Although my daughter is a natural beauty, she is not fooled by those who hide in sheep’s clothing. She also has the gift of discernment. This is similar to David, who sensed that his life was in mortal danger (because of Saul, God’s annointed).

Jonathon and David were close friends. Jonathon’s father, King Saul, was jealous of David. Mostly, he envied that God’s presence was on David. His feelings of being inadequate, as the first King of Israel, led to insane jealousy of the One who would replace him. Never underestimate the danger of jealous anger.

David was about to enter a period of extreme testing but he would come through more solid than ever. God established David’s kingdom and never failed to be his refuge.

God first chose a big man who was small in his own eyes (Saul- 1 Samuel 15:17). Later, He was sorry He made that choice and fully tested the next man (David). David may have been smaller in physical appearance but he was greater in stature because he saw his problems through God’s eyes (I Samuel 17:46,47-David and Goliath).

God chose David, a man after His own heart (I Samuel 13:14), who would lead the children of Israel like a shepherd.- Teresa

#brotherlylove #tenderheart #trustinGod #annointedyetested #angerisolatesoulfriends #thistrialdrawsustoTheloverofoursoul

I Samuel 20:12- 21:15 ( ESV)

12 And Jonathan said to David, “The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness![a] When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? 13 But should it please my father to do you harm, the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; 15 and do not cut off[b] your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May[c] the Lord take vengeance on David’s enemies.” 17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap.[d] 20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21 And behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then you are to come, for, as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away. 23 And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.”

24 So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25 The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite,[e] and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

26 Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.” 27 But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”

30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.” 32 Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. 34 And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him.

35 In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy. 36 And he said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38 And Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!” So Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. 39 But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.” 41 And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap[f] and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.[g]

David and the Holy Bread

21 [h] Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen.

8 Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.”

David Flees to Gath

10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

Footnotes

1 Samuel 20:12 Hebrew lacks be witness
1 Samuel 20:15 Or but if I die, do not cut off
1 Samuel 20:16 Septuagint earth, 16let not the name of Jonathan be cut off from the house of David. And may
1 Samuel 20:19 Septuagint; Hebrew the stone Ezel
1 Samuel 20:25 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew stood up
1 Samuel 20:41 Septuagint; Hebrew from beside the south
1 Samuel 20:42 This sentence is 21:1 in Hebrew
1 Samuel 21:1 Ch 21:2 in Hebrew

There are times when we must wait for joy. When the time is right it will appear!

John 7: 25-30 (ESV)

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus came to fill the hopes of the Jewish nation for Messiah. While watching “The Chosen” episode 2 last night, I realized how the Jewish custom of “shabbat” (as re-enacted by the superb cast), was a sacred time of remembrance. This peaceful time, resting from daily work, was celebrated in the presence of Jesus. He is the ONE capable of doing all the significant work for spiritual deliverance. They had not yet discovered his role as Christ, but felt honored to be in the presence of the Rabbi.

What a wonderful Lord we have to open up heaven for us. He allows us to cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Not only does His sacrifice make us right with God but also provides “eternal life” , when we receive Him as Lord.

Today, for us-our world has slowed down significantly. Do we rest and bask in the peace and presence of our Savior?- Teresa #thebattlebelongstotheLORD #myjoycomplete #thechosen

When I spend time on a bike ride with my husband, I have time to unwind my mind. This morning, we rode 15 miles out in the country (where I prefer to ride- since I’m not a fan of city traffic).

Prior to suiting up, I listened to a church service by Pastor Steven Trint (livestream from Uganda). The words from John 10:10 really impacted me.

Part way into the ride, my heart became heavy with concerns weighing on me. First, a concern from work and then an even greater one closer to home started taunting me and stealing my joy and peace. I was in the smallest gear about to complete this steady climb up when a bee buzzed directly into my left ear. I shook my head to get him out of my hair/helmet net, which threw me off balance.

The very slow rate I was going made me wobble and go off the road. Thankfully, I was able to unclip my shoe before I fell over!

My loving husband was waiting for me to catch up. When he saw my tears and heard my story of being discouraged with worry about my concerns, he prayed for me right there. I told him about the sermon I had just heard and how I was attacked in my spirit the same way that the verse described Satan’s purpose.

His words were profound, “It’s not very often that you are admonished by the scripture and a few minutes later get a chance to practice it!!”

We rejoiced in God’s goodness to help me recognize this for what it was. We finished the ride with restored joy and peace- aka life abundantly (God’s purpose). Thanks Pastor Steve for making church applicable today : )

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. – John 10:10 (ESV)

I always felt that my inheritance would include a part of the 40 acres on Wilderness Road. Little did I know that God was revealing something so much better-an inheritance that cannot fade, kept in heaven for me (1 Peter 1:4).

We are all here for a moment (like the grass). We may even show God’s glory for a time (like a flower). Passing down something of value to the next generation really means passing on the steadfast love of the Father.

