Banquet With The King

Daily Devotional focusing on spiritual "food" at the King's Banquet Table. In 2024 this blog will explore verses to meditate on as we examine our "choices" daily, pursuing a deeper relationship with God as we grow in Christian maturity. This web page has had over 230,000 page views by people in over 135 different countries who are seeking God through His Word. God has promised if you seek Him, you will find Him. May you be blessed reading Banquet With The King.

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Blessed to be a Blessing

Prayer – Lord, bless me and those who are reading this blog that we would be a blessing to those around us—as we seek and serve You.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3–8 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. Consider God’s blessing on you.

We are blessed of God. Blessed to be a blessing. Chosen. How do you feel about being chosen and adopted, as described in the scripture passage for today? Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. God had a plan…even before He made the universe…and that plan included us. Wow! I feel so blessed—so humbled! God chose me! And He chose you! We are like grains of sand on a beach—but God in His infinite wisdom and knowledge knows our hearts and “zap” reached down and chose us.

Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14

He loved us enough, in spite of our faults, to want to adopt us. That’s a lot of love. When I think of “love” I think of God.

All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. 1 John 4:15–19

Israel has a special relationship with God as a chosen nation. There are many promises still to be fulfilled…and we can only wish that those would apply to us, too. God’s faithful love is shown in His gracious mercy, His promises, and the covenant of blessing, as mentioned in this passage below.

Noah's Ark
Ark Encounter - A life-sized ark built to
God's dimensions
Williamstown, Kentucky

"Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the LORD, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:9–10 (Underlined for emphasis.)

So, we are blessed. This would have been my sister’s 74^th birthday…well it still is, but she died more than thirty years ago as a result of a domestic dispute. She faithfully loved the Lord…and God loved her. She was a blessing to those around her. Blessed to be a blessing.

Verses of Salvation ~ Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority. 1 Peter 3:15–22

Happy Heavenly Birthday, sister Shirley

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Who is Your Shield Today?

Prayer – Lord, You are my shield, protector, and above all my Savior. You save me from…violence, evil, poverty, jealousy, envy, strife…from sin…from my enemies…from myself.

Rock Anchor
Sea of Galilee, Israel

David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.” 2 Samuel 22:1–4

Meditate. Consider your enemies…and God’s protection from them.

A shield was important in David’s time. With it you could fend off those arrows, rock, or swords in a battle. It was actually an essential defense mechanism. What would we compare that to today?

God’s world is a spiritual world. He is our spiritual father.

And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. Matthew 23:9

He is the rock on which we can build our lives. As our loving parent, He shields us from things we cannot even see—evil. Evil thoughts, words, and actions. We only have to ask for His protection…as we are told in Proverbs 30. In scripture we are reminded of God’s spiritual dimension over and over. Jesus came in a human form—because as humans we needed to see our savior.

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. Colossians 2:6–8

Rejoice and give thanks. God is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.

Verses of Salvation ~ For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Acts 4:11–12

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5

Have you memorized this scripture passage?

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Friday, July 29, 2022

Bread?

Prayer – Lord, Thank You for the variety and bounty of food that You provide for us—and the creativity to prepare it in appetizing ways. We are blessed. Please show us ways we can be a blessing to others. Serving You by serving others.

Then he (Jesus) told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! Matthew 14:19–21

He (Jesus) took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." Luke 22:19

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3

Meditate. Are you blessed? Do you give thanks and ask God to bless your bread…and all your food?

Mosaic in Israel near the Sea of Galilee
Remembering the feeding of five thousand men.

Jesus took basic foods—five little loaves of bread and a couple of fish—that would maybe feed five people at most, and He blessed it, giving thanks to the Heavenly Father. Then He had his disciples pass out the food to five thousand people. Actually, this scripture tells us that it wasn’t 5,000 people, but 5,000 men. Considering that each man had a family including a wife and probably a couple of kids—there could have been 15,000 or more that ate that satisfying supper. Jesus was a grateful host—giving thanks to the one who really provided and multiplied the fish and bread for that meal. Likewise, we have the example of Jesus blessing and thanking God for the bread that He offered to His disciples at the Passover Meal—His last supper with His friends. In that Jesus was commemorating His own body that was about to be sacrificed for the sins of mankind—of all the world for all time. His body given for us.

We are blessed to have such a bounty of food at every meal—food from all over the world and fresh and wholesome…just plain tasty or sinfully delicious. It is right for us to give thanks—and to ask God’s blessing of that food. I was taught that the “blessing” was once thought of as a request for God to purify the food—because, unlike today, the food was not pure and safe—so by asking God’s blessing—the food hopefully became untainted and harmless. That is a good habit for us to do. Personally, my family and I always ask a blessing—giving thanks to the Lord—for our food at every meal—no matter where we are. We are privileged to have such an abundance of food and we recognize that it is God’s blessing on us not only to live in a country of plenty—but to have more than enough and can share it with others. A time may come when we will have to search out food beyond our pantries and grocery stores. What will you be able to find and use? How will you bake your bread? Will you have to rely on God to send manna for bread?

Verse of Salvation ~ (God’s message.) But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

God has not forgotten His recipe for manna, but you may have to find some local foods at some point if products on the grocery shelves get low. There are edible foods you can forage in your yard or nearby. Google “forage foods” and see what “foods” you have right there in your own yard or neighborhood. Some foods maybe nuts that grow on trees in your city—but that are a fruit that is produced at only one time of the year. Other foods appear as weeds during the spring and summer months.

Will the red-winged blackbird...
eat the cattails?

