Banquet With The King

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Celebrate Our Savior

Prayer – Lord, today is the day we begin to celebrate Your birth. We joyfully rejoice every day because of what You have done for us as our Lord and Savior—but today is special because we are united with other believers—rejoicing together, no matter where we live. You came as a little baby—fragile and vulnerable—and grew into a man who obediently gave up Your life as a living sacrifice for the sin of mankind. We rejoice because You not only became the sacrifice—but You rose from the dead to live forever and to offer us that same eternal life…if we believe in You. I believe. I celebrate You as my Savior.

A psalm of David.

Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me. O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow. Open the heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains so they billow smoke. Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies! Shoot your arrows and confuse them! Reach down from heaven and rescue me; rescue me from deep waters, from the power of my enemies. Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead. I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp. For you grant victory to kings! You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword. Save me! Rescue me from the power of my enemies. Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead. May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace. May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands, and may our oxen be loaded down with produce. May there be no enemy breaking through our walls, no going into captivity, no cries of alarm in our town squares. Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD. Psalm 144:1-15

Meditate as you begin to celebrate Christmas Eve—the day and evening before the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD.

These verses were written by David years before Jesus was born, but still joyous and appropriate expressions as we celebrate Christmas. We are blessed that the Lord found human beings still worthy of His notice even after disobedience became part of our character, beginning with Adam and Eve. David expressed the value of our Lord who is our rock, our shield and defender, our rescuer, and our provider. He keeps us safe from our enemies and because of Him our abundant crops allow us to be prosperous. Joyfully successful spiritually, too, since God is our Lord. Today we celebrate Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Verse of Salvation ~ For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

A Pathway through the Wilderness.
Hiking near Parker, Arizona

Memory Verse of the Week ~ "But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

Happy Christmas!

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, December 23, 2022

What Will God Do Next?

Prayer – Lord, You see everything I do…and know everything about me. You know about my enemies and my feelings. Open my eyes, heart, and soul to Your wisdom and grace. Rescue me and be gracious to me—that I would bring You glory.

A psalm of David.

Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous. Don't put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you. My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave. I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don't turn away from me, or I will die. Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Rescue me from my enemies, LORD; I run to you to hide me. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress. In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. Psalm 143:1-12

Meditate.

David was paralyzed with fear, losing all hope, and depressed because of his enemy who had chased him. Once again, he is praying, pleading for the Lord to help him…to rescue him…and for the Lord to teach him to do His will, and to preserve his life. Small things for the Lord to do since David trusts the Lord and wants to bring Him glory. Are our lives like that? Are you fearful, hopeless, and depressed? That seems to be pretty common now as it was throughout the time of COVID. Anxious, hopeless, and discouraged. How can we get beyond those feelings? As David wrote…God’s faithfulness will bring me out of this distress because of His unfailing love. God’s love is just that: faithful. He is faithful to those He loves…the whole world…even when they are unfaithful.

As Isaiah wrote in the verses in our Memory Verse for this week…For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Since I live in a semi-desert area with dry wasteland and wilderness areas, daily I see rivers that God has created in this area. Rivers…not just one river, but three. The great and mighty Columbia River, the Yakima River, and the Snake River. They are each great rivers for transforming the desert agricultural area into a desert oasis flourishing with plants like grapes, potatoes, corn, wheat, alfalfa, pumpkins, squash, and onions. The rivers also provide a home for salmon and other fish. Throughout Israel, God has also transformed the land into productive agriculture areas. In this passage, God has said that He is about to do something new. It will be interesting to see what He does. What will God do next?

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

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Most people have favorite foods that they like to eat on holidays, like turkey for Thanksgiving. What are your favorite Christmas foods?

If I were to poll my family, there would be several—out of our group of thirteen—that would say “sushi” since that is their favorite just about any time of the year. Others would say Christmas Cookies—and who doesn’t like a nice sugar cookie? My husband always like to have some fruitcake, so we are always on the lookout for good fruit cake and I’ll try to make some, or a batch of my Mom’s fruitcake cookies, this week. We’ve tried all different Christmas Eve menus…and this year we are going back to a favorite Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas, which is a tasty do ahead meal. We'll eat it at lunchtime so we can have a snack before we go to the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at church. My favorite service for the whole year.

