David’s mighty men were the rock stars of the day. Can you imagine 1 man taking on 300 and winning? The 3 mightiest were the dream team of enforcers and yet they loved David so much they risked their lives to go get him a cup of water in an enemy camp. Oh how God would desire us to be mighty men and women for His sake. We don’t have to risk life or limb for something as meaningless as a cup of water. He asks us to put ourselves out there daily as a testimony to His goodness and to stand in truth and right walking. We don’t wield a literal sword, but the sword of the Spirit, His word is His weapon of choice. My hearts desire is to be a mighty warrior for my great God. How about you!

Unless you have walked through a dark time in your life you might now be able to relate to Psalm 77. You might even look at it and think “how hopeless and depressing.” But if you have been through a dark path you will look at it entirely different and might even say “That is exactly how I felt.”
3 “When I remember God, I moan;
when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah
4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.”
Or maybe this more describes how you feel,
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”
The answer the Psalmist came to was to remember what God had already done. Chapter 78 recounts all of the things God did for His people Israel as He saved them from slavery all the way through the wilderness. He was not painting with rose colored glasses. He knew there were times that God was testing the hearts of the people to see if they would remain true to Him. No matter how we feel God does care. He longs for our obedience and to know Him in a deeper way. Our “dark times” are meant to drive us to a deeper dependency on Him. Don’t harden your heart or be deceived God is still with you and He loves you even when it seems silent and dark. On those days recount His presence in your life in days past and know He is still there.

God’s ways are not always our ways and His timing is not ours. That is why at times we feel as though God doesn’t hear or doesn’t care. In Psalm 44 the writer is pouring out his heart to God wondering where He is and why the people of Israel are experiencing defeats. He reminds God of their faithfulness and their calling out to Him. There are times I can identify with this writer. I have wondered at times is God hears or listens and yet that is usually when my impatience with a situation or person is evident. Just because God choose to send difficult times does not mean he doesn’t know or care. Sometimes those trials are to teach, test or even refine us. The last year of our lives have surely been that, but in the last few weeks it is as though fresh light has come and the paths are getting clearer. Yesterday we saw a miracle. I won’t share it yet, but when the time is right you guys are not going to believe the goodness of God!!! Thankful to see His had so at work!

David loved deeply. He did not just say he cared, his actions even at their death evidenced his great affection. His response to Jonathan and Saul’s deaths as well as that of Agner. He respected each of these men and to simply acknowledge their death and move on was not his style. He composed a song and made it known through out the country when Saul and David died. At Abner’s death he fasted until sunset. It reminds us again actions speak louder than words. The end result was the trust of the people. It was David’s strength but also his heart that drew them. Oh to have a leader like that today who stood for truth and truly cared about the people not just political gain. It drives me again to pray for the upcoming election and that God will perform a miracle and rule in the heart of the one who is elected.

One of the things I like about David is that God allows us to see his imperfections and yet his repentant spirit. All of us sin. All of us need to repent when we do and head back in God’s direction. David’s honesty in wanting those who hurt him to be punished is just raw and real. He isn’t putting on a “religious show” and acting as though everything is fine. He is honest in his hurt and anger. YET! He knows that this only leads to a dark place and his focus switches from those who hurt him to the One who is really in charge. As he praises God for who He is and for His control in all things David realizes that God is the one who is worthy to take the revenge and even the lives of those who hurt him. Saul is a prime example and yet when David had the opportunity to kill him he chose not to. There are others that God prevented him from taking vengeance on and in the end David knew it was from God. Once again David is teaching us that honesty before God is not wrong. It is what we do with our hurts that lead us down a sinful path.

