First Response to Trouble
Psalm 59
Building a Community centered on Love
This blog is where I do a Bible Reading. I read a passage from the Bible and then I write down my own thoughts on what I read. I would love to know your thoughts as well!
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Sunday, 3 April 2016
Bible Reading #167 - First Response to Trouble
Sunday, 28 February 2016
Bible Reading with DragoNate #157
What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You?
1 Samuel 21
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| I pray blessings on you as you read. |
(v. 7) "That same day one of Saul's servants who was obligated to stay in the LORD's presence was there. His name was Doeg. A foreman or Saul's shepherds, he was from Edom." (v. 10) "That day Davis left. He was still fleeing from Saul when he came to King Achish of Gath." (v. 12) "When David realized what they had said, he was terrified of King Achish of Gath."
My Thoughts
When David was running from Saul, he went to Ahimelech, the priest at Nob. David lied to Ahimelech and did not tell him why he was really there. Unfortunately for them, Doeg, who was a servant of Saul's, was there and saw David. In 1 Samuel 22 Saul had Ahimelech and his family killed for not reporting David to him.
Have you ever heard that saying 'what so-and-so don't know can't hurt him/her?' Well, that's kinda how David played this, thinking that it would be totally fine not to tell Ahimelech. It ended up being that what he didn't know actually killed him.
Maybe if David had told Ahimelech the truth about what was happening, or told him period, Ahimelech and his family may have been able to escape or hide. That saying is not true. Think about it. If you don't know about bacteria in your food, are you safe? No! You're still going to be affected by the bacteria, whether you know about it or not! Though if you knew, you more than likely won't eat it, thereby avoiding the consequences.
This is one reason why lying is such a bad thing. When we lie, we cause a lot of harm. Firstly to God because lies are not of God. Second to ourselves, at the very least spiritually, but it can cause problems later on as well. Thirdly to whoever we lie to. Fourthly if we lie about someone. Can you see why Satan is called the father or lies?
Not telling someone is something totally different. Not giving certain info is not necessarily a bad thing. It definitely can be, but God doesn't require that we tell everything little detail to every single person. There are some instances where you should not hide certain information. Other times, it really doesn't matter. That's something that is honestly common sense for the mos part and the rest, you have to use your wisdom.
Have you ever heard that saying 'what so-and-so don't know can't hurt him/her?' Well, that's kinda how David played this, thinking that it would be totally fine not to tell Ahimelech. It ended up being that what he didn't know actually killed him.
Maybe if David had told Ahimelech the truth about what was happening, or told him period, Ahimelech and his family may have been able to escape or hide. That saying is not true. Think about it. If you don't know about bacteria in your food, are you safe? No! You're still going to be affected by the bacteria, whether you know about it or not! Though if you knew, you more than likely won't eat it, thereby avoiding the consequences.
This is one reason why lying is such a bad thing. When we lie, we cause a lot of harm. Firstly to God because lies are not of God. Second to ourselves, at the very least spiritually, but it can cause problems later on as well. Thirdly to whoever we lie to. Fourthly if we lie about someone. Can you see why Satan is called the father or lies?
Not telling someone is something totally different. Not giving certain info is not necessarily a bad thing. It definitely can be, but God doesn't require that we tell everything little detail to every single person. There are some instances where you should not hide certain information. Other times, it really doesn't matter. That's something that is honestly common sense for the mos part and the rest, you have to use your wisdom.
Prayer Time
Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.
Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #126
Confession
Psalm 51
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| I pray blessings on you as you read. |
(v. 4) "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge." (v. 10) "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (v. 12) "Restore me to the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
My Thoughts
David sinned against God by taking Bathsheba for himself and having her husband killed so that he could. Even David, who was a man after God's own heart,sinned. We all do. David acknowledged his sin though and gave it to God. He still had consequences, like losing his son who he had with Bathsheba. God restored David though, because he sincerely confessed his sin.
When you sin and you re overcome with guilt and you face the consequences of it, you need to forgive yourself and ten ask God for forgiveness. God will forgive you, you need only ask sincerely. If your heart is in the right place, then rest assured that God has forgiven you. Ask Him to restore you as well, and He will most definitely do that.
