“And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.” I Samuel 18:14.
As we read the account of David’s life after he had slain Goliath, we see why he was called a man after God’s own heart. David, no doubt, was completely aware that he had been chosen to be the next king, yet he submitted himself to Saul and obeyed him.
Saul plotted to have him slain by the Philistines, and even by his own son Jonathan. But, in all instances, God provided a way of escape. Saul lied to David by promising to him his oldest daughter as wife, and when he later gave him the younger daughter it was meant to trap him. Through it all, David remained humble and obedient to Saul.
Eventually, David had to flee from Saul, but even in his time of exile, he still was submitted, even giving up a couple of chances to kill Saul. He was submitted to God and loyal to the one who God had anointed. He was willing to wait for God’s timing to fulfill His plan. In due time, God gave him the kingdom.
How often we get impatient and are not willing to wait for God to work out His plans for our life. Like David, we must be faithful, and trust God for His timing.
Prayer: Lord, may we live each day faithful to you, and trusting your guidance and direction.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” Psalm 16:6
As I meditate upon the Lord this morning, my heart is filled with gratitude. There is food in my cupboard, clothing in my closet, and money in the bank to meet my monthly obligations. I have children who love me and keep in close touch. I have a great church to attend and a pastor who preaches God’s Word. Most important of all, I have assurance of salvation, and hope of eternity in heaven, when He calls me home.
I realize that I do not deserve all the blessing the Lord has bestowed upon me, it is only because of His mercy and care for me. Truly, like the Psalmist, I can say “my lines have fallen in pleasant places; and I have a godly heritage.”
I lift my voice in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord who daily provides my every need.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for all you have provided, help me to be ever thankful for your love.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” Psalm 106:15
Despite their miraculous delivery from the slavery in Egypt, the children of Israel spent a lot of time complaining about their lot. At one point the began to complain about the lack of meat. There were tired of eating manna every day and wished for a change. So, God sent quail, in such abundance that they over indulged their appetites and suffered sickness and death.
What they wanted, wasn’t what they needed. God knew what was best for them during their journey and He was providing, but they were not satisfied. Now He had given them their desire, but it didn’t make them happy, it just resulted in more problems.
I was thinking about this the other day, and remembering years ago when my husband and I discussed how nice it would be to have a boat, or a cottage somewhere on a lake where we could go like some of our friends did. We concluded that it was not the best idea because the only time we could use it would be on the weekends and that would mean missing church, which we knew was not right. So, we put it out of our minds. It was not worth having this pleasure and endangering our spiritual lives and that of our children.
Sometimes the things we want so badly are not God’s best for us. The children of Israel learned this the hard way. We need to listen to the voice of God, and let our desires be led by His will for us.
Prayer: Jesus, may our only desire be to find your perfect will for our lives, and let you lead us every day.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” II Kings 16:17
This month we have had a lot of rain, rivers have overflowed their banks, and many people had to evacuate their homes. In some areas, a state of emergency was declared, and a request was made for the army to send troops and equipment. It is great to know that they are available for situations like this.
Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the Syrian army, ready to take their lives. Elisha told his servant not to fear because they had more on their side than the enemy did. He asked the Lord to open his servant’s eyes, so that he could see the horses and the chariots of fire which surrounded them, greatly outnumbering the Syrian host.
The Commander of Heaven’s Armies has trained troops ready and waiting for a call for assistance from His people. Our God has not changed. Everything we need is ready and waiting for us to call. No matter what circumstances we face, all we have to do is ask, and the Lord will hear our cry, calm our fears, and give us the victory we need. All of Heaven’s great army is at our disposal.
Prayer: Lord, help us always to remember that you are ready to hear our call and send us the help we need.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” John 6:9
In the hands of Jesus a small boy’s lunch fed 5000 people, and they ended up with twelve baskets of leftovers. What a story the young lad must have had to tell when he returned home that day.
Jesus blesses small things. We may think our small donation to the Missionary Fund each month doesn’t accomplish much. But the Lord multiplies it over and over. Did you ever stop to think that every soul that is reached on the mission field is a result of your (and many others) faithful giving? We may never meet those people, but God blesses us for our part in their salvation.
What about our commitments to our local church week after week, month after month? We are making an investment in souls and can feel we have made a way for others to know Jesus Christ.
Giving births miracles. Let’s each do our small part.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you that you have provided us with all that we need and given us the ability to share with others.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.” Joshua 1:6
“Courage is the first of human qualities, because it is the quality that guarantees all others.” Winston Churchill
Moses was dead. He had guided the children of Israel for many years. Of the ones who had left Egypt with him only those who had been under twenty years old still lived, except for Caleb and Joshua.
God had chosen Joshua to be the leader as the people prepared to enter the promised land. Moses had instructed him well and now God tells him to be strong and of good courage, promising that He would be with him just as He had been with Moses.
In Verse 8, God tells him that if we will do all the things that Moses had written in the law, he would be prosperous and successful. That would require courage, as they began to possess the country that God had promised them.
We may not face the enemies Joshua faced, but we must be strong and of good courage to live for God in a world which is getting more wicked every day. The Bible gives us the instructions we need, and the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word in our hearts. He is everything we need.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for your Word and for your Holy Spirit, which provides us with everything we need to live courageously.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.” Joshua 9:14
Who hasn’t received an e-mail or a phone call with an offer that sounded too good to be true, but was really just a scam. Many people have been deceived and have ended up losing a lot of money as a result.
God had just given Joshua and the Israelites great victories over Jericho and Ai. The men of Gibeon were filled with fear that they would be defeated as well, so they put their heads together and came up with a great idea. They came to Joshua, pretending to be from a great distance and desiring peace.
Joshua took their story at face value, and agreed to make peace with them. His big mistake was that he did not consult with the Lord first. Just think how he must have felt when he learned the truth and realized he had just been taken in by a scam.
As I read this story, I realized that many times we find ourselves in trouble, because we make decisions without praying about it first. Sometimes when we have had a time of victory and blessing, we may just coast along on that, and neglect to seek God about everything in our life. It is always important that we pray first, before making even minor decisions.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to always seek you first in every decision we make, because you know what is best for us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” Psalm 34:5
Another translation of the Scriptures reads: “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”
Have you ever watched someone receiving the Holy Spirit, their face just seems to glow with the presence of God? At that moment, they are completely shut in with the presence of God and are almost touching heaven. Their hearts are fully open to all that the Lord has for them, and their faces reflect His glory.
When we yield our all to Jesus, we have no reason to be ashamed. No matter what has transpired in our lives, what circumstances we have faced, when we repent and turn to Him, He forgives and He wipes it all away. We do not need to fear what others think about us. Our hearts have been cleansed by His precious blood, and He makes our face to shine with His glory.
Prayer: Lord may your glory be reflected on our faces, that others may desire to know You.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” Exodus 16:4
When the children of Israel were traveling through the wilderness, God sent them food from heaven. They were instructed to gather it every day, just enough for what their family needed. The only exception was that there would be none falling on the Sabbath, so they had to gather twice as much the day before. The Scripture speaks of some who didn’t listen to this and went out to gather on the Sabbath, and found nothing.
Just as we need natural food every day to be strong and healthy, so our spiritual lives need the daily communication with the Lord by reading His Word and spending time in prayer. My son teaches his church that they need a “slot and a spot”. It is very beneficial to have a place and time where we shut ourselves in with the Lord and communicate with Him. We need this to face the problems and circumstances of life. How much better our day goes, when we seek Jesus in the morning.
Prayer: Lord I thank you for the privilege of coming before you every day, to listen to your voice, to read your Word and bring my requests and praise to You.
Devotion by Anne Johnston