June 14

 “…Abide not in the hold…” 1 Samuel 22:5

There is a time for everything. David had been escaping Saul and hiding among foreign people. This supplied relative protection for a while, but the advice came from God through the prophet not to abide ‘in the hold’, meaning in hiding, any longer. It was time for David and his band, to be among his own people, where he might be known, recognised and eventually accepted as national leader. God has a plan, and when a man is willing to follow God’s direction and advice, he usually finds out that the Lord’s plan, however different, inconvenient or unusual it may be, is always the best course of action. David could have reasoned it was unwise or inexpedient, to expose himself at this time, when his life was in serious danger; when he was considered a fugitive, and when his associations amounted mostly to those who were in debt, discontented and distressed! Yet God’s direction was clear and David was accustomed to obeying and following God. He trusted God’s reasons and plans. He was confident that God would not direct him into action, without due protection and purpose. Among the people of Judah, David would be able to show his love, interest and protection for his brethren, a fact which would later prove significant in his days as king. Also in the open and in his own country, he would not be seen by his fellow citizens, as the deserter and conspirator he had been made out to be, and Saul would be less likely to pursue David and threaten his life here among his own people. There had been an appropriate time for escape and obscurity, but now God was directing otherwise. We may not always understand all the details of God’s will and direction from the onset, but if we remain sensitive to the guidance of His Holy Spirit, we are sure in due course to understand more of God’s will and purpose. By following Him in faith and obedience, and walking a holy and yielded life, we are best positioned to receive the blessings and rewards He has in store for us.

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

May 28

“…his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;” 1 Samuel 3:2

The high priest Eli was getting older and more feeble, his sight was diminishing, and he could no longer see well. This was probably the main reason why he needed the help of young Samuel, who no doubt worked closely with him, and learnt from him to perform the tasks and procedures of the temple. This was also possibly why Samuel thought it was Eli that called him, when he heard the voice of God. He was perhaps used to being summoned through the night for various reasons by the aging Eli, who once in his chamber or in bed to sleep, may not be able to see clearly to get the things he needed. Ageing physically can affect our eyes, so that we may not see as clearly up close or as far as we used to. Most of us need to use the aid of spectacles to correct our sight as we get older. The exact opposite should be true of our ‘spiritual sight’. As we get older in the Lord, more mature in His ways, more apt in our understanding of His word, and further along in our experience with Him, our ability to see spiritual truth, understand His precepts and sense after His Spirit, should actually increase. Sadly this is not always the case. In the days of Eli, it is recorded that there was scarcity of the word of God, and not much was being seen by way of revelation and direction from God. In this sense then, not only Eli, but the people of God as a whole, ‘could not see’! This can also be true of us as Christian believers today. Our ability to ‘see’ spiritual things, understand God’s word and follow the leading of God’s Spirit, is largely dependent on our closeness and relationship with the Lord. We cannot expect to ‘see’ what God is saying or doing, if our eyes are fixed on the things of this world, blinkered by the desires of our flesh, or distant from the Lord, who is the source of spiritual light! Just like the eyes of an older person, our spiritual eyes also will grow dim and we will not be able to see, unless we remain close to Jesus, sensitive to His Spirit, and attentive to prayer and the directions of His word.  

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Mar 14

“And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line…” 2 Samuel 8:2

David had previously been friendly to the king of Moab, and had even entrusted his parents and siblings into his care. However the Moabites had determined to become David’s enemy, even when it was not necessary, and they appear to have killed his parents and brethren. Usually the way Israel treated enemies and prisoners, reflected the mercy of God, and not the harsh severity of the heathen nations around them. In this case severity was in order, and Moab’s wrong allegiance became their own judgment. Even so, we read mercy in the narrative, as we are told that a ‘full’ line was used to keep some alive.  The measurement of our mercy should always be greater than that of our punishment. Certainly we see a reflection of how God deals with us. He wants us to be on His side, the winning side and the blessed side. Too often we sell Him out, and form alliances with the enemy of God and of our own souls! In vain God deals with us, and patiently sends messages to warn us away from our choices. His longsuffering love, waits for a season, giving us space to recognise our dangerous situation. Finally when we have ignored Him, pressed Him and forced His hand, we find ourselves under the punishment and judgment, we so rightly deserve. It is wise for each of us to avoid being found in that position in the first place! The alternative is simple and effective – yield to God, do His will and serve Him sincerely. Never turn back on God or allow any association with sin and the ways of the world. Stay close to God in prayer and love His precepts, living them every day. Finally for all the imperfections and flaws through which, in spite of our best efforts we are still likely to fail Him, let us daily fall in repentance upon His great mercy and amazing grace!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Mar 10

