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 195,000 page views by people in over 133 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.

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Goodbye 2022 – Hello 2023

Prayer – Lord, 2022 has been a good year—despite the lingering COVID threats and falling economy. Spiritually I’ve grown closer to You—and I appreciate that You have helped me work on my attitude—it’s not perfect…but better. I have been encouraged by seeing You work in and through me in this blog and in the members of my Small Group as we’ve studied Your word every week.

Trees by a canal (river) in Israel.

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. Psalm 1:1-6 NLT

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1:1-6 KJV

Meditate. New Beginnings.

Eleven years of blogging! Tomorrow will begin Day One of my twelfth year of daily devotional blogging on Banquet With The King! How many years have you been reading this blog? Have you become a follower of Jesus or led anyone to the Lord as a result of reading this blog?

The Psalm 1 passage is one of the first group of verses I ever memorized. It was a part of the expectations of the confirmation class at the church I attended. Of course, we memorized it in the King James Version. Consider the words…the person is blessed who doesn’t seek out the council of the ungodly, or hang out with sinners, or sit around with complainers. The godly person likes studying God’s word night and day, so that they produce the Fruit of the Spirit. The ungodly person will not be with the righteous in judgment—but will perish. So sad for them. How about you? Which group are you in? The Godly or the Ungodly? The choice is yours and as this passage tells us, the godly will prosper, and the ungodly will perish. If you still need to make a choice, the time is of the essence. As we can note in the Verse of Salvation below, the time is getting late…it is running out…so, wake up and make your decision soon. With the New Year beginning tomorrow, it would be great to make a decision today. Say goodbye to sin and hello to salvation.

Verse of Salvation ~ This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. Romans 13:11

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6

Did you memorize this Verse of the Week? How many verses did you memorize throughout the year?

Happy New Year

2023

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

The Authorized Version or King James Version (KJV), 1611, 1769.

Outside of the United Kingdom, the KJV is in the public domain. Within the United Kingdom, the rights to the KJV are vested in the Crown.

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, December 30, 2022

Praise the LORD! Everyday Beginning with Today

Prayer – Lord, as this year ends do You hear all the people praising You with singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments? Personally, I praise You, along with everything that breathes.

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:1-6 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. It’s almost the very end of 2022—for what are you praising the Lord?

This psalm is all about praise. Praise the LORD! This is a good way…a great way…to end the year. Praise the LORD! And a good way to begin every day of the New Year. Praise the LORD! How and why will you praise the Lord? Why…because of His greatness and mighty works. How…with everything that could possibly bring Him glory and honor. Our voices and a variety of musical instruments. Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Is Jesus Christ your Savior? If not, today is the best day of your life. Today is the day to accept His sacrifice. He gave up His human life for our sin. Everyone sins and falls short of God’s glory—we are only human. So, once we admit that we are sinners and repent of our sin, accepting what Jesus did on the cross for us, we become a child of God. God has chosen us to live with Him eternally—but we must be pure, sinless. That choice is up to each of us and only happens through the blood sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Accept and then you can eternally…Praise the LORD! every day, beginning today.

The Lamb of God
...who takes away the sins of the world.

Verse of Salvation ~ After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, "Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. ... Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. ... Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: "Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Revelation 19:1, 7, 11-17 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Is there still time for a change to your Holiday Diet to maintain your weight? Below are some tips to maintain your weight during the holidays from my husband’s VA weight maintenance program.

1. Plan. When you know you are going to have a big meal, make smart choices before the meal. Have a snack, like a piece of fruit, before dinner.

2. It’s not only about the meal. Take time to catch up with family and friends. Schedule video calls with family and friends. Food doesn’t have to be the central focus.

3. Watch your portions. Often a small portion will satisfy your cravings. Be aware of how many servings of each food you put on your plate…and into your mouth.

4. Drink to your health. Limit high calorie beverages. Try sparkling water, seltzer, or even diet soda instead. Alcohol stimulates the appetite and adds extra calories quickly.

5. Avoid overindulging in desserts. Enjoy desserts in moderation. That can help you enjoy treats without guilt.

6. Eat slowly. Take time to really enjoy and savor the foods.

7. Listen to your stomach. Stop eating before you feel stuffed. Wait 30 minutes. If you are still hungry, then go back for seconds.

