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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Faithful. Trustworthy. Honorable. That was David. The Bible is a wonderful book, first and foremost because it’s the divine Word of God. It’s also a wonderful book because of its absolute honesty in showing us the lives of its people. David, the one whom the Lord declared as “a man after His own heart” (I Samuel 13:14b, NLT), wasn’t perfect.

We read this part of David’s story in Second Samuel 11: “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. But David remained in Jerusalem” (verse 1a, 1c).

Folks, this one verse says a mouthful: “at the time when kings go off to war.” What was it time for David to do? Go away with the rest of his army. What did David do instead? “Remained in Jerusalem.”

How many lives have been torn apart because someone was where they shouldn’t have been? And the sad truth is that even when God forgives you, nothing that poor decision sets into motion can be undone. It’s a whole lot less messy to avoid the sin than to try to clean up the disaster it created. David sure learned that the hard way.

“One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful” (II Samuel 11:2).

Evening was the time for bathing. And aside from the palace, there was likely no home tall enough to give a person a view of this woman’s rooftop bath. So let’s look at the facts: (1) David knew baths were taken in the evening; and (2) he knew he was up high enough to see anything that was happening on the other rooftops.

But maybe he just wasn’t thinking. David’s intent in going out onto his own rooftop might have been absolutely innocent. Probably bored and restless and wondering how his army was faring, David couldn’t sleep. And because all of his close friends were members of his armed forces, he didn’t have any of his usual guys to talk to or hang out with. What’s the old saying? “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Lot of truth in that one.

Sin is never idle. Sin is active. It’s progressive. David, having taken the first step, now has an option: turn his head and go back inside the palace or keep looking. David opts for door number two.

Which leads to step number three: “David sent someone to find out about her” (II Samuel 11:3a). And he learns: “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” (II Samuel 3b).

David had a whole harem to choose from. David knew what he was contemplating was wrong. David had already taken three steps in the wrong direction. And now he takes the fourth one: “David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her” (II Samuel 11:4a).

He looks. He lusts. And even after learning she’s a married woman, he acts on his lust. And that, my friends, is the beginning of a downward spiral that David can’t even begin to imagine.

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay” (author unknown).

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Customarily a conquering king would wipe out the family of the conquered ruler. This may sound brutal, but making sure there were no surviving family members helped insure no one would retaliate. However, in David’s case, he didn’t take Saul’s life, even though he had multiple opportunities to do so; nor did he take the lives of any of Saul’s other family members.

After the potty break episode in the cave where David snipped off a piece of Saul’s robe, Saul became more certain than ever that his time as Israel’s leader was running out. He told David: “And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!” (I Samuel 24:20-21, NLT).

As unusual as it was to grant such a request, “David promised this to Saul with an oath” (I Samuel 24:22a).

So after David was settled in as king over Judah and Israel, “‘He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. The king then asked him, ‘Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.’ Ziba replied, ‘Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet’” (II Samuel 9:2a, 3).

If we look back a few chapters, we learn the story of this cripple: “Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled” (II Samuel 4:4).

When David asked Ziba where Mephibosheth could be found, Ziba, a long-time servant of Saul’s family, told him. This alone shows how much David’s word could be trusted. Ziba believed that David truly meant no harm to Mephibosheth.

“So David sent for him… ‘Don’t be afraid!’ David said. ‘I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!’” (II Samuel 9:5a, 7).

“And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons” (II Samuel 9:11b).

Faithful. Trustworthy. Honorable. David honored the Lord by keeping the promises he made to others.

A believer’s word should be one hundred percent reliable. See that yours is.

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Finally, David is ruling over both Judah and Israel. He’d “settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies” (II Samuel 7:1, NLT). What was David’s next step? He “summoned Nathan the prophet. ‘Look,’ David said, ‘I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!’” (II Samuel 7:2).

Nathan, although a prophet of God, was still human. He, like David, thought building a more permanent dwelling place for the Ark was a great idea; so Nathan spoke without consulting God – something we all need to be very careful not to do. Nathan told David, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you” (II Samuel 7:3).

“But that same night the Lord said to Nathan, ‘Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!’” (II Samuel 7:4-5a, 8b-9).

