Devotionals

Years ago, before a GPS or smart phone, I received a call from my brother that his car had broken down in an area with which he was unfamiliar. He found a way to call me, but he could only provide me the general vicinity of his location. It was late at night, the area was dark, and I remember driving through this strange location and praying, “Lord, just steer this car in the right direction, because I have no idea where I am going!” Through my tears and feelings of helplessness, I just kept inching forward. Suddenly, as I looked up, I saw my brother standing in the car’s headlights. God understood my situation, heard my confident cries for help, and rescued me from fear and my own limitations.

In our passage today, David is hiding in a cave from uncertain danger and he cries out to God for help. Sure he is frightened, his thoughts are troubled, and he has no idea how to deal with the problem and danger he faces, but he places his confident trust in God through a humble prayer. David does not place his trust in anyone but God to rescue him. He knows God sees the path he is on and can help him navigate safely forward. This cave—prayer closet—made a great place for David to grow in his trust of the Almighty.

God knows our paths; all of our journeys are before him each day. We, too, can place our troubled thoughts before God in prayer. This is a great blessing and opportunity, because it is on our knees that we learn the most from the Lord. If you have been feeling overwhelmed by life, please find your “cave” and get quiet before the Lord, because he is your only true Refuge and in him each of us find perfect love and relief.

Psalm 142:1-3a NLT A Psalm of David
1
I cry out to the Lord;
    I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
2 
I pour out my complaints [troubled thoughts] before him
    and tell him all my troubles.
3 
When I am overwhelmed,
    you alone know the way I should turn.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for always being there listening and guiding us. Many places in this world and many experiences in which we may find ourselves can bring an unsettling to our minds, wills, and emotions. Help us remember to humbly get on our knees, pray, and look for your help and salvation. We commit to holding nothing back from you, because we know you love us and want to help in our times of need. We love you, Lord, and with thanksgiving we place our needs before you, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Although God does not cause the suffering of believers, he does allow us to face some challenges in this fallen world in order to grow us in his righteousness. Christ suffered and in Christ’s love we will endure a measure of our own difficulties and persecution. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18-19). Our ability to persevere in spite of suffering is the evidence of our faith, love, and hope in God. In the midst of our suffering, will others in this world see Jesus in us?

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul is exhorting the church in Thessalonica and commending them for their spiritual growth in the midst of the challenges they have been facing. He wants them to know they did not accomplish this growth in their own strength. Instead, Paul encourages God’s people to be filled with a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving, because the power of God had accomplished this growth in them by grace alone.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 NLT Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Encouragement during Persecution
3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 4 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.

11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank you for helping us grow in faith and love. We know you love us no matter what difficulties life may bring. So, we come boldly to your throne of grace, ask for mercy, and reach for your strength to press on. May we honor your name today, Lord, in all we say and do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Although I do not take daily prescription medications, I do take dietary supplements. I try to eat a healthy diet and gain as much benefit as I can from food. However, as I get older, I believe I need additional nutrients [vitamins and minerals] to make up for any deficiency. Eating and living in a healthy way helps me serve Jesus.

In our passage today, Peter teaches us about biblical supplements to keep us spiritually strong and healthy. Biblical supplements are provided by God to add virtue and maturity to our faith. Here is a list of supplements to keep our faith healthy and God-centered:

Moral Excellence: Conforming to Christ’s righteousness—inward conviction leading to a change in our outward actions
Knowledge: Experientially and relationally knowing and obeying God—humbly entering God’s saving actions
Self-Control: Soul [mind/will/emotions] aligns with Truth—taking authority over our emotions, impulses, and actions that are contrary to God’s standards
Patient Endurance: Remaining faithful by depending on God—trusting God’s plan and promise despite hardship or suffering
Godliness: Devotion to God, his character, and his will—transforming work of the Holy Spirit
Brotherly Affection: Honoring relationships and selfless love within the spiritual family—forming deep bonds that lead to a willingness to serve others through selfless actions, forgiveness, and a commitment to unity.
Love: Unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial concern for the well-being of others transcending mere emotion—rejoicing that comes from living the Truth!

May we all take our biblical supplements today and grow in our faith. Blessings!

2 Peter 1:1-11 NLT Greetings from Peter
1 This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness [righteousness] of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.
2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

Growing in Faith
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your divine empowerment to receive and live the Truth of Christ’s righteousness. We lack what it takes; but, you make us new as we allow the Spirit to work in our behalf. We are being made holy by your Spirit. So, we thank you for this list of supplements and we ask for you, Holy Spirit, to help us grow in each area so we continue toward spiritual maturity of the faith. Make us strong, Lord. In Jesus’ name.