8. Burn it up. Take a walk after a holiday meal. Walking burns calories and helps relieve stress.

9. Beware of snack foods. Choose low-calorie snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, and pretzels, when you can.

1 . Don’t be a Grinch. Forget the all or nothing mindset. Depriving yourself of special foods or feeling guilty when you enjoy them isn’t part of a healthy eating plan. Enjoy favorite foods in small portions.

Plan to enjoy your New Year's Celebrations.

Blessings!

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, December 29, 2022

Sing a New Song to the Lord for the New Year

Prayer – Lord, it is a privilege to sing praises to You. May my songs bring joy to Your heart…as well as to my heart.

Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones. Praise the LORD! Psalm 149:1-9

Meditate. Sing a new song to the Lord for this coming New Year!

We recently praised the Lord in celebrating the His birth. Now it is time to continue praising the Lord—as we await His return. In believing in Jesus as our Savior we are offered eternal life in these last days.

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. 1 Peter 1:17-20

Let us sing for joy!

As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24-25

Liberty - Singing for Joy

If Jesus is your Savior, sing for joy. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, seek Him today, then sing for joy forever. Sing to the Lord a new song…for the New Year of 2023.

Verse of Salvation ~ Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! Psalm 98:1

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6

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, December 28, 2022

Where Are You Going in 2023?

Prayer – Lord, I praise You. Like the psalmist wrote—I praise you…like every creature ever created, I praise You. I’m not part of the people of Israel…but I love You Lord, and want to faithfully serve You---forever. Open my eyes and my heart showing me more of Yourself and how to serve You today and always. Help me to make and attain realistic spiritual goals for this coming year 2023.

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being. He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked. Praise the LORD from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children. Let them all praise the name of the LORD. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones—the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD! Psalm 148:1-14

Meditate with praise to the Lord as you consider goals for next year.

This year of 2022 is almost over. What spiritual goals are you considering or making resolution plans for 2023? Here are some things to consider when setting Spiritual Goals for the New Year:

1. What would you like to accomplish spiritually this year?

2. What attitude or habit needs to change?

3. How would you like God to use you?

4. What ministry could utilize your unique gifts?

5. What ministry could benefit from your leadership?

6. What level of intimacy would you like to have with God?

7. What friend would you like to lead to Christ?

8. Who do you want to be your mentor…and who do you want to mentor?

As you consider these questions, think about what steps you can take on a monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly basis to attain these goals. We need goals in lots of areas of our lives to challenge us—at work, at home, with physical fitness and with diet or nutrition (how many pounds do you want to lose this year?). Let me challenge you to seek to set some spiritual goals for 2023. Without a goal we fail to attain anything. As Lawrence J. Peter said…

If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.

Where are you going spiritually in 2023?

Verse of Salvation ~ So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6

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, December 27, 2022

Praise the LORD!

Prayer – Praise the Lord! You, Lord, are powerful and worthy of praise. We wait patiently for Your return…and in the meantime…we sing praises to You and honor You for our hope is in You, Lord.

Praise the LORD! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! The LORD supports the humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust. Sing out your thanks to the LORD; sing praises to our God with a harp. He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures. He gives food to the wild animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry. He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might. No, the LORD's delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For he has strengthened the bars of your gates and blessed your children within your walls. He sends peace across your nation and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat. He sends his orders to the world—how swiftly his word flies! He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. He hurls the hail like stones. Who can stand against his freezing cold? Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws. He has revealed his words to Jacob, his decrees and regulations to Israel. He has not done this for any other nation; they do not know his regulations. Praise the LORD! Psalm 147:1-20

Meditate and praise the Lord.

Sing praises to the Lord! Are Christmas carols still going around in your head? They still are in mine—and I love hearing and singing those hymns and songs. I think my favorites are “Mary, Did You Know?” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain” because they focus on the real reason for the season—the birth of our Savior Jesus. The Mary song is almost haunting because it is so thought provoking. Did she know what lay ahead for her son? It is a very recent song with the lyrics written by Mark Lowery in 1984 and the music composed in 1991 by Buddy Green (Google search). Most of the traditional hymns were written over two hundred years ago, although “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is reported to have been gathered with other Negro spirituals in about 1865. What is your favorite Christmas carol? Share in the comments section below.