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that He will make a house for you – a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house – a temple – for My Name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. Your house and your kingdom will continue before Me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever’” (II Samuel 7:11b-14a, 16).

“So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision” (II Samuel 7:17).

David couldn’t have begun to comprehend the great work that God intended to do through his family line. Through the house of David would come the Messiah, the Savior of the World!

Even though David may not have seen the whole picture at that time, he realized that God had given him an overwhelming promise and blessing, and for that he was wholeheartedly grateful and in awe.

So what did he do? He “went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, ‘Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant” (II Samuel 7:18-19a, 22a, 25a, 28).

As we look back over this past year, may we realize the many ways God has worked in our lives: sustaining us, blessing us and comforting us. And may we cry out with David, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”

We serve a great God. Let’s serve Him even more in 2013.

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Scripture tells us that “David was thirty years old when he began to reign” (II Samuel 5:4a, NLT), that is, over Judah, “and he reigned forty years in all. He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years” (II Samuel 5:4b-5).

At the time David became king over both Israel and Judah, “the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land” (II Samuel 5:6b) were living in Jerusalem. “The Jebusites taunted David, saying, ‘You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!’ For the Jebusites thought they were safe” (II Samuel 5:6c).

Operative word there being “thought.” Thinking their city was impenetrable, the Jebusites laughed at the very idea of David and his army even making an attempt to attack it. However, the very next verse sums up the outcome succinctly: “But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David” (II Samuel 5:7).

Jerusalem became the City of David, who was successful “because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him” (II Samuel 5:10b).

Reading about David clearly shows us that even a person walking closely with the Lord can have a heap of problems throughout his lifetime. Just when you think things were going to smooth out a bit for David, he experiences another bump in the road.

David and his troops went “to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God” (II Samuel 6:2a) to Jerusalem. When the Ark arrived in the city there was “great celebration. After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns” (II Samuel 6:12b-15).

The Ark symbolized God’s presence and blessing, and David and the rest of the people were overjoyed to have the Ark in Jerusalem – except for Saul’s daughter Michael, who was one of David’s wives: “As the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him” (II Samuel 6:16).

“When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, ‘How distinguished the king of Israel looked today…!’ David retorted to Michal, ‘I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this…!’” (II Samuel 20a, 21-22a).

Like so many, Michal was all about appearances. It didn’t look very regal for David to be “leaping and dancing” in public. But as David told Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord.” He wasn’t worried about what other people thought of his behavior; he was totally focused on praising God.

If only we’d show half the enthusiasm in worshiping the Lord that we’re willing to show cheering on our favorite football team! We can scream and jump up and down like maniacs and care less who’s watching. But slide into a church pew and what happens? We put on our holy faces and attitudes. I’m not saying there aren’t times when we should be quiet and reverent, but every now and then I believe the Lord loves to see His people celebrating Him with absolute abandon.

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Saul is dead. David has ordered the execution of the man who falsely claimed to have ended his life – see First Samuel 31 and Second Samuel 1. And now “the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah” (II Samuel 2:4a, NLT). Although called by God and anointed years before to rule over all Israel, David was still waiting on God’s appointed time.

Meanwhile, “Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth. There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over… all the rest of Israel” (II Samuel 2:8-9).

But then there’s conflict between Judah and Israel, which eventually results in the death of Abner, the leader of Ishbosheth’s (Israel’s) army – see Second Samuel 3:30. This totally shakes up Ishbosheth so that “he lost all courage, and all Israel became paralyzed with fear” (II Samuel 4:1b).

With Abner dead and Ishbosheth not exactly calming the fears of the nation, “two brothers, Baanah and Recab, who were captains of Ishbosheth’s raiding parties... went to Ishbosheth’s house… and found Ishbosheth sleeping on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head. Then, taking his head with them, they fled across the Jordan Valley through the night. When they arrived at Hebron, they presented Ishbosheth’s head to David. ‘Look!’ they exclaimed to the king. ‘Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you. Today the Lord has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and his entire family!’” (II Samuel 4:2a, 4:5b, 7b-8).

Apparently these men hadn’t heard how David handled the guy who came in claiming to have finished off Saul. Note, as usual, how these two credit “the Lord” for their success in killing Ishbosheth.

