1 Samuel 24:6 - Let God be our defender and deliverer

“And he said to his men, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.’”

1 Samuel 24:6

David was in the recesses of a cave in the Wilderness of En Gedi. Saul took 3,000 chosen men and went to seek David. Saul went to attend to his needs in a cave that was by the road. David was given a word that God was going to deliver his enemy into his hand. He was also instructed that he could do to him as it seemed good to him by this man. David saw Saul and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. David told his men “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” David restrained his men and wouldn’t let them harm Saul. David left the cave and then called out to Saul. He told him “Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you.” David knew that God’s hand of blessing had left Saul. He knew that he was going to be king of Israel some time in the future. Yet because God had at one time anointed Saul, David refused to lay a hand on him. David honored the Lord by sparing Saul’s life. He trusted the Lord to bring his kingship to pass. He wasn’t about to take matters into his own hand. David wasn’t going to usurp God’s place in this matter. If Saul needed to be removed as king to make a way for David, then God would have to do it. Even being urged to kill Saul, David was not going to strike the Lord’s anointed. We can learn so much from David. We can leave things in the Lord’s hand. We can trust the Lord to bring His will to pass in our lives and in the lives of others. We don’t have to interfere or play God. This means that we don’t have to run ahead of him and take matters into our own hand. We don’t have to usurp God’s place in the matter. We should give Him the respect that He deserves. He is Lord. We can trust Him.

Father, we come to You today and thank You for being our Lord. Forgive us for all the times we have taken matters into our own hands instead of waiting on You to bring Your will to pass. Help us to be patient and to wait for Your hand to move in our lives and the lives of others. May we not run ahead of You any longer and take matters into our own hand. May we not usurp Your place of honor. May we give You the respect that You deserve. You are Lord and we can trust You and your plans for our lives. When You do the work, when You take care of things, then it is done right. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Kimberly Lenz, Care Ministry Coordinator

Solid Rock Community Church

1 Samuel 23:27 - God can use all things to save and rescue us

“But a messenger came to Saul, saying, ‘Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land.’”

1 Samuel 23:27

Saul was still hunting David down and trying to take his life. David was in the Wilderness of Moan. Saul went to one side of the mountain. David and his men were on the other side of the mountain trying to get away from him. Saul and his men began to encircle around David to trap him. Just at that time a messenger came to Saul. They told Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land. This made Saul fearful so he stopped trying to pursue David as soon as he heard this report. He and his men turned and left. The Philistines were the primary enemies of God’s people at this point of history. In God’s sovereignty, God used the Philistines to rescue His servant David. He can do the same for us in this day and age too. He can use those that walk in darkness and/or those that are His enemies to save and rescue us and provide us with a way of escape. He is God and He can use all things. Thank God for His sovereignty, love and power. We are so blessed!

Father, we thank You for Your sovereignty. We thank You that You can use all sorts of people to rescue and help Your people, even those that walk in darkness and/or are Your enemies. You are a good God and You have our best interests at heart. Thank You, Lord, for everything. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Kimberly Lenz, Care Ministry Coordinator

Solid Rock Community Church

Kimberly Lenz, Care Ministry Coordinator

Solid Rock Community Church

1 Samuel 23:21 - Don't be impressed by mere words

“And Saul said, ‘Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me.’”

1 Samuel 23:21

Saul had a hard and vindictive heart. He was walking apart from God. He was trying to kill David. Some Ziphites went to Saul and told him the specific spot where David was hiding. Saul replied to them “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me.” Can you believe he said that? “Blessed are you of the Lord.” This shows us that anyone can use religious words and try to appear super spiritual. God is not impressed with lip service. He knows their hearts. Since He isn’t impressed, neither should we be. He isn’t fooled. We shouldn’t be fooled either. Jesus said that by our fruits people would be able to see if we are “real” or “genuine” in the Lord or not. Don’t just listen to people’s words. Look at their hearts and what makes them tick. Look at the type of fruit that is coming from their lives. This shows the trueness of whether they are genuinely “real” or not.