Maybe you are blessed to live near an area that has cattails. These are usually found along wetlands, ponds, and streams and the shoots, stalks, catkins (sometimes eaten like corn on the cob), pollen, and roots are all edible. They can be enjoyed raw in the spring when they are tender and fresh, and later in the summer they will taste best if cooked. Look on line for details on how to prepare and eat the different parts. God provides us with such an amazing bounty of food…and it maybe right outside your door. Seek and you will find!

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Don’t Let My Hope Be Crushed

Prayer – Lord, You are my refuge—my hiding place. I want to obey You because You give me hope—daily and eternally. Don’t let my hope be crushed. Keep me going and protect me.

You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God. LORD, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed. Sustain me, and I will be rescued; then I will meditate continually on your decrees. Psalm 119:114–117

Meditate. Consider the hope that God provides.

David was so often feeling crushed by his enemies. But his love of the Lord prevailed…and as he said…I intend to obey the commands of my God. His obedience to God is what made God realize that David was a man after God’s own heart. He was such a good example for all those of us who have lived after him. This Psalm that David wrote begins by declaring that those who are obedient to the Lord are blessed…joyful.

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. Psalm 119:1–3

Joyfully obedient. What more could God expect, or could we give? David’s promise is to be obedient to God’s commands and his plea is that his hope in the Lord would not be suppressed or devastated by his enemies. He is asking for God's blessing. Likewise, certainly don’t want our hopes to be crushed.

Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed
Near Jerusalem, Israel

Verses of Salvation ~ While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. Hebrews 5:7–9

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

I Will Bless You

Prayer – Lord, I come to You for protection since every word from You proves true. You are a shield to all who come to You. From Proverbs 30:5. Show me the truth of Your word…as You guide and protect me and lead me to safety.

See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion. But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely. You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars. You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives. Exodus 23:20–26

Meditate.

This was a promise of God’s presence. So many times in the Bible an angel is indicative of Jesus Himself. I think of the three visitors of Abraham—one was the pre-incarnate Jesus. In the scripture passage for today, an angel was going before the Israelites—just like God in the pillars during the day and at night during the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. Exodus 13:21

God promised His blessing if the Israelites obeyed the angel…that would be like obeying Jesus. The greatest blessing was that of protection. Consider how many times that is just what you ask for daily from God now. Protection from disease—even little viruses, from dangers on the road, and even from evil or just plain bad people and situations. Moses’ instructions from God to the children of Israel insisted that they obey the Lord. He doesn’t ask for much…just obedience. Oh, yes. He expects service, too. God wants us to obey and serve Him. We are privileged to be obedient servants. God wants a relationship with each of us…and He has chosen us—Jews and Gentiles—rather than the nations that follow idols: Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. He promised to destroy those enemies. From Proverbs 30:5, we know that every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. It is His promise…I will bless you.

Verses of Salvation ~ David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. 2 Samuel 22:1–4

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Is God Blessing You?

Prayer – Lord, do You guarantee—really guarantee—a blessing on everything I do? I trust that every word of God proves true. You are a shield to all who come to You for protection.

Grain Harvest in Israel

The LORD will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. If you obey the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways, the LORD will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. Deuteronomy 28:8–9

Meditate. Consider God’s promises in scripture.

This passage promising God’s blessing was given by Moses to the children of Israel shortly before he died and they went into the Promised Land. It is not surprising that this promise of blessing is followed by an “if…then” statement that includes obeying God’s commands. God expects us to obey Him. He expected those Israelites to obey Him…and we are the same. God’s message didn’t change in the next 2,000 years as Jesus’ message was also obedience. Love and obey. Now that same message holds true. Love God and your neighbor. By showing God that we love Him, we are accepted as righteous…just like Noah, Abraham, David and Daniel. I don’t think I could really ever consider myself in a group as holy as those faithful men of God, but just by being faithful to God—trying to keep His commandments—He can see that we love Him and are faithful followers. Great promise—God will bless you. He will bestow goodness or happiness on you—giving you joy as you praise or worship Him—and obey His commandments.

God wants a relationship with each of us. By knowing God now, we can hope that one day we will walk with Him as Adam and Eve did…in the cool of the garden. That sounds glorious on these hot summer days! But for now…get ready. Be prepared. There are going to be some challenging days ahead of us.

Verse of Salvation ~ LORD, give me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me. Psalm 119:41

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Monday, July 25, 2022

Blessed?

Prayer – Lord, what does it mean to be “blessed”—to ask for Your blessing? Bless this food...bless this time…bless my family and my friends. Bless. Bless. Bless. What does it mean? Please give us wisdom and understanding.

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1–3

Meditate. Consider God’s blessing.

We use that word every day…several times a day. Bless our day, our food, our family, our friends, each others’ health and home. Bless. What does it mean? To bestow goodness or happiness; just to be happy or favored; or to exalt, praise, or worship…as in blessing the Lord God; to set aside or consecrate, as in blessing the Sabbath; or in giving thanks.

Fish from the Mediterranean Sea...
near Tel Aviv, Israel

God used it Himself first in Genesis 1:22 when He told the animals to be fruitful and multiply.

So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth." Genesis 1:21–22

God blessed the animals. When God saw that Abram was a righteous man, God blessed him. Through Abraham, God blesses all who believe in Him—and curses all those who curse His chosen people.

Look at how often in the next few days you use the words: bless, blessing, blessed. Are you called to be a blessing to others? Are you blessed?

Verses of Salvation ~ If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9–10

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day -

Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories