Category: Daily Bread

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Be Like a Sentry on Guard

2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful. ~ 2 Samuel 11:2

The application here is that David had become spiritually lazy; he found himself in bed instead of out fighting the war with his soldiers. We are in a war, a spiritual war. A battle for our souls and the souls of our family, our friends, our congregations, our neighbors, those we know, and those we don’t even know.

We cannot afford to lie on beds and fall asleep while the battle rages all around us, we need to be doing what God has called us to be doing, and one of those things is our private time. If David was in his private time, he would not have been where he was not supposed to be, and not gazing at another man’s wife and lusting in his heart.

Spiritual laziness leads to spiritual slumber, and that’s exactly where David found himself; spiritually asleep. David started to think in his mind. He probably even fantasied about her. David had several wives by then, so it was not like he needed yet another. But the lust of the eye, as John wrote about in 1 John 2, got the best of him.

That is why we can’t let down our guard for one second; we must always be on the alert like a sentry. God warned Cain that sin is always on the attack; it never sleeps because it knows what it wants. You are what it desires. So, stay alert, armed, and ready to defend yourself from all attacks of the Evil One.

Dear LORD God, please awaken our sleeping spirit within us. Help us to stay awake, guarding our minds, hearts, and eyes as a sentry guard’s the gate protecting all inside the walls from any and all intruders. Help us to grow that we might not become distracted during our private time, prayer time, worship time, or Bible time. Help us to be on guard that we might successfully defend all attacks of the Evil One. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Dangers of the Second Look

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it. ~ Genesis 4:7

As God told Cain, Sin is constantly at our door. There will never be a time when sin isn’t attacking us until Jesus returns for His bride. But we can defend ourselves against sin by doing what is just and right. And sin’s tactics haven’t changed from the beginning. With every sin, it’s the second glance, the second look that opens the door to the crouching sin. And all it needs is a small crack, a tiny little opening and in it comes like a flood.

This is where sin gets us, in our thoughts. In our fantasies. Because someone will say, I’m only looking to see, not to find. There is nothing wrong with looking as long as I don’t touch. Just remember, sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is to get in and devour you. If you don’t shut it down at this point, you’ve 95% lost the battle.

We have to tear down every thought, opinion, word, and desire that is displeasing to God. We have to crucify the flesh with all of its pleasures and desires. We have to stand firm on the Word of God and make the firm decision to follow Him. That is the only way we will ever be able to overcome evil with good.

Dear LORD God, please give us the strength to overcome. Give us the desire to overcome. Let our hearts and our eyes not be swayed by the things of this world, but instead, may our heart’s desires be for You. May we strive for Your presence and Your love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Ready Your Sling

38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. ~ 1 Samuel 17:38-40

Sometimes we lose sight of what we are meant to do. We get caught up in the glamour of things. And I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have nice things or that God doesn’t want us to have nice things. I’m saying that sometimes God wants to use something simple and easy to show how great and powerful He is.

King Saul, out of concern for David’s life, clothed David in his own armor, not realizing that God had something greater in store for David to use. David, because of his quiet time with God, had the Spirit of Discernment. He could discern that that armor wasn’t meant for him. He understood that God had something greater in store for him to use so that God could get all of the glory and praise.

Sometimes God uses large, elaborate things to get His point across, but sometimes He just uses something simple like a rock and a sling. This is the importance of quiet time. The more time you spend with God, the better you know Him and the clearer His subtle voice becomes. Because as you become closer with God, you will be able to discern when to use your sword and when to use your sling.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Ready Your Sling.

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Yesterday’s Faithfulness Guarantees Today’s Victories

32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” ~ 1 Samuel 17:32-37

By now, Goliath was taunting the Israelite army for a whole of 40 days. That is running to almost a month and a half now, and nothing was being done about him. Even the king, the mighty king Saul was afraid to fight hand to hand combat with the giant.

So, David began to inquire about the situation as if he was going to do something about it. The men who heard him were clutching at straws when they relayed the news to the king. But when the king called him in and saw that he was only a teenage boy, I’m sure his heart fell. His high hopes of Israel’s pride and confidence being restored were quickly smashed.

But David insisted, not out of pride, but out of confidence, because we walk by faith, not by sight. David remembered his quiet time. He remembered how he killed the lion with the help of God. He remembered how he killed the bear with the help of God. He was confident in who his God was because he had spent time with his God. He had a personal relationship with Him. David was able to not only face Goliath but fully defeat him with the help of God because of his great faith.

This is how we are to fight the giants in our lives. Some will say it’s impossible to overcome the giants in your land. They’ll tell you you’re too young like they told David. Or too poor, too weak. Or they’ll bring up your past or your parents’ past. They’ll give you every reason they can think of that this giant in your way will overcome you, but as long as you follow God with faith and confidence, you can overcome any giant in your land.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Remember the Lion and the Bear.

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Freedom Isn’t Free

11b … for they loved not their lives even unto death. ~ Revelation 12:11b

There is a famous quote that is always popular around this time of the year. It says, “All gave some, but some gave all.” Today we remember those who gave all. The fallen, those who loved country more than self. Who loved family and freedom more than their own lives.

We remember and honor those soldiers who kissed their loved ones goodbye as they proudly donned their uniforms, knowing fully well they may never return. Yet through tears and heartache, they tore themselves away to fight a war and pay the price for others to have the right to kneel when the national anthem is played. To chant death to America while enjoying her freedom.

