Category: Category 3

“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”

– William Arthur Ward

Encourage others

While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this”.
1 Samuel 23:15-17

David was in the wilderness and heard that Saul had come to take his life. David was moving from place to place in the wilderness not knowing what the next day would hold for him, and to hear that Saul was after his life must have been devastating.

When David was crossing a valley, we see that his good friend Jonathan was there to encourage him. The first thing that he did was to help David to find strength in the Lord. Second, we see that he installed faith in David, encouraging him to remove the fear which was troubling his heart. How did he do that? He reminded David of God’s promise that he will be the king, and that he would assist him. All the promises of God are yes and amen in Him.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

In all this we see that Jonathan was positive towards David and was able to walk side by side with him. He was able to encourage him to persevere through rough times.

Are we able to walk side by side with a friend and encourage them the same way that Jonathan did? Ask the Lord to lead us to the discouraged so that we could be a tool in His hand.

Dear Lord,
I thank You Lord that You have always encouraged me and strengthened me. Help me to do the same for others. Amen.

God bless you
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

Never become attached to anything that continues to hurt God. For you to be free of it, God must be allowed to hurt whatever it may be.

– Oswald Chambers

 

The Wilderness

 

David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

1 Samuel 23:14

 

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led to the wilderness and He fasted for forty days. During this time, He was able to overcome the enemy. Moses was in the wilderness for forty years, and the Lord moulded him and called him to bring His people out of Egypt. David was also in the wilderness before he was made King.

 

There is something unique in all three, and it is that they knew their call. Jesus was God himself and He knew His Father’s will. Moses was protected and trained in the palace and knew his call, and David was anointed by Samuel.

 

Most of us know our call, but are we willing to go through the wilderness? The wilderness experience teaches us to depend on and be obedient to God’s call. If the children of Israel obeyed the Lord, they would have been out of the wilderness in eleven days. Are we willing to hear and heed His voice when we are in the wilderness?

 

Dear Lord,

I thank You Lord for this day. Help me to learn from David, so that I too will be willing to call and heed Your voice in the wilderness. Amen.

 

God bless you

Your obedient servants in Christ,

Theo and Manju

“Patience is more than endurance. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says–‘I cannot stand anymore.’ God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God’s hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him’” – Oswald Chambers.

 

Led by the Lord

 

When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod. David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me.

1 Samuel 23:7-10

 

David continues to be led by the Lord and he is given victory over the people of Keilah. David and his men may have thought Keilah was a safe place, where they could stay in comfort after moving about in the wilderness and living in caves.

 

We might reach a stage in our lives where the storms have ended and the Lord has given us victory. We may rest and that is when the enemy will attack us. His desire is to steal, kill, and pursue his end.

 

Our cords must always be tied to God, as the cord of a baby is attached to the mother before birth. David understood this; he kept seeking the Lord when he heard that Saul was after him and the Lord guided him out of Keilah. This is the Lord whom we trust, He will never leave us nor sake us. He will always answer us when we call on His name.

 

Dear Lord,

I thank You Lord for Your love, which is steadfast, and I know that I can come to You when the enemy pursues me. Amen.

 

God bless you

Your obedient servants in Christ,

Theo and Manju

“We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defence. We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all” – Oswald Chambers.

 

Led by the Lord

 

When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors, he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines? The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah. But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces! Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.

1 Samuel 23:1-4

 

Cars have indicators on the front panel which tell us how much fuel is remaining and other important information. Many of us drive our cars without bothering to check the indicators. Some may grind to a halt because the driver did not check if there was enough fuel for the journey first.

 

The same can be said of our lives. Like cars, we also have an indicator – the Holy Spirit who is in us. It is important to check that we are not running on past experience, as it is not an indicator. Indicators are for a special purpose.

 

When we read the above passage, it says that David did not inquire once, but twice to make sure that he was on track. This did not happen overnight, but over a period of time where he would spend time with the Lord, and He would lead him. David made sure that he was checking with the indicator.

 

David’s men were not very enthusiastic to go and fight. His army consisted of the distressed, the discontented, and people who were in debt. Though the men were afraid because of the Word of the Lord, David was able to gather the weak then confront and defeat the Philistines.

 

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day and seek Your Holy Spirit to lead me. I depend on You for every step of my life. Amen.

 

God bless you

Your obedient servants in Christ,

Theo and Manju

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17-18

 

David at Adullam

All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

1 Samuel 22:2

As Saul’s jealousy, anger and hatred against David increased, David was forced to flee for his life and took refuge at the cave of Adullam. His family and close supporters followed him and he soon became the commander of around four hundred men. His followers, however, consisted of three groups of people; those who were distressed, in debt or discontented.

 

What would our reaction be if we were asked to lead a group of such people? When the Lord calls us for a purpose, He will provide us with fellow workers who will support us in achieving His goal. In all circumstances, we must seek to know His will and thank the Lord for His provision, regardless of what is seen in the natural.

 

David’s followers came to him for protection and training, no longer wanting to live under Saul’s rule. All of them had to make a choice, to lay down their past and move on with their new identity.