Although I know they bring balance to the ecosystem, I am definitely NOT a snake person. If I never saw another one in my lifetime, I would be thrilled. It isn’t a fear thing; it is a symbolic image that has been planted in my mind by the Word of God. Granted, God made the serpent (Gen. 3:1), but in my soul [mind/will/emotions] the snake reminds me to stay far away from sin. In this way, the snake is a helpful mnemonic—an image that aids my memory about betrayal and the deadly effects of sin in my life.

Regardless of the power of this mnemonic, I will need God’s forgiveness again. So, if I look deeper, a snake also reminds me of God’s love and forgiveness that he has put into place since the beginning of time. He writes the story, so humanity knows the sin and the Cure. Jesus is the Healer for the snakebite of sin. Yet, how much better if we learn through obedience to run from sin in the first place.

Sin is like a poisonous snake when it bites, it leaves behind the venom of guilt and shame. Sometimes, we struggle to get away from the affects of sin regardless of whether it is our own or the sin someone else commits against us. Trying to live with unconfessed sin is tormenting to the soul and destructive to relationships.

We learn, from our passage today, David had been carrying around the venom of guilt and shame. As well, because of divine love, God’s hand of disciple had been putting pressure on David to repent and turn toward healing. God wanted to heal David sooner rather than later in order to spare him further torment. David’s sin and rebellion against God’s standards, left him dealing with the venom of betrayal, adultery, murder, guilt, and shame. He could not be himself while carrying this heavy load. God wanted to bring forgiveness, but David had to become weary from carrying it (Mat. 11:28-29).

David wrote this psalm to remind all of God’s children that forgiveness leaves a soul fresh and fill with joy. What a wonderful exchange God offers the humble. He takes our sin and leaves us with the substance of his righteous Kingdom.

Psalm 32:1-7 NLT A psalm of David.
1 
Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
2 
Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 
When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
4 
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
5 
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
6 
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 
For you are my hiding place;
    you protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the ability to be cleansed by your grace. You take all that is sinful and destructive and you leave us with a supernatural healing and joy. Today, we confess our sin of delay; we have been slow in giving you the things that are polluting our souls. These may be things like grief, sorrow, regret, denial, shame, guilt, greed, anger, etc., or the practice of what your Word identifies as sin. Help us turn toward you, Lord, because you hold the gift of forgiveness that leads to the righteous abundant life. We need to release what is not of you in order to receive the joy of our salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I am the youngest of three children and the only girl. My brothers are four and eight years older. I saw them as trailblazers when it came to obedience and interaction with my parents. I watched them carefully and how they responded to my parent’s authority. Like me, sometimes it was evident they chose wisely and sometimes they did not.

In our passage today, we meet two brothers and how they handle the request of their father to go work in the vineyard. Both brothers struggle with obedience. The older brother is all mouth and no action; he never does what he agrees to do. In Jesus’ parable, this brother represented the nation of Israel and how they refused to follow the will of God unless it aligned with their own agenda. The younger brother is rebellious upfront, but then repents and does as his father requests. This brother represents the repentant heart that turns to do the will of God. In his parable, Jesus shares the point that the younger brother will gain entrance to the Kingdom of God before the older brother.

As followers of Jesus, we need to be quick to repent, quick to ask for forgiveness, and quick to obey the will of God. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit and the way in is humble obedience to the authority of God.

Matthew 21:28-32 NLT Parable of the Two Sons
28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”

They replied, “The first.”
Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Prayer: Lord, some days it is very easy to become preoccupied with self; to dwell in our minds. Life isn’t fair and our emotions can quickly gain the upper hand. Turning inward and living for our own agenda may be our inclination, but turning upward is where we gain wisdom. We need to remember our place is to humbly live for your will not ours. Thank you for loving us on this journey of life. You are faithful and true and we need you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The number three in the biblical narrative is associated with completeness, perfection, and unity. It sends a holy and divine message that can contain good or bad news. It’s a very symbolic number both prophetically and spiritually.

Here are just a few ways the number three is used in Scripture: three patriarch’s repeatedly listed in the Old Testament [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], Jonah in the belly of the whale three days, three persons of the Trinity [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit], three times Jesus is tested in the wilderness, three disciples [Peter, James, and John] in Jesus’ inner circle, third day resurrection, and three evil leaders rising up in the last days [Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet].

In our passage today, king Belshazzar sees the fingers of a hand writing on the wall during a feast and celebration. The king is guilty of defying and mocking God; he uses holy cups from the Temple to serve his guest wine while worshiping idols. While this party is going on, the enemy is outside the city walls. We can never use the things dedicated to serving God in an idolatrous way. God responds to the evil actions of the king who nows sees the writing on the wall and knows something bad is about to happen.

