that demand we have to.

Father, You are always there. Even when I can't see You at work, You are. You are always behind the scenes doing what only You can do. Help me to continue to learn to trust You regardless of the circumstances. Nothing is too difficult for You.  Amen

Looks Can Be Deceiving.

1 Samuel 16-17

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions." ­– 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

The story of Saul is the story of a man who looked like a king, but who failed to live like one. He had all the outward characteristics of a leader. He was tall, handsome, a warrior, and yet, he ended up being rejected by God because he was disobedient to God. He was a lousy leader because he was a lousy follower. This entire story of Saul and David seems to be filled with references to appearance, and I don't think it's just coincidence. When Samuel is sent by God to the house of Jesse to look for the one He has chosen to be Saul's replacement, looks play a significant part. God assured Samuel, "I have selected a king for Myself among his sons" (1 Samuel 16:1), but He didn't tell him how he would recognize the one chosen. So all Samuel had to go on was appearance. He was looking for someone who looked like a king. And as Jesse paraded his sons by the prophet one at a time, Samuel began choosing based on appearance. As soon as Eliab, the firstborn came into view, Samuel said, "This has got to be the one!" He had all the outward qualities of a king. We aren't given a detailed description of Eliab, but he was most likely tall, handsome, strong, and a warrior. Much like Saul had been. But Samuel hasn't seemed to learn from the lesson with Saul. God rejects Eliab and informs Samuel that He is looking for something more. He is looking beneath the surface. His interest is in the heart. He doesn't need a man with strength and the right kind of leadership skills. He needs a man with the right kind of heart. So he rejects the sons of Jesse one at after the other. Until He gets to David, the youngest. The likelihood of David being selected was so low that he had not even been brought by Jesse to appear before the prophet. He was out tending sheep. And the passage tells us that David was not only young, but "he had red hair and beautiful eyes and pleasing looks" (1 Samuel 16:12 BBE). David was a red-headed, pretty boy Jewish kid. He didn't look like a king or a warrior. But God told Samuel, "This is the one; anoint him!" (1 Samuel 16:12 NLT).

In chapter 17 we have the well-known story of David and Goliath, and once again appearance plays a major part. We get a detailed description of the Philistine champion, Goliath. He is huge, a giant of a man with superhuman strength and a personality to match. He is intimidating in all his armor as he shouts insult at the Israelites day after day. Everything about this guy is bigger than life, including his armor and weapons. And no one is willing to standagainst him. Not even Saul, who stood head and shoulders above anyone else in Israel. Then in comes David, the harp-playing shepherd boy from Bethlehem. By all appearances, he is no match for this warrior from Gath. But he has something going for him that no one else can see. He has a heart for God and the faith of a man who trusts in God. He is also anointed with the Spirit of God. But when Saul looks at David, all he sees is a boy. Yet David is brimming with confidence, not in himself, but in his God. David boldly informs Goliath, "you come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty – the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied" (1 Samuel 17:45 NLT). We all know how the story ends. David defeated Goliath with nothing more than a sling and a stone. But the truth is, David had so much more than a rock and piece of leather. He had God. More than that, he had confidence in God. He had a heart that understood the power and presence of God. He had might and right on His side. So he had nothing to fear.

Looks can be deceiving. Appearance can be misleading. But God looks at the heart. Because that's where reality is. It's what's inside that really counts.

Father, You aren't impressed with appearances. You don't need me to be strong to accomplish great things in me or through me. If fact, You seem to prefer that I am weak, so that You can prove Your strength through me. Help me to learn to stop looking at the outside and to start looking at the inside. Give me an internal perspective. Give me a greater concern about my heart than the way I appear.  Amen

We Tend To Make Lousy Kings.

1 Samuel 14-15

"I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has again refused to obey me." Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night. ­– 1 Samuel 15:11 NLT

Saul had been appointed and anointed king by God. But he somehow forgot the source of his authority and began to believe that he had made himself king. He began to read his own press clippings and bask in the glory of his own reputation. Saul, although reluctant to be king at the start, had begun to get used to his new role. He had begun to like being king. But he forgot that God was His ultimate ruler and authority. God is the one who had put him on the throne and God could remove him at any time. But somewhere along the way Saul began to confuse his authority with God's. He began to believe that he could act apart from God's will and do things his own way. And his victories seemed to assure him that he was right. In chapter 14 Saul had put the peopleunder an oath not to eat anything until they had completely defeated the Philistines. This man-made rule would lead to some significant problems. First of all, it left his own army undernourished and exhausted so that they could not fully carry out their rout of the enemy. And it ultimately led the people to violate the command of God when they, famished and exhausted, slaughtered some of the livestock taken as spoil and ate the meat with the blood – in direct violation of God's law (Leviticus 3:17). And worse yet, Saul's own son Jonathan, who had been away fighting the enemy, unknowingly broke his father's rule by eating honey.

