2Sam 6; 1Chron 13; Ps 68; Mt 17

At certain times God appears to directly intercede in the life of men with dramatic affect. When men are confronted by the Lord’s presence it can be a fearful event, people can die as a result. That is why we must be careful about how we praise and worship the Lord. If we want his blessing we have to do it carefully and correctly, that is with all our strength, heart and soul. We cannot and should not short-change God.

2Sam 4-5; Ps 139; Mt 16

David had to wait seven years in Hebron before the Lord established his kingdom in Israel. He could’ve taken matters into his own hands but decided to patiently wait on the Lord. In a similar way, Jesus had to walk a more treacherous path to see his father’s will come to fruition. Patience and determination are needed alongside prayerful aspirations to see a successful Godly out come.

2Sam 3; 1Chron 12; Mt 15

Both David and Jesus saw huge numbers of people following them and yet they could see God in the midst of it. They did not see the size of the crowds as a challenge but saw God doing a special work and both gave the glory to God. Even today, large numbers of people can be gathered around the Word of God and see God achieve remarkable works. We need to believe and act in faith to see this in our day and hopefully we will see a work of God that will transform our nation.

2Sam 2; 1Chron 11; Ps 142; Mt 14

The concept of operating in the opposite spirit generally escapes us all. If we don’t learn and apply this truth we can be in danger of siding with the world. This is the whole idea behind praying for our enemies and blessing those who despise us. It’s one of the great hallmarks of faith and, starting with the tongue, one of life’s greatest disciplines.

2Sam 1 Ps 140 Mt 13

Seeing and hearing have a deeper dimension which only God can reveal. In telling parables Jesus was testing the crowds to see if anyone had the quality of Godly insight. Sadly, even his disciples were lacking in this area. In these days must be understood that  Godly insight is available to all but only implemented by a few. This is because our understanding and application of God’s will only comes by a full and complete belief in the authority and authenticity of God’s word. We can have moments where we don’t understand the context of the word but this should not prevention us from accepting its divinity as a whole.

1Sam 30-31 1Chron 10 Mt 12

Scripture predicts the attitude of most in the last days to be “..where is this coming he promised?”  because they do not see the signs that Jesus predicted would occur prior to his return. Having the right perspective on scripture, which comes from the belief that it is God breathed (2Timothy 3:16), is necessary in understanding that the signs are all around us. We cannot afford the luxury of complacency towards the scriptures in these last days. We need plenty of the oil of the Word so that we can keep our lamps burning and see where we are going, ready for his return (Matthew 25: 1-13)

1Sam 28-29 Ps 109 Mt 11

In getting through life we all attach ourselves to certain philosophies which help us understand why things are the way they are. We ‘yoke’ ourselves to these ideas and philosophies in the hope they will give us comfort and strength and some hope for the future. In a similar vein, Jesus wants us to be yoked to him. He describes his yolk as a burden which is not harsh and difficult but easy and light. Being tied so close to Jesus gives us the opportunity to learn deeply from him and modify our lives on him. His gentle and humble heart is an inspiration we can all aspire to.

1Sam 27 Ps 141 1Chron 9 Mt 10

The gospel of Christ was never designed to unite the world in peace. Rather it defined the battlelines and calls his disciples to war, a war which strikes at the heart of families and relationships. It requires courage and determination, a willingness to speak boldly for Christ no matter the consequences. Living like this, cuts away the fat of easy living and makes us more determined to live a life that’s pleasing to God.

1Sam 25-26 Ps 63 Mt 9

When we come under pressure and our feelings and sensibilities are hurt we should not try to pacify them by taking matters into our own hands. Rather, we should take the matter to the Lord and wait on him. God understands how we feel so we can freely communicate this to him. But if we act aside from God we will have to account for our actions and take responsibility for our vengeful anger. If Jesus is to be Lord and Master then it is he who should have final say over the issues of life.

1Sam 24 1Chron 8 Ps 57,58 Mt 8

Sometimes we are confronted by tempting choices. Tantalising experiences which are too good to be true. That’s the problem. They are. When we look at these choices through the lens of faith, the Holy Spirit says “...no”. We must make a decision which may be misunderstood by those around us, however we have only one we really have to please; Jesus. That is why our faith should be uncompromising because He was, even though He was tempted.

