Devotion
How the mighty have fallen … and sinned
David Jacobs
All living things must deal with death. Is killing another human ever justified? There are currently wars ongoing in several countries, many of them fight under the guise of religion. As violence and death spread, the grief of those that have survived leads to more violence and death. The vicious cycle is difficult to break and has been viewed countless times in history.
In these verses, we have two examples of a human killing another human. The first is from the messenger, who claims that he happened upon Saul who was about to die. He asks Saul what he should do, and Saul begs that he kill him to put him out of his misery. He does this, and when he relays this message to David and the Israelites, they are stricken with grief. The Amalekite did as Saul requested and ended Saul's pain. His action is with good intentions, but costs him his life.
David, filling with grief and emotion, asks the Amalekite why he would dare to kill the Lord's anointed, although Saul has disobeyed God and lost God's blessing (1 Samuel 15). Although David is one of the most beloved characters in the Bible, it is his emotional and human nature that makes him easy to empathize with. In his emotional state, David orders the Amalekite to be executed for killing Saul.
Although these verses are not of much significant later, they struck a nerve with me. The Amalekite did what the Lord's anointed, Saul, commanded of him by killing him. In my opinion, David sins, certainly not the first or last time that he will do so, murdering the Amalekite. His actions, which are certainly deplorable, are justified by his grief. His emotional state leads him to sin, forgetting the faithful service that has led him to the throne.
Prayer
Do you think either of these killings is justified? Which one do you think is more justified than the other? If you were the Amalekite, what would you have done? If you were David, how would you have acted?
Night Prayer
So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
Inspiration
The world we live in is imperfect. Walking the path of righteousness is not always rainbows and sunshine; we experience many hardships along the way. David consistently cries out to the Lord for help in his moments of persecution. He acknowledges his foolishness in being angry with the Lord and admits to acting beastly toward Him. None of us understand God's timing or plan for our lives. We get frustrated when circumstances do not go our way. Instead of blaming God or becoming angry, we will trust Him and praise His name for always having our best interest at heart.
Prayer
Dear Lord, forgive us for our impatience with Your timing. We trust Your plan for our lives and will wait patiently in the future. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
I Will Praise His Name
Frances Taylor
How do I praise God? God doesn't want an animal sacrifice he wants a sacrifice of the heart. He wants a joyous heart, a heart that bursts into song because it can't help itself. A heart so full of gratitude that song is the only way a body can express it. I love music; I love to sing the songs of praise in church. I might not have the best voice but it's the one God gave me so he must think it's good enough. There is something about music that lifts the soul. It's no wonder that the psalms are music. In fact, this psalm even tells us which piece of music to sing it to – "Lilies!" When we think about it, some of the most glorious music was written for religious reasons: Handel's Messiah is but one example. When we listen to the anthems of many nations, we see how they give thanks and praise to God. Whether we raise our voices in song or not, what is important is that we raise our voices in thanks and praise to God. Our prayers acknowledge ...
Morning Prayer
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Inspiration
This passage in Peter shows up nicely an idea that has been raised many times by Christ before, that the true value of a man is measured not by what he has, but by what he may do without. When all is burned up, when all possessions and vainglories are dissolved, when all but our body remains, who amongst us can truly claim to be able find comfort only in God? Who amongst us, could claim still, to be able to stand before the Lord, thankful and glad? The question thrown up by Peter is not a command to cast off our worldly goods and comfort, but rather it is a challenge to Christians, to challenge us to ...