But how does David react? “David said to Recab and Baanah, ‘The Lord, who saves me from all my enemies, is my witness. Someone once told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ thinking he was bringing me good news. But I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That’s the reward I gave him for his news! How much more should I reward evil men who have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed? Shouldn’t I hold you responsible for his blood and rid the earth of you?’ So David ordered his young men to kill them” (II Samuel 4:9-12a, NLT).

No wonder the prophet Samuel told Saul concerning David (who was to replace him as king) that “the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart” (I Samuel 13:14b). Over and over David was tested with opportunities to speed up God’s timetable to become king of Israel; and over and over David showed his determination to wait on the Lord’s timing.

Bible scholars differ about how old David was when Samuel anointed him as God’s choice to replace Saul, but based on the varying opinions, we can put his age at somewhere between 15 and 25. Second Samuel 5:4a tells us that “David was thirty years old when he began to reign,” so we can see that he had somewhere between five and fifteen years of waiting before he was anointed king of Judah. Then David “reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months” (II Samuel 5:5a) before finally becoming king over Israel – a total wait time of between 12 and 22 years.

David knew firsthand the importance of patience, which is why he could write: “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

How was David such a success not only when it came to the battlefield, but in his daily life, as he waited for God to fulfill His plan to make him king over Israel? First and foremost, God was on his side. First Samuel 16:13b tells us that as soon as Samuel anointed him, “the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David” and stayed on him “from that day on” (NLT).

So “David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him” (I Samuel 18:14). Nowadays every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but I don’t see every Christian having enormous success in everything they tackle, do you? What’s the difference? David not only had the Holy Spirit with him, but he also LISTENED and FOLLOWED Him.

The Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Triune Godhead. He, like God the Father and Jesus the Son, is a gentleman. He’ll never force a person to listen. He’ll never force a person to obey. All He’ll do is lead – it’s up to the believer to choose to follow. David did, and it made all the difference in how he handled both adversity and “golden opportunities.”

So here we have David ruling over Judah and Israel has Saul’s son Ishbosheth as their leader. One day Judah’s and Israel’s armies had a confrontation and things got totally out of hand. Joab, one of the leaders for David’s (Judah’s) army, had a brother named Asahel who took off in pursuit of Abner, the leader of Ishbosheth’s (Israel’s) army. Abner warned him to back off, but Asahel refused, leaving Abner no choice but to kill him – see Second Samuel 2.

When Joab found his brother dead, he and his troops lit out after Abner. Abner called out: “Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?” (II Samuel 2:26b). And this incident and the fighting that followed were “the beginning of a long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David” (II Samuel 3:1a).

David still had a lot more waiting to do, but “As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker” (II Samuel 3:1b).

God is in the life-changing business. Don’t give up on the plan He has placed on your heart. Trust His guidance and trust His timing. And serve Him faithfully right where you are as you wait for a new door to open.

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

“David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day” (II Samuel 1:11-12, NLT). The Holy Spirit may have long since departed from Saul, who may have been David’s worst enemy; but he was still God’s chosen leader until God’s timing brought his life to an end.

Just as David respected Saul because of the position of authority the Lord had allowed him to have, he also showed respect in mourning Saul’s death as the leader of his nation. David’s behavior reflected genuine integrity through a life obedient to God. Christians who lambast those whom God has allowed to be in authority today could take a huge lesson from what we’ve seen in David. ‘Nuf said.

So now Saul’s dead. What does David do? He “asked the Lord, ‘Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?’ ‘Yes,’ the Lord replied. Then David asked, ‘Which town should I go to?’ ‘To Hebron,’ the Lord answered” (II Samuel 2:1).

“So David and his wives and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron. Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah” (II Samuel 2:2b-4).

At last, David is king. But he’s king over Judah, not Israel. And the Lord had the prophet Samuel anoint him as the replacement for Saul over Israel – see First Samuel 16. What now? He sends Israel a message: “Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king” (II Samuel 2:7).

And all the people whooped and hollered and welcomed David as king, didn’t they? Nope. “Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth. There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel” (II Samuel 2:8-9).