Are we also able to make such a choice? Can we leave our past behind and follow the Lord, to trust that He will protect us and train us as soldiers, living for the Lord? The four hundred men were able to live together, sharing whatever they had. United, they became a strong team. This is a challenge for us to follow in our churches today.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day and for being my strength whenever I have been in a cave situation. I choose to lay down my past and follow You, as did the men of David. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

o do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced.
Isaiah 41:10-11

He is Our Protection

But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
1 Samuel 19:9-10

Saul’s jealousy affected his way of thinking and he became obsessed with seeking to kill David. When we keep dwelling on negative or impure thoughts, it will ultimately produce bad fruit. The word says that we have to “cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

There was once a general manager who, because of his jealousy, treated a newly recruited manager very badly. He removed the manager from his allocated office and put his own staff in the room. The manager gave the situation to the Lord and was soon returned to his rightful office by management who recognised the injustice. The general manager’s jealousy, however, soon turned to fear and he subsequently left the company, creating an opening for the new recruit to become the new general manager.
The Lord’s protection is always on His people and He will never let them down. If you are struggling with a difficult situation at your workplace or at home, give it to the Lord because He is faithful to release you from the manipulations of those who are bound by jealousy and bitterness in their hearts.

 

Dear Lord,
I thank You, Lord, that no weapon fashioned against me will stand and that You will refute every tongue that seeks to accuse me. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
James 4:6

Humility

 

Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’” They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”
1 Samuel 18:22-23

David was called by the Lord, anointed to be the future king and celebrated the victories that the Lord had given him; through all this he remained humble and considered himself little known and unworthy of being the king’s son-in-law.

King Saul had previously promised to give David his daughter, Merab, as his wife but the king went back on his word and gave her to another man, Adriel the Meholathite. Instead of becoming angry, David continued to profess his unworthiness to be the king’s son-in-law when Saul offered him Michal.

David’s humility kept him from manipulating the situation for his own benefit. Knowing that he was called to be a future king, he waited for God’s timing with patience, humility and endurance.

Have we also been blessed with talents from the Lord? Are we using them to honour God or are we striving to promote ourselves by misusing the gifts that He has given us? Has pride overtaken us? Let us take stock this morning and say to the Lord, “I surrender my gifts and talents to You. Use them for Your glory because I want to walk in humility, abiding by Your perfect will.”

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day. Let me not manipulate the systems of this world to my advantage but wait for You to lift me up so that Your name may be glorified. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. James 3:16

Jealousy

Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops and Saul’s officers as well. When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels  and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly.
1 Samuel 18:5-8

After David’s victory over Goliath, he was recognised as a military hero and given a high rank in Saul’s army. However, when they returned from fighting the Philistines, the women who went out to greet the soldiers gave greater praise to David than to King Saul. Their words displeased the king and he became very jealous and angry.

Why did Saul get angry? Did he not understand that the victories of David were also victories for the king and the entire nation?

When we are led by the Spirit of God, we live by faith and trust the Lord for our victories. When Saul disobeyed the Lord and started to rely on his own strength, the Spirit of the Lord left him and his faith was replaced with fear.

When our hearts are gripped with fear, we resort to the natural and try to protect ourselves with what we can see, feel and touch. Fear can also create feelings of jealousy and anger, especially when our pride has been hurt.
In the story of Saul, we see how his fear of losing the kingdom caused his focus to shift from caring for the people, to defeating David. As jealousy and anger consumed him, he drifted further and further away from the Lord and the result was that he not only lost the kingdom to David but also met with a tragic end in battle.
Let us, therefore, place our anger and jealous thoughts on His altar today and ask Him to fill us with the love and grace of His Spirit so that we can live as overcomers.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day and place on Your altar every bitter and envious thought. Cleanse me with Your precious blood so that I may walk by faith and not in the wisdom of man. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
1 Corinthians 1:27

The Lord Appoints

As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.” The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

1 Samuel 17:55-56

Although David was not known by King Saul or the commander of the army, he was known by a much higher authority, the Lord in heaven, the King of all kings. Despite his anonymity amongst his earthly superiors, God appointed David to slay Goliath and thereby secure victory for the Israelites.

 

The Lord’s ways are higher than man’s ways, far beyond our understanding. For example, Moses was chosen by the Lord, brought up in Pharaoh’s palace and well known by all but the Lord sent him away for forty years to train and prepare him for the task of setting His children free. On the other hand, David, an unknown shepherd boy, was plucked from the fields as a youth and given the task of defeating Goliath, without so much as a sword in his hand. The Lord honoured young David for his faith and desire to see God’s name glorified in defeating the Philistines.
God has called each one of us to a specific task and the Lord is the one who will prepare us for that role. Sometimes we may have to go through a wilderness period and other times we will see a fast result but through it all, He will train us. We need to persevere through all circumstances and be patient in waiting for His right timing.

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day. I know that promotions do not come from the east or west but from You who appoints us to our individual calling. Help me to persevere day by day, as I seek to fulfil Your purpose for me. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17

Work And Prepare For Victory

Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

1 Samuel 17:49-50

When it comes to competitive sports, the teams that are focused and train hard will have an advantage over those who do not train and prepare for the competition; the result is victory for those who have prepared well.

 

Similarly, our faith needs to be exercised, kept alive and active if we desire to see the Lord move on our behalf. We cannot assume that God will give us the victory if our faith is inactive; it would be pure foolishness to stand before the enemy without arming ourselves with the shield of faith.

 

When David confronted Goliath, he was fully prepared because his faith in God assured him of victory. He also had to prepare himself with the armour that he was comfortable with; instead of trying to wear Saul’s armour, he chose five smooth stones from the brook and used his sling to defeat the giant.

 

The enemy may belittle our faith and our talents just as Goliath ridiculed David, but if we move on and persevere, the Lord will give us the victory. He will not want us to use another person’s talents or armour but as we exercise the faith and the gifts that He has bestowed upon us, we will find that His grace is sufficient for what He has called us to do.

Dear Lord, 

I thank You for this day; help me to be prepared for the battle so that I will be equipped to defeat the enemy with the talents that You have given me. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju