Today's Daily Devotional

[Bugsy]

May 8

Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued; Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
2 Samuel 8:11-12

Here, David brought the spoil to Jerusalem and dedicated it to the Lord in order that it might eventually be used in the building of the Temple. You see, even though David could not build the Temple himself, he didn’t pout. He didn’t quit. He didn’t get angry. He simply set to work, gathering all the necessary supplies for Solomon.

I point this out because sometimes people say, “If I can’t be on the worship team, I’m not going to sing at all. If I can’t be recognized or utilized in the way I think I ought to be, I won’t do anything.â€

[Bugsy]

May 9

And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
2 Samuel 9:3-5

In Old Testament times, if a king from a different family than the previous one came to power, he would kill all of the relatives of the previous king in order to eliminate any rival. Lo-debar means “pasture-less place.â€

[Bugsy]

May 10

Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant. And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 2 Samuel 9:6-7

David spoke one word that changes the entire scene. He said Mephibosheth’s name. And something in the way David spoke his name ministered to Mephibosheth’s heart. I cannot help but think of Jesus at the Garden tomb. Mary was there weeping over the fact that His body was no longer in the tomb. In her turmoil she was conversing with a Man she thought to be the gardener. But when He said, “Mary,â€

[Bugsy]

May 11

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
2 Samuel 9:13

Hearing the generous, gracious offer of the king, Mephibosheth didn’t say, “Thanks, king. I’ll see if I can drop in occasionally to have a bite with you now and then.â€

[Bugsy]

May 12

And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. 2 Samuel 10:19 (a)

When was peace made with Israel? When the enemy was smitten. There has never been a successful peace treaty without a victory over the enemy - without a winner and a loser. David’s dealing with the Ammonites began in kindness. But when his kindness was rejected, he became engaged in the battle and brought about a destruction of the enemy so complete that, rather than fighting him, they served him.

Our King, the Son of David, has commissioned you and me as servants to be communicators of kindness, messengers of mercy. It’s so important to see that Mephibosheth received David’s kindness. The Ammonite king, Hanun, didn’t. Mephibosheth was poor, broken, lame, weak. Hanun was rich, proud, self-centered, and arrogant. As a servant of the King, I understand that those who are poor in spirit and meek, those who mourn their own sin, will receive the kind word I bring about the kindness of the King. But there will also be those who, like Hanun, will not receive the word we bring. Therefore, if you want to be fruitful in ministry, hang out with the people who are lame, the Mephibosheths. Spend your time with people who are weak, broken, and needy. Don’t make your priority the millionaire athlete, the movie star, the political leader. It’s not that they can’t be saved - but that’s not where the abundant harvest will be. David sent his servants to both Mephibosheth and Hanun. So too, we’re to exclude no one, but we’re to realize that the most fruit will be found not with the beautiful people, but with those who are crippled, with those who can’t breathe right, with Mephibosheth.

[Bugsy]

May 13

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
2 Samuel 11:15

David had not only committed adultery, but now we see him committing murder. Remember, David was a man after God’s own heart, a man who was singularly held up in the Old Testament as one of the greatest men of faith who ever lived. What’s going on? It all started seemingly so simple. He neglected his duty to go to battle. Then his eyes wandered. His curiosity was aroused. He committed adultery, and now murder. David is stumbling badly. But that’s the way sin is. Sin has a sneaky way of compounding itself. Before you know it, you’re more deeply involved in it than you ever thought you would be. That is why it is absolutely essential to not give in at that first point of temptation. You cannot control the course of your destiny once you allow yourself to begin to flirt with sin. It will capture you. It will ensnare you. And ultimately it will destroy you. David once killed giants. Now this giant is killing him.

[Bugsy]

May 14

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
2 Samuel 11:26-27

David no doubt thought he got away with his sin by cleverly covering his tracks. But God knew otherwise.

“Be sure your sin will find you out,â€

[Bugsy]

May 15

And the LORD sent Nathan unto David.
2 Samuel 12:1 (a)

God didn’t send an enemy of David to talk to him about his sin. He sent a friend. This is most often the way of the Lord. When He has a word of correction to bring us, inevitably it will be by someone who has a heart for us. Conversely, unless your heart is filled with compassion for the person you are about to correct, it is probably not your responsibility to correct him.