David was supposed to be king over Israel! Yet here he is, rejected by Israel and accepted only by li’l ol’ Judah. What’s up with that? Timing, folks. God’s timing. David got his feet wet ruling over Judah, which undoubtedly gave him a great deal of preparatory experience for the day when he’d also rule over Israel.

“David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years” (II Samuel 2:11).

David waited patiently on God’s timing. And as he waited, he matured and grew in wisdom. He was the right man for the job, but only when God said it was time for him to take over.

As we can see from David’s life, following God’s plan sometimes takes a heap of patience. But being in God’s will is always worth the waiting.

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Yesterday we concluded with a statement about the priceless value of integrity. Integrity was something sadly lacking for one person we didn’t get to in the account of Saul’s death. Before we do, though, let’s review how Saul died:

“Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons – Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely. Saul groaned to his armor bearer, ‘Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me’” (I Samuel 31:1-4a, NLT).

“But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king. So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day” (I Samuel 31:4b-6).

David, busy on his own battlefield, had no idea what had happened. So when a young man from Saul’s camp came to David and told him, David questioned him carefully:

“‘Where have you come from?’ David asked. ‘I escaped from the Israelite camp,’ the man replied. ‘What happened?’ David demanded. ‘Tell me how the battle went.’ The man replied, ‘Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.’ ‘How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?’ David demanded of the young man” (II Samuel 1:3-6).

Here’s where this guy made the worst mistake of his life: “The man answered, ‘I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him. When he turned and saw me, he cried out for me to come to him. ‘How can I help?’ I asked him. He responded, ‘Who are you?’ ‘I am an Amalekite,’ I told him. Then he begged me, ‘Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.’ So I killed him,’ the Amalekite told David, ‘for I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took his crown and his armband, and I have brought them here to you, my lord’” (II Samuel 1:7-10).

David responded with the million-dollar question: “Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” (II Samuel 1:11).

Having survived the battle – if indeed he was ever even in it – this fellow came upon the dead king and took “his crown and armband,” bringing them to David in the hope that he could score points with the one next in line on the power pyramid. What was his reward?

“David said to one of his men, ‘Kill him!’ So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. ‘You have condemned yourself,’ David said, ‘for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord’s anointed one’” (II Samuel 1:15-16).

It was all a lie. It was done to impress. But the young man’s scheme went very, very wrong. Integrity, folks. There’s no substitute. The price for dishonesty can be overwhelming.

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

David was around 15 years old when the Lord instructed Samuel to anoint him as the new king. He spent the next 15 years both serving Saul and running from him. But Saul’s time was about to be up:

“Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons – Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely. Saul groaned to his armor bearer, ‘Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me’” (I Samuel 31:1-4a, NLT).

“But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king. So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day” (I Samuel 31:4b-6).

David, off fighting his own battle, had no idea what had happened. “David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s army camp. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect. ‘Where have you come from?’ David asked. ‘I escaped from the Israelite camp,’ the man replied. ‘What happened?’ David demanded. ‘Tell me how the battle went.’ The man replied, “Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead” (II Samuel 1:1b-4).

Fifteen long years of trying to stay alive while a madman sought his life. Surely David and his men were a happy bunch when they heard this news! But no, this is how they reacted:

“David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day” (II Samuel 1:11-12).

David was a man of honor. He trusted God to place in authority whomever He chose. He trusted God to remove that person from authority whenever He was ready to do so. David saw his opportunities to kill Saul for what they were: tests.

David guarded his integrity. So should you. Your integrity is priceless. And there is no real integrity outside of a life committed to Jesus.

“If humanity does not opt for integrity we are through completely. It is absolutely touch and go. Each one of us could make the difference.” (R. Buckminster Fuller)

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

You’d think by now Saul would give up on trying to take out David, but no, he’s still at it. Saul and his “black ops” team hit the trail as soon as they learn David and his men’s new location:

“Saul camped along the road beside the hill of Hakilah, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness, he sent out spies to verify the report of Saul’s arrival” (I Samuel 26:3-4, NLT).

“David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors. ‘Who will volunteer to go in there with me?’ David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother” (I Samuel 26:5-6a).

“‘I’ll go with you,’ Abishai replied. So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him” (I Samuel 26:6b-7).

Here’s where David is once again put to the test. Maybe even with the best of intentions, he receives some very bad advice: “‘God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!’ Abishai whispered to David. ‘Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!’” (I Samuel 26:8).