When David confessed, he did so publicly, I believe mainly because everyone knew about it. What he did affected may people, not just himself or a couple people. When you confess your sin, I don't believe you need to do so publicly. If it something just between you and God, you need only confess it to God. If your sin affected others, then it may be wise to confess to them as well and let them know that you are truly sorry for it and that you have given it to God. Even then, the most important thing is that you forgive yourself and confess it to God.
Confessing your sins is an important part of healing. If you keep it covered up or try to ignore it or pretend it didn't happen, you are lying to yourself and to God and to whoever else it affects. That is like keeping anger or a grudge or sadness bottled up inside. It will wreck you in the meantime and eventually it will erupt. When that happens, it will not be good at all.
To avoid all this, release yourself from sin's grasp and Satan's clutches by forgiving yourself and confessing to God. You really will feel so much better after doing so.
When you sin and you re overcome with guilt and you face the consequences of it, you need to forgive yourself and ten ask God for forgiveness. God will forgive you, you need only ask sincerely. If your heart is in the right place, then rest assured that God has forgiven you. Ask Him to restore you as well, and He will most definitely do that.
When David confessed, he did so publicly, I believe mainly because everyone knew about it. What he did affected may people, not just himself or a couple people. When you confess your sin, I don't believe you need to do so publicly. If it something just between you and God, you need only confess it to God. If your sin affected others, then it may be wise to confess to them as well and let them know that you are truly sorry for it and that you have given it to God. Even then, the most important thing is that you forgive yourself and confess it to God.
Confessing your sins is an important part of healing. If you keep it covered up or try to ignore it or pretend it didn't happen, you are lying to yourself and to God and to whoever else it affects. That is like keeping anger or a grudge or sadness bottled up inside. It will wreck you in the meantime and eventually it will erupt. When that happens, it will not be good at all.
To avoid all this, release yourself from sin's grasp and Satan's clutches by forgiving yourself and confessing to God. You really will feel so much better after doing so.
Prayer Time
Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.
Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!
Sunday, 10 January 2016
Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #110
Putting Things Off
1 Kings 1
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| I pray blessings on you as you read. |
(v. 5-6) "Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, 'I will be king.' So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never interfered with him by asking, 'Why do you behave as you do?' He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom." (v. 30) "I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place."
My Thoughts
King David was getting old and close to dying, and he still hadn't anointed his son Solomon as king to succeed him. David was putting this important event off so much that his other son Adonijah decided he was going to make himself king, and got a bunch of people to rally behind him. Solomon and his mother would have been killed if Adonijah succeeded in making himself king.
David's choice to keep putting this important event off may well have cost the lives of Solomon and his mother. When we put things off for long periods of time as well, there very well can be consequences for doing so. If you put off doing your homework for school, you may end up losing marks which could mean the difference between passing or failing. IF you put off a report at work, you've just slowed down the machine and could lose your job to someone who actually does what they need to do.
Some things, when you put them off, may not cost you anything that's actually important, but you may miss out on some things. It's never fun when you miss out on doing or getting things that you want. Even if you just miss out on getting a limited edition item, you know, a piece of clothing, a baseball bat, a book. I mean, they are not really extremely important to have, but if it's something you want, then you want it, right?
Don't get into a habit of putting things off because it is going to cause problems later on. If you have multiple thing going on at once that each have a sort of deadline, if you will, then you have to filter out which ones are most important. You do that, then you get them all done. If you're able to get most or all, then that's great! That's not going to happen if we put of doing those things though, which is why we need to get things done that need to be done.
David's choice to keep putting this important event off may well have cost the lives of Solomon and his mother. When we put things off for long periods of time as well, there very well can be consequences for doing so. If you put off doing your homework for school, you may end up losing marks which could mean the difference between passing or failing. IF you put off a report at work, you've just slowed down the machine and could lose your job to someone who actually does what they need to do.
Some things, when you put them off, may not cost you anything that's actually important, but you may miss out on some things. It's never fun when you miss out on doing or getting things that you want. Even if you just miss out on getting a limited edition item, you know, a piece of clothing, a baseball bat, a book. I mean, they are not really extremely important to have, but if it's something you want, then you want it, right?
