The Reading Plan Daily Devotions

There is nothing quite so devious as moral impurity. But there is also nothing quite so predictable. Our great Enemy knows that he doesn’t have to be creative with immorality. The bait is so strong that it just needs to be placed within our reach. If we do not immediately apply God’s remedy, we will be ensnared. Sweet for a moment, the end results are always excruciating.   DAVID’S GREAT FAILURE   There was no one like David who was “a man after God’s own heart.” Perhaps the story of David’s failure is included in the Scripture to remind us that no one is immune to moral temptation and its possibilities. Even the most godly can fail if unguarded. In all that is recorded of David’s 40-year reign as a spiritual King in Israel, just four short verses chronicle his greatest fall.   2 Samuel 11 1 Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But

God is never changing. He is who He is. The theological word for this is “immutability.” We can trust Him to be the same “yesterday, today, and forever.”   His constancy gives us our only real stability in life. Every man or woman we know has varying moments of inconsistency. They let us down at times by not being true to what we thought they were. But not God.   MY GOD   David discovered this early in his life. As he was being chased by Saul in the wilderness, often despairing of his life, the one constant in his life—the One He could always trust—was God.   Psalm 18 1 I love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.   In eight profound descriptors, David professes His faith in God. These were no mere phrases. Not a nice worship song sung to a catchy phrase by a casual

Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. ( 2 Samuel 6:16 ) Those who have no orientation toward God will never understand those who worship God with total abandonment. It is offensive to them. Some of these despisers are even found in the church. Their opinions are revealing, not about those they observe, but about the condition of their own hearts. Obviously, there is a lot in the church that passes for true worship that is not. This deserves discernment and may even warrant correction at times. But a true worshiper would rather err on over-abandonment than under-worship. TRUE WORSHIP Perhaps the greatest worshiper in the Bible was King David. The author of most of the Psalms, David modeled a heart that was completely abandoned to God. He had absolutely no concern for other's opinions. In 2 Samuel 6 , we ha

It's a simple sentence, but profoundly telling. It was the reason a young shepherd named David became the greatest King Israel ever knew. It was why God would entrust such responsibility into his hands. And, It's the necessary essential of all great leaders. And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. ( 2 Samuel 5:12 ) UNDERSTANDING THE SOURCE David realized something that most never grasp: God had exalted him to leadership. It was not man and it certainly was not by his own skill or resources. Perhaps he saw this because of his humble beginnings as the youngest son of a shepherd. He never dreamed he would command such authority. Or maybe it was because of the way it had all occurred. The jealousy of Saul that had driven the loyal David from his side. The relentless hunting of the innocent servant in the wilderness. The supernatural intervention of God to bring about this strange

We know little about this for there is a national spirit of cynicism and dishonor among us toward our leaders. We are not better for it.   We would be wise to learn from a young man named David.   DAVID’S OPPRESSION   David had been anointed by God as king to take Saul’s place, for Saul had disobeyed the Lord. But then an amazing thing happened: Saul became jealous of God’s favor on David and began to try to kill young David. He hurled a spear against him. He chased him through the Judean wilderness like an animal of prey. He did everything that should have made David hate him. A lesser man would have done so.   DAVID’S HONOR   But in all of these horrendous days, as David was running and hiding, he did not dishonor Saul. In fact, when he had the chance to easily take Saul’s life, he refused to do it. He would not lift his hand against God’s anointed, but he simply left his case in the hands of God, believing that God would make it right in the proper time.   When an Amalekite soldie