But how did David respond? “‘No!’ David said. ‘Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. The Lord forbid that I should kill the one He has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!’” (I Samuel 26:9-11).

Again, David has the perfect setup for taking Saul’s life. Again, he gets well-meaning advice from a sincere friend. Again, the advice is dead wrong. And again, David is wise enough to recognize his situation as a test and leave Saul for God to deal with.

“So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep. David climbed the hill opposite the camp until he was at a safe distance. Then he shouted down to the soldiers and to Abner son of Ner, ‘Wake up, Abner!’ ‘Who is it?’ Abner demanded” (I Samuel 26:12-14).

Then David called out: “‘Look around! Where are the king’s spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?’ Here is your spear, O king,’ David replied. ‘Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the Lord placed you in my power, for you are the Lord’s anointed one’” (I Samuel 26:16b, 22-23).

How’d David and Abishai get through an entire circle of sleeping soldiers to reach Saul and Abner? “The Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep.” This wasn’t a “golden opportunity” to kill Saul; it was a test of David’s character.

Use extreme caution and plenty of prayer before latching onto any “golden opportunity.”

WELCOME!

Welcome! добро пожаловать! 오신 것을 환영합니다! Selamat datang! 歡迎！! Välkommen! Willkommen! Accueil! Welkom! I am honored to have people from so many countries visiting this blog and reading the Bible passages each day. Blessings to all you!

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Here’s David, Saul’s son-in-law, being hunted down by Saul and his men. David, instead of taking the “opportunity” laid before him, sees it for what it is: a test to see if he will harm God’s appointed leader before the Lord’s own timing for David to replace him.

Saul, grateful that David didn’t kill him when he had the chance, “began to cry. And he said to David, ‘You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it. Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule” (I Samuel 24:16b-20, NLT).

Saul was momentarily grateful, but it wasn’t long before he was once again seeking to take David’s life. Even before the incident in the cave, Saul had made a sort of “black ops” attempt on David:

“Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him… So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped” (I Samuel 19:11a, 12).

“So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy. When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time. Finally, Saul himself went… But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy” (I Samuel 19:18-22a, 23a).

Remember, prior to Christ’s resurrection, the Holy Spirit didn’t indwell believers. He had been with Saul as God’s chosen leader, but First Samuel 16:14a tells us that “The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul.” Samuel had told him: “Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, He has rejected you as king of Israel” (I Samuel 15:26b).

And who had God chosen to replace Saul? David. And nothing – not Saul, his army or anything else – was going to stop God’s plan from being fulfilled.

When Saul’s men and even Saul “began to prophesy,” what were they proclaiming? Scripture doesn’t tell us, but I firmly believe that Saul and his men were proclaiming the very same thing that Samuel and the other true prophets were proclaiming: the sovereignty of God and his choice of David as king.

Many may turn their backs on God, but His plans will succeed through those willing to obey Him. The Bible reminds us that believers and unbelievers will one day confess the truth. Saul, unwilling and disobedient, did just that.

“Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will swear” (Isaiah 45:23b, NIV)

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Who says the Bible is boring? David, hiding in a cave with his men, is astounded when Saul chooses that very spot for a private potty break. Saul, the man who is determined to hunt David to the death, is alone and at David’s mercy.

But that’s just it: David had mercy. He did “cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe” (I Samuel 24:4b); but he immediately realized he’d let his men wrongfully influence him and he repented of his deed and “restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul” (I Samuel 24:7).

So what happened next? “After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, David came out and shouted after him, ‘My lord the king!’ And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him” (I Samuel 24:8). Why was David shouting? Because he wasn’t stupid – he didn’t call out until Saul was a good distance away.

“Then he shouted to Saul, ‘Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king – he is the Lord’s anointed one.’ Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me” (I Samuel 24:9-10).

David “bowed low” in honor of the man who was trying to kill him? No, he bowed to the one whom God had allowed to be in authority. Folks, there’s a huge lesson here. Whether we agree or disagree with our country’s, state’s, county’s, city’s – and, dare I say, churches’ – leaders, we should have as much sense as David and realize that they wouldn’t be in those positions had God Almighty not allowed them to be. We are to respect the position, even if we have no reason whatsoever to respect the person; and we are to respect the person because of his or her position.