The story of Abigail has always intrigued me. David’s men had been guarding her husband’s shepherds and sheep and making sure no one stole from them while they were pasturing in an away place. When it came time for the herd to be sheered David sent men to ask for a gift of appreciation to be given. Nabal, Abigail’s husband refused to give the offering and insulted David. David’s human response was to instruct his men to strap on their weapons and go and wipe the entire family out. Abigail heard what Nabal had done and she responded decisively preparing food portions for David and his men. The she went and upon encountering David she fell to the ground and pleaded for forgiveness admitting that her husband was not wise in his response. Her quick and decisive actions saved not just the life of her husband, but also of every male in their home. As I pondered the actions of Abigail I thought that was probably not the first time she had be pressed to make amends for her husband. Even when she returned he was drunk and had no idea of the impending peril he had placed his home in. God responded by allowing Nabal to have a stroke and he died in a few days. Abigail was sent for by David and he made her his wife. Her wisdom, forward thinking, decisiveness, and understanding made her a perfect mate for one who was running for his life with a band of men.
How does this story apply to our lives? There will be times we all encounter people like Nabal. He was self serving and so egocentric he did not even realize the mess he was making. In those cases, remember God sees and knows . His vengeance is much better than yours. Also have compassion on those who must live with a Nabal. His choices absolutely affect his people but they are not usually the heart of others in the home. They too are embarrassed and probably harassed by their leader’s poor judgement. Be slow to judge them and quick to forgive.

There were so many verses in our reading today that stand out and have been rocks of refuge for me over the years. The verses that I am choosing is really where Les and I are right now.
27:14 “Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!”
52:8 “But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.”
Waiting is never fun, but as we talked about last night where I spoke, God’s timing is always perfect. Until then I will trust His goodness.

I was struck today by how intimately David knew God. As a shepherd boy I am sure he spent days on end focusing on the heavens and the earth around him. I know he pondered the Creator because the Psalms record that. He learned to depend on God and see His hand in all things. Even when Saul was pursuing him, David still rested in God. He went to the priest for provision. He prayed and sought direction as to where to go. He chose to withhold retribution toward Saul when he literally had his hand on the edge of his robe. His response 24:6 “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” David’s consistent walk with the Lord even when later he sins serves as a challenge to me to spend time with God so I know him not just as my Creator, but as my everything.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

When we were expecting our second son Les and I were considering what we wanted his name to be. I had challenged myself to read through the bible during that pregnancy reading the bible aloud many days to already put the word of God into his heart from the time he was in my womb. As I read through the characters Caleb, the mighty warrior and man of faith and Jonathan, the loyal friend stayed with me. Neither of these characters had to be the one in command to make a difference for the Lord, yet in God’s eyes, they were His men.
Today we study Jonathan’s relationship with David. Jonathan made a covenant with David as his friend even when it meant Jonathan would not be king. I can’t imagine what the atmosphere was like the day that David and Jonathan met in the field after Saul declared his hatred for David and tried to kill Jonathan. As they hugged and tears ran they knew it would be the last time for a long time when they could be together. Jonathan’s love for David allowed David to go. True love sometimes calls for allowing difficult things to happen for the good of the other.
Our Jonathan Caleb Hughes is now a young man waiting on God to provide a place to pastor and being faithful to what God has and is opening up for him to do today. I am amazed and thankful he is a man of God who says, “With God all things are possible” just like the Caleb he is named for. He is also one of the most loyal of friends to those God has given him through the years. Whoever gets this young pastor will get a mighty man of God who loves and cherishes those in his congregation! May we all be ready to take on God’s plans for us as well as be loyal to those God sends us as friends.

Two things stood out to me from this reading. Everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes and there is no indication they were reading or trying to live by God’s word. It sounds much like life today where “truth is relative” because our culture doesn’t believe the Bible is God’s word. When there is no foundation to line our morals up with people go by what “feels right”. That is why God gave us His word because it alone is the standard for right and wrong. It is why God wanted each king to write his own copy. If we line our lives up by God’s word there is one standard. The Levite in Micah’s story was just as bad as Samson about doing what they deemed right and we are no different when we choose to neglect Truth for our feelings. It is a great reminder for why we spend time daily in God’s word so that we may KNOW what is right and wrong. When we do wrong we immediately confess it and get back on the right path. Obedience still brings blessing and disobedience brings conflict.