Tag Archives: King David

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Heavens Declare God’s Glory

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“The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of His craftmanship” (Psalm 19:1).

When King David was a small lad, his father assigned him the care of the sheep. Day after day, night after night he cared for his sheep as a loving shepherd. No doubt on numerous occasions he would lie on his back and look up at the sun and the vastness of space, during the daytime. At night, the stars and the moon would seem so close that he could almost reach them, as he would talk to the God of his fathers.

The vast expanse of creation captivated him, and instinctively he knew that God, who created it all, was his God and he could trust Him with his life, so that just before he went against the giant Goliath he could say to King Saul, “When I am taking care of my father’s sheep and a lion or a bear comes and grabs a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club…I’ve done it to this heathen Philistine too, for he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who saved me from the claws and teeth of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:34-37). When David went out against Goliath, he said to the giant, “You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel” (1 Samuel 17:45). Then with a sling and a stone, he killed the Philistine.

I personally believe David triumphed because his confidence in God came not only from the teachings of the holy Scriptures, but also from the experience that he had had with God, who created all the heavens and the earth.

Bible Reading: Psalm 19:2-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will make a special point to study the vastness of God’s creation through books about science and to take time – not only in Scriptures, but also in books of science — to notice the handiwork of God’s beautiful creation, conscious that it will help me to become more sensitive and alert to the needs of others.

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Is Pleased and Delighted with You

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Joyce meyer

He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me. —Psalm 18:19

You are so valuable to God! You’re worth celebrating and worth taking good care of. You are awesome and there are great possibilities ahead for your life. God has invested Himself in you and given you talents and abilities that equip you to do certain things. You are part of His amazing plan and purpose.

Have you ever taken time to think about what you think about yourself? God thinks you are special and He celebrates you all the time. He doesn’t mention your past sins, and He rejoices over you with singing (see Zephaniah 3:14, 17).

According to Scripture, King David, who wrote our verse for today, was far from perfect, but he believed God was pleased and with him. He made the same statement again in 2 Samuel 22:20. David really knew God’s pleasure and delight in him.

I hope you also know how pleased and delighted God is with you. Can you imagine walking around your house or driving around in your car singing, “God is pleased with me and He delights in me!” Many people would not have that kind of confidence, but we should. We should believe what God says in His Word about how He feels toward us. If you have the courage to begin speaking over yourself that God is pleased and delighted in you, you may feel embarrassed at first, but soon you will begin to walk in new levels of confidence, power, peace and joy.

God may not be pleased with all our behavior, but He is pleased with us if we love Him and want to make progress. When we make positive confessions like the ones I’m suggesting today, we are agreeing with God’s word.

Love Yourself Today: God is not mad at you and He loves you. He’s smiling over you and singing over you because He is pleased and delighted with you.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Antidote to Wandering

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Remembering to Say Thanks

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way . . . — Isaiah 53:6

King David stands as the prime example of someone who lost their first love. We remember him rightfully as the man after God’s own heart—but we also remember David as a murderer and an adulterer.

We may ask the question, how could one who was known for his devotion to God fall so horribly? What were the steps that led to his demise?

David’s steps to losing his first love were subtle—but very real. When David sat on his rooftop watching Bathsheba bathe on that fateful night, he was not walking with the Lord as he once had.

We read earlier in the psalms how David possessed this great devotion and passion for God. But at this particular point in his life, we don’t read of him worshipping or singing love songs to God. David was spiritually idle.

The Bible says that “at the time when kings go out to battle” (2 Samuel 11:1), King David was sitting on his housetop. He was resting on his laurels.

When you stop progressing spiritually, you will soon be a train wreck waiting to happen. We must recognize that deep in our nature we all have a natural tendency to wander.

It is no coincidence that God compares us to wandering sheep. That is our natural tendency. And as an old hymn says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” We are prone to wander.

So the first love Jesus speaks of in Revelation 2:5 is the very thing that will counteract our wandering. Our first love exists as the antidote to the wandering spirit we have. That passion is what keeps us engaged in our relationship with God.

If you make Jesus your first love, everything else will fall into its proper balance.

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Two Victories

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Our Daily Bread

2 Samuel 5:17-25

David inquired of the LORD. —2 Samuel 5:19

King David was up against a familiar foe. Years before as a young shepherd boy, he had faced down Goliath, the top Philistine warrior, by killing him with a well-placed stone (1 Sam. 17). Now David was king of Israel, and here come the Philistines again! They heard he was king, and they decided to attack (2 Sam. 5:17).

What do we do first when trouble is on the way? We could panic. We could plan. Or we could first do what David did—pray. “David inquired of the LORD” (v.19), and God guided the king.

David had to fight two battles with the Philistines—one at Baal Perazim and one at the Valley of Rephaim. It was a good thing he consulted God, because in these two battles there were two different strategies. In the first one, God won the battle with His power alone: “The LORD has broken through,” David recorded (v.20). For the next one, God gave David an action plan, and when he carried it out, the Israelites won (vv.23-25).

Each day we face many challenges. Although there is no one-size-fits-all answer, our first action should always be to consult God. As He guides us, we can have confidence in Him. Then, whether the victory comes through His miraculous intervention or through His guidance, all the glory goes to God. —Dave Branon

Not to the strong is the battle,

Not to the swift is the race;

Yet to the true and the faithful

Victory is promised through grace. —Crosby

To stand up to any challenge, spend time on your knees.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 40-42; Hebrews 4

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Wait On The Lord

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 27

I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. —Psalm 40:1

With so many instantaneous forms of communication today, our impatience with hearing a reply from others is sometimes laughable. Someone I know sent an e-mail to his wife and then called her by cell phone because he couldn’t wait for a reply!

Sometimes we feel that God has let us down because He does not provide an immediate answer to a prayer. Often our attitude becomes, “Answer me speedily, O LORD; my spirit fails!” (Ps. 143:7).

But waiting for the Lord can transform us into a people of growing faith. King David spent many years waiting to be crowned king and fleeing from Saul’s wrath. David wrote, “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart” (Ps. 27:14). And in another psalm he encourages us with these words, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He . . . set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps” (40:1-2). David grew into “a man after [God’s] own heart” by waiting on the Lord (Acts 13:22; see 1 Sam. 13:14).

When we become frustrated with God’s apparent delay in answering our prayer, it is good to remember that He is interested in developing faith and perseverance in our character (James 1:2-4). Wait on the Lord! —Dennis Fisher

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless. —Walford

God stretches our patience to enlarge our soul.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 15-17; 2 Timothy 2

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – A Psalm of Sufficiency

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John MacArthur

“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

King David was a man of stark contrasts. He knew the humility of shepherding a flock and the prestige of reigning over a nation. He experienced glorious triumphs and bitter defeats. He sought after God, yet also suffered immense guilt and pain from immorality and murder. That led to even his own son’s seeking to take his life. Some of his psalms reflect great hope and others, despair. But through it all he continued to look to God, being assured of God’s sovereignty and the sufficiency of His divine resources.

In Psalm 19 David penned the most monumental statement ever made on the sufficiency of Scripture. As we study it in the days ahead, keep in mind that every need of your soul or inmost being is ultimately spiritual, and God has supplied sufficient resources to meet those needs completely. That was David’s confidence. May it be yours as well.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Throughout our study of Psalm 19, ask God to give you fresh insights that will enable you appreciate and rest more fully in His gracious provisions.

For Further Study:

Reread Psalm 19:1-14.

What terms did David use for God’s Word?

What benefits does the Word bring to believers?

Are you enjoying those benefits?

“They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

“Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Ps. 19:7-14).