Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9
The Lord continues to help you so be a courageous hero for your faith. Even though there will be challenges along the way, you can boldly step ahead because like the post “Give It Your Best Shot” points out, you can accept each challenge to face them head on with the promise of victory given to you in Christ.
As the words of the song It’s Always Been You by Phil Wickham call attention to, it’s always been the Lord with me and it will always be. The voice that calms the storms inside me, the castle walls that stand around me, the Light that shines in every tunnel. The Lord was with me in the past, with me now, and will be with me tomorrow.
We will give it our best shot to gain the victory. This day with God, we can take on our fears head on by facing them one by one knowing that God has our back. Today, we will boldly share about the Good News of this victory in order to encourage toward applying God’s word in all we do.
In previous studies, Saul had promised not to harm David because David had spared Saul’s life. Nonetheless, David felt he needed to get away from Saul so reading today in 1 Samuel 27, he decides to escape to the land of the Philistines to seek refuge from Saul.
Let us remember that the giant named Goliath was a Philistine who David had defeated so we are now full circle and David is now attacking Israel. He would raid areas of Israel leaving no one alive. The king of Gath named Achish saw an opportunity to use David so he let him live in the land of the Philistines. In return, David and his men fought for the Philistines against Israel.
When we have casual ethics like we read today with David joining forces with the enemy, we put ourselves in a predicament. We can’t run from our problems so we need to face them head on. Don’t fear failure or harm but give it your best shot. Great basketball players may miss most of their shots but can still be considered great player. Today, be encouraged to give it your best shot with confidence because you have the Spirit through God’s promises in Christ.
This day with You Lord, we are encouraged to give it our best shot because with You is certain victory. We rely on Your Word as our guide, we write down steps of action, and praise You with songs. We take courage as we step ahead with boldness because with You by our side, everything will turn out alright. Amen.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9
As pointed out in the post “Eternal Rewards of the Holy Spirit”, wealth of this world is a small reward compared to what the Holy Spirit provides for eternity.
As the song Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli points out, nothing comes close to the presence of the Lord. The glory of His goodness is what our heart longs for and there’s nothing worth more.
Many people moved west during the eighteen hundreds as silver and gold was found in that region of the United States. The photo above is an old gold mine in Virginia City Nevada. We can be thankful that God rewards us as we search for golden nuggets found in His Word.
The truth of God’s word and the eternal rewards of the Holy Spirit are worth more than silver or gold. This day with God, let us read, observe, and listen so that we can document nuggets of gold that are useful in providing encouragement, enthusiasm, and sound advice.
Reading today in 1 Samuel 26, we know from our recent studies that the Lord brought Nabal down so David did not need to kill Nabal. We also know that David has had an opportunity to kill Saul before when Saul was in the cave.
Today as we read, there is another opportunity to kill Saul but David refrains. David’s reason for refraining from killing Saul is that Saul was the Lord’s anointed. David said the Lord himself will strike down Saul, his time will come, or he will go into battle and perish (v. 10).
Noted in verse 12 is the miraculous event of the Lord as He puts Saul’s men to sleep while David and Abishai walk into the army camp of Saul. Right beside Saul was his spear stuck in the ground near his head and his water jug.
As verse 23 states, the Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered Saul into David’s hands but he didn’t lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. David said that he had valued Saul’s life and hoped the Lord would value his life and deliver him from trouble.
Let us pray today that we may develop these same characteristics of David so that we may achieve God’s Plan for Us. The Lord rewards with achievement towards His plan as He provides insight to what to say or as He gives us an extra sense of knowing where to be at the right time. Achievement of earthly aspirations is a small reward compared to the eternal rewards of the Holy Spirit.
This day, we are praying to You Lord who promises a future with prosperity, purpose, peace, and a perfect place beyond what could be imagined. Each day is a new day in which You provide more than earthly rewards but eternal rewards. Grace is the currency of Your kingdom and the flow of grace from You Lord rewards with riches beyond what could be imagined. Amen.
Photo – Taken while on vacation to Lake Tahoe and San Francisco years ago. We spent a day touring Virginia City Nevada which is an old mining town depicted in the 1960-1970s TV series Bonanza.
Thought – As you read, observe, and listen, document nuggets of gold that are useful in providing encouragement, enthusiasm, and sound advice.
This poem points out that large crowds began to follow Jesus and at times He associated with people not thought of highly by society. The Pharisees raised criticism but in a calm, peaceful way and with reasoning, he simply stated His purpose.