Whenever we try to be the king of our own lives, we can end up making some really bad decisions. Motivated by greed, ruled by our own passions, and focused on our own selfish desires, we can tend to lose sight of reality. When things go wrong, we tend to blame others. We pass the buck. We rationalize and justify our own actions, because we begin to believe that we really are king. We can't be wrong. This is exactly what happened to Saul. When the people sinned by eating the meat with the blood, he sought to find a scapegoat, someone to blame for the calamity. And he vowed to kill whoever was responsible. When he sought a word from God and didn't hear anything, he didn't blame his own sin and impulsive behavior, he looked for someone else to hang the problem on. And when it turned out to be his own son who had violated his precious oath, he treated his own word with the same weight as God's command and was ready to put his own son to death. What arrogance. What pride. It was only the words of his own men that kept Saul from carrying out his plan.

Saul had become highly selective in his obedience to God. He obeyed when it was convenient. But most of the time he did what HE wanted to do. And in chapter 15 we see the culmination of his arrogant behavior. God clearly instructs Saul to completely wipe out the Amalekites for their opposition to the Israelites when they first entered the Promised Land. But instead of obeying God completely, Saul decides to do things his way. He captures the king of Amalekites alive and then allows the people to keep the best of the spoil for themselves. "Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs––everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality" (1 Samuel 15:7-9 NLT). In other words, Saul partially obeyed. He conveniently obeyed. And his actions caused God to reject him as king. Saul defended his actions. He justified his decisions. And when God refused to accept his excuses, Saul blamed others for his own sin. He even tried to appease God by offering sacrifices to Him from the very spoil he had taken against God's commands. And God's response? "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you from being king" (1 Samuel 15:22-23 NLT).

Saul had played king and lost his throne. He had attempted to rule his own life and put a higher priority on his own word and will than God's. And as a result, he lost his kingship. Are you on your own throne today? Are you attempting to rule your own life? Or is God on the throne of your life? Saul made a lousy king, but so do we.

Father, You are king and no one else. But I so often try to be my own king and rule my own life. I justify my actions and demand that others obey my commands. I want to dictate how my life should go. I want to do what I want to do – so much so that I end up disobeying what You tell me to do. So I am a lot like Saul in many ways. Help me to see my sin and turn from ruling my own life back to You. I want You to rule and reign over every area of my life Lord. Amen

When Looks Aren't Enough.

1 Samuel 12-13

But be sure to fear the LORD and sincerely worship him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. ­– 1 Samuel 12:24 NLT

Saul was now king and he looked the part. He was tall, good looking, and a natural-born warrior. But God was looking for more than appearance. He was looking for obedience. Samuel made this clear in his address to the people. He reminded them of the faithfulness of God and all He had done for them over the years. He had rescued them from Egypt and delivered them to the promised land. But they had forgotten all about God. And this latest episode – their demand for a king – was the latest in a long list of offenses against God. Saul told them, "…you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the LORD your God was already your king" (1 Samuel 12:12 NLT). And God had gone ahead and given them their king. But Saul also warned them that having a king would not be enough. They would still have to be obedient to God.

Now if you will fear and worship the LORD and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the LORD’s commands, and if you and your king follow the LORD your God, then all will be well. But if you rebel against the LORD’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors. – 1 Samuel 12:14-15 NLT

Saul pleads with them to follow the Lord with all their hearts. He warns them not to turn aside and go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue them. That has been their track record for generations. And having a king was not going to change that. No more than having judges had changed that. Saul reminds them that God will never completely forsake them, because of His concern for His own name. But He will allow them to reap the consequences of their disobedience if they forsake Him again. "But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be destroyed" (1 Samuel 12:25 NLT).