Don't get into a habit of putting things off because it is going to cause problems later on. If you have multiple thing going on at once that each have a sort of deadline, if you will, then you have to filter out which ones are most important. You do that, then you get them all done. If you're able to get most or all, then that's great! That's not going to happen if we put of doing those things though, which is why we need to get things done that need to be done.
Prayer Time
Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.
Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #93
Ask
1 Chronicles 14
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| I pray blessings on you as you read. |
(v. 9-10) "Now the Philistines had come and raided the valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of God: 'Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?' The Lord answered him, 'Go, I will hand them over to you.' " (v. 13-15) "Once more the Philistines raided the valley; so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, 'Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you her the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.' "
My Thoughts
Sometimes we just want to do things on our own. Especially when we're younger. Older kids just want independence, younger kids don't want to be alone. When we're adults, we think we should be able to do things on our own without anyone's help. Sometimes we are wrong.
Everyone needs help sometimes, and there is absolutely no shame in that, no matter what it is for. In fact, it is a good thing to ask for help when you need it. It shows that you aren't arrogant and can make others like less intimidated by you.
David, the king of Israel, who had won so many battles and done so much, needed help. David knew that he was not perfect an that God knows best. When David wasn't sure of something, he asked God. In this case here, we see that David asks God if he should go and attack the Philistines or not. "Will you give them over to me?" He asks. We should all have the same mentality, not necessarily with the same situation.
There are some people that think they shouldn't make any decisions for themselves, but that for everything, they should be asking God. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but God doesn't want us to be mindless robots either. He gave us freewill of choice for a reason, and He will not overstep that either. Other people don't want God to have any say in their life. What we really need is a good balance between the two.
When you are really unsure of something, ask God. Give it to Him and ask for His advice and what He wants you to do. There are many times when we really need advice. If we are not in our right mind to make any choices because we are angry or depressed or even extremely happy, we can end up making choices that are not necessarily the best at the time. Other times, asking for that advice save us. It saves us time or money or other things. Think if you didn't know the directions to someplace (and you don't have a map or GPS) and you wanted to find it on your own. You'd probably waste a lot of time, not to mention gas. If you asked for advice, however, you wouldn't.
Hey, asking God for advice on something just gives us another thing to talk to God about! Talking with God is so awesome, so whenever I have anything that I want to talk to Him about, tell Him or ask Him, it's actually very good for me because I get to spend more time with Him. God loves that so much, and I hope you do as well! I know I do!
Everyone needs help sometimes, and there is absolutely no shame in that, no matter what it is for. In fact, it is a good thing to ask for help when you need it. It shows that you aren't arrogant and can make others like less intimidated by you.
David, the king of Israel, who had won so many battles and done so much, needed help. David knew that he was not perfect an that God knows best. When David wasn't sure of something, he asked God. In this case here, we see that David asks God if he should go and attack the Philistines or not. "Will you give them over to me?" He asks. We should all have the same mentality, not necessarily with the same situation.
There are some people that think they shouldn't make any decisions for themselves, but that for everything, they should be asking God. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but God doesn't want us to be mindless robots either. He gave us freewill of choice for a reason, and He will not overstep that either. Other people don't want God to have any say in their life. What we really need is a good balance between the two.
When you are really unsure of something, ask God. Give it to Him and ask for His advice and what He wants you to do. There are many times when we really need advice. If we are not in our right mind to make any choices because we are angry or depressed or even extremely happy, we can end up making choices that are not necessarily the best at the time. Other times, asking for that advice save us. It saves us time or money or other things. Think if you didn't know the directions to someplace (and you don't have a map or GPS) and you wanted to find it on your own. You'd probably waste a lot of time, not to mention gas. If you asked for advice, however, you wouldn't.
Hey, asking God for advice on something just gives us another thing to talk to God about! Talking with God is so awesome, so whenever I have anything that I want to talk to Him about, tell Him or ask Him, it's actually very good for me because I get to spend more time with Him. God loves that so much, and I hope you do as well! I know I do!
Prayer Time
Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.
Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #87
Pray for Your Enemies
Psalm 35
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| I pray blessings on you as you read. |
(v. 27) "May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, 'The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.' "
My Thoughts
Okay, I have to be honest here. When I first read this, I chose this verse because I, for some reason thought the word 'vindication' had something to do with being attacked or oppressed. David seems to be praying against his enemies in this whole Psalm, saying things like "May those who seek my life be put to shame..." and to ruin and disgrace. I was obviously wrong about the word 'vindication' because it means to have your name cleared.
The title of this post still stands and still works perfectly fine. If David was saying these things against his enemies, that's fine, but we can still do the opposite and pray for our enemies. Why would you want to pray for your enemies? Well, we are supposed to love them as well, right? We usually pray for those we love, however it is that we love them.
We should never have malicious thoughts for our enemies because, whether they deserve it or not, whether we feel that way or not, whether we are justified in feeling that way or not, they are still evil thoughts. Evil thoughts are never appreciated by God and never something that He wants from us. God is the one who ultimately gives punishment anyway, and His punishment is ultimate. Nothing we could ever think of could ever come close to what God could do. People are not always mean to others by malicious choice. Sometimes that is all they know because that is all they got, or sometimes it's because of things that have happened to them. You never know what could have happened in someone else's life.
It is very difficult to let go of what someone has done to you sometimes. The worse their deed, the harder it is usually. It may take some time, and that is perfectly alright. Once you are able to forgive and move past it, you can't hold a grudge. Holding a grudge is not letting go. If you never want anything to do with them again, that's fine, but how would it be if you could bless them?
If you could bless those who hurt you in return for their deeds, or even pray positively for them, you would have the ultimate comeback! People love to one-up each other, and if you blessed in return for a curse, that would be the best thing you could possibly do. Do that, give a blessing to those who hurt you from now on. You don't have to do it to their face, you can just talk to God. If you cannot think of a way to bless them, ask God to bless them however He chooses to. After all, God does know best.
If you are unable to give a blessing to them, then try praying positive things for them. If the person stole from you, pray that they would realize stealing is wrong. If they hurt you with words, pray that they would realize how hurtful their words are. Pray that they would change from these things. That's still a positive request. The next time someone hurts you, give yourself time to cool down from how you feel about it, then pray for them, and if you can, bless them.
The title of this post still stands and still works perfectly fine. If David was saying these things against his enemies, that's fine, but we can still do the opposite and pray for our enemies. Why would you want to pray for your enemies? Well, we are supposed to love them as well, right? We usually pray for those we love, however it is that we love them.
We should never have malicious thoughts for our enemies because, whether they deserve it or not, whether we feel that way or not, whether we are justified in feeling that way or not, they are still evil thoughts. Evil thoughts are never appreciated by God and never something that He wants from us. God is the one who ultimately gives punishment anyway, and His punishment is ultimate. Nothing we could ever think of could ever come close to what God could do. People are not always mean to others by malicious choice. Sometimes that is all they know because that is all they got, or sometimes it's because of things that have happened to them. You never know what could have happened in someone else's life.
It is very difficult to let go of what someone has done to you sometimes. The worse their deed, the harder it is usually. It may take some time, and that is perfectly alright. Once you are able to forgive and move past it, you can't hold a grudge. Holding a grudge is not letting go. If you never want anything to do with them again, that's fine, but how would it be if you could bless them?
If you could bless those who hurt you in return for their deeds, or even pray positively for them, you would have the ultimate comeback! People love to one-up each other, and if you blessed in return for a curse, that would be the best thing you could possibly do. Do that, give a blessing to those who hurt you from now on. You don't have to do it to their face, you can just talk to God. If you cannot think of a way to bless them, ask God to bless them however He chooses to. After all, God does know best.
If you are unable to give a blessing to them, then try praying positive things for them. If the person stole from you, pray that they would realize stealing is wrong. If they hurt you with words, pray that they would realize how hurtful their words are. Pray that they would change from these things. That's still a positive request. The next time someone hurts you, give yourself time to cool down from how you feel about it, then pray for them, and if you can, bless them.
Prayer Time
Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.
Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!
Monday, 2 November 2015
Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #43
God Keeps His Word
1 Kings 15
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| I pray blessings on you as you read. |
(v. 3-5) "He (Abijah) committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. Nevertheless, for David's sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of his life--except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."
