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.

Sunday, April 30, 2023

Old Testament Prophet’s Dilemma

Prayer – Lord, the saga goes on and on. Why couldn’t those people in Judah and Israel recognize all that You’d done, Your devotion to them, and why wouldn’t they listen? Are people any better? The question still….”Why do you (they) disobey the LORD’s commands…?” Give us wisdom and courage to understand and obediently obey Your commands…and apply them to our lives.

But after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. They decided to abandon the Temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. Yet the LORD sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen. Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: Why do you disobey the LORD's commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the LORD, and now he has abandoned you!" 2 Chronicles 24:17-20

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

The prophet Zechariah was obedient. But if you read on in this chapter of Second Chronicles, those people to whom Zechariah prophesied were not at all obedient. They were decidedly evil—rejection the very God that made them. Rejecting the total God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and those who loved Him.

Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and King Joash ordered that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's Temple. That was how King Joash repaid Jehoiada for his loyalty—by killing his son. Zechariah's last words as he died were, "May the LORD see what they are doing and avenge my death!" 2 Chronicles 24:21-22

Rocks...available and ready for action.
Stoning of Zechariah.

They turned their backs on God, purposely and intentionally worshipping an idol, forbidden by God’s commandments. Then they plotted to kill a man of God—one filled with the Holy Spirit, thus breaking another of God’s commandments, “Thou shall not kill.” That is just what they did. They stoned Zechariah. Even though he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was not protected from death. We will all die one day. It is just that Zechariah was unjustly murdered and died earlier than he would have naturally. He came to prophesy…and he confronted the people with their sin of rejecting God. God abandoned them. That didn’t matter to them. Does it matter to you? Personally, above all I value the promise that God will never leave me or forsake me. He may have abandoned those people of Judah…but I am confident that He won’t abandon me. We know that God sees everything we do. Since the Lord is watching you…just as He watched those in Judah, do you think He will want to abandon you?

Verses of Salvation ~ So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 1 Peter 1:13-15

Last Day of April

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, April 29, 2023

Be Careful What You Vow

Prayer – Lord, when we say vows, we need to mean them. In our days, about fifty percent of the marriages end in divorce with those couples breaking the vows they promised to each other and to God. “Until death do us part.” My vows were for a lifetime—and we have more than 50 years of commitment that have been honored so far. You, Lord Jesus, have been a been a guiding force in the relationship between my husband and me. You were such an example—with “may Your will be done, not mine.” Likewise, in all my relationships…may Your will be done, not mine. If I make any vows, guide me to be careful to chose my words carefully so as not to bring grief to anyone, but glory to You and to our Heavenly Father.

Fire is needed for a
burnt offering.

Be careful what you vow.

At that time the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, "If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the LORD whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave him victory. He crushed the Ammonites, devastating about twenty towns from Aroer to an area near Minnith and as far away as Abel-keramim. In this way Israel defeated the Ammonites. When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters. When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. "Oh, my daughter!" he cried out. "You have completely destroyed me! You've brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the LORD, and I cannot take it back." And she said, "Father, if you have made a vow to the LORD, you must do to me what you have vowed, for the LORD has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin." "You may go," Jephthah said. And he sent her away for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children. When she returned home, her father kept the vow he had made, and she died a virgin. So it has become a custom in Israel for young Israelite women to go away for four days each year to lament the fate of Jephthah's daughter. Judges 11:29-40

Meditate. Consider what you have vowed to the Lord and God’s victories in your life.

What was Jephthah thinking? A sacrifice from his own home? What did he expect to walk out of his door…a calf or lamb worthy of burnt offering sacrifice to the Lord? The power of the Holy Spirit had been laid upon him—shouldn’t that have given him confidence that God was going to have victory in this battle with the Ammonites? Did he really need to make this little secret vow to the Lord about a sacrifice to seal the deal for success on the battlefield? So many questions—but no real answer. There is a verse in Psalms that encourages us to make a vow to the Lord, but use this example of Jephthah to seriously consider what vow you make. It is best to consider the consequences before making a promise that is going to be hard to keep.