Our menu for Christmas Day actually changed a couple of times and we finally settled on a family favorite that I’ve previously blogged. Santee Stew is also known as Low Country Boil. Its tasty ingredients include shrimp, crab, turkey kielbasa, corn-on-the-cob, baby red potatoes, and I’m going to add some fresh cod meat, too, this Sunday. Of course, it is good with crusty Italian bread and a simple green side salad. For dessert you could serve a nice lemon sorbet, or the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies.

Santee Stew

1 large onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 Tb. seafood seasoning

salt & pepper to taste

Turkey kielbasa - 6“ per person, cut into 1 1/2” pieces

Corn on the cob - 1/2 ear per person

Raw shrimp in the shells - ½ lb per person

Optional additions:

Fresh crab in the shell – ¼ lb per person

Fresh mussels in the shell – ¼ lb per person

Other seafood in small amounts as desired by those around the table –

large sea scallops

chunks of raw flounder, salmon or halibut

Baby red potatoes - 1 to 2 per person or more as desired

Cook onion, pepper, celery, potatoes, & seasonings in enough water to cover; boil 15 minutes. Add sausage; boil 10 minutes. Add corn; boil 5-10 minutes. Add additional seafood to suit the taste of your guests, cook briefly. Add shrimp; boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat; wait 5 minutes; drain & serve with cocktail sauce for the shrimp and butter for the corn. It is a casual meal and takes time peeling the shrimp as you eat. Be sure to provide bowls for the shrimp shells and corn cobs and lots of napkins or even a small towel for each guest.

Enjoy this time of Christmas preparations and Hannukah celebrations!

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 22, 2022

What Do You Want in Life?

Prayer – Lord, I need You. Hear my prayers…hear me calling out to You about all the troubles in my life. You know where I should turn. Thank You for rescuing me.

A psalm of David, regarding his experience in the cave. A prayer.

I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD's mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. Then I pray to you, O LORD. I say, "You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me." Psalm 142:1-7

Meditate.

David needed God. We need God. Do you ever feel like David…low, overwhelmed or even trapped? At times like that, I look to the Lord for help, knowing that He will guide me…show me the way to go. No one else will help me—they don’t even care. Life can be lonely when no one cares. God cares. Prayer is the way to go…it is the beginning of everything in communicating with God. He will rescue me…and you. In His mercy, He provides. Because of His love, grace, protection, guidance, good listening, and caring direction, I feel and know that I am loved by God. That’s all I really want in life…to love God, to love others, and to be loved be loved by God. That’s what I want in life.

Verse of Salvation ~ For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

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 21, 2022

Let Me Escape

Prayer – Lord, I am looking for wisdom and understanding—I want to escape putting my foot in my mouth so to speak. Let me escape. Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips (Psalm 141:3).

A psalm of David. O LORD, I am calling to you. Please hurry! Listen when I cry to you for help! Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering. Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips. Don't let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don't let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong. Let the godly strike me! It will be a kindness! If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. Don't let me refuse it. But I pray constantly against the wicked and their deeds. When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff, the wicked will listen to my words and find them true. Like rocks brought up by a plow, the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial. I look to you for help, O Sovereign LORD. You are my refuge; don't let them kill me. Keep me from the traps they have set for me, from the snares of those who do wrong. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, but let me escape. Psalm 141:1-10

Meditate. Think about what you say.

David was continually praying to God for help, crying out for rescue from wicked people and their actions. He had real fear of being killed by dreadful individuals who set traps for him. That is pretty bad and David asked God to let those people fall into their own nets. Not exactly Christ like thoughts or actions. Consider what you would ask of God if you were in a similar situation. David suggested that his prayers were like incense, which was useful in the Old and New Testaments.

