So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom.
God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.
Lord God my Father,
Help me to grow in your wisdom so you can use me as you wish. Help me to be still with my thoughts so your plan can flow through me as you desire.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
In the spring of the year,11:1 Hebrew At the turn of the year. The first day of the year in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in March or April. when kings normally go out to war,
“The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents,11:11 Or at Succoth. and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.”
Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.
But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.
Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
His advisers were amazed. “We don’t understand you,” they told him. “While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.”
22David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.”
Lord God my Father,
Keep me from following my own plan and submitting to yours completely. Keep me from my sinful desires and straying off the path you desire. Give me strength to overcome the strongholds I allow in my life and cut me loose from the boundaries I place on your blessings for me. Set me free in your plan and desire.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so they can come in and conquer it!” 4So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.
Lord God my Father,
Keep me focused on your truth and protect me from deception.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
“And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.
In fact, the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.
Lord God my Father,
Have your way with me and give me strength and obedience to do your will without delay. Protect me from distraction and help me keep my focus on you alone.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly.”
After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.
David turned and went home to bless his own family.
Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”
Lord God my Father,
Help me to remember to ask you before doing anything. Help me to allow you full access to my thoughts and actions. Help me to give you glory in all things and give me boldness to be a fool for you with my praise.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
“Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar5:23 Or aspen, or balsam; also in 5:24. The exact identification of this tree is uncertain. trees. 24When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.”
they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he marched out to meet them.
the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. 7Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this.6:7 As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads because of his irreverence. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.
Ark of God remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he owned.
Lord God my Father,
Give me your Peace to overwhelm my thoughts so I may hear you in the quiet. Give me obedience to follow your desire above my own and courage to act on it now. Help me to march into the struggle with confidence you provide and a fear to not question you with my doubt.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 18So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 19“God forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men11:19 Hebrew Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.
Lord God my Father,
Give me a heart that longs for your plan in my life. Help me to ask for more and not put limits on the blessings you desire for me. Give me obedience and courage to follow your desire in my life. Cause me to thrive, not just exist.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
But some evil troublemakers among David’s men said, “They didn’t go with us, so they can’t have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone.”
23But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the Lord has given us.
Lord God my Father,
Keep evil at bay and keep my heart in your delight. Allow your will to be mine and give me discernment as to your way. Capture each thought before I can direct it and cause it to become mine.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
“No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? 10Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle.
I’ve never found a single flaw in you from the day you arrived until today.
Lord God my Father,
Help me to not ponder your plan and change it to serve me. Thank you for leading me, help me to be obedient without compromise.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive!
5May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them.
When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, 31don’t let this be a blemish on your record.
David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! 33Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.
“Praise the Lord, who has avenged the insult I received from Nabal and has kept me from doing it myself. Nabal has received the punishment for his sin.”
Lord God my Father,
You are life, evil tries to destroy you but forever fails. Keep me in your favor and protect me from the ways of evil. Help me to trust your plan and timing. Give me patience to allow you to fight the battle in front of me in your timing.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen