Most of us like to see results and we prefer it if they come quickly. When God placed a hold on King David’s proposal to build a temple, David accepted it easily. That is a sign of his humility and wisdom. We’re not talking about a delay of a few months or years; David would […]
King David acted like the king of Lilliput. That king’s hospitality toward the giant traveler, Gulliver, included providing a house that was many sizes too small for Gulliver. David wanted to erect a temple for God’s presence, but God said that He had no need of a house; dwelling in a mobile tent since Egypt […]
Have you ever received the gift of a withered flower from a well-meaning child? He or she picked it an hour ago on the side of the street, walked with it swinging from a sticky hand, dropped it twice in the gutter, and finally offered it to you. “Oh, how sweet!” You say and you […]
Have you ever taken a step of faith convinced that it is the best decision only to have it backfire? David experienced something like that before he became king. It turned into an example of how God is faithful to His people and how, in Him, all things work together for good just as the […]
The most terrifying experience a person can have is to realize that God is no longer with them. That happened to King Saul. Such an experience during a comfortable routine existence is bad enough; it was horrifying for Saul. The Philistines were advancing, David had apparently joined them, the prophet Samuel was dead, and God […]
What would you do if you had your worst enemy cornered in a dark cave? Human nature relishes any opportunity to get the better of a bad guy. We might not actually resort to violence or commit murder; vengeance is sweet, but dreams of vengeance are still satisfying and much easier to get away with—or […]
One of the greatest embarrassments is to be rebuked in public, especially by a parent. Jonathan had that experience at a new moon festival in King Saul’s residence. David had coached Jonathan to test his father’s true feelings toward him by saying that he was absent due to a special family gathering. When Jonathan causally […]
A life of integrity is like well-glued plywood. The layers of such lives are consistent with each other. Words match actions. Life in the private shadow lands runs the same way as life under the public spotlight, even under stress. David showed signs of integrity while he endured King Saul’s irrational distrust. David the giant-killer […]
That’s me at the top of 10,358’ South Sister in Oregon. I look better than I felt. Even in August, the summit had an ice cap and a howling wind. I was exhausted by the long climb over energy sapping scree and my body needed more oxygen than the thin air could provide. Nonetheless, my […]
New technology has always grabbed people’s attention. David’s preparation to fight Goliath began with a discussion of the latest military hardware. David was content to fight in the name of God but King Saul had armor and a gadget called a sword. He was keen to demonstrate an application or two.1 “David, look at the […]