The passage continues with verses beyond today’s reading and reveals God’s message to the king contains three words in Aramaic: Mene, Tekel, Parsin (Dan 5:25). The hand of God writes these words on a wall for king Belshazzar to read; a divine message that is “bad news” for the king, because he has chosen to dishonor the Lord. Mene—God has numbered your days and is done with your rule (Dan. 5:26). Tekel—You have been weighed by God and you have not measured up (Dan 5:27). Parsin—your kingdom has been divided and will go to the Persians and Medes (Dan 5:28).

Sometimes it looks like evil can dishonor God and his children and get away with it, but there is a day of reckoning coming to the prideful who defy that which is holy. God cannot be mocked; we reap what we sow (Gal 6:7). Humility is the only way to approach God. Do not give up serving God, because he will deal with evil. It is written…

Daniel 5:1-12 NLT The Writing on the Wall
1 Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 3 So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, 6 and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.

7 The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”
8 But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. 9 So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.

10 But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. 12 This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”

Prayer: Lord, everything belongs to you whether we dedicate them to you or not. Therefore, may we honor you with everything we have been given. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We can find so many ways to serve the Lord; however, each day may look a bit different as it plays through a varieties of opportunities. Serving the Lord is exciting, because we never know where he will use our stories or the gifts he so generously provides. The beauty of life with God is each day a bit of heaven can manifest on earth where our feet have traveled.

We may share Truth, hope, and joy with people we have know for years or we may be asked to share those treasures from heaven with perfect strangers. You may be in the grocery store, the doctor’s office, or walking the neighborhood and find God has an assignment for you. Only God knows who needs to be touched by grace, so he connects our paths. There should be no stress involved in any of it, because God is the Giver of the revelation and grace that is necessary for every opportunity.

God promises he will not withhold anything good from us. Now, God’s idea of good may be very different than ours, but the good God provides is always permanent and focused on revealing his righteous presence. So, as God takes us into our communities, social outings, and gatherings, we will always have the “goods” to serve God as he instructs. Remember, God is the Provider who walks with us; yet, we must do the walking, as well.

Today, put your walking shoes on and look for ways to bless someone else. You carry Jesus wherever you go. And, when God is in the blessing, it is always a win-win. Joy Unspeakable!

Psalm 84:8-12 NLT
8
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
    Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude
9 
O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
    Show favor to the one you have anointed.
10 
A single day in your courts
    is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
11 
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
    He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
    from those who do what is right.
12 
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    what joy for those who trust in you.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for pouring everything that is good within us. You prepare our hearts to receive your love each day. Then, you take us through the day and provide ways to serve you by passing the love on to others. Walk with us, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sometimes people say they are looking for the Truth—the quality of being in accord with reality—but they may not realize Truth is revealed throughout the Bible as a person. God. The Bible is God’s testimony. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life that pleases God; he is biblical Truth. So, as we follow Jesus, we are learning to live in the Truth of God’s Word as the Spirit bears witness to it. The Word of God is alive; a Gift that just keeps on giving revelation and insight. The Bible is God’s self-revelation.

As well as revealing the Truth, Scripture also helps us identify sin and understand when we are heading in a wrong spiritual direction. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard; the salvation Jesus offers is our only hope of eternal life. As well, the world has its fair share of false teachers, so in order to recognize deception and false teaching, we need to read God’s Word and compare what we have heard to Scripture—Truth. The Bible is a great plumb line.

Every human being needs correcting from time to time; we all have the ability of being on the wrong side of Truth. So, God’s Word is a great navigator and guide to get us back on a righteous path following Jesus. We need training in righteousness. So, if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and we are seeking his Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit, we are going to hunger for the Truth so we can serve our King. The Bible is our GPS—God’s Positioning System.

Our passage today is only two verses, but God has packed a great deal into those words. Blessings!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your Word and how it reveals the Truth for our lives. If we will just open ourselves up to the Truth, we will find you working righteousness within us. Your Word changes how we see you, ourselves, and others. Help us live the Truth and do what is right in Jesus’ name.

Humanity is pridefully advancing to be its own god. The love of self is ferociously fighting to rule over authentic godliness—a transformed heart aligned with God’s will. This is an inner battle that is revealed in outward actions. It includes unbelievers and even many who identify themselves as Christians. An extreme love for self [pride] has made its way to the throne of human hearts! This means the door of the soul has swung open to a slithering and many times insidious, deceiving, and crouching evil—ready to strike and destroy lives. We must wake up and run to God, because this battle is the Lord’s! (1 Sam. 14:47).