Father, we see from the life of Saul that anyone can use religious words and try to come across as being super spiritual. We know that You are not impressed with lip service. May we not be impressed with lip service either. You are not impressed by people that are words but not heart. May we not be impressed by people that are words but not heart either. You can’t be fooled. May we not be fooled either. Reveal to us their fruits. Show us know whether they are genuinely “real” or not. May we not be deceived. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

1 Samuel 23:16 - Godly friends strengthen our hand in God

“Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.”

1 Samuel 23:16

David lived at various hideouts as Saul was looking for him day after day. God’s call was upon David and God never allowed Saul to find him. David once went into the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph in the forest to hide. David’s beloved friend, Jonathan, “went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God” (1 Samuel 23:16). We all need friends who will “strengthen our hands in God.” We need their heartfelt support. Their encouragement and love build us up in the faith and strengthens us in the good times as well as the hard times. God does not want us go through our lives alone. We are gifts to each other.

Father, David had Saul that was after his life. We have an enemy as well. Your Word says that the thief (Satan) comes to rob, steal, kill and destroy. Your call was upon David and You never allowed Saul to find him. May Your call be upon us as well. Put a shield of protection around us and may our enemy not be able to get to us either. David had to go from hideout after hideout to be safe. May we safely abide in the secret place of the Most High. David had a beloved friend that “strengthened his hand in God.” Give us beloved friends that will strengthen our hands in God too. And, Father, we ask that You help us to be that kind of friend to others too. We thank You for hearing our prayers and for answering them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

1 Samuel 22:18 - We will receive a reward for doing good either here on earth or in heaven

“And the king said to Doeg, ‘You turn and kill the priests!’ So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.”

1 Samuel 22:18

God never hides the truth from us. There can be a high price to pay for doing what is right. The good thing is that He promises to reward us for doing what is good and right, even if that reward comes to us in heaven. We can’t understand or comprehend why Saul would have his own priests killed. Saul thought that the priests, his son Jonathan, and David were conspiring against him. Doeg had witnessed Abimelech, the high priest, talking to David. He had seen him give David food and Goliath’s sword. He told Saul about this. This angered Saul and he took his anger out on all of the priests. Saul’s actions show how far he had rebelled and strayed from the Lord. Unfortunately the priests had to pay for Saul’s rebellious heart. We can suffer from others when all we are doing what is good too. They misconstrue what we have done as they don’t understand our purity of actions or our motives. They get angered and strike out, often with the tongue. Just be encouraged. Ephesians 6:8 says that we can know “that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord.” He is who we serve and live for. The New Living Translation says “Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do.” Put your faith and trust in Him. Our reward will surely come. We are guaranteed it.

Father, we come to You this day. We don’t always understand why people do the things they do when we were only trying to do good. Thank You for reminding us that it is You that we serve and live for. You are who we are trying to please. And Your Word promises that You will reward each one of us for the good that we do. “Each one of us” includes me. You know our hearts and understand our purity and motives. We are so grateful and thankful for that. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Kimberly Lenz, Care Ministry Coordinator

Solid Rock Community Church

1 Samuel 22:2 - God changes us and makes us mighty men & women of God

“And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred en with him.”

1 Samuel 22:2

When God put together David’s first army it consisted of the distressed, the debtors, and the discontented. They were not the strongest and mightiest of men when they began to be under him, but with David’s leadership some grew up to be mighty men of God. Jashobeam “once used his spear to kill eight hundred enemy warriors in a single battle” (2 Samuel 23:8). Then there was Eleazer who stood with David “against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled. He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the Lord gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder” (2 Samuel 23:9-10). And let’s not forget Shammah who one time when the Philistines had “gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory” (2 Samuel 23:11-12). This reminds me of some of us Christians. When we started out in our walk with Christ we may have had low self-esteems, were heartbroken and in need of healing deep down in our souls, bound by so many things, distressed, discontented, unsatisfied and unhappy with our lives. We may have had worldly idols and put other things before God as we didn’t know Him yet. But then by His mercy and grace He found us. He made us His own. He caused us to see ourselves through His eyes and not the world’s. He healed our broken hearts, He delivered and set us free from so many things. He made us content, satisfied, and happy with our lives. He gave us a new life, a new heart, a new start and beginning. Old things had passed away, all things had become new. We were born again. And then He grew us up and by His leadership He made us mighty men and women of the faith, all to the glory of Him. He did not leave us where we started. He loved us enough to transform us from the inside out, giving us His Holy Spirit to dwell within. We have so much to be grateful for.

Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank You for making us Your own. You did not leave us in the state we were in when we found You. You gave us Your Holy Spirit and the power of Your love changed us from the inside out. We give You all the praise for this, all the glory, and all the honor. You raised up Joshobeam, Eleazer, and Shammah and made them mighty men of God. Lord, raise us up in the day and age so that we can be mighty men and women of the faith too. We want to make a difference in this world and we know that the difference is found in You. May we share Christ with a lost and dying world. You loved us while we were yet sinners. You love others while they are yet sinners too. May we not forget this but reach out to them with Your love. And may the power of Your love be effective and reach them, transforming their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Samuel 22:8 - Bring those that are astray back to You

“All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”

1 Samuel 22:8

Saul somehow knew that Jonathan had made a covenant with David. He felt betrayed by his own son and was not happy. Saul was living outside of the will of God. God’s hand of blessing was upon David. His hand of blessing had left Saul. When we turn from the Lord and start walking without Him, life becomes “all about us.” And a self-focused life plants the seeds of its own destruction. My heart today goes out to the people that once walked with God and have backslidden and are living apart from Him. We are blessed, but they are living outside of the will of God. God’s hand of blessing is no longer with them. Their lives are “all about them.” They are focused only on themselves and they have planted seeds to their own destruction. My hearts desire is that they be pulled up out of the muck and the mire of the world. My desire is that they not be deceived any longer. My desire is that they repent and give their lives back over to Him. Philippians 4:4-7 says “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” God wants us to continue to stay strong in Him and to rejoice in Him always. God wants us to have His peace inside of us even when we think of those that have gone astray. He wants us to remain in an environment of His peace. He wants us to have a sound mind. He wants us to be gentle. Gentleness shows His love. Gentleness is one of the fruits of the Spirit. It can be used to draw others to Christ. He doesn’t want us to worry or to fret. Prayer is the antidote for worry. There are different aspects to prayer. One is prayer, a worshipful feeling and attitude of the heart that surrenders to Him; supplication, a need; and requests, the specific concern. Thanksgiving showers our prayers with gratefulness and gratitude for and to Him. Because of these three things: prayer, supplication, and requests, the peace of God brings us power to have faith and to endure, to hold onto hope and to see the victory come. This supernatural peace calms us. His peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus loves His sheep. When one sheep wandered away, the Shepherd left the 99 and went in search of that one. Today we are going to be praying for that “one.” We are going to be praying for all the “one’s.” We want the angels in heaven to rejoice. We want to rejoice with them.

Father, we come to You and pray for every person that had at one time knew about You and they have since then backslidden and started walking apart from You. They are self-focused and life is “all about them.” Your hand of blessing has left them as they are continually sowing seeds of destruction. Father, we know that You love them. You made them. May You, our Good Shepherd, go in search of those that have wondered away. Pull them up out of the muck and mire of the world. May they be delivered and not be deceived any longer. Reveal Yourself to them once again. May they repent and turn from their wicked ways and follow after You with their whole hearts. May the angels in heaven rejoice and may we rejoice with them. We are not asking for money. We are not asking for things. We are asking for hearts that have turned from You to be brought back to You. This is our hearts desire. May they not resist what the Holy Spirit is trying to do in their lives. May they come to the point of wholehearted surrender.Help us to continue to rejoice in You. Help our gentleness to be known to all men. Your Word says that the Lord is at hand. May we not be anxious or  worrisome. We pray in agreement today. We offer You supplications today. With thanksgiving we have let our requests be known to You. We thank You that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Bring these things to pass. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Kimberly Lenz, Care Ministry Coordinator

Solid Rock Community Church