Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 3:1-16.  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! 

2 Samuel 3:1 (NIV) 
1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. 

On verse 1:  For 7.5 years after Saul’s death, the house of David and the house of Saul (represented by Ish-Bosheth) continued to war against one another.  But over time, the house of David would “grow stronger and stronger” (v1).  Likewise, as a follower of Jesus, you will find that there is an ongoing war between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, between God and Satan, for the territory in your life (Ephesians 6:12).  That war will continue until the day you see Jesus face to face and Jesus wins the war once and for all.  But my prayer for you is that over time, as you learn to trust Jesus more and more, and as you develop the attitudes, the habits and the skills necessary to grow in Christ and give the Holy Spirit more room, may the kingdom of the Son of David — Jesus Christ — grow stronger and stronger in you, and may Satan’s strongholds in your life grow weaker and weaker.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 2:1-11.  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 2:1-4 (NIV)
1  In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. The LORD said, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron,” the LORD answered.
2  So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

On verse 1-4a:  David is considering what his first move should be after the death of Saul.  He does the wisest thing anyone can do: he inquires of the Lord.  The Lord tells David to go to Hebron.  Why Hebron?  We don’t know for sure, but reasons could include: (1) it was the largest city of refuge in the region; (2) it was a city that had belonged to Caleb, an ancestor of David’s wife Abigail; and (3) it was given to the priests of Israel, the sons of Aaron, and David’s pastor Abiathar the priest was a son of Aaron. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 1:1-16.  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! 

2 Samuel 1:1-16 (NIV)
1  After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days.
2  On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.
3  “Where have you come from?” David asked him. He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

On verses 1 to 16:  A young Amalekite runs to David with news that Israel’s armies have been defeated and that Saul and Jonathan have died.  The Amalekite also brings the crown and royal band of King Saul to David, claiming that he personally handed Saul his final death blow at Saul’s request.  David and his men mourn, weep and fast over the death of Saul and Jonathan, as well as for the defeated armies of Israel.  Then David orders one of his men to strike the Amalekite down, saying, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.'” (v16)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 30:21-31.  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 30:21-25 (NIV)
21  Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Ravine. They came out to meet David and the people with him. As David and his men approached, he greeted them.
22  But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

On verses 21-25: The 400 who helped David with the rescue operation didn’t understand why David would allow the 200 who didn’t go with them to share in the plunder. What was going on in David’s mind? David was thinking about grace. Grace is showing people goodness that they don’t deserve. Before when Saul was chasing after David, David would say, “What have I done to deserve this?” He didn’t get why he was treated so badly. But at this moment David is especially aware of his own sinfulness and failures.  David was learning to look at the good things God had done in his life and say, “What have I done to deserve this?”

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 29:1-11.  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 29:1-11 (NIV)
1  The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
2  As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish.
3  The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

On verses 1-11:  The Philistines and the Israelites are preparing to go to war against one another.  David is still hiding among the Philistines and pretending that he is on the Philistines’ side.   But now he is in the incredibly difficult position of having to actually fight his own people Israel.  While King Achish of the Philistines is happy to have David fighting for them, the Philistine commanders urge Achish to prohibit David from fighting for the Philistines because they do not trust David.  So David and his men are saved from having to fight their own people.