Likewise, Exodus 20:12a gives us the fifth commandment: “Honor your father and mother.” Whether your parents are completely deserving or undeserving of your respect, you’re to give it because God says to.

David showed proper honor to King Saul even though he knew that he’d been chosen to replace Saul at God’s appointed time. And he closes his words to Saul on this occasion with a statement we can all learn from when it comes to dealing with our adversaries:

“May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my Advocate, and He will rescue me from your power!” (I Samuel 24:12-13, 15).

Let “the Lord judge between” you and your enemies. Let the Lord mete out the punishment. But you make a commitment to “never harm” anyone through your thoughts, words or actions.

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

We’re still looking at the adversity David faced in spite of doing nothing to cause any of it. Having already survived multiple attempts by Saul to kill him, David is nowhere near having to watch his back around the king, who was also his father-in-law. When Saul’s son Jonathan tells David that Saul is up to his old tricks again, David cries out in exasperation, “‘What have I done?’ he exclaimed. ‘What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?’” (I Samuel 20:1b, NLT).

Things got so bad that David and the men who had remained faithful to him were hiding in a cave. And this is where David finally got his opportunity to get even. Here’s what went down:

“Saul… was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men… Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!” (I Samuel 24:1b-2a, 3b).

“‘Now’s your opportunity!’ David’s men whispered to him. ‘Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’ So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe” (I Samuel 24:4).

David had the chance of a lifetime right in front of him. And he had encouragers among his men who were telling him that God had to have orchestrated this turn of events. So with his supporters urging him on, David snipped off a piece of the king’s robe.

Bet that made him feel powerful, don’t you? No, instead “David’s conscience began bothering him… ‘The Lord knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,’ he said to his men. So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul” (I Samuel 24:5b, 6a, 7).

The very man whom the Bible says “remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life” (I Samuel 18:29b) was protected from harm by David. And David knew that, were the situation reversed, Saul wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him.

Why was David so merciful? Because he listened to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and had better sense than to take matters into his own hands. And so should you.

Our Creator reminds us in Deuteronomy 32:35: “I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.”

“In due time.” In God’s time. Not ours. Be careful not to mistake a test for an opportunity. David passed; will you?

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Yesterday I’d said that David, the shepherd boy who’d killed the giant the whole Israelite army had run from, had defended both his Lord and his people. I then asked the question: what did he get for his trouble? The answer? A new enemy. Jealous King Saul tried on more than one occasion to kill him.

But what was David supposed to have gotten? Looking back at First Samuel 17, we see that David heard Goliath taunting the Israelite army. The soldiers said to him, “The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife” (I Samuel 17:25b, NLT).

Did David get what Saul had promised? Fast forward to First Samuel 18:13 and we see that “Saul… appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.” He made David a military leader, hoping that he’d be killed in battle. Remember, Saul’s jealousy was still a major problem.

A problem that led Saul to go back on his word. Instead of handing over the promised daughter as David’s wife, Saul waited to see if one of the Israelite army’s enemies would take care of David for him. But as we’ve already read, “David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him” (I Samuel 18:14).

So Saul formulates a new plan: “‘I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.’ For Saul thought, ‘I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself’” (I Samuel 18:17).

If you continue reading First Samuel 18, you’ll learn that David turned down Saul’s offer of his eldest daughter Merab, humbly stating in verse 18, “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” So Merab was given in marriage to another man. “In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David” (I Samuel 18:20a).

David apparently liked the idea of marrying Michal, but he insists that he can’t accept a royal bride without paying a worthy price. So Saul demands: “‘I want for the bride price… 100 Philistine foreskins! …But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight” (I Samuel 18:24b).

Instead of backing down from such a daunting challenge, “David was delighted to accept the offer. …he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife” (I Samuel 18:26a, 27a, 27c).

David was faithful to his Lord. He was faithful to his people. He was faithful to Saul. Yet Saul “remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life” (I Samuel 18:29b).

