Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 9:1-13.  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!

2 Samuel 9:1-13 (NIV)
1  David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2  Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “Your servant,” he replied.
3  The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.”

On verses 1-13:  Back in 1 Samuel 20:14-17 David made a promise to his best friend Jonathan that he would show kindness to Jonathan’s family.  David asks who is left from Saul’s household and Ziba, a servant in Saul’s household, tells David about Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son who was crippled in both feet.  Faithful to his promise to Jonathan, David reaches out to Mephibosheth.  At the time Mephibosheth is living in Lodebar (literally, “a pastureless place”), probably hiding for fear that David’s troops would hunt him down.  Could you imagine the fear that Mephibosheth must have felt when David’s troops found him?

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 7:18-29.  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! 

2 Samuel 7:18a (NIV)
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD

On verse 18a:  Notice how David responds after hearing the powerful promises God spoke to him through the prophet Nathan.  David doesn’t say, “That’s interesting” and walk away.  Rather David responds by getting into God’s presence and sitting before the Lord.  When God speaks to you, don’t just go, “That’s nice” and walk away.  Take time to sit in God’s presence and let your soul digest what you have received.  Then you can respond to God in an appropriate way.  One of the most powerful things you can do any day is to sit in God’s presence and be still.  When I sit down in God’s presence, I experience His peace, receive insight for my situation and direction for what to do next.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 6:12-23.  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! 

2 Samuel 6:12 (NIV) 
12 Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.

On verse 12:   For a season David was afraid to get near God’s presence (v9-10), but when he saw how much God had blessed Obed-Edom because Obed-Edom drew near to God’s presence, David decided that he needed the presence of God no matter what the cost.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 5:17-25.  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! 

2 Samuel 5:17-25 (NIV)
17  When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.
18  Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;
19  so David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The LORD answered him, “Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.”

On verses 17-25:   There was a season in David’s life when for 16 months David had allied himself with the Philistines, such that King Achish of the Philistines thought David was fighting for them (1 Samuel 27).  So when the Philistines hear that David has now been anointed king over Israel, they must have felt in some ways betrayed and rejected by David.  So the Philistines come in full force, spreading their entire army across the Valley of Rephaim to fight David.  David inquires of the Lord, gets God’s signal to attack the Philistines, obeys God’s signal, and is victorious over the Philistines (v19-20). 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 4:1-12.  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! 

2 Samuel 4:1-12 (NIV)
1  When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.
2  Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin–Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,
3  because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day.

On verses 1-12:  In the book of 2 Samuel, David must contend with men who think they are helping David establish his kingdom by doing some very evil things.  For example, in 2 Samuel 3, Joab tells David that he does not trust Abner and then murders Abner.  Here in 2 Samuel 4 we see two brothers called Baanah and Recab who do something horrendous in the name of “building David’s kingdom”.