“Then David the king, stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people. As for me, I had in mine a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for…
“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
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible).
Our society places great importance on self-reliance. We are encouraged to dream, scheme and plot our strategy for success. The truth is, no matter how independent I think I am, and despite my best laid plans, none of them will come to fruition without God’s approval. My ideas may sound good to me, but if they are not part of God’s will, they are flawed.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know where You want me to be today and tomorrow. Thank You, Lord, for Your guidance as I plan for the future. Amen.
Devotion by Julie Long
At times, obeying the Scriptures seems difficult. God asks us to love everyone when obviously some people are undeserving. He expects us to pursue peace when a good fight would be our natural inclination. It would be enjoyable to erupt in anger and retort in sarcasm occasionally, wouldn’t it?
Throughout the Bible, God asked men and women to do things that they too thought were hard. In Judges 6:16, God reassured a reluctant man named Gideon, “I will be with thee.”
Prayer: Dear God, help us to understand that Your commandments are not too difficult for us. (See 1 John 5:3.) When we comply with Your will for our lives, we do not live life on our own. Thank You for the power that You give us each day. We can do all things with Your help. You are our strength. (See Philippians 4:13.)
Devotion by Bonnie Peacock