1Sam 23 Ps 31, 54 Mt 7

Jesus teaches us not to judge others because we aren’t qualified to do so. And don’t go along with others who do, instead take everything to the Lord. In doing this we choose a difficult path which is not obvious because everyone else has taken an easier solution. These people are known by what they say and do and will never win the favour of God. They will try and convince the Lord that they do his will but God will see straight through them. When building a life in God make sure you set it on a firm foundation of Godly attitude and behaviour.

1Sam 20-21 Ps 34 Mt 5

Jesus set the bar high in terms of living a righteous life. In fact, a righteous life is impossible without our being responsible and focusing our daily lives on him. I understand we are not saved by works but we must exercise our faith regularly and keep our heart focused on Jesus. Love is a doing word, meaning it is an act of will and purposively directed at the Lord. Sure we fall down but the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, directs us in humility and renews are hunger or the Lord. Being in submission to the Holy Spirit will enable us to hear his voice and adjust our behaviour accordingly.

1Sam 19 1 Chron 7 Ps 59 Mt 4

As our ministry with the Lord develops he allows wicked forces to buffett and challenge us to the point where we have to move on to a new experience. In the process we learn to rely on the Lord to a far greater extent and deepen our understanding of him. In this way God does not let us become comfortable or complacent but prayerful and focused. Mostly, it's only after looking back over the years do we realise how good God has been to us.

1Sam18 1Chr 6 Ps 11 Mt 3

When God anoints an individual for service it becomes obvious to those around them, particularly if it is a strong anointing. This anointing is out-worked in ways that others would find difficult as God rewards that person with success. We all share in God’s anointing in one form or another. We need each other to help identify our anointing so we can grow in it and fulfill our purposes in God. Sometimes we see it ourselves and being prayerful and humble before God allows us to fulfill his plans through us.

1Sam 17 Ps 9 Mt 2

The Lord provides leaders for his people who are courageous and love him. We, the people of God, need to recognise the calling of God on our leaders and stand with them. God may make his leaders endure trials and suffering and we are not to add to that through our stubbornness and lack of faith. The church being described as a body has some parts which may have more important things to do but every part is equally important to God.

1Sam 15-16 1Chron 5 Mt 1

Sometimes God asks us to do things which challenges our understanding and appears to go against conventional wisdom. For instance, God may be calling us out of a comfortable lifestyle to a work he wants us to do or to give financially beyond our means. The problem is that we have a strong conviction that this is what God wants us to do but our faith is challenged beyond what we think we are capable of. Overcoming the fear of the unknown and learning to trust God is where the rubber hits the road. This is where our faith becomes productive and we grow in strength in the Lord.

1Sam 14 1Chron 4 2Cor 13

We all fail from time to time and are prone to discouragement and discouragement can lead to a falling away. We are to let God deal with us and confront our sin. Through repentance and grace we are to restore and encourage one another. The important aspect of all this is the identification and revealing of the sin so it can be dealt with. A sinner before God is vulnerable and weak that is why we must gently restore them otherwise we may fall into the sin of unforgiveness and harden our hearts against God.

1Sam 13 1Chron 2-3 1 Cor 12

Having a right attitude before the Lord promotes a healthy Godly fear. Saul lost his sovereign position because he was impetuous and lacked faith. Paul, on the other hand, took great pains not to use any of God's blessing to promote his own position. A healthy fear of God will always act out of humility, courage and steadfast faith. Standing strong in faith means being ready to fight but patiently waiting on God to give the command to go

1 Sam 11-12 1 Chron 1 2 Cor 11

When Israel had become comfortable and complacent they forgot about serving God. They had to suffer before God would answer them and deliver them. This happened because they made compromises for the sake of getting along with the world. So it is today. If a worker is to be fed and clothed by the church then there is always the danger of them not speaking up for fear of offending the church if the church wanders away from the true love of Christ. Any position of leadership and responsibility, particularly in regards to the body of Christ are directly responsible and accountable to him. We should all keep this in mind as we serve the Lord.

1 Sam 8-10 1Cor 10

True authority is evidenced by confirmation from God. This is through God working through a person in a special way. We do not say a miraculous work occurs through our own ability, but in all these things give glory and honour to God. Even in this, we must remain humble before God unless the anointing goes to our head and we become proud. It is important to seek this authority from God because the body of Christ needs good, strong leadership in order to grow and mature. The church also needs to test those with God's anointing so they can accept leadership and direction from God.