Not every person is going to like you, even if you’ve never wronged them in any way. As one wise grandmother told her complaining granddaughter, “Honey, fare is what you pay to ride the bus.” Life isn’t fair. You will be hurt. You will be wronged. But you must remain faithful because “He who calls you is faithful” (I Thessalonians 5:24b).

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

“Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright” (I Samuel 17:23b-24, NLT).

While David’s three oldest brothers “Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea” (I Samuel 17:13a) and the rest of the Israelite army ran from Goliath like a bunch of scared rabbits, David made a beeline for the giant Philistine, telling him, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies – the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (I Samuel 17:45).

And with that, David “hurled (a stone) with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head” (I Samuel 17:49b, 51).

First Samuel 17 ends with the Israelites triumphing over the Philistines who had been thrown into complete panic when Goliath fell dead. King Saul had to have been pretty happy with the turn of events. “When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals” (I Samuel 18:6). Sounds like a pretty good welcoming committee, doesn’t it?

But “This was their song: ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!’” (I Samuel 18:7).

Which went over just great with the king. Verse 8 tells us that “This made Saul very angry.” So angry, in fact, that “from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David” (I Samuel 18:9).

The trouble with jealousy is that it’s like any other sin: if you feed it, it grows. Saul undoubtedly spent the night fuming over David’s popularity, and “The very next day… Saul… began to rave in his house like a madman” (I Samuel 18:10a). So as “David was playing the harp… Saul… suddenly hurled (a spear) at David, intending to pin him to the wall” (I Samuel 18:10b-11a).

David, the shepherd boy who’d killed the giant the whole Israelite army had run from, had defended both his Lord and his people. And what did he get for his trouble? A new enemy. Saul tried on more than one occasion to kill him.

But how did that work out? “David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him” (I Samuel 18:14).

Keep your eyes off your problems and on your Savior. And remember: “We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” (II Chronicles 32:8b).

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

David: the secret king; the shepherd; the musician; the armor bearer; the errand runner; the kid brother. He’s infuriated at the insults the giant Philistine Goliath is hurling at the Israelite army. But when he demands, “Who is this pagan Philistine… that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” (I Samuel 17:26b), his oldest brother, Eliab, tells him to quit running his mouth and showing off and go back to “those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of’” (I Samuel 17:28a).

Yet that’s not what David does. If you continue reading in First Samuel 17, you’ll see that David had to all but beg Saul to allow him to fight Goliath, but he finally got his permission. Saul even gave him his own suit of armor and sword. But David wasn’t accustomed to all that gear, so he discarded it and instead “picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine” (I Samuel 17:40).

Goliath was insulted and infuriated that the Israelite army would send a kid to fight against him. How did David respond to his insults? “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies – the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

And with that, David “hurled (a stone) with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head” (I Samuel 17:49b, 51).

Little David won the victory over the giant because God was on his side. What giants are you facing? Whatever or whoever they are, your God is bigger and can lead you to victory.

TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Here’s David, anointed as the new king of Israel, serving as musician to King Saul to soothe him during his bouts “with depression and fear” (I Samuel 16:14b, NLT). When David wasn’t in the court playing for Saul, he was back in the fields tending the sheep and goats – neither of which sounds much like a royal assignment. First Samuel 16:21b says that David did get one sort of promotion: he “became (Saul’s) armor bearer.”

David’s brothers “Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea – had already joined Saul’s army” (I Samuel 17:13b), “but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem” (I Samuel 17:15). David, the king virtually no one knew about, spent his time lugging around Saul’s armor; playing the harp; and herding his father’s goats and sheep.

Oh, and did I mention his job as errand boy? “One day Jesse said to David, ‘Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing” (I Samuel 17:17-18).

So “David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright” (I Samuel 17:22-24).

That wasn’t how David responded. He demanded to know “Who is this pagan Philistine… that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” (I Samuel 17:26b).

That’s when everybody rallied around him in agreement? Nope. “When David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David… he was angry. ‘What are you doing around here anyway?’ he demanded. ‘What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of?’” (I Samuel 17:28a).

Doesn’t sound like David had many folks on his team. What he did have, though, was God on his side. And that was more than enough for David.

And He is more than enough for you and whatever you’re facing.

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31b).