With their own blood, they bought and paid for the right and freedom for others to say how unfair and unequal America is and how they are being kept down while being paid millions of dollars a year and living in mansions.

These were just ordinary men and ordinary women, making an ordinary salary, with ordinary lives that were cut short way too soon. Not given the chance to live, to enjoy the freedom they so desperately fought so hard to preserve, we honor you.

We thank their families for their sacrifice, a sacrifice we do not take for granted. While it may just be a holiday to some, to us, it’s a day of remembrance. A day to call to memory the countless names, the faces, the friends, the fathers, the sons, the daughters. We will never forget their great sacrifice. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Father, thank You for freedom. Thank you for the brave soldiers who died to give us the right to live free and without fear of persecution. May we never forget their sacrifice, and may America always remember the blood that was shed for her, including the precious blood of Your Son Jesus. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

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Are You Making Time For Private Time?

1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. ~ 2 Samuel 11:1

King David sent Joab to do the job he himself should have been doing. Too often, we rely on someone else to do our praising for us. We come to church and sit back content with the person next to us raising their hands in worship or singing to the LORD. We can’t get too emotional. We can’t let done our guarded dignity. What if someone sees us shed a tear? You know real men don’t cry.

We are satisfied with listening to a message and never applying it to our own lives. Well, that message was for someone else, not for me. We’ve even stopped praying for ourselves; we call the preacher and the prayer team to pray for us? Now I’m not putting down the power of agreement in prayer, but when we send for someone else to do our praying for us, we are in big trouble.

The truth is, it is everyone’s job to have their own private time with God so that He can refill, renew and replenish us. It is in those times that we learn to lean on the everlasting arm of the LORD. Private time is that important. If you don’t have one, then you give the Devil the opportunity to lead you into sin.

Dear LORD God, please help us to see the importance of private time. Give us the desire to have private time with You, that we might make it a priority in our lives. So that when temptations or tribulations come, we will be prepared. We will have a strong foundation to stand on. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Change

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ~ James 2:14-18

James made an earthly/physical comparison with the spiritual. He said that if it is not enough to wish someone well who is starving or freezing to death without doing something about it, then it is not enough just to believe. Therefore, you are saved for good works and not by good works.

Faith without action is dead. Because, once we are saved, that isn’t just the end of it, and we just have a free ticket to Heaven. Instead, we have to continue our spiritual growth. We have to fulfill the great commission. We have to put our faith into action. Unless we live our lives for Christ and become more like Christ, we are not changed. And if we are not changed, then we have no part in Eternal Life.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Change.

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Strongholds of our Past

6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

We often take this verse as just what we need to do for our children, but this verse is for all of us. Why? Because how we spend our free time as young people or as young Christians in our faith will be how we spend our free time as grown-ups, never maturing into meat-eating Christians as the author of the book of Hebrews condemns.

We have to make sure that we are continuously putting our bodies into subjection. We can’t allow our flesh to dictate our lives because if we do, we miss all that the LORD has in store for us. These are the days of preparation. Today is the day of Salvation. What is done in the dark will be brought to light. What we do in our youth will be what we do as we age because the habits and strongholds become stronger and stronger.

LORD God, help us to break the strongholds of our past that have kept us enslaved to our flesh. That has stopped us from growing in our relationship with You. Soften our hearts that we may love You more than I love my own flesh. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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His Name is in His Temple

16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. ~ 2 Chronicles 7:16

The LORD promised Solomon that He would put His name in the Temple Solomon built, as well as His eyes and His heart. He promised His name, which is a stronghold, a fortress, to remain in a house built by human hands. So, how much more will the name of God be put in a Temple built by His own hands?

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

We are Temple of God, so how much more would He put His name in the Temple He made with His own hands. The Temple He formed and died for. The Temple He washed clean and renewed with His own blood and Spirit. So, whom shall we fear when the name of God and blood of Jesus covers us and protects us?

God, Himself, is with us no matter where we go. God Himself is in us, changing us, fighting for us, and protecting us. No matter what comes your way, we have nothing to fear because we are not alone. Even when we feel afraid or feel like the entire world is crashing down around us, we can find confidence in our God. In our creator who overcame the world so that we can overcome through Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Do Not Fear.

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Today’s Laxness Breeds Tomorrow’s Failures

1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. ~ 2 Samuel 11:1-4

Today’s laxness breeds tomorrow’s failures. King David had become lax. He wasn’t where he should have been, which led him to the sin he then committed. The Scripture says that it was the time when kings go off to war. Back in those days, it was the kings who led their armies into war. The king himself, or the emperor like Alexander the Great, led the charge themselves, slept in the field with their troops, ate the MREs, and were away from home and family along with their soldiers.

David led his army bravely as well, but on this occasion, he was not where he was supposed to be. He wasn’t with his troops. Instead, he stayed back at home and sent Joab out to do what he should have been doing himself. We, too, will fall into temptation when we are not doing what we are supposed to be doing.

We can liken this situation to a failure in his private time. This is a big one. When we fail to have private time, that is private prayer and worship and mediation; we will fail to have a public time. No one excels publicly until he/she first excels privately. The same is true in that no one falls publicly unless they first fall privately. What we do in the dark will be brought to light. Good or bad.

LORD God, help us to prepare ourselves privately that we might manifest Your light publicly. Give us the desire to worship You behind closed doors so that out in the open, others might see You through us. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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