Day 156 2 Samuel 23:24-24:25; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 16:21-23 Wonder and Amazement As I reflect on the healing of the lame beggar in Acts 3, I am struck by a series of words that appear in the NIV translation: “wonder and amazement,” “astonished,” and “surprise.” I am surprised that people were surprised at…
Day 155 2 Samuel 22:21‐23:23; Acts 2:1‐47; Psalm 122:1‐9; Proverbs 16:19‐20 The Meditations of a Pilgrim The meditations of a pilgrim anticipate the destination. The pilgrim’s mind is filled with ideas of what it will be like when he “gets there.” We do the same thing; on long road trips to vacation sites, our thoughts…
Day 154 2 Samuel 20:14-22:20; Acts 1:1-26; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 16:18 Whom Will You Serve? During the reign of David, there was continual struggle between the Nation of Israel and the various pagan tribes. The Lord called upon David to atone for Saul’s sin in murdering the Gibeonites (who were not enemies of Israel). Even…
Day 153 2 Samuel 19:11‐20:13; John 21:1‐25; Psalm 120:1‐7; Proverbs 16:16‐17 Rooting Out Rebellion David had offered peace, pardon, and restoration to those who had rebelled against him, including Sheba and Amasa. Amasa publicly accepted and then deceitfully attempted to aid Sheba’s rebellion by taking his time to rally the king’s troops to go after…
Day 152 2 Samuel 18:1-19:10; John 20:1-31; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 16:14-15 They Have Taken Away My Lord Mary Magdalene is one of my favorite people mentioned in the Resurrection story. Here we have a woman who, unlike the male disciples of Jesus, was not afraid to venture out to Jesus’ tomb, which was guarded by…
Day 151 2 Samuel 17:1‐29; John 19:23‐42; Psalm 119:129‐152; Proverbs 16:12‐13 God’s Plans Are Not Always Our Plans So many times in Scripture, we read about the ways in which things didn’t work out as people had planned. These plans may be revealed in Old Testament stories of military battles: the side that wins isn’t…
Day 150 2 Samuel 15:23-16:23; John 18:25-19:22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 16:10-11 What Is Truth? Jesus said to Pilate, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens…
Day 149 2 Samuel 14:1-15:22; John 18:1-24; Psalm 119:97-112; Proverbs 16:8-9 A Lamp Unto My Feet In the early 80’s, Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant took the words from Psalm 119 and created a very popular Christian song, titled “Thy Word.” “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my…
Day 148 2 Samuel 13:1‐39; John 17:1‐26; Psalm 119:81‐96; Proverbs 16:6‐7 Jesus’ Consecrating Prayer for the Disciples After Jesus has told His disciples there will be world tribulation, He assures them of peace in Him and reminds them He has overcome the world. Therefore, they should “be of good cheer” or “take heart.” He then…
Day 147 2 Samuel 12:1‐31; John 16:1‐33; Psalm 119:65‐80; Proverbs 16:4‐5 What to Do When You Are Guilty God Himself calls David, “a man after my own heart.” We see David as shepherd, musician, poet, warrior, and God-anointed king of Israel. But in today’s passage, we see King David as a sinner, guilty of adultery,…
Day 146 2 Samuel 9:1‐11:27; John 15:1‐27; Psalm 119:49‐64; Proverbs 16:1‐3 Is God Enough? King David began a downward spiral of sin when he gave into temptation with Bathsheba. In a single act, he opened a door that could lead to destruction – both of his status and his faith. Sin led to more sin….
Day 145 2 Samuel 7:1‐8:18; John 14:15‐31; Psalm 119:33‐48; Proverbs 15:33 David’s Desire, God’s Desire David sees that his own house is far better than what he has given the Lord and desires to make one better for Him than a simple tent. Little did he know that God had a house in mind to…
