Daily Devotion – Moments That Matter

  May 18, 2023
  Daily Reading – 1 Kings 3-5 / John 4:39-54

 GOD’S WORD:

1 Kings 4:5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend:

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        In Matthew 18:1 it says, “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” What a loaded question. It is sort of the equivalent of being back in the schoolyard choosing teams for a game, with every child bouncing up and down, hand waving in the air yelling, “pick me, pick me.” Each one wanting to be chosen before someone else. The disciple’s question, “Who is the greatest,” is a question everyone will struggle with at some time in life.

        While reading 1 Kings 4 we read how Solomon assembles a staff, or we might refer to it as a cabinet of people under him. David, his father had a rather small group of men under him, but Solomon expands that greatly. Some carried the titles of recorder, and priests. There was someone over the tribute, we would call him a treasurer. Some were placed over companies of men and regions. While others had the responsibilities of managing the king’s household. However, only one of them, Zabud, is called, “the king’s friend.” David had a man like this. In 2 Samuel 15:37 and 16:16 Hushai was referred to as David’s friend. These were men they considered to be private and trusted advisors. A real friend. Everyone, even King’s, need a friend. Someone they can trust and rely on. Of all the positions, of all those men, in all the kingdom, I look at the man who is being a friend, as a pretty great position to have. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        In John 15:15 Jesus said, “Henceforth I call you not servants; … but I have called you friends;” He goes on to say that He had chosen them. Christian, He picked you to be His friend. He trusts you with the gospel and relies on you to share it. 

Will you be Jesus’ friend?

  May 17, 2023
  Daily Reading – 1 Kings 1-2 / John 4:1-38

 

 GOD’S WORD:

1 Kings 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Imagine if you will, that your life is coming to an end. You have one last chance to boil all of life’s wisdom into one short statement. What you say may not only impact your immediate family after you are gone, but generations of people. What words of wisdom will you give to those you leave behind. Will it be about managing their finances? Could it be advice on maintaining good relationships? This must be your best, your most brilliant advice. What are you going to say?

 

        David has come to the end of his life. He is passing the kingdom to his son, Solomon. He needs to give him advice that will serve him well as a father, husband, a leader, and man of God. What has David learned, and what will he share? He gives Solomon these few things to do. David says, “walk in his ways,” which simply means, Follow God’s Lead. Let God direct your life. Next was “keep his statutes,” or in other words, Keep God’s Appointments. God has set up some things a man should do, do them. He also said to keep, “his commandments,” which is simply to, Obey God’s Rules. A person needs order in life and God has set that up for us if we will obey Him. David also shared that he should trust in; ”his judgments.” Which is obvious, Trust God’s Judgments, He is never wrong. Finally believe; “his testimonies.” Listen to God’s Word and learn from the past. David says if you do these things, you will have a great life. Brilliant words from a father. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        This is still brilliant advice for all of us to follow today. We should Follow God’s Lead, Keep God’s Appointments, Obey God’s Rules, Trust God’s Judgments, and Listen to God’s Word. What a blessed life we might have if we followed David’s advice.

 

Does this sound like brilliant advice?

 

 

  May 16, 2023
  Daily Reading – 2 Samuel 23-24 / John 3

 

 GOD’S WORD:

2 Samuel 24:14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        We all know the Bible says that Satan is a liar. In John 8:44 it says, “Ye are of your father the devil, …When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” Yet time and again we fall for his deceptions. For a sermon illustration I placed a chair on the platform and asked people to come up one at a time to sit on it. The first two people I called up were rather large folks. I whispered to them, “Please just sit down, then stand up, and go back to your seat, but do not say a word.” They both did as I had asked. The last person I called on was a tiny little lady. To her I whispered, “This chair is broken, be careful when you sit, it may break.” I then asked her to have a seat. She looked at me and shook her head “NO!” I said why not? She said, “you just told me this chair is broken.” Even though she had watched two other large people sit in this chair, the lie that it was broken kept her from trusting it. Satan lies to us and tells us not to trust in Gods power and authority. Even after we see how He works in others’ lives, we often fall for Satan’s lies. 

 

        David’s sin in numbering Israel was his departure from faith in God’s ability to protect him. Instead, he wanted to know how many men he had to fight for him. When he realized what he had done, he accepted it as a sin. God offers David a choice of punishments. David wisely says, I will put my faith back in God and His mercies. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Everyone has at some time departed from fully trusting God. We try to do things on our own instead of relying on God’s power. The good news is, He is still a loving and merciful God. If we will ask for forgiveness, we can bring faith back into our life. 

 

Are you trusting God as you should?

 

 

  May 15, 2023
  Daily Reading – 2 Samuel 21-22 / John 2

 

 GOD’S WORD:

2 Samuel 22:21-22 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        YOU SAID YOU FORGAVE ME! Boy did those words cut like a knife. I remember hearing them from a person I was having a heated discussion with. I felt they were in the wrong and was simply trying to prove my point. To do so, I brought up a time in the past when they had done something very similar. Back then, they had said they were sorry, and I said, “I FORGIVE YOU.” However, here I was bringing it up again just to prove a point, and they called me on it. Did I really forgive them or were those just words. Was I holding onto some memory like a weapon just waiting to unleash it on them the next time they messed up. I learned two things that day. If you say you forgive someone, really forgive them. Also, do not use those words unless you mean them. Words, especially your own, can really be hurtful.

 

        In David’s song to the Lord, he says in 2 Samuel 22:21-22 “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.” How could David say that? He had sinned! Some of his big ones are written in scripture for everyone to read about. I think maybe David’s peace of heart came from the fact that he actually believed God when God said he was forgiven. How freeing to know that God means it when he says, “I FORGIVE YOU.” 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Do we believe God’s Word? In Hebrews 10:17 it says, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” If we really ask for forgiveness and mean it, I believe God really offers that forgiveness, and I know He means it.

 

Is there a past sin Satan torments you with?

 

 

 May 13 & 14, 2023
 May 13 – Daily Reading – 2 Samuel 19-20 / John 1:35-51
 May 14 – NO READING

 

 GOD’S WORD:

2 Samuel 20:2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        I have heard many phrases for the idea some people will never learn. Such as, “Some people will never learn, no matter how hard you whack them in the head.” Or “You cannot keep calling it a mistake, after you have made the same mistake three or more times.” Then there was, “You cannot fix cuckoo, not even with duct tape.” Well, you might think any of these phrases would fit the Children of Israel when reading 2 Samuel 20:2 “So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.”

 

        I had an Evangelist friend who use to say that people who acted as Israel does here were “as confused as a termite in a yo yo.” It would seem that he is right. Absalom sets himself up as ruler, and off they go following Absalom. That is until Absalom dies. Then they turn back to David, God’s choice to be king. Several who had positioned themselves against David during Absalom’s revolt, came back to David in chapter 19, begging David to forgive them. Shimei who had cursed David and hurled stones at him said, please forgive me, and David did. Mephibosheth, seeking after David’s forgiveness for his departure, blamed it on his servants. Yet as soon as Sheba comes along and sets himself up above David, off they go again following Sheba. You would think they would learn that dumping God’s wishes, never ends well. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Before we are too hard on the Children of Israel, we might want to examine our own selves. How many times have we had to go back to God seeking his forgiveness for our own folly? How wonderful to know our God is merciful when we truly repent.

 

Are we dumping God’s wishes?

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

        Whether we put God in the center of our life or not, He is always the Central Figure in All of Life. This week we saw:

 

  ● Doing Things God’s Way
  ● Delighting In God’s Will
  ● Daily In God’s Word
  ● Discord In God’s Work
  ● Deserved God’s Witness
  ● Dumping God’s Wishes

        What a joy to know that God is in the center of all we are and do. Consciously make God the Central Part of all you do and watch Him bless your life. 

       Enjoy today with your church and hear what God has prepared in the heart of His man for you this week.

   See you tomorrow.  

 

 SUNDAYS:

       Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastors heart. Whatever scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

May 15, 2023	2 Samuel 21-22	John 2
May 16, 2023	2 Samuel 23-24	John 3
May 17, 2023	1 Kings 1-2	John 4:1-38
May 18, 2023	1 Kings 3-5	John 4:39-54
May 19, 2023	1 Kings 6-7	John 5:1-27
May 20, 2023	1 Kings 8	John 5:28-47
May 21, 2023	No Passages Assigned

God Is Central To It All