Snow on my wreath.
Christmas greetings continue.
Stay Warm.
Sing praises to the Lord!

This has been a vicious winter. Cold bone-chilling temperatures and snow across the nation. Good time to stay home and stay warm. It was interesting in this scripture passage from Psalm 147 that God…sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. He hurls the hail like stones. Who can stand against his freezing cold? Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws. We’ve a weather prediction here of thawing this week with high winds. Chinook winds are typical for our area in the Columbia Basin region of the Pacific Northwest. I remember as a kid that it would snow and then the next day after a Chinook wind, the snow would be completely gone. Snow is so beautiful and it is amazing that each snowflake is unique. My daughter’s friend caught some on a piece of clear tape and the flakes were distinctively different. Amazing. What is beautiful to us is devastating to those without homes. Pray for protection from the cold for those who are homeless or displaced by the weather closing roads. One church in my community opened its doors to provide evening shelter for stranded or homeless. What a great ministry treating others as we would want to be treated. They are living the Golden Rule and glorifying the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Verse of Salvation ~ For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6

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, December 26, 2022

Praise the LORD!

Prayer – Lord, with all that I am, I praise You—yesterday, today…and forever—joyfully. I realize that every day I need You. You are my creator, my redeemer, my helper, my joy. Still, I need You. Please give me wisdom and as I feel truly blind, open my eyes to Your will and Your ways.

Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the godly. The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. The LORD will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the LORD! Psalm 146:1-10 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. Read God’s word and listen to what He is saying.

The Lord Jesus Christ is my helper…always keeping His promises. His greatest promise—after His promise of obedience to Our Heavenly Father—was to never leave us or forsake us. So many times people praying ask God to be with them. Don’t they realize that He promised that He is always with them! Alternatively, we could ask for wisdom, strength to face problems, open eyes to see and understand, protection, and continued love, although we know He loves us no matter what. We can always sing our praises to Him—for He is our God forever.

Hope offered in the Empty Tomb.
Christ Jesus is risen from the dead.
At the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, Israel.

Don’t be discouraged in these days after Christmas. We’ve just passed the shortest, and thus darkest, day of the year—but we have the greatest hope for today and for eternal life in Jesus Christ. Hope—in situations that could be overwhelming and disheartening. Ask Jesus to help you…if you find yourself feeling gloomy or just disappointed. We can suffer a type of loss with unmet expectations. Take it to the Lord, asking Him to take your burdens—just as He said.

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:28-30

I’ve experienced giving the Lord my anxieties during this holiday season—and it is wonderful knowing that I have a friend, Jesus, who does just what He says. He took my burden (of trying to do too much) and gave me rest. I didn’t get many Christmas cards sent this year…but I’ll try to send cards to people for the New Year or all during the coming year instead. People still need to know that they are loved and cared for at other times than just Christmas. Jesus has taught me that one thing is important…and that is love. Love God and love one another. Such wisdom from our Savior. Praise the Lord!

Verse of Salvation ~ May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God. Philippians 1:11

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6

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

Sunday, December 25, 2022

I Will Praise the LORD, and May Everyone on Earth Bless His Holy Name Forever and Ever!

Prayer – Happy Birthday, Jesus. I praise You—my Lord and my Savior.

A psalm of praise of David.

I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, LORD, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The LORD always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. I will praise the LORD, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever. Psalm 145:1-21

Meditate. Consider the difference that the birth of Jesus has made in your life, in the life of your family and friends, neighbors, and people around the world.

Happy Birthday to Jesus. Celebrate His birthday as you would any friend or family birthday. What special thing will you do? A special meal—begin with a prayer dedicating the day and the meal to Jesus. In my family all celebrations are about the food, concentrating on favorites for the birthday person. What would Jesus eat? Some figs, dates, hummus, pita bread, olives, maybe some lamb. Cake for dessert? Maybe a date cake lovingly made by one of His followers. Yes, celebrate this day joyously—for this is the day that the Lord has made—let us rejoice and be glad in it. I will praise the LORD, and may everyone on earth bless His holy name forever and ever.

Verse of Salvation ~ Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! Habakkuk 3:17-18

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