I’m not an alarmist nor do I teach to stir worry or fear; I am actually hope-driven even as I share this devotion, today. Horrific things have happened all throughout history, so we all know humanity can engage in evil. Let’s not forget, human beings are sinners who need salvation. If salvation in Christ is not accepted, humans live in rebellion against God. Self begins to rule all thoughts and actions. Pride-filled people are not open to hear sound biblical Truth—the ways of Jesus.

Humanism is an ethical stance that places the needs, interests, and dignity of human beings at the center of all things—the focus is human autonomy with the belief there is only one life to live so please self! Listening to a humanist may at times even sound a bit “spiritual,” but trust me when I say humanism leaves God out of the “life” equation. It is pride-driven.

People can talk about “Christian values” and not demonstrate them; talk requires no sacrifice. These folks can even believe God is pleased with a feeble human attempt at appearing virtuous, when all he or she may really care about is how self “feels” at any given moment. The global church is many times focused on self-esteem issues and building bigger buildings to hold the masses, but the hearts of people are still lost to the real concerns of our Lord or the power he has offered to live for him.

If you miss anything else I share today, please hear this: Jesus calls believers to be truth-talkers and God-imitators who actually fight evil by victoriously living in Christ’s wholeness, love, and integrity! Jesus said, “But you are to be perfect [Gk. teleios meaning whole], even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mat. 5:48). We must operate in God’s strength and power not our own, because he is making us whole. We are commissioned to deny self, pick up our cross [our desires], follow Christ, and tell others about the God who alone can save us! (Mat. 16:24).

Our passage today is so very important and I want you to read it over and over as you witness the present day events of the world. Connect and cling to Christ. The Apostle Paul is in a Roman prison cell writing to his spiritual son, Timothy, who is leading a church in Ephesus [approx 68AD]. Paul warns Timothy to keep the church within the bounds of sound doctrine while still preaching about hope in Christ. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul exhorts him to “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you…” (1 Tim. 6:12). Now, he warns Timothy and all of us as believers that difficult times are a part of that “fight.” We are not to be afraid, we are to fight with God’s character, because the glory and power of heaven moves with us. Dwell in the true faith, friends!

2 Timothy 3:1-5b NLT The Dangers of the Last Days
1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.

Prayer: Lord, with our hope firmly planted in you, we follow your lead, today. We know you did not create us to live for self. You created us to worship and serve you, so you sent Jesus to show us the way. Please forgive our selfish inclinations and empower us to deny anything that would dishonor your godly character. We need help, so Holy Spirit please have your way in our hearts. We stand against evil by demonstrating your image. No weapon formed against us can prosper when we are willing to embrace and live for your eternal life grounded in the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Yesterday, in our Scripture lesson, we read about an unrighteous work encounter David had with Nabal and how Abigail [Nabal’s wife] interceded to bring peace.  Nabal had agree to pay David and his men for protecting his flocks from marauders and wild animals, but when the time came to settle the account Nabal refused to do so.  He kept the money for himself. God took note. 

David and his 600 men were ready to destroy Nabal and all he owned for the injustice suffered.  An eye for an eye was the way things were handled at the time.  However, Abigail went and met David bringing food and a humble apology asking for mercy and grace instead of vengeance.  She urged David to protect his righteous reputation in spite of her husband’s foolish and wicked actions. David listened and knew God had sent her.

Our lesson today, continues as Abigail returns home after delivering food to David and his men.  She finds her husband, Nabal, celebrating his perceived good fortune. The celebration does not last long as Nabal has a stroke and days later dies.  Nabal sacrifices his integrity for money. David sacrifices money for his integrity.  Such a good lesson for us, today.

God knows what we deserve based on our hearts. If we will allow God to fight our battles, we will find he makes things right his way according to his timeline. So, give whatever injustice you have experienced to God for him to make right. God rewards righteousness and love.  May we never choose to live in the spirit of Nabal or our greatest battle just may be fighting God—and he always wins.

1 Samuel 25:36-42 NLT

36 When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day. 37 In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, [his heart failed him] and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone. 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.

David Marries Abigail

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the Lord, who has avenged the insult I received from Nabal and has kept me from doing it myself. Nabal has received the punishment for his sin.” Then David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to become his wife.

40 When the messengers arrived at Carmel, they told Abigail, “David has sent us to take you back to marry him.”

41 She bowed low to the ground and responded, “I, your servant, would be happy to marry David. I would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants!” 42 Quickly getting ready, she took along five of her servant girls as attendants, mounted her donkey, and went with David’s messengers. And so she became his wife.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson about integrity. We know you are always watching our lives and how we treat others each day. We praise you for the mercy and grace you extend in Christ.  Please forgive us when we fail to represent you and your character properly.  May we grow and be recognized as people of your Word.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.