My Thoughts
God made a promise to David that he would never fail to have a son on the throne. We see in these verses that God's promise to David was kept. Even when there was an evil king, God gave him a son to succeed him as king. Sometimes, though the father did evil in God's eyes, the son did the opposite and did what was right in God's eyes. The children do not always follow in the footsteps of their parents.
The promises that God makes to us are always kept. He never fails, no matter what. God's love is unconditional and no matter what we do, have done or ever will do can ever take His love away from us. Neither the promises that He makes to us. God's word is always true, and never does He deceive us.
Even though David committed adultery with Uriah's wife and had Uriah killed to cover it up, God kept his word to him. David was not perfect; none of us are or ever can be. David's heart was fully committed to God and that is what matters. Asa, who succeeded Abijah, had a heart that was fully committed to God as well. Even though Asa did not remove the high places, he still did what was right in God's eyes.
Because God keeps His word to us, we need to do the same. If you make a promise or a vow to God, you had better keep it. Be very careful to keep any promise you make to God or any vow. I would advise against doing this because it can cause a lot of problems for you. You know that God will keep His end of it, so you need to ensure that you keep your end. That is why we need to be careful not to bargain with God. We are likely to fail to keep it and that will cost us. There will be consequences, especially spiritually.
Remember, any promise that God makes to you, He will keep it without fail. Every single promise you find from Him in the Bible, or even if it is a personal experience for you, will not fail. Trust in that and have faith in Him. Remember as well to be careful about making promises, especially to God. Don't make promises you can't keep.
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The promises that God makes to us are always kept. He never fails, no matter what. God's love is unconditional and no matter what we do, have done or ever will do can ever take His love away from us. Neither the promises that He makes to us. God's word is always true, and never does He deceive us.
Even though David committed adultery with Uriah's wife and had Uriah killed to cover it up, God kept his word to him. David was not perfect; none of us are or ever can be. David's heart was fully committed to God and that is what matters. Asa, who succeeded Abijah, had a heart that was fully committed to God as well. Even though Asa did not remove the high places, he still did what was right in God's eyes.
Because God keeps His word to us, we need to do the same. If you make a promise or a vow to God, you had better keep it. Be very careful to keep any promise you make to God or any vow. I would advise against doing this because it can cause a lot of problems for you. You know that God will keep His end of it, so you need to ensure that you keep your end. That is why we need to be careful not to bargain with God. We are likely to fail to keep it and that will cost us. There will be consequences, especially spiritually.
Remember, any promise that God makes to you, He will keep it without fail. Every single promise you find from Him in the Bible, or even if it is a personal experience for you, will not fail. Trust in that and have faith in Him. Remember as well to be careful about making promises, especially to God. Don't make promises you can't keep.
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Prayer Time
Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.
Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!
Friday, 11 September 2015
David. First Impression
David. is a game about overcoming challenges, no matter how much bigger or stronger or anything else they are than you. Created by a Christian developer, David. the game is a representation of the actual David from the Bible. Most people have heard of David and Goliath, and that is who the character of the game represents.
David. is a box armed with a slingshot type weapon, just like he was when he fought Goliath. As the player, you assume the same role and must overcome each challenge: anger, lies, wolf, brood, and more. There are two different difficulties, and both must be completed in order to move on to the final door, Sin. I love this game so much! I am a Christian myself, and I really like the idea of a game being based on the Bible.
Honestly, even if you aren't a Christian or don't read the Bible, the metaphor of the game can be applied to your life. You don't have to read the Bible know that you are bigger than any problem you face and that you can overcome any challenge, no matter how difficult. If you are facing a challenge that feels too much for you, persevere. Reach out to someone you trust for help and guidance. I would also like to encourage you to pray. I can't and won't force you to. I also just want to encourage you, period.
No matter what happens, no matter who says what, you are special. You are loved. There is always someone who loves you. If you can't think of anyone, that is alright. That doesn't mean that there isn't. Just stay strong and reach out for help or guidance. Take a look at my video down below and head over to my YouTube channel to check out more videos that I have done, and don't forget to subscribe. Godbless!