1 Sam 6-7 Ps 72 1 Cor 9

A heart that's ready to serve God must show this through generous giving to the Lord. By focusing on our giving on the Lord we are free from any human expectation which can loosely be described as a bride. When we give to God we are not bribing him but recognising his sovereignty over all we have and are putting our service to him in perspective. Medical science will not connect giving with health but biblically speaking this is a truth we can live by. Even non-believers have discovered this.

1 Sam 3-5 Ps 77 2 Cor 8

God cannot be held to ransom in order to win our own victories, we must do it His way. He was prepared to let the Ark of the Covenant fall into the hands of the Philistines to teach both them and the Israelites a lesson on His sovereignty. Paul understood this well when overseeing the financial giving in the churches. As this giving came from the heart of God it was just as important as the Ark of the Covenant. When our hearts are in alignment with the purposes of God, He will anoint the works of our hands and His blessing will flow.

1 Sam 1-2 Ps 66 2 Cor 7

No matter how dire circumstances may become we must understand that God is still on his throne. When the man of God prophesied against Eli he must have felt the Injustice against God and had been prayerful about it. This is what happens when wickedness runs amok. Good, holy people who understand the heart of God move in prayer. And God hears and moves against the wickedness and evil, sometimes in dramatic fashion. We must keep praying out the heart of God remembering that “we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Ruth 3-4 Ps 64, 65 2 Cor 6

When God moves He does it quickly and suddenly and this has far reaching effects. He does not apply a patched up solution which may bring an immediate relief but fall apart over time. Rather, He puts in a range of things in place which continues to unfold over time. When we want something really big in God to occur, it may take considerable prayer. If we are only focused on the short-term and fail to see a bigger picture we may become weary and lose interest. If prayer is not being answered we must press in even harder. Like Jacob wrestling the Angel we must not give in until God has given us His blessing.

Ruth 1-2 Ps 53,61 2 Cor 5

The provision of God is all around us yet we can fail to acknowledge it properly and even more so for the unbeliever. Practicing thankfulness is foreign to the ‘me, me, me’ generation. A thankful heart reflects other qualities like compassion, kindness, generosity and selfless love. Despite the burdens of life we must determine in our hearts to continually reflect God’s love and grace so that we do not become weary and fall away (Mark 13:35).

Judges 19-21 2 Cor 4

There is such a contrast between the sin that resulted in the civil war of Israel and Benjamin and the purity of the message of salvation. When men went to war over their pride and honour they paid a very high price. When Christ paid that price for the honour of God we can all be saved. It is Jesus our Lord and King who spares us the tragedy of a sinful life.

Judges 13-16 2 Cor 2

The Lord acts in mysterious ways and sometimes I don't get it. How come he blesses a man who intermarries with his enemy and cohabitates with his traitors all because he cannot control his basic instincts? Many faithful Christians have run aground on the rocks of ignorance and misunderstanding and abandoned their faith all because they cannot figure God out. The only way to deal with this is through the cross of Jesus. The immense grief and sorrow of that selfless act is equally unknowable but there is one constant; love. This is pure love. There may be many things I don't understand about God but there is one thing I can base my life on, He loves me.

Judges 11-2 Ps 50 2 Cor 1

Understand this: “If God is for us who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) and “When a man's ways please the Lord he even his enemies live at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7). The witness that God is at peace with us is the evidence of his Spirit in our hearts and the fruit of our actions to those around us. (Galatians 5:22). The power and mightiness of God is revealed by the humble testimony and life of the believer. He rewards those who diligently serve him, attending to his needs as a sacrificial thank offering. “Whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did it for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Judges 9-10 Ps 49 1 Cor 16

There is no greater clarity of mind and judgement when an individual recognises the need of a savior. This need comes about when God's spirit cries out against sin and the heart responds. Commonly this cry was not heard in the Old Testament until unrelenting tragedy struck and God could no longer bear their suffering. In the New Testament the cry becomes uniquely amplified through Christ. His suffering and death touches us in a profound way that has a life lasting effect. It is the Holy Spirit who cries out and draws us to Christ. Listen, not with ears but with your heart.