By walking in wisdom, we fear God and cling to the righteous life of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

Together, we can bless the Lord. There is nothing more valuable than a spiritual inheritance passed down from generation to generation. – Teresa

#familylove #reachingothers

Psalm 103:13-22 (ESV). 13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;[a]
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Footnotes. Psalm 103:14 Or knows how we are formed

What do all these things in the pic have in common? Sometimes I feel like a workhorse pulling a very big load. Other times I feel like a motorcycle (workhorse to the power of 70 or at least equivalent to a 70 hp engine), but only when God is in it!

This passage is encouraging because when Gideon encountered opposition from the whole town (after obeying God), his father’s words were used by God to catapult him into being the leader vs. the one stoned to death before morning.

What words did his father say to the townspeople after Gideon obeyed God and tore down the altar to Ba’al? v. 31: “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”

That’s right, Gideon’s father exposed the heart of those worshiping the “world system” (Ba’al) as those opposed to having a heart for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (their ancestors). Gideon brought them back to the roots of their faith and helped free them from oppression, which had occurred because of their compromise with how to achieve wealth and power.

Do we trust God’s supernatural ability to work for us? As we do our part of trusting and obeying the God of the Bible- He does His part of blessing the entire world-first through the nation of Israel and second through those adopted into His family through Jesus Christ the LORD.- Teresa

#keepontrustingin #God’spowerfulstrength

#keeponquestioning #thosewhorulebyfear

#castingfearfromus #keepthefaith

The Call of Gideon

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord[a] turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”

19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah[b] of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. 29 And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” 30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” 32 Therefore on that day Gideon[c] was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.

When we recognize where our fortune comes from, God can show His steadfast love. I was watching the 1992 movie “Bodyguard” last evening. The bodyguard kept the fortune safe and the woman with the fortune protected the bodyguard by choosing to always love him.

God is not our bodyguard as much as He is our spiritguard. He may not need our protection but He does desire our love. We can choose to recognize all that He has done for us. When we reciprocate His love – the love that first chose us, redeemed us and called us His own-we can begin to truly “hear” Him. Reciprocation looks like grateful trust and obedience to His heart for the world.

Where righteousness and peace kiss each other (v. 10), faithfulness will spring up from the ground and renew our fortune.- Teresa #spiritualrevival

Psalm 85:1-13 (ESV)

1 Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you covered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.

Lord, we love you. Thanks for watching for the prodigal, waiting to embrace him when he returned to your justice. Thank you also for discerning that the older brother’s heart was more needy than the prodigal’s and for going after him. You lovingly taught him that both mercy and grace go along with justice.

When we have done all the “right things” and still come up short- aka no love, then we must fall at the feet of Jesus and ask for His mercy. He always provides where we lack and lovingly teaches us how to love ourselves and others.- Teresa

Luke 15:11-32 (ESV)

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to[b] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[c] 22 But the father said to his servants,[d] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

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Footnotes

Luke 15:8 Greek ten drachmas; a drachma was a Greek coin approximately equal in value to a Roman denarius, worth about a day’s wage for a laborer
Luke 15:15 Greek joined himself to
Luke 15:21 Some manuscripts add treat me as one of your hired servants
Luke 15:22 Or bondservants

When Jesus turned the focus off of the fear of punishment and put it on God’s love for valuable mankind, he was empowered to lay down his life for us.

Jesus could have feared those in authority as they attempted to “ catch him”. Instead He chose to teach the people about the truth of God’s value system. God not only values and cares for the numerous creatures around us but even moreso, He cares for each human being created in His image. – Teresa #Hehearsthosewithevilintentions #loudandclear #Hehearsthoseineed #notforgotten

Luke 11:53-12:7 (ESV) 53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

12 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

Do Not Fear

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.[b] Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?[c] And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Would you be free from the burden of sin? …there’s “power in the blood” of the lamb. This old hymn speaks of a mighty truth. When Jesus wrote our names in heaven, He performed an amazing act that far surpassed all the spiritual warfare or displays of power here on earth. Jesus Christ the LORD became sin for us that we may be His righteousness before the Father. We are amazed at His act of love. We are awestruck at His glorious humility (strength under control), for the sake of mankind.

Today, if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart but turn toward His love for you. The world system would have us turn away from the humility of love to grab our due (just dessert). In the end, we are far richer when we first receive His love and then present our lives as a spiritual sacrifice- true justice mixed with mercy. -Teresa

Romans 12:1,2 (ESV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2

Discerning God’s will also means being aware of our own self-focused will. How much easier to follow our “heart” than to prayerfully ask God for discernment about His Kingdom desires. When our heart becomes His will, we are truly blessed.- Teresa #timetopray #baskinginHisloveforus

Luke 10:17-20 (ESV)

The Return of the Seventy-Two

17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”