And it doesn't take long for things to go south for the people of Israel. Their new king reveals his true heart in just a matter of days. His actions expose the real nature of his character. And good looks is not enough to cover up what is going on inside the man. Saul had been given instructions by Samuel to go down to Gilgal and wait for him there. Saul obeyed, but when he arrived, he was faced with some difficult circumstances. Jonathan, his son, had led a group of men in a battle against the Philistine garrison at Geba and won. But this little victory had stirred up a hornet's nest of trouble. The Philistines were now massing for war against the Israelites and the people were in a panic. So much so, that many of them were running away and hiding in caves. Others had fled across the Jordan into Gad and Gilead. Saul had a real problem on his hands. He was outnumbered and under-equipped for war. The Philistines had chariots and weapons. His troops had farming implements to fight with. So when Saul arrived at Gilgal and Samuel didn't arrive on time, he took matters into his own hands. He decided to offer up sacrifices to God on his own – refusing to wait for Samuel and disobeying his orders (1 Samuel 10:8). What had Samuel said to the people? "But if you rebel against the LORD’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors" (1 Samuel 12:15 NLT). Saul made excuses and tried to defend his actions. He attempted to explain that the circumstances demanded that he act as he did. But Samuel wasn't buying it. His reaction clearly indicates that he knew the real problem – Saul's heart. He didn't have a heart for God and it showed up in his disobedience. "But now your dynasty must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already chosen him to be king over his people, for you have not obeyed the LORD’s command" (1 Samuel 13:14 NLT). Saul had a heart problem. He looked like a king, but he didn't know how to act like a king. Because he lacked the inner character and heart of a man who loved God and was willing to obey Him in spite of the circumstances surrounding him. Rather than trust God and obey Samuel's command, Saul had taken matters into his own hands. He had panicked and disobeyed. And as a result, he lost his kingdom and his kingship.

God deserves our allegiance. He deserves our obedience. He has done nothing to warrant our constant turning from Him to other things for our hope, happiness, deliverance or comfort. He only asks that we obey Him. He asks that we serve Him. He asks that we put Him first in our lives. Is that too much to ask after all He has done for us? Saul's reign was dependent on his obedience. His ability to obey was directly tied to the condition of his heart. He didn't really know God or trust Him. He was not a man after God's own heart. And it showed.

Father, You are looking for men and women after Your own heart. You want obedience. You are not impressed with outward appearance and the level of our capabilities. You look at the heart. You look into the inside and determine the true worth of a man or woman. May we be men and women after Your own heart. May we love what You love and hate what You hate. May we learn to trust You more, regardless of the circumstances that surround us. Amen

Long Live the King!

1 Samuel 10-11

Then Samuel said to all the people, "This is the man the LORD has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is his equal!" And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!" ­– 1 Samuel 10:24 NLT

For the first time in their long and somewhat checkered history, Israel has a king. And the people rejoice. This is a significant turning point in the story of the people of Israel, because up until this point, God had been their king. He had been their sovereign rule, deliverer, leader, protector, and provider. But the people had rejected God as their king. Samuel makes this quite clear when he addresses the people on the day Saul was revealed as their king. "But today you have rejected your God who saves you from all your trouble and distress. You have said, 'No! Appoint a king over us' (1 Samuel 10:19 NET). Saul was obviously chosen by God. He was handpicked by God as the answer to the peoples' demand for a king. And he appears to be a good choice at the onset. He appears humble, hardworking, a capable leader, and has the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He handles his first crisis calmly and effectively in defeating the Ammonites. He treats even his detractors with patience and self-control, ensuring unity in a time when the nation of Israel was divided.

Chapter 11 ends with the people offering sacrifices to God and rejoicing greatly over the latest turn of events. They have the king they wanted. All is well in Israel. But we know that's not the end of the story. Thing are off to a great start with Saul, but it won't take long for all that to change. We cannot lose sight of the fact that God was their real king. Saul was a poor substitute for God. Yes, he was appointed by God, anointed by Saul, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, but he was still a man. An imperfect man whose flaws would eventually show up. Every king Israel ever had was marked by flaws. Some were faithful to Yahweh. Others were unfaithful. But all were human and sinful. Yet they were God's viceroys, His agents and representatives here on earth. They were to answer to Him. They were to rule on His behalf and at His pleasure. They ruled and reigned only as long as God allowed them to. And Saul would be the first illustration of this sometimes tenuous relationship.

"Long live the king!" What if this had been the cry of the people regarding God Himself? What if the people had learned to acknowledge God as their one true king? Obviously, God was not surprised by the peoples' demand for a king. God had already planned for this to happen. He had ordained the reigns of David and Saul. He was already aware that there would be a whole line of kings who would rule unfaithfully and lead the people into idolatry. He knew the kingdom would one day split. God was in control. He was still king, whether the people admitted it or not. He would always be king. He is always in control. And He is always trying to get His people to realize it. So that we might one day say, "Long live the king!"

