Devotions from February 2025

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 9-12 Meditation Verses: 12:12-15 What a way to start your kingdom, by hearing that you being made king is rebellion against the Lord. It'd make you question whether you really want to be king, the thing that is sin in God's…

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 13-16 Meditation Verses: 14:43-46 Saul had grown quite bold by this point. Too bold perhaps. But he was a mighty warrior and was inflicting punishment on all Israel's enemies. The people must have been very happy with him. Except that he…

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 17-20 Meditation Verses: 20:32-34 If not for Jonathan, David likely would have been killed. He was a servant of God to protect David. The Lord was watching over David and one of His means was Jonathan and his loyalty and devotion…

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 21-24 Meditation Verses: 22:22-23 There are two amazing statements in David's response to Abiathar: one is that he takes responsibility for the death of Abiathar's father's whole family but he's not crippled by the weight of that. He is the cause,…

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 25-28 Meditation Verse: 25:39 David planned to kill Nabal and all his men because he wouldn't repay David's kindness with some meat. Instead, Nabal insulted him. And David was incited to take vengeance on him for the insult to him and…

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 29 - 2 Samuel 1 Meditation Verse: 1 Samuel 29:8 Was David planning to betray the Philistines who had sheltered him and his men? They could have done great damage if they turned against them in the battle. The other leaders…

Passage Read: 2 Samuel 2-5 Meditation Verses: 5:1-2 It seems everyone knew of God's promise to David! So why the ruse of putting Saul's son on the throne and fighting David for two years? This is the problem with following the ways of the world.

Passage Read: 2 Samuel 6-9 Meditation Verses: 6:5-7 David loved the Lord and desired Him to be with him in Jerusalem. But there was only one right way to transport the ark: on the shoulders of priests. David put it on a cart, like Philistines…

Passage Read: 2 Samuel 10-13 Meditation Verse: 10:12 Joab's job was to lead the army in battle, wherever the king desired. And because David honored the Lord so greatly, the Lord was pleased to bless the army in all they went to do. David enjoyed…

Passage Read: 2 Samuel 14-17 Meditation Verse: 17:23 For all his wisdom, Ahithophel didn't see a problem with joining the son in rebellion against his father? Does he not know how greatly God hates rebellion? David's own life is a testimony to that. God anointed…

Passage Read: 2 Samuel 18-21 Meditation Verses: 18:14-15 Joab is a hard man, and he is wise in his own eyes. For the most part, he is loyal to David, but when he thinks his idea is better than David's, he will follow his own…

Passage Read: 2 Samuel 22 - 1 Kings 1 Meditation Verses: 1 Kings 1:7-10 Solomon's appointment as next in line for the throne was public knowledge, at least among the leaders of Israel. Adonijah knew it too, and so he didn't invite Solomon or Nathan…

Passage Read: 1 Kings 2-5 Meditation Verses: 2:3-4 David's charge to Solomon is first that he walk in obedience to all the Law of God, so that he can enjoy the favor of God and prosper in all he does and wherever he goes. But…

Passage Read: 1 Kings 6-9 Meditation Verse: 8:53 Did Solomon understand that the Lord's intent was not simply to single out the Israelites and make them His own people, and exclude all the rest? God made all people and deserves the worship of all His…

Passage Read: 1 Kings 10-13 Meditation Verses: 11:38-39 Solomon turned from the Lord later in life, under the influence of the women he loved. He loved his wives more then the Lord and more than his father David, so he provoked the Lord to uphold…

Passage Read: 1 Kings 14-17 Meditation Verses: 15:3-5 The Lord desired to do good to His people, and to keep His promise to David. Because of that, the people were able to disregard His commands and live, even prosper to a degree. God's faithfulness to…

Passage Read: 1 Kings 18-21 Meditation Verses: 21:25-29 The Lord is determined to reward those who humble themselves before Him. He wants to forgive, not destroy men. And He gives even the vilest of men grace when he humbles himself, as a sign to all…

Passage Read: 1 Kings 22 - 2 Kings 3 Meditation Verses: 2 Kings 2:6-9 Elijah tested Elisha three times, encouraging him to remain behind at different points while Elijah went on to his point of departure. Elisha knew that Elijah would soon be departing, and…

Passage Read: 2 Kings 4-7 Meditation Verses: 5:9-11 Naaman was a hero to his people, great in their eyes and in the eyes of his king. But he was humiliated by this leprosy. For all his greatness, people would be afraid to be around him.

Passage Read: 2 Kings 8-11 Meditation Verses: 10:30-32 Jehu obeyed the commission of the Lord. Unlike David, he was anointed king and commanded to kill all the house of Ahab. He wasn't supposed to wait for the current king to die, but to take his life and the…

Passage Read: 2 Kings 12-15 Meditation Verses: 14:8-10 Amaziah wanted to fight Jehoash and sent him a challenge. Very noble. He didn't just attack Israel and provoke them to war. He wanted to fight him, but more as a contest than as actual war. His pride was showing…

Passage Read: 2 Kings 16-19 Meditation Verses: 19:32-34 Thought The Lord defends Jerusalem by His own mighty power. Hezekiah has proven faithful and trusted in the Lord. He had no other hope of deliverance. He had tried to appease the king of Assyria with gold, but either…

Passage Read: 2 Kings 20-23 Meditation Verse: 23:3 Thought Josiah didn't just say the right words, he zealously followed through with action, decisive and dramatic action. He tore down altars and idols and sacred stones. He burned images and objects of worship that were not in…

Passage Read: 2 Kings 24 - 1 Chronicles 2 Meditation Verse: 2 Kings 24:20 Thought Zedekiah and his brothers and their sons were all of a rebellious nature, despite having known and followed in the footsteps of Josiah. Some barely had any time to express it, two…

Passage Read: 1 Chronicles 3-6 Meditation Verse: 5:19-20 Thought The three tribes east of the Jordan had some successes in battle, and here the Scriptures record their victory against the Hagrites. They gained the victory not because they had a significant army with great skills, which…

Passage Read: 1 Chronicles 7-10 Meditation Verse: 10:13-14 Thought Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord, yet he died around the age of 70! So it's not like his life was taken early, but he lived a full life. His life was marked by…