1 Chronicles 16:34

And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
And deliver us from the Gentiles
To praise Your holy name,
And boast in Your praises.”

Personal Challenge

We are no different than our predecessors in Israel. We call upon the Lord God of our fathers to save us and protect us. He is the God of our salvation and He delivers us from the enemy and the world. But do we remember to praise Him for what He has done in our lives or do we forget Him and continue to go on with our lives? Do we boast in Him or do we boast in ourselves? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

2 Kings 6:16

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are greater in number than those who are with them.”

Encouraging Words

We are not alone in this life. We need to stop living our lives as if the temporal world around us is everything that there is. We also live in a spiritual world that is ever-present around us. Elisha pointed this out so clearly to his servant in this passage. They were surrounded by the immense Syrian army and the servant was convinced that they were doomed. When Elisha asked that his eyes be opened to the spiritual reality around them, the servant could see that the army of God vastly outnumbered and outpowered the Syrians. These two worlds still exist today and it is upon us to open our eyes to the reality of God’s presence in our lives. Glory be to God!

1 Kings 22:5

Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Ask the Lord today.”

Personal Challenge

We all have the impression that a king can do whatever they want, whenever they want. It used to be that way in Old Testament times. However, for the kings that trusted and followed their Jehovah, it was not up to them to make decisions. Before they would make their decisions they would seek God’s advice and direction first. Maybe we should start doing this with our Lord. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Kings 18:17-18

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Are you the one who is troubling Israel?” Elijah answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but rather you and the house of your father, in that you forsook the Lord your God and followed after the Baals.”

Personal Challenge

Isn’t this how things often play out in our personal lives? We do something that we know is wrong. Then someone points it out to us and we blame them or everyone else for the wrong that we have done. In this story, we find that King Ahab has abandoned God and chosen to follow the false gods of the people around them. God sent Elijah to the people of Israel to remind them of their true God, the God of Israel. He was a prophet and his actions and prophecies were making Ahab pretty uncomfortable. Rather than accept the responsibility for his behaviors, Ahab blamed Elijah for the consequences that were being manifested from the choice to follow false gods. Elijah reminded Ahab that it was he who abandoned God and because of that choice was bringing the consequences upon himself and his people. So who really is causing the trouble in our lives when we choose to do wrong? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Kings 8:22-24

You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth, and fulfilled it with Your hand, as today. Now, O Lord God of Israel, keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, so long as your people guard and keep their ways to walk before Me, as you walked before Me.’ So now, O Lord God of Israel, let the word be confirmed You spoke to Your servant David my father.

Encouraging Words

One of the encouraging things that come from reading the Old Testament scriptures is how much God keeps His promises to His people. He never breaks an agreement or forgets a promise. We also see how often we, the recipients of His promises, stay away from Him, not keeping our part of the deal, and yet He remains faithful until we come back to Him. He loves us and desires the best for us. He remains constant and stead­fast in His relationship with us, even when we don’t. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

2 Samuel 24:24

Then the king said to Orna, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with something that costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Personal Challenge

When it came time for King David to build an altar to God, Orna offered David a place to build it for free. David refused the offer and purchased the threshing-floor. Why would he do that? He knew that giving of ourselves and our resources costs us something. If there is no cost, then there is really no appreciation. God wants us to give of ourselves, what we own, and who we are to Him with a sacrificial mindset. If there is no cost, there is no commitment. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

2 Samuel 22:2-3

And he sang:
“O Lord, my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God will be my guardian, in whom I will trust;
My defender and the horn of my salvation,
My protector and the refuge of my salvation;
You will save me from unrighteousness.”

Encouraging Words

David had just escaped an attempt on his life by the king and his armies. His response is not one that is typical of so many of us. He chose to proclaim the glory of his God, our God. God is our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, our guardian. We can trust Him, trust Him for our life and our every need. God is our defender, our salvation, our protector, and our refuge. He and only He will save us from the unrighteousness around us. Glory be to God!

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Have no regard for his outward appearance, nor for the maturity of his stature, because I have refused him. For man does not see as God sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord sees into the heart.”

Personal Challenge

Samuel had been given the task of selecting the next king of Israel. He was directed toward the family of Jesse who had eight sons. Samuel started by selecting the son that he thought looked like the most kingly material. He did like so many of us do with people in our lives. He looked at the outward appearance of this young man. But God had other plans. God knew that David, the youngest of the brothers and a mere shepherd boy was the one who should be the next king. God was looking at his heart and not his external appearances. The challenge for us here is to strive to see the heart of those around us and not just their external appearances. Glory be to God!

1 Samuel 15:22

Then Samuel said, “If only the desired whole burnt offerings and desired sacrifices were equal to the Lord, as compared to one who heeds the voice of the Lord! Behold! Hearing is better than a good sacrifice and obedience than the fat of rams.”

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to get caught up in rituals and traditions and then forget the entire reason for doing them. In the day of Samuel they had sacrifices and offerings. In the day of Jesus, they still had these rituals but they also had a myriad of other rituals piled on top of that. Today we have our celebratory worships, our liturgies, our fasting, our Bible study times, and the list goes on and on. What we end up doing, all too often, is doing the ritual for the sake of the ritual and then living our lives as if God does not exist. Samuel reminds us that God wants our hearts, our minds, and our souls to be poured into Him, loving Him, and loving our neighbor. He wants our hearts more than He wants us practicing rituals about Him in our lives. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!