Make vows to the LORD your God, and keep them. Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One. Psalm 76:11

It is amazing that Jephthah’s daughter was so obedient, truly following the commandment to “Honor your father and mother” yet Jephthah was breaking another commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” The girl’s friends were true friends to go with her to the mountains to mourn. To mourn the loss of her future—no wedding…no husband…no children. All the things that were important to young girls. Loyal friends are so highly valuable to teens—to be loved and accepted—especially for an only child, in earlier times and now, too.

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17

Do you consider yourself to be a loyal friend—in times of joy and mourning?

Verse of Salvation ~ The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted! Psalm

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, April 28, 2023

Put Out a Fleece

Prayer – Lord, like Gideon we often seek a sign. Show me what You want me to do in this or that particular case. Right now a dear relative and friend is seeking a sign from the Lord concerning her husband’s recovery from a stroke. We put dear Marie and Rick in Your hands, Lord God. Have mercy on them in these coming days. We praise You and we love You—we won’t turn our backs on You, but whole rely on You

The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. So the LORD handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. ... So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help. When they cried out to the LORD because of Midian, the LORD sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt. ... I told you, 'I am the LORD your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.' But you have not listened to me." Then the angel of the LORD came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!" "Sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, 'The LORD brought us up out of Egypt'? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites." Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!" "But Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!" The LORD said to him, "I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man." ... When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he cried out, "Oh, Sovereign LORD, I'm doomed! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" "It is all right," the LORD replied. "Do not be afraid. You will not die." ... Then the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram's horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him. Judges 6:1, 6-8, 10-16, 22-23, 34

Meditate. Consider God’s guidance, presence, and promises in scripture.

Jars of clay like Gideon and his army broke.
Shout! Break the jars and blow the horns.
The Victory is the Lord's!

Let God have victory in your life.

Have you ever heard the wail of a ram’s horn? That is what it sounds like a mournful wail. That is the sound that Gideon used to call the men to fight for Israel, to save them from the Midianites. God had allowed the Midianites to starve the Israelites in order to punish them. That should teach them not to do evil stuff in rebellion to the Lord God. Did it teach them? Probably not, since they turned to God and then again turned their backs on Him. That was their history. Here in this little portion of the big story, Gideon obediently serves the Lord and leads his people. Interestingly enough, Gideon is one that puts out a fleece to test God to prove that God will really help him. That is an idiom that people sometimes use “put out a fleece” to test a situation. Read on in Judges Six through Eight about Gideon, his army, God’s rescue and victory. The Holy Spirit’s control of Gideon saved the Israelite nation with crashing of clay jars, shouts, and the wail of ram’s horns. Can you imagine the Midianites so scared that they ran towards their homes chased by the Israelites? That is just what happened. The victory belonged to the Lord and peace came to the Israelites for many years. Unfortunately, when Gideon died, the people forgot about him and forgot about God who had rescued them.

When things are going great do you forget about God?

Verses of Salvation ~ A psalm of David. He sang: I love you, LORD; you are my strength. 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. I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. Psalm 18:1-6

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Are you experiencing a time of famine? Remember how there was a famine in Egypt and all around the world including Israel at the time of Joseph. I’ve always been amazed that Jacob sent his sons down to Egypt a second time for more food and told them to take along a gift of foods from Israel as a peace offering to Pharaoh’s assistant, Joseph himself.

So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, "If it can't be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts--balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds.” Genesis 43:11

Pistachio nuts are such a good treat and snack that is satisfying when I am craving some carbs. So, what is the nutritional value of pistachio nuts? According to several websites (Google it for yourself—there is a lot of information available.) pistachio nuts help protect the heart by flushing out the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and due to the potassium levels, blood vessels relax and improve overall circulation. These nuts also help protect the eyes due to antioxidants; provide good fiber; improve the nervous system functions (due to Vit B6); support healthy skin regeneration and repair; their low glycemic index assists with lowering insulin and glucose levels; facilitate mineral absorption due to copper, magnesium and phosphorus levels which contribute to good bone formation, brain function and hormone balances. Pistachio nuts also provide a stable energy boost. Additionally, they are a good source of plant protein.

They have been evaluated as a great snack—but don’t eat too many since their calories can add up quickly. One-fourth cup of shelled pistachio nuts have about 165 calories. Enjoy them as a snack, on salads, or get creative and put them in a dessert like cookies, pies, chocolate bark or on a bowl of ice cream or sorbet. I prefer to just eat mine plain—right out of the shell!