Father, You are the one true king. Forgive us for the many times we forget that and bow down to other kings and powers in our lives. We sometimes crown ourselves as the kings of our lives. But like Saul, we make lousy kings. Help us to recognize Your power and bow down before You shouting, "Long live the king!" and really mean it. Amen

The High Cost of Compromise and Conformity.

1 Samuel 7-9

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. "Even so, we still want a king," they said. "We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will govern us and lead us into battle." ­– 1 Samuel 8:19-20 NLT

Twenty years pass. The Ark, returned from the Philistines, remains at Kiriath-jearim instead of in the Tabernacle at Shiloh. The Philistines remained a constant threat during those years and the people began to long after the Lord. There seemed to be a growing interest in the things of God during those years and so Samuel calls the people to renew their dedication to God as the one true God. He calls them to return and repent. He demands that they get rid of all the other gods they have been worshiping and to direct their hearts toward God alone. The people obey. They remove the foreign gods. The confess their sins before God. Then God gives them a great victory over the Philistines. And He continues to suppress the Philistines all the days that Samuel judged the nation of Israel. Things seemed to be looking up. But there was still a heart problem going on in Israel. Things were not as they seemed. They may have gotten rid of their foreign gods on the surface, but they were still worshiping something other than God. They were still being influenced by the nations around them.

Years later, after Samuel had gotten old, the problem surfaces. For all their talk of serving God alone, the people finally come out and admit that they would really have a human king than a heavenly one. They demand that Samuel anoint a king over them. He is appalled. He can't believe what he is hearing. After all these years and all that God had done for them, they are telling God they prefer someone else to lead them. Samuel attempts to talk them out of it, but the people refuse to listen. God tells Samuel what the problem is: "…it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer" (1 Samuel 8:7 NLT). The people were rejecting God as their king. They wanted "a king like all the other nations have" (1 Samuel 8:5 NLT). They had looked around them and seen how the other nations lived. They had seen that they all had kings and were ruled by some human leader who judged them, led them, and fought their battles for them. The bottom line was that they wanted to be like all the other nations (1 Samuel 8:19). They wanted to conform to the world around them. They were tired of being different. They were not satisfied with having God as their king. They couldn't see God. They had a hard time understanding God. He didn't rule like the other kings. He didn't lead like the other kings. Sure, He had given them victory over the Philistines, but that was not enough. The people were rejecting God. They may have gotten rid of their idols, but their hearts were far from God.

So God surprises Samuel by telling him to listen to the demands of the people. He instructs Samuel to do just what the people say. He agrees to give them a king, but warns them that there will be ramifications. He is going to give them a king "just like all the other nations" and it will not all be positive. They are going to get just what they asked for and more. But in spite of God's warnings, the peoples' demands grow stronger. They want a king. Which sets the stage for the appointment of Saul – "the most handsome man in Israel––head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land" (1 Samuel 9:2 NLT). Tall, good looking, the epitome of a king, Saul had all the right qualifications. His dad was a "mighty man of valor." He came from good stock. He looked the part. He was just the kind of man that any nation would want as their king. But there was something missing. A heart for God. The peoples' rejection of God and demand for a king would result in a man ruling over them who shared their disdain for God. He would prove to be in love with himself and his own press clippings. He would prove to be a king who did not need God.

And it all began with a growing love affair with the world. They couldn't keep their eyes off the world around them. They began to compromise and conform. They were not content being unique, set apart, a people committed to God and His ways. They wanted more. They saw what the rest of the world had and they wanted it. They took their eyes off God and their hearts followed. Their revival and repentance had turned to rejection. God alone was not enough. That is a danger we constantly face even as believers today. But He calls us to commitment not compromise. He calls us to be transformed, not conformed. He demands that we be unique, set apart, a people after His own heart. But the tug of the world is strong. The call to conform is powerful. But if listened to, it always costs dearly. As we will see in the life of Saul.

Father, the call to conform is strong. Give us the strength to reject that call and not You. Keep us focused on You and You alone. The world has nothing we need. It's ways always prove themselves to be a disappointment. But You are always faithful and true. Amen

A Game of Divine Hot Potato.

