2 Samuel 24:21 - Threshing Floor

Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”  “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”

God was punishing the Israelites with a plague. 70 thousand had died. David was told by God through a prophet to build an alter at this certain location. When I had envisioned a threshing floor, I had always thought of an indoor wooden floor so I looked up Threshing Floor and found it can also be a flat area outside. A threshing floor is a place where grain is walked on or agitated until the grain comes out of its hull. The "chaff" is blown away by the wind and all that is left is the good grain. It is a symbol for judgement, so there was significance in where the alter was to be made.

Lord, please help me to recognize when you are in the process of "threshing" my life and not hang on to tightly to the chaff. Amen.

2 Samuel 22:50 - Therefore

Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
     I will sing the praises of your name.

I'm not sure where I heard this, but someone once said, "When the bible says 'therefore', you need to find out what it is there for." That resonated with me as I read David's Song of Praise in Chapter 22. David was faced with huge problems. Problems involving nations. His response to these problems was to go to the Lord. That is why he was a successful leader and probably why God put him in this position of leadership. David praised God, asked God for guidance, followed the guidance, then praised the Lord again. No wonder he was a man after God's own heart.

Lord, We praise you, among the nations, we will sing the praises of your name. Amen.

2 Samuel 20:22 - A wise woman stops a war

2 Samuel 20:22  Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

One woman was able to stop a war. David had returned to Jerusalem and was again on the throne. Another threat arises and his men go out to destroy this man. They lay siege to a city to get to this man and a wise woman goes to talk to the leader of David's army. She is able to solve the problem with only the loss of one life.

Lord, thank you for this example of a wise, strong, peace loving woman. Please help us to give and listen to wise, Godly advice. Amen

Philippians 4:8 - Happy Halloween

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Halloween can be an evil holiday, worshiping satan, or it can be a fun day to dress up and have some candy. I choose the latter. We can bring glory to God by focusing on the good.

Lord, thank you for giving us the choice to celebrate or not celebrate certain days. Please help us to focus on the good and bring glory to your name in everything we do. Amen.

2 Samuel 19:6 - A leader who listened

You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.

David was not perfect. David knew it and his trusted advisors knew it. Joab, the leader of David's army, was willing to tell him the truth and David would listen. King David's son, Absalom, had been trying to overthrow his father. They went to battle and his son was killed. Even though his son acted as his enemy he still loved his son and was devastated when he was killed. This was unfair to his armies who had just put their lives at risk for David to defeat his son. Joab pointed this out to David and he listened.

Lord, thank you for giving us people who are willing to tell us when we need to make a correction in our lives. Please help us to listen to these people and help us to be the advisor when needed. Amen

2 Samuel 17:14 - Understanding the ways of the Lord

Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

Ahithophel had been an advisor to King David and now he was advisor to Davis's son, who was trying to overthrow David. His advice was given after praying to God. In this case God was using Ahithophel as a part of a bigger plan to return David to the throne. From the outside it looked like Ahithophel had failed and he killed himself. We never know the bigger plan. Our job is to always rely on God and cling to his hand even when it seems we have made the biggest mistake of our life or had a huge tragedy occur. God can use all things to his glory.

Lord, thank you for using us, and even what we see as failure, to your glory. Please help us to continue to rely on you even when it seems the worst has happened. Amen

2 Samuel 16:11 - God's tool

David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.

David is fleeing his city from his son and his men. A man along the way throws rocks at David and his men and yells curses at him. His men want to kill the man, but David has a deep insight into the ways of the Lord God. He understands that the Lord's ways are not our ways. David generally does not do things unless he feels directed by the Lord. He understands that within God's plans and purposes, one day he may be King, the next a pauper. He is merely God's tool. He will not fight for his position unless it is God's will.

Lord, thank you for guiding us and having a plan for us. Please help us to be sensitive to your will and understand what you are guiding us to do. Amen.