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, April 27, 2023

Please Give Me a Double Portion—Two Servings

Prayer – Lord, I am hungry for Your love and attention. Isn’t that what everyone craves—love and attention? The Holy Spirit certainly draws attention to people in the Old and New Testaments. It is surprising how He works in peoples lives even before Pentecost. I am so grateful that He is mine for the asking—and unlike Elisha I don’t have to ask to inherit it from my teacher or master. The Holy Spirit was given to me when I confessed my sins and believed in Jesus as my Savior—and as I asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit, His gifts became more evident in my life. I see that as my double portion. Thank you, God, for Your plan and the blessings You have bestowed on me through the Holy Spirit.

Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, "Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Of course I know," Elisha answered. "But be quiet about it." Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to the Jordan River." But again Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you." So they went on together. Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground! When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away." And Elisha replied, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor." "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah replied. "If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won't." As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!" And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress. Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. He struck the water with Elijah's cloak and cried out, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" Then the river divided, and Elisha went across. When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, "Elijah's spirit rests upon Elisha!" And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 2 Kings 2:5-15

The Jordan River--near the headwaters.
Israel
Rushing Water

Meditate. Consider God’s guidance in scripture. Read God’s word and listen to what He is saying.

Have you ever crossed a river on dry ground? Whacking the water and it divides—separates so that people can walk through it on dry ground. When did that happen before? The first time was when Moses led the Hebrew people through the Dead Sea on dry ground during their exodus from Egypt, Then, when Joshua led that same group of people—a generation later—into the Promised Land it was across the Jordan River on dry ground. God was with His chosen people when they crossed those bodies of water. At this point in the history of Israel, Elisha became filled with the same spirit—The Holy Spirit of God. Elijah's spirit rests upon Elisha! Elijah was filled with the Holy Spirit while he served as God’s prophet. Now as the same Holy Spirit was indwelling Elisha, his first amazing act was crossing that same Jordan River on dry ground. No slip-sliding through mud or across wet rocks. They all were sure footed on dry ground. Definitely a miracle in all three incidents.

Elisha got the double portion of the Spirit—just as he had asked of Elijah. Do you ever ask the Lord for something—maybe not a request to cross a body of water on dry ground—and expect a larger portion that you needed? Or perhaps you were blessed by more than you asked for? I just reread a post from an earlier “Banquet With The King” from several years ago and it reminded me that we should ask BIG of God. He has the best of everything and wants to provide us with just that. It is useful also to keep a log of your prayer requests and the answers to your prayers so that you can see just how God is working in your life. You might be surprised at the number of times that He gives you a double portion of what you were wanting or needing. Yes. I do want a double portion, just like Eliasha.

Verses of Salvation ~ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. ... Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. Isaiah 61:1, 7

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, April 26, 2023

Listen to the Lord or Pay the Consequences

Prayer – Lord, as I look in the Old Testament for examples of the Holy Spirit—I am finding examples of the lack of the Holy Spirit. It grieves my heart that the people of Israel and Judah—Your chosen people—turned their backs on You. Open the eyes of my heart Lord that I would never turn away from You—even in a small way. Forgive me for not challenging others to seek You first in their lives. Fill me with a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit that I would be bold for You.

Then Micaiah continued, "Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. And the LORD said, 'Who can entice Ahab to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?' "There were many suggestions, and finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, 'I can do it!' "'How will you do this?' the LORD asked. "And the spirit replied, 'I will go out and inspire all of Ahab's prophets to speak lies.' "'You will succeed,' said the LORD. 'Go ahead and do it.' "So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the LORD has pronounced your doom." Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. "Since when did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?" he demanded. 1 Kings 22:19-24

Meditate. Read God’s word, pray for understanding, and listen to what He is saying.

Are you in a spiritual battle...
or are you at peace with purity of the Lord?

Watch out for “spirits” that are of Satan, not of God. In this story of the prophet Micaiah there is a spirit involved with lying—so you can pretty much guess that it is an evil spirit. How can we tell if there is an evil spiritual force trying to influence our lives? Seek the Lord as Micaiah said…“Listen to what the Lord! says?” Pray, read God’s word, talk to Christian friends, and if you feel peace, it likely is of the Lord, but if there is turmoil, stress, a real lack of peace, then watch out. You may be in a spiritual battle.