“…and David enquired of the LORD…” 2 Samuel 2:1

Problems, difficulties and things hard to understand, can appear and take place in all of our lives, without regard to our person or position. This is true of believers also, as can be seen in the life of a man who was indeed close to God in all aspects of life. When unexpected and prolonged famine appeared in the land, David, whose life had been in favour with God, sought Yahwah and enquired from Him, about this hard to reconcile problem. Without God or without correct relationship with God, we would be inclined to panic, or get angry and react in our own strength when faced with unknowns. This leads to many mistakes and unwarranted actions. The man of God has another solution for the problems which may afflict him or his, and which he finds difficult to comprehend or accept. He can talk to the Lord and ask Him for wisdom and understanding! In our example, God answered David very specifically, allowing him to act in righteousness, and make things right. God is willing to answer sincere prayer, and respond to genuine petitions. He will supply answers, directions, instructions and lead those who trust in Him to happier, superior solutions, and victories otherwise not possible. As believers we need not fear, or become angry, frustrated and anxious, when faced with hard to fathom difficulties in life. If we will trust God and pray to him from open and earnest hearts, we will find answers and directions from God, or at the very least, the strength, courage and resignation to bear the load and continue on faithfully, until relief is brought to us! Our starting point is always the same, on our knees before God in communication and contact with Jesus! At the altar of prayer, are found the best solutions to life’s hardships and challenges. They are sourced from the mind and heart of the One who is omniscient, and for Whom there are no limits or difficulties! 

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Feb 19

“…for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?” 1 Samuel 26:9

Persecuted and hated through no fault of his own, David had found himself a fugitive. King Saul, a man he had supported, defended and blessed by his ministry and skill, on his heels and after his life! We too may experience attacks and deliberate injustices acted against us. There are times when we may uncover in our hearts a desire for revenge, against those, who without just cause, turn on us or determine to become our enemies. While we may try to defend our ‘feelings’ and minimise the true motives which fuel them, such a condition of heart, is not appropriate in a believer. The greatest injustice which was ever perpetrated by human beings, was the false accusation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ! Unlike any of us who though innocent in some respects are nevertheless sinners, there was no sin or fault to be found in Jesus. He lived the perfect and sinless human life and died, not because He deserved death, but because we did! In His great love He died in our place and paid the price of sin He did not owe, for us who owed the price of sin we could not pay! No other human injustice ever before or since equates in severity and guilt, to what took place that day at Calvary! Jesus could have commandeered an immense host of angels, who at His mere nod would have destroyed every enemy and persecutor! He could have avenged Himself of their abuse, beating, mocking and cruel torture. Yet He did not! Instead, He even stopped the hand of his disciple which had been stretched forth to strike a blow at the Lord’s enemy! He had the opportunity, the power and the means to take revenge against the injustice, yet in His love Jesus prayed for you and me, along with the physical persecutors of His day saying “Father forgive them”! He chose to do the righteousness of the Father, to fulfil His will and die for those who were His enemies! In light of Christ’s example, any thought of personal revenge or retaliation for any hurts or offenses made against us, should simply vanish and be vanquished from our hearts!  If we are honest however, we will see that often we waste no time in ‘paying-back’ for those things which we perceive have been done against us. If an opportunity presents itself to us, where we can inflict an injury, ‘bite back’, or give them a bit of ‘their own medicine’, we might be tempted to take it with glee. David found himself in just such a situation with the man who unjustly tried to kill him and continued to pursue him for his life. He found himself presented with the opportunity to finally end his torment, and cease from being a fugitive from family and country. He could have reasoned that God had delivered his arch-enemy into his hand and with the support of probably every human being around him, put an end to Saul and his threats! His own men encouraged him to do exactly that, in fact, they volunteered to do it for him! Let’s not forget also that by time David also knew he had been anointed to be the next king. A lesser man, a man who walked in the desires of his own flesh and not sensitive to God and His Spirit, would have caved at the temptation and justified his actions. After all, as the next anointed king, eliminating his enemy could have been seen as defensible by the people, but not David. A man after God’s heart, he reasoned spiritually, acted correctly, did the righteousness of God and gave no place to his pride or hurt. He wanted what was acceptable to God not man! He would not stretch forth his hand against the man whom God had set up as king, even if clearly this man has lost favour with God and was floundering in every way. David did not take things into his own hands but relied on the Lord to be his strength, his Defender and Avenger. He would be king, but only at the time, and in the way that God would bring it about! Do we have the courage, confidence and constancy of character to stand as David did, in the face of fleshly opportunities to take our revenge? Can we really justify any thought of avenging the hurts and injuries done to us, in the light of Christ’s example?

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion