2 Samuel 21:15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.
Lord, I understand being exhausted. After a week of workdays, with the stress and anxiety of the unknown, and a fairly sleepless night, I am utterly exhausted and feeling entirely unprepared for this day. But I know that You are with me always (Matt 28:20). And I know that Your strength is perfected in my weakness (2 Cor 12:9).
2 Samuel 21:17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him….
Lord, I know that I am not the only one feeling out of sorts today. The chaos of this world can be so loud. Thank You for the people You place in my path today to encourage me. Help me to be a source of light and encouragement to them as well so that we can build each other up (1 Thess 5:11). Help us to remember, no matter what we encounter today, that You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).
2 Samuel 21:18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that we are not alone. Thank You for Your strength and encouragement and the strength and encouragement of those You place in my path. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
2 Samuel 21:22 …and they fell at the hands of Davis and his men.
Have a blessed day.
Lead me boldly…. (devo reflection)
2 Samuel 10:12a “Be strong….” (NIV)
God is steadfast and faithful. This morning, these lines in 2 Samuel, are like balm to my soul—strengthening and encouraging me for what lies ahead. First, I must always remember the source of my strength: Jesus. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…” (2 Cor 12:9).
2 Samuel 10:12b “…let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God…” (NIV)
Next, I must remember why I do what I do, who I’m fighting for, working for, striving for: Jesus. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the LORD rather than for people” (Col 3:23). Lord, I know You can use me wherever I am, but I also know You have a plan specifically for me, something I was uniquely created to do. Help me to see it, know it, and do it for Your honor and glory. Guide me.
2 Samuel 10:12c “…The LORD will do what is good in His sight.” (NIV)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for being steadfast and faithful, even when I feel like a hot mess. Thank You for words of wisdom and encouragement this morning. You are my strength. You are my center. Lead me boldly in Your will so that I can shine Your light. Amen.
2 Samuel 10:12c “…May the LORD’s will be done.” (CSB)
Have a blessed day
Every thought captive…. (devo reflection)
1 Samuel 27:1 Then David said in his heart….
Oh the power of the things that we hold in the quiet of our hearts, often things we don’t fully acknowledge to ourselves, much less to our Creator. God knows our hearts. He can see those things, but if we don’t consciously drag them out, acknowledge, and examine them, He can’t help us deal with them, so they often fester, which is never good.
1 Samuel 27:1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul….”
These are David’s thoughts, not God’s truths. He doesn’t bring these thoughts before God to challenge their validity. God doesn’t seem to enter into this verse at all, which is a huge mistake. I know that personally, when I take my eyes off of Jesus, when I accept the things I whisper into my own heart (usually all negative), that’s where the real trouble starts. I no longer seek Him. My eyes aren’t on Him. I don’t hold up my thoughts to validation in His truth. Everything goes south, leading to despair. And this is exactly what happens to David in this chapter.
1 Samuel 27:1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul shall despair….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for reinforcing the dangers of taking my eyes off of You. Help me to consciously “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 27:1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul shall despair of seeking me any longer within the boarders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”
Have a blessed day.
Without reserve and without reservation…. (devo reflection)
2 Cor 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort….
The last sentence of Max Lucado’s _Grace for the Moment _ today was a real zinger: “You will never be called upon to give anyone more grace than God has already given you.” This line, coupled with today’s scripture from a different devotion, has me thinking about the nature of grace and comfort, what is given to us, and what is asked of us. Help me, Jesus.
2 Cor 1:4a …who comforts us in all our troubles….
The nature of grace is unexpected. You expect punishment, you deserve punishment, but the punisher deliberately chooses not to punish. That’s grace. Comfort has a similar unexpected nature in that it can either come at an unexpected time or from an unexpected source. God freely and lavishly gives us both grace and comfort and asks us to freely and lavishly give them to others as well, without reserve and without reservation.
2 Cor 1:4b …so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for undeserved grace and unending mercy. Thank You for comfort in our time of need and for the compassion that comes from being on the receiving end of grace and mercy. Help us to freely give to others, Lord, just as You have freely given to us. Draw us closer. Amen.
2 Cor 1:5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
Have a blessed day.
God is my strength…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 18:1 I love You, LORD, my strength.
My reading this morning took me to Psalms and this beautiful passage. I think Psalm 18:1 is the embodiment of both “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13) and “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). The verse, to me, seems a celebration of the fact that God is my strength and that I recognize and embrace that fact.
Psalm 18:2a The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer….
This verse puts me in mind of Rocky Face Park and the Vertical Mile Challenge, which has what at times feels like an interminable section straight up the side of a mountainous rock. While it takes determination and perseverance to traverse it, the rock itself is utterly solid, immovable, impenetrable. The images in this verse—my rock, my fortress, my deliverer—speak to the strength and safety that I find in my Savior. Even when the world feels like it is falling apart, I am safe in His arms. He’s got me. He’s holding me, shielding me, protecting me. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 18:2b …my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are my strength and my refuge. Thank You for holding me, always, especially in the midst of the chaos and storms of life. Thank You for being my strength, especially when my strength is gone. Thank You for preparing a place for me, for going before me, for never leaving me. Thank You for my rock-solid faith, for the assurance that I can always depend on You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 18:2c …my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Have a blessed day.
With every beat of my heart…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
For the Lord to deliver me from all my fears, that means I have to actually acknowledge them and turn them all over to Him. I’ve already admitted that I’m not very good at that. I also keep losing hold of a fact I know to be true—my feelings cannot be trusted. They lie. Jesus CAN be trusted. Always. Even when I’m deeply afraid and life makes no sense.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding….
My understanding is faulty, human, skewed by my emotions and misperceptions, by the stories I tell myself to explain things I see and hear that I don’t understand. Jesus is a firm foundation. He is immutable, unchangeable. That is why I should not trust in my feelings, my emotions. That is why I should trust Him with every beat of my heart.
Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture, for the reminder that You can only deliver me from my fears if I turn them over to You and then trust You more than my human emotions. Living by my emotions is exhausting, Lord. I want Your peace, which surpasses all understanding. Draw me closer. Help me surrender all to You. Amen.
2 Cor 12:9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness….”
Have a blessed day.
All the time…. (devo reflection)
1 Peter 4:11a If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.
If we believe that we are Christ’s hands and feet in this weary world, then our words and actions are an extension of His love. That is a beautiful thought until I stumble upon unChristlike words and actions in my own daily life. Jesus, Help me always to shine Your light, to reflect Your love, even when I’m tired, grumpy, or discouraged. I want to always point others to You. I want others to see Your light and Your love reflected through me, not just when I’m in a good space, but all the time.
1 Peter 4:11b If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
Lord, I’m awfully bad about trying to function in my own strength. The desire to be self-sufficient and self-reliant is so strong, but I don’t want people to see me and think, “Look how strong she is.” I want them to see Your strength in my actions. I know I can’t do life without You, Lord, and I don’t want to. Help me to lean in to Your strength always.
2 Cor 13:5 …Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you…?
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the truth of Your words, Your love, and Your strength. Thank You for Your presence in my life, Your fierce love, and Your amazing grace. Draw me closer, Lord. Help me to glorify You in all I say and do. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11c …To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Have a blessed day.