Micaiah got slapped in the face. Literally. That was a very rude thing to happen—especially right in front of the King. Did the Spirit of the Lord really leave Zedekiah? That is what he said. The Spirit of the Lord was definitely with Micaiah as he prophesied for the Lord—pronouncing the doom of Israel’s King Ahab. Ahab died in battle against the Aramean army, even though he disguised himself to hide his identity. Read it for yourself in 1 Kings 22. Punishment of death at the hands of his enemies was his consequence for not following the ways of the true Lord God of Israel. His life was cut short because of his disobedience. Is there a lesson to be learned from this?

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

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, April 25, 2023

Are You Looking for the Lord?

Prayer ~ Holy Spirit, I am looking for You. Please reveal Yourself to me—so that I may know You more fully and serve You more deeply.

As Obadiah was walking along, he suddenly saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and bowed low to the ground before him. "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" he asked. "Yes, it is," Elijah replied. "Now go and tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'" "Oh, sir," Obadiah protested, "what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab? For I swear by the LORD your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time he was told, 'Elijah isn't here,' King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim. And now you say, 'Go and tell your master, "Elijah is here."' But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the LORD all my life. 1 Kings 18:7-12 (Underlined for emphasis.)

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

Obadiah was not filled with the Spirit…but Elijah was if he was to be carried away by the Spirit of the Lord. He was recognized as a man of God, by the widow that God sent him to live with during a famine (1 Kings 17:24). In this passage Obadiah was speaking to Elijah. He thought that Ahab would kill him—knowing that Ahab really wanted Elijah to die. Obadiah thinks that the Spirit of the Lord would carry Elijah away to who knows where? Anywhere. Just not anywhere that Ahab would find him. Getting carried away by The Spirit of the Lord—the Holy Spirit—is not a common occurrence.

Will we someday be carried away...
in the Spirit?

John, the Apostle, was “carried away” in the Spirit in two occurrences in the book of Revelation. See Revelation 17:3 and Revelation 21:10. These incidents represent visions that John experienced when the Holy Spirit was dictating the Book of Revelation to him. How can we apply this to our lives? That is pretty hard. We can’t exactly expect to be carried away in the Spirit. But we can expect to find the Lord…if we search for Him.

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

Where and how are you looking for 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

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, April 24, 2023

Don’t Wait Until the Last Moment to Honor God

Prayer – Lord, the last words someone speaks are often the most remembered. Your last words, “It is finished” are quoted time and again—especially at Easter, Resurrection Sunday. Today I’m looking at David’s last words—recalling that he was a man after Your own heart—and a distant relative. What will my last words be? Likely, just like my parents… “Good-bye. I love you.” Simple words, but reassuring that love we all need to know. Your death and last words can give all Your followers hope—knowing that You loved us enough to die for us.

These are the last words of David: "David, the son of Jesse, speaks—David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. "The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue. The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: 'The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.' Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success." 2 Samuel 23:1-5

Meditate. Consider God’s blessing on David.

He will ensure my safety and success. Strange words to utter at the end of his life. Safety. Success. What will he need to be “safe” from at the point of death? Was he claiming this safety and success for his family? David was already very successful—a great king and mighty warrior. His soldiers were also strong and valiant, serving David and the nation of Israel well. There were three of David’s men who were particularly loyal and great leaders over the army. You can read about them in the book of 2 Samuel 23, just after the description of David’s last words.

David was honored that God had delegated him to be king and to have his family chosen by God. The prophesy—a covenant—was for David’s lineage to be everlasting.

The LORD swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back: "I will place one of your descendants on your throne. If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and the laws that I teach them, then your royal line will continue forever and ever." Psalm 132:11-12

David so often wrote in the Psalms about God’s mercy. In his last words he gives glory to God once more. Do we give glory to God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—on a daily—even moment by moment basis? Don’t wait until the last minute of your life to honor God.

Verse of Salvation ~ The LORD will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins. Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air. "Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm. Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!" Isaiah 51:3-6

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