1 Samuel 5-6

So they called together the rulers of the five Philistine cities and asked, "What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?" The rulers discussed it and replied, "Move it to the city of Gath." So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath. ­– 1 Samuel 5:8 NLT

This is a great story. Unless of course, you happened to be a Philistine. It seems that after the defeat of the Israelites at the hand of the Philistines and their capture of the Ark of the Covenant, things got a little hot in the city of Ashdod. That's where they took the Ark and put it only display as kind of a trophy in the temple to their own god, Dagon. During the night, the statue of Dagon took a nose dive and they found it the next morning lying prostrate before the Ark. They stood it back up and the next night it fell again. Only this time its head and hands were sheered off on the threshold. This was a divine message from God because "the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites" (1 Samuel 5:6). And things were about to get worse. Their god was not going to be the only one to suffer. God ravaged them with tumors or emrods, a word that could have signified that God struck them with hemorrhoids! A disease you wouldn't wish on your own worst enemy. Regardless of what these tumors were exactly, they were painful and even the Philistines recognized that they were a retribution from God. So the men of the city of Ashdod hold a pow-wow and come up with a plan. They decide to get rid of the Ark by sending it to the city of Gath, another neighboring Philistine city. I've always loved this story because it reveals the heart of man – our stupidity, selfishness, and insensitivity. The men of Ashdod know full well that the Ark is the source of their problems and their pain, but they are more than willing to send it to the city of Gath so that it can become a literal pain in the rear to the people there. They just want their suffering to end, and they don't care who they hurt in order to make that happen.

The Ark arrives in the city of Gath and it isn't long before the same problems break out. The men of Gath then send the Ark to the city of Ekron. By now, the word had gotten out and when the men of Ekron see the Ark, they rightfully panic. "So the people summoned the rulers again and begged them, 'Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.' For the plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the city" (1 Samuel 5:11 NLT). For more than seven months the Ark made its way from city to city, bringing death and destruction wherever it went. God was dealing with them harshly. So the Philistines consult with their priests and diviners, asking for their advice as to what to do. Their recommendation? Send the Ark back to Israel. Get rid of it. Give the God of Israel back His Ark along with some tokens of sacrifice and maybe He will relent on the tumors and the plague of mice that was devastating the land (1 Samuel 6:5). So the Philistines agree to send back the Ark. They load it on a cart along with some golden replicas of the tumors and mice, hitch two milk cows to the cart and send it on its way. Miraculously ignoring their calves, the cows make a bee-line to the Israelite city of Beth-shemesh. The residents of this levitical city welcome back the Ark by offering sacrifices to God. The only problem is, 70 men of the city ignore the sacredness of the Ark, look inside, and are struck dead by God. This was in direct violation of the Mosaic law prohibiting anyone from looking inside the Ark (Numbers 4:5, 20; cf. 2 Samuel 6:6-7). So the people of the city react in fear and decide to get rid of the Ark one more time. They send it on to the city of Kiriath-jearim.

As has been the base all along, we see in this story the omnipotent, sovereign hand of God at work. The Israelites attempted to use the Ark as a good luck charm, only to lose it in battle to the Philistines. But God would use these circumstances to teach the Philistines about His power. It is interesting that Dagon was their fertility god, but he lost his head and hands before God, and the land was devastated by mice, probably destroying crops and contaminating their stores of grain. But in verse 13 of chapter six, we see that harvest had come to the people of Israel. God had been blessing them while He had been destroying the people of Ashdod. In spite of Israel's sacrilegious treatment of the Ark, God faithfully returned it to them.  But He wanted them to learn to treat it and Him with a sense of holy awe and respect. It was not some good luck charm or talisman. It was a holy vessel set apart for God's use in His tabernacle. It was not to be taken lightly or treated flippantly. It belonged to God. God takes His holiness seriously, even if we don't. He demands our awe and respect, and deserves it.

Father, You are a holy God. You deserve our obedience and respect. Forgive us for taking You for granted and treating You flippantly and lightly. You are set apart. You are truly unique and one of a kind. Everything about You is holy. May we learn to treat You with the dignity and respect You deserve. But thank You for Your faithfulness in spite of our faithlessness. Amen

Where is the Glory?

1 Samuel 3-4

She named the child Ichabod – "Where is the glory?" – murmuring, "Israel’s glory is gone." She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her husband and her father–in–law were dead. ­– 1 Samuel 4:21 NLT

Chapters three and four continue to use contrasts to set the scene of what is going on in Israel during these closing days of the judges. Eli, the current judge is old and has done a poor job of judging Israel. In fact, he has done an even worse job of judging his own sons, Hophni and Phinehas. God has had to condemn them for their disobedience and immoral habits. He has pledged to punish Eli and his entire family for their failure to live in obedience to Him (1 Samuel 2:30-35). Yet in spite of all this, God Himself appears before Samuel in the tabernacle and breaks a long period of silence by opening up the lines of communication again to His people. His first assignment to Samuel, his new judge and prophet is to tell Eli, the current judge, that the judgment of God is about to come on he and his house (1 Samuel 3:11-14). It is the end of one judge's rule and the beginning of another. One is advanced in years. The other is young. One is tied to the years of rebellion associated with the people of God. The other is linked to the future of Israel and the hope that God is about to do a great thing among His people. There had been a shift in leadership and the people knew it. God had visited His people and Samuel was His new spokesman. "Samuel grew up. GOD was with him, and Samuel's prophetic record was flawless. Everyone in Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, recognized that Samuel was the real thing--a true prophet of GOD. GOD continued to show up at Shiloh, revealed through his word to Samuel at Shiloh" (1 Samuel 3:19-21 MSG).

It is interesting that after a detailed introduction to Samuel and his new role as God's mouthpiece for Israel, he disappears from the story until chapter seven. He is mentioned in verse 1 of chapter four, but then we don't hear from him again for several more chapters. Why? Again, I think it is to set up another contrast. The people of God had lost touch with God. Chapter 3, verse 1 tells us that a word from the Lord was rare in those days and that visions of God were infrequent. In other words, they were not used to hearing from God. So they didn't know what to do with Samuel. They were used to doing things their own way. Eli had provided lousy leadership, so they had developed a bad habit of self-rule and self-administration. They didn't really know or understand God. So when chapter four opens with another pending conflict with the Philistines, we find the people of God reacting in the flesh again. They go to battle with their arch enemies and lose. They immediately question why God has allowed them to lose, but never seem to ask why they never inquired of God regarding whether they should fight or not. As a remedy to their problem, the elders decide to send for the Ark of the Covenant, a symbol of God's power and presence, which was housed in the tabernacle. The Ark contained the ten commandments written on stone and was topped by the mercy seat where the high priest atoned for the sins of the people. They send for the Ark like it was some kind of totem or talisman for good luck. In doing so they turn it into an idol or a good luck charm. They have no idea what the real presence of God might look like. Seven times in the next few chapters we read about the Ark of the Covenant. It becomes the focus now. The people are about to learn that having the things of God is not the same as having God. The presence of the Ark was not going to save them. In fact, we read in verse 17 of chapter four the bad news that was given to Eli by a messenger, "Israel has been defeated, thousands of Israelite troops are dead on the battlefield. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed, too. And the Ark of God has been captured" (1 Samuel 4:17 NLT). Israel has been defeated, thousands are dead, including two priests of God, and worse yet, the Ark of God is now in the hands of the Philistines. At this news, Eli topples over in shock, breaking his neck and dies. The chapter ends with the birth of a son to the wife of Phinehas, one of Eli's rebellious sons. At the news of her husband's death, she goes into premature labor, and in giving birth to her son, she too dies. But not before she names her new son, Ichabod, which literally means "where is the glory?" In her mind the glory of God had departed with the loss of the Ark. Her words reflect the attitude of the people. God was gone. All was lost. But the truth is, God was far from gone. He was using these dire circumstances to reestablish Himself as Israel's King and sovereign Lord. He was in control. He was orchestrating events to accomplish His will. He used the battle with the Philistines to remove Hophni and Phinehas. He would use the capture of the Ark to defeat the Philistines. He would use the return of the Ark to bring a period of revival among the people of God. The glory of God had not departed. The people had left God long ago. He was now calling them back. Difficult times do not indicate that God has left us, but are simply opportunities to see God's power revealed among us. The capture of the Ark did not limit God's power or impact His presence. He was there. He was in control. But He needed to get their attention. Is He trying to get ours today?

Father, You are here. You are deeply engaged in the lives of Your people. We can't always see You and we don't always understand how You are working. But You are here. Open our eyes and help us recognize Your power and presence in the middle of even our darkest moments. You are not limited by circumstances, no matter how bleak they may appear to be. You are always working behind the scenes orchestrating events and situations in such a way that Your divine will is always accomplished. Give us eyes to see You clearly. Amen