As Jesus arrived at the Upper Room, He found His disciples arguing with each other concerning who was the greatest among them. He also noticed that their feet were dirty. Instead of chastising them for arguing, He girded Himself with a towel and washed their feet (John 13). Therefore, I have no right to point out the dirt on other peoples’ feet unless I’m willing to wash them myself - time and again. Evidently, Nathan was such a man.

[kohlerdrums]

May 15

And the LORD sent Nathan unto David.
2 Samuel 12:1 (a)

When He has a word of correction to bring us, inevitably it will be by someone who has a heart for us. Conversely, unless your heart is filled with compassion for the person you are about to correct, it is probably not your responsibility to correct him.

Ranger:

Thank you, sir. I'm going to remember this one. A great quote to remember when contemplating adjusting someone's attitude,especially if you are not friends with the person you want to "adjust."

My son's drill sargeant in OSUT must have really cared about his guys, because he had plenty of "words of correction" those first few weeks for them. :)

[Bugsy]

May 16

And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.
2 Samuel 12:5-7 (a)

Nathan told David of a rich man who killed his neighbor’s one and only lamb in order to feed his friend. Upset that a rich man would steal from a poor man, David was right in saying the rich man should give four lambs to the poor man, for that was the restitution decreed in the Law (Exodus 22:1). The problem was that David didn’t stop there. He went on to issue the death sentence upon the rich man. This was neither God’s Word nor His heart. In David’s awareness of his own sin, he was judging another harshly.

That’s always the way it is. We will be harshest with the people who commit the same sin with which we struggle. My sins look terrible on someone else. The Master of mercy, the Model of grace was Jesus Christ. He stood up for the woman taken in adultery; He was tender with the woman living in sin. Why? Because He Himself was free of sin.

When Nathan told David the illustration was about him, suddenly David understood. Whenever there’s a finger pointing at another, three are pointing back. This sobers me. We’re all guilty. The Old Testament, as well as the Sermon on the Mount, drive us to the place where we say, “I’m a sinner. I need grace.â€

[Bugsy]

May 17

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.
2 Samuel 12:13

David didn’t defend himself or try to blame Bathsheba. He simply and succinctly said, “I’ve sinned against the Lord,â€

[Bugsy]

May 18

And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
2 Samuel 12:24-25

Solomon had two names. Solomon means “peaceful,â€

[Bugsy]

May 19

And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off. And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
2 Samuel 15:17-18

The six hundred men with David were part of the group we read about in 1 Samuel 22. When David was fleeing from Saul in the wilderness, men who were discontent, in debt, and distressed gathered around David. David used these rag-tag renegades as the base of his army. And this group is a perfect picture of us. We are in debt, distressed, and discontent - yet we find ourselves gathering around a Greater-than-David, the Son of David, Jesus Christ. These men were transformed into a crack unit of excellent troops. Because they were around David, they became like him. And because they endured real difficulties and tribulations with David, they formed into a tight group of loyal, capable soldiers.

We, too, gathering around our Greater-than-David, Jesus Christ, endure trials. But those very trials produce in us abilities and capabilities for service.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7

In Bible times, gold was purified by melting it to a liquid state. The smelter knew the purification process was complete when he looked into the liquid gold and saw his face. But until he could see his face, he kept the heat on. What’s the Lord doing in our lives? He’s keeping the heat on until we become a reflection of Him, until we are formed in the image of His likeness.

You might wonder why you’ve had some fiery, heavy trials. Know this: You’re precious. You’re gold. And the Lord says, “I’m going to purify you so that My reflection might be seen in you, so that when people see you, they’ll see Me.â€

[Bugsy]

May 20

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
2 Samuel 17:23

When Ahithophel realized Absalom was not going to take his counsel, he knew David would eventually return to power - and that he would be hung as a traitor.

Why was Ahithophel so intent on bringing David down? In 2 Samuel 23:34, we read that Ahithophel had a son named Eliam. In 2 Samuel 11:3, we read that Eliam had a daughter named Bathsheba. This means Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba - the same Bathsheba whose husband Uriah was killed in battle by the order of David (2 Samuel 11:15). Now, it’s eleven years later and evidently feelings of bitterness had been festering in Ahithophel’s soul.

If I allow bitterness to be under the surface of the soil of my soul, it will eventually bear murderous fruit. It might take a month, a year, or eleven years to surface - but surface it will.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32

Was Ahithophel’s anger justified? Yes. But although he had a reason to be angry, he couldn’t afford the price, for his anger cost him his life.

“How many times shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him,â€

[Bugsy]

May 21

Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.
2 Samuel 19:7

“Snap out of it,â€