Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs,

Today in 1 Samuel 19:18-24 we learn a third way that God protects us. 

1 Samuel 19:18-24 (NIV)
18  When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.
19  Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”;
20  so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men and they also prophesied.

On verses 18-24:   When David was fleeing from Saul, the first person David wisely went to for help was the prophet Samuel (v18).  There with his spiritual leader, David was safe.

In a similar albeit a strange and more indirect way, Saul also goes to Samuel his pastor.  (Samuel was technically still Saul’s spiritual mentor and pastor, although by this time Saul was living as if he had no pastor and was accountable to no one.  Even his going to Samuel was not because he wanted to see Samuel but because he knew David was with Samuel.)  As Saul stood there in the presence of his spiritual leader Samuel and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, the damage that spiritually unhealthy Saul could have done was neutralized (v19-22). 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 19:1-17.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
1 Samuel 19:1-7 (NIV)
1  Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David
2  and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there.
3  I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

On verses 1-7:  King Saul wanted to kill David, but Saul’s son Jonathan, the Prince of Israel, stood up for his best friend, declaring his innocence.  Because this prince spoke in David’s defense, David’s life was spared.
Similarly, we too are protected and saved because a prince spoke in our defense.  When our sin made us objects of God’s wrath, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, stood up for us and spoke in our defense, declaring us innocent.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 18:17-30.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
1 Samuel 18:17 (NIV)
17  Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

On verse 17:  Because Saul envied David, Saul wanted to David dead.  So he devised a plan that would hopefully get David killed without getting Saul himself in trouble.  Saul would try to offer David one of his daughters – first his oldest daughter Merab and, then later, his younger daughter Michal – in marriage on the condition that David fights against the Philistines, hoping that David would be killed in battle.  Yet David would not be killed and would take Michal as his wife.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 18:1-16.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
1 Samuel 18:1-2 (NIV)
1  After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
2  From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house.

On verses 1-2:  It is not surprising that Jonathan and David got along so well and became “one in spirit” with one another.  Both of them were young, courageous leaders who had led Israel to military victories against incredible odds.  More importantly, they were men who loved God and had a can do attitude fueled by their faith.  

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 17:41-58.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
1 Samuel 17:41-43 (NIV)
41  Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.
42  He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.
43  He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

On verses 41-43a:  Goliath made fun of the weapons David brought to the battle.  A similar thing happens when people of the world see God’s people praying, reading God’s Word and taking church seriously.  They think, “What good will that do?”  Little do they know that our weapons have power that the things they trust in do not have: power to demolish strongholds, power to bring the most significant changes to people’s lives.  As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”