Only Aaron and his descendants served as priests. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense, and they performed all the other duties related to the Most Holy Place. They made atonement for Israel by doing everything that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded them. 1 Chronicles 6:49

Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God's people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. Revelation 8:3-4

A pleasing aroma--
like lilac in the spring.
Think about them covered with snow.
Spring isn't far off.

So, offer your prayers with a pleasant aroma like that of Christ, as Paul advised in his letter to the Ephesians. Solomon also wrote about godly escaping trouble with words. Good advice.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble. Proverbs 12:13

May God show us the way of escape.

Verse of Salvation ~ God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. Hebrews 2:10

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, December 20, 2022

Heaping Coals on Their Heads?

Prayer – Lord, I want to serve You and be kind to others…to treat others as I want to be treated. Open my eyes to see how You see others—even someone I might consider as my enemy.

O LORD, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long. Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips. O LORD, keep me out of the hands of the wicked. Protect me from those who are violent, for they are plotting against me. The proud have set a trap to catch me; they have

I said to the LORD, "You are my God!" Listen, O LORD, to my cries for mercy! O Sovereign LORD, the strong one who rescued me, you protected me on the day of battle. LORD, do not let evil people have their way. Do not let their evil schemes succeed, or they will become proud.

Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me. Let burning coals fall down on their heads. Let them be thrown into the fire or into watery pits from which they can't escape. Don't let liars prosper here in our land. Cause great disasters to fall on the violent. But I know the LORD will help those they persecute; he will give justice to the poor. Surely righteous people are praising your name; the godly will live in your presence. Psalm 140:1-13

Meditate on God’s word and listen.

Once again, David is seeking God to rescue him from his enemies. Since he was continually asking God for help, life must have been tough for him—but he found his strength, hope, and salvation in the Lord. I think he is pretty brutal asking God to heap burning coals on the heads and have them thrown into the fire or into watery pits from which they can’t escape. To me that sounds pretty harsh. What about Jesus teaching in His Sermon on the Mount?

"You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48

Of course, David lived long well before Jesus—but we have Jesus’ teaching—so that is what we should follow. No wish for heaping coals or drowning of your “enemies.” Love your enemies…as in love your neighbor as yourself.

Take it to the Lord in prayer. Prayer is the beginning point for all problems, praises, and for everything. That is just what David was doing when he was asking God to rescue and protect him from his enemies. Praying. David actually provided us with a good example of what to do and say. God always listens…we just have to pray. In praying, we are in a relationship with our God. God, in whom we can rely on to help us with our problems and to share our joys and sorrows.

Verse of Salvation ~ O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. Psalm 140:7 KJV

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

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

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 19, 2022

God Know Everyone

Prayer – Lord, I’m comfortable with You knowing everything about me. Like David, I just want to know what You want to change in me. Let’s do it. I want to please You.

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. O LORD, shouldn't I hate those who hate you? Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you? Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:1-24

Meditate.

I love David’s honesty and openness in this Psalm. He acknowledges that God knows everything about him, but he has a humble attitude that acknowledges God’s omniscience.

Don't be a donkey!
God knows you
...better than you know yourself.

David gave great advice to his son, Solomon, about seeking God…and how God sees everyone’s heart and knows their thoughts. That advice holds true for us, too. God hasn’t changed and didn’t just know people in David’s time. He knows our hearts, souls, and minds better than we know ourselves.

And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9

Jesus knows our thoughts. You know He is God. His qualities are like that of our Heavenly Father God. Jesus knew the disciples’ thoughts and He hasn’t changed. He knows our thoughts, too.

Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts?" Mark 2:8

Be careful what you think, say and do. God knows your motives and actions even before you do. He knows all. Remember that David said if you seek God you will find Him. Are you seeking Him today? Does knowing God’s omniscience draw you closer in your relationship with God?

Verses of Salvation ~ 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. 1 John 2:24-25

Salvation is eternal life.

Recycled and revised from January 19, 2021

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