Banquet With The King

Saturday, June 14, 2025

But The Lord Just Laughs!

Who gets the last laugh?

Remember when...
God had a donkey speak?
Was He laughing?
Are fools like this donkey?

It is good to know that God has a sense of humor…the Lord just laughs. But look at what He is laughing at in this passage. He is laughing at the fools who are wickedly plotting against the godly.

Does that surprise you? God laughs? Jesus expressed joy? I don’t think I want to have God laughing AT me…although laughing with me would be great. I enjoy being around people with a sense of humor…and having a good laugh.

- But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Psalm 2:4

- When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning. Psalm 73:20

- At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.” Luke 10:21

Note the verse in our focus verses today…Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. God wants us to stop and be quiet before Him. Stop what you are doing…meditate on His word. Focus on who He is, His characteristics and His influence in your life. He will be honored by every nation. Right now, there are certainly some nations that are not honoring Him…and I’m sure that makes Him angry. He deserves our love and respect. He certainly is not getting that from some groups in the United States. No worship allowed. How is that honoring God? No matter where we are or whatever is going on anywhere in the world, what we need to do daily is to…be still in the presence of the Lord.

"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." Psalm 46:10

Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land. ...The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming. Psalm 37:5-9, 12-13 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Prayer – Lord God, I come before You with Your peace in my heart and quietly honor You right now for You are my Creator, my Savior, my Lord and my God—all powerful and omniscient. I praise You with all of my heart. soul, mind and strength. In that Day of Judgment, Lord, I will be covered by Your blood, Jesus. Thank you for going to the cross for me—for being that unblemished sacrifice required to blot out the sins of the world…the sins of believers.

Meditate. Smile. The Lord maybe laughing.

Verse of Salvation ~ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance--an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 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 1:3-9 (underlined for emphasis.)

Happy Birthday, Lydia.

Blessings and love.

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

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Friday, June 13, 2025

Joseph and His Dreams

Throwback to an Earlier Post – Thursday, January 19, 2012

Read Genesis 37

This chapter begins the history of Joseph, Israel’s favorite son. In verses 5-11Joseph is depicted as a dreamer. In one dream his brothers’ sheaves of grain in a field bowed down to his sheave of grain. In another dream the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to him. Not only his brothers took great offense, but his father did, too, as he said, “Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?”

Take a look at Revelation 12:1-2. A woman, representing the nation of Israel, is clothed with the sun and the moon is under her feet and on her head is a crown of twelve stars. Is this a coincidence that the stars may represent the twelve tribes of Israel? Just a little “food” for thought today. Isn’t it interesting how God weaves things through the Bible?

So back to Joseph and his dreams. How would you feel if you were told that you would be bowing down to someone--especially a family member? Was the jealously of his brothers justified? Was this only a dream? What have you dreamed lately?

Lord, please give us sweet dreams—dreams and goals during the day that are inspired by You and sweet dreams at night that give us restful sleep.

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

What food do you dream of when you are hungry? Ever since I had some when we went out to breakfast with my South Carolina family, I’ve been dreaming about Avocado Toast. It is a simple thing to do. Toast some bread—I prefer a nice grainy bread with some seeds in it. Mash half an avocado and spread it on the toast. Top with bacon, if you like, and some thinly sliced tomatoes. Other toppings could be a thin slice of mozzarella cheese and some fresh basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

No photo of the avocado toast—but you could dream about this little crab growing a bit, being cooked up and added to that open faced sandwich! Yum!

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Thursday, June 12, 2025

Advice from a Friend

Job was suffering—and his friends came to give him advice.

Jesus cares for His sheep.
He cares for you.
Take the advice of a good friend, Jesus.

Do your friends give you advice…or do you hand out guidance and suggestions for options to your family and friends as they are struggling with life issues? Life is tough. Everyone has some problem, complaint, or conundrum at some point in their life.

Consider Psalm 23 and note how God takes care of us…from the pasture to the table…and all along that valley of the shadow. He is there…walking with us or carrying us along. He gets us through the good, the bad, and the ugly times. Forever.

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:1-6

Choose the Lord to guide you through life.

He (God) gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil. If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant. But if they refuse to listen to him, they will be killed by the sword and die from lack of understanding. For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help. They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living. But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity. "God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food. But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don't worry, judgment and justice will be upheld. But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don't let yourself be bribed into sin. Could all your wealth or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress? Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed. Job 36:10-20 NLT

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You’ve got my attention. Lead me through the good pasture as You provide for me…and along the darkest valley. Thank you for going to the cross…and for Your promise to always be with me. I can face anything knowing You are by my side.

Meditate on advice from a friend—the best friend ever, Jesus.

Verse of Salvation ~ 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 51:4-6

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

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

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Wednesday, June 11, 2025

How’s Your House Lookin’?

Is it time to sweep up?
Are you ready for Jesus to visit?

Would you be embarrassed to bring Jesus Himself home? Is your house a mess…or tidy? Jesus sought out the tax collector, Zacchaeus, in the town of Jericho. He didn’t phone ahead and tell Zach that He was going to come to his house for dinner that day. He just saw short little Zach up in a sycamore-fig tree. That must have been a bit demeaning for this tax collector to climb up into a tree just so that he could catch a glimpse of the famous healer and teacher, Jesus. There he was—he got to see Jesus. But that wasn’t all. Jesus called out to him and said He was coming to his house—to be a guest for dinner—maybe even stay the night. Was his house a mess…or neat and tidy? We don’t know if Zacchaeus was even married or had children.

If Jesus came to your city and stopped to talk to you…and invite Himself to your home, would you be hospitable? Hospitality is not a gift everyone has—but we can be courteous, welcoming, and provide for the needs of others.