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

Yesterday we saw that David not only didn’t start out as a king, but that he was so insignificant that when Samuel obeyed God and went to David’s home in Bethlehem to anoint the new king the Lord had chosen, David’s father Jesse didn’t even call him in out of the field – Jesse just assumed Samuel was there to anoint one of his other sons. And Samuel looked at David’s big strong brother Eliab and pegged him as the one God would be choosing.

But what did the Lord tell Samuel? “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7b, NLT). God saw potential within David that those merely looking at him from the outside missed completely.

So being anointed as king ended David’s life of insignificance, right? Wrong. David had a long way to go before he would ever be a ruler. David returned to tending sheep and only a few people even knew that a new king had been selected.

First Samuel 16:14a tells us that “The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul.” Prior to Christ’s resurrection, the Holy Spirit didn’t indwell believers. He had been with Saul as God’s chosen leader, but as Samuel had already told Saul: “Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, He has rejected you as king of Israel” (I Samuel 15:26b). Even so, Saul’s dethronement and David’s enthronement were not going to be overnight changes.
 
But Saul, having lost the covering of the Holy Spirit, began to suffer greatly “with depression and fear” (I Samuel 16:14b). The rest of First Samuel 16 describes how Saul’s servants suggested finding someone to play soothing music whenever Saul was at his low points. Saul liked the advice and, lo and behold, David son of Jesse from Bethlehem was brought in to play the harp for the king. David, the newly anointed king, was serving Saul, who was still in power – Saul, who had been rejected by God because of his disobedience.

Folks, it’s all about timing. David may have been anointed as the new king, but God wasn’t ready for him to move into that position. And David wasn’t ready for it, either. He had a lot of learning and growing to do.

Timing, folks, is everything. At a women’s retreat 25 years ago, the Lord clearly spoke to my heart, telling me that I would one day be standing before audiences. I received that as truth, but wondered how it could ever happen. Still, I stood when we were given the opportunity to share whatever we’d learned during the retreat and I told this huge group of ladies the promise God had given me.

And I was swamped by well-wishers? Nope. They looked at me as if I had two heads. Later, one lady came to me and said she was agreeing with me in prayer and would continue to pray for God’s guidance. The rest made me feel like a fool.

Ten years later I received my first invitation to speak to an audience. Ten years, y’all. We MUST learn to trust and wait on God’s timing.

BARGAINS OF THE DAY!

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TODAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE

David didn’t start out as a king. He started out as the kid brother of Jesse’s boys. He was so insignificant that when the Lord told Samuel to “go to Bethlehem (and) Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king,” (I Samuel 16:1, NLT), David’s father didn’t even call him in from the field when he lined up the rest of his sons for Samuel’s inspection.

And Samuel, being human, did what humans do. When he arrived at Jesse’s home in Bethlehem, he saw good-looking, muscle-bound “Eliab and thought, ‘Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!’” (I Samuel 16:6).

But what did God say to Samuel? “Don’t judge by his appearance or height… The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). God knew exactly what Samuel had been thinking, so this statement was not only a rejection of Eliab as the king to replace Saul, but a reprimand to Samuel for judging “by outward appearance.”

Scripture goes on to tell us that “In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these… Are these all the sons you have?” (I Samuel 16:10-11a).

And then Jesse had one of those “oh yeah” moments – he remembered little ol’ David: “There is still the youngest… But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats” (I Samuel 16:11b).

Just a kid. Insignificant to his brothers. Insignificant to his father. Important to his Heavenly Father.

You may have been the kid that felt rejected. Even now, you may feel completely insignificant. But you aren’t. You’re important to God.

In the movie “The Help,” Mae Mobley was a precious little girl whose mother had no time for or interest in her. But Aibee, the family maid, loved her as if she was her own. And every day she would tell her: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” Aibee’s love and encouragement was a tremendous blessing to Mae Mobley.

The English may not be correct, but the sentiment is 100 percent accurate: “You is important.” God loves you. And His Holy Spirit “looks at the heart” and speaks words of encouragement to those attuned to Him.

If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have royal blood flowing through your veins. You have a Heavenly Father who “will never leave your or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5b, HCSB). Nor will He ever ignore you or consider you insignificant. He has a perfect plan for your life if you’ll only listen and follow His guidance.

BARGAINS OF THE DAY!

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