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 1 Peter 4:7-9

Personally, I try to keep my front room relatively neat and clean—mostly decluttered—so that I wouldn’t be humiliated to have anyone—even Jesus—drop in. When I was growing up, people would drop in on Sunday afternoons and visit. I don’t recall that anyone called ahead—you just dropped in. No meal was expected—it was after lunch and before supper. People just don’t do that anymore—and generally, if you are going to visit someone, call ahead.

I know people who never invite anyone over to their homes—they are just such poor housekeepers that they don’t want anyone to see their lifestyle. I learned long ago to just look beyond the mess of dirty dishes, unswept floors, piles of laundry, and overflowing cat boxes. Sometimes, depending on the relationship, you can pitch in and help with housekeeping tasks while you are visiting. Listening to others is the most important part of any visit. People are lonely and they need to know you care. I guess I’m just trying to encourage you to open your door and your heart to others. Invite them in…and sometimes, be like Jesus and invite yourself over to others’ homes. Call ahead to see if it is convenient and be like Jesus. Accepting of others. No expectations. It doesn’t matter if their house was clean and ready for guests. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Can we do anything less?

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today." Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost." Luke 19:1-10

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You called out to Zachaeus—“I’m coming to your house today.” When little children sing a song about this—are we teaching them to accept others? You certainly accepted Zachaeus. Help us to be like You—accepting and encouraging others. Seeking and offering salvation to those who are lost.

Meditate. Consider the salvation of the lost.

Verse of Salvation ~ But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!" Psalm 40:16

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

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Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Light. It is an extremely subtle, bright quality that is only from God. It is not the light we associate with sunshine, electric lights or even candlelight. It is a pure form of spiritual energy that comes from truth and knowledge. John tells us in our passage for today that Jesus was talking to people, not just His disciples, explaining that His light leads to life—eternal life. No darkness.

In the Old Testament, probably more than 600 years before Christ was born, Jeremiah was sent to prophesy to Judah about among other things, pride. Darkness is associated with pride. Even now those who pridefully don’t listen to the Lord may stumble and fall in the darkness.

Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when you look for light, you will find only terrible darkness and gloom. Jeremiah 13:15-16

Listen and pay attention. Does that sound familiar? Those who have ears…listen. That instruction is given several times in the Old and New Testaments. Give God glory.

O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying. Psalm 78:1

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Mark 4:23

Jesus said if we follow Him, we won’t have to walk in darkness. Which would you rather do…walk in the light or in the dark? You have a choice. Part of that choice is the possibility of giving glory to the Lord God. We also have a choice in how we spend our time. Walking through our day with the Lord…or ignoring our relationship with Him. What on your schedule today?

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I’m walking with You today…in the brilliance of Your light. Illuminate my life and cast out any darkness in my heart that I would be pure and holy, as You are Holy.

Meditate. Think about the contrast of darkness and light.

Verse of Salvation ~ For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:11-14 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Revised from April 26, 2021 Banquet With The King blog.

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

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Monday, June 9, 2025

What Are You Thinking?

What are you thinking?
Excellent and praiseworthy?

God gave Paul some amazing things to teach us. One of my favorites is…Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. What are you thinking about?

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:6-8

Prayer – Lord Jesus—help me to focus my thoughts on You…on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, admirable. excellent and worthy of praise. That is You! May You be glorified in all that I think and do…since actions speak louder than words. Thank you for all that You have done—giving up Your life for me…taking on my unworthy, sinful thoughts and actions. You are excellent and worthy of praise! I’ll love You forever.

Meditate. Consider your thoughts.

Verse of Salvation ~ Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. Romans 11:11-12

My gratitude for today: Life. Love. Learning.

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

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Importance of Fellowship

The bench is empty.
Who can you ask to sit with you?
God...or a Christian friend?
Fellowship begins with listening to others.

Fellowship with God consists of enjoying His presence, seeking to know His will, and conforming to His image. Fellowship with others, mainly Christians, includes having like interests, spiritual and temporal, in glory, in suffering, andk in joy, love, and grace—spending time together, communing, and communicating. These were noted in the Blue Letter Bible dictionaries and Strong’s Lexicon (number 2842).

Fellowship was one of the necessary components of early Christian life as described by Paul.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. Acts 2:42-44

Getting together was important in the first century Christian community and it is just as important today. In fellowship we learn more about God—as we share what scripture is telling us and what God has been doing in our lives. We build a comradery with fellow believers that we could never obtain by just zooming or watching a church service on YouTube. People need people. We get to know others when we meet outside of a Sunday morning service and learn about them, their trials and triumphs in life. Sharing our joys and sorrows builds bonds. Don’t let anyone tell you that fellowship is not important…that attending church even if you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior isn’t necessary. Be positive. Go to church. Seek out a friend who is a Christian and meet with them regularly. Encourage each other…and all the more as you see the day of Christ approaching.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25

We may not know precisely when Jesus will return…or when He will call us home. God has given us clues in the Bible and as we search God’s word, we discover how complex He is—but also how much He love us and has a plan for rescuing us from the sin Satan initiated in Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit.

The time is now to establish a relationship with God…with Jesus and the Holy Spirit…and with fellow Christians. What can you do to create a deeper connection with God and other believers on a daily basis?

So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God's children. - 1 John 2:24-29 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Prayer – Lord Jesus, please give me the faith to remain faithful to You and to have a meaningful fellowship with You, for You are an awesome God and I feel so privileged to know You as my Lord and Savior. Help me to be full of courage as I wait for Your return.

Meditate on fellowship.

Verse of Salvation ~ "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." (Habakkuk 2:3-4) But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. Hebrews 10:37-39

My gratitude for today: Salvation. Sunsets created by God. Songs of joy—that draw me closer to the Lord.

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