Isaiah 3-4

It is bad when the leaders of God's people are leading in the wrong direction.  Yet this is the case through much of this book.

"My people, your leaders mislead you; they confuse the direction of your paths" (3:12)

Yet throughout this magnificent book there are these bursts of Messianic hope!  The last paragraph of your reading to today is fantastic...don't quit until you've read it!

Read it here.

Isaiah 1-2

We are going to skip WAY ahead and read through the prophet Isaiah.  This prophet ministered for a long time, through several kings and a lot of political and spiritual turmoil.  He lived from about 740-701 B.C. - which places him more than 200 years after the days of King David.

As you read the opening pages, note the poetic imagery and vivid language.  This is more than a book of history - it is a rich story of God calling out to His people and their varied responses to His call.

Read it here.

2 Samuel 24

The end of David's reign.  This chapter ends with more death and destruction.  Israel's greatest king is still a far cry from being the Perfect King that the world was (and is) waiting for.

Just imagine, Christ-follower, what the coming Kingdom will be like when there is perfect peace and justice and love and compassion ... under the watchful care of the true High King.

Come Lord Jesus!

Read it here.

2 Samuel 22-23

"You rescue an afflicted people, 

but Your eyes are set against the proud--You humble them"

Wow - David knew this well!  Don't miss the radical dependence on God that David evidences - and his truly humble heart!  Let's learn these lessons through David that we might not have to learn them first hand!

Read it here.

2 Samuel 20-21

Again we are reminded that when we sin, the fingers of destruction continue to reach far and wide.  No one sins in isolation.  As you read of the ongoing effects of sin, ask God to give you a clean heart and to protect others from the impact of your own sin.

Read it here.

2 Samuel 18-19

"My son Absalom!  My son, my son Absalom!  If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!"

Is there a more gripping and pain-filled cry in all of the Scriptures?

Read it here.

2 Samuel 15-17

Insurrection.  And it is led by David's own son.  Though David's sin started this whole string of events, he is now going to remain in a humble posture before the Lord and entrust himself to God's providence.

Continue to put yourself in this unimaginable scene.  What are the lessons God has for you as you see the destructive path of sin and its residual consequences?

Read it here.

2 Samuel 13-14

The ongoing impact of bold acts of sin should frighten us to the core.  There are many people impacted by a solitary sin.  That's the point - no sin remains solitary.

As you begin to read this dark narrative, notice that before Amnon did the unthinkable, he conspired with a "friend."  Had Amnon surrounded himself with friends like Jonathan (David's friend in 1 Samuel) things may have gone very differently.  But Amnon had a "friend" that was all too eager to nudge him down a path of destruction - and then go scot free while Amnon pays for his crime.

Choose your friends wisely.

Read it here.

2 Samuel 11-12

Once again we see that God will bring us the story of what really happened - not a glossy retelling and reworking of the darker parts of the story.  We might wish that these chapters had not been written.  How could a man of God with so much potential fall so miserably?

We're not different people than David.  We're not more committed to God.  We're not immune.

God, thank You for telling us what happened with David.  And thank You for not letting David stay in that dark place.  Thank You for sending a Nathan onto the scene.  Give us a holy fear and a holy hope based on what we read today.

Read it here.

2 Samuel 9-10

Mephibosheth.  Not a common name in the church nursery.  You'll read about him today.

God continues to establish David's reign over the neighboring enemies.  His hand is on David and the people of Israel.

But if David or the people begin to turn away from following God in righteousness, God will bring them back.  As we will see tomorrow.

Read it here.

2 Samuel 7-8

The Lord gave David many victories and David was eager to give Him credit and honor.  David knew that all these victories came because of God's intention and not because David somehow deserved, earned, or achieved them.

Do you credit God for doing for you what you could never have achieved on your own?

Read it here.

2 Samuel 5-6

God is merciful.  He would grant His people their desire for a king.  But now He would raise up a king who would lead them to Him.  "Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel" (5:12).

David was not perfect.  But one thing characterized his life and it is found in this confession: "I will celebrate before the Lord, and I will humble myself even more and humiliate myself." (6:21-22)

Read it here.

2 Samuel 3-4

"The war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long and drawn out..." (3:1).

Back in 1 Samuel 8 the people cried out for a king so that they could be just like all the nation around them.  And that's a good thing?  God warned them that things would not go well under a human king.

What they needed (and what we need today) is to be under the kingship of the High King Jesus Christ. This story shows us what happens when we rule ourselves.

Read it here.

2 Samuel 1-2

1 and 2 Samuel form one story, divided into two volumes.  The first volume tells of the beginning of Israel's monarchy and ends tragically with the death of he first king.  The second volume, that we begin today, tells of her greatest king, David.

The story opens with bloodshed.  When God is not the supreme King, anarchy and civil war follow.

One of the strongest apologetics for the veracity of the Bible is the honest retelling of these stories.  No soft-coating, no hero worship - just the raw history of the way things really played out.

Read it here.

1 Samuel 29-31

We finish the book of 1 Samuel today.  "But David found strength in the Lord his God" (30:6) is a great summary verse for his life to-date.

But the book ends with the reader invited to mourn the death of Saul and his sons.  What a tragedy!  It is a testament to the potential wickedness that is bound up in the hearts of us all.  We must not give in as Saul did!

And it is a tribute to Saul's son, Jonathan, whose loyalty knew no bounds.  He died at the side of his father whom he knew to be a wicked man.  But it was his father-and he was there at his side.

Mourn with the author at this dark tale.

Read it here.

1 Samuel 27-28

Saul is now resorting to sorcery.  Why doesn't he cast himself upon God who is eager to forgive and full of mercy?  But God makes a surprise entrance to Saul where he least expects Him!

Read it here.

1 Samuel 25-26

Abigail is a wise and discerning woman!  Conversely, Nabal is a wicked man.  Abigail got what was coing to her and Nabal got what was coming to him.

And in the midst of Saul's murderous campaign, he has moments of sanity and truth ... if only he would stay in the light!!!

Read it here.

1 Samuel 23-24

"David inquired of the Lord and the Lord answered him" - this becomes a distinct pattern in David's life (in counter-distinction to Saul).

The role that Jonathan plays in David's life is highlighted once again.  And once David hears Jonathan, "encourage him and strengthen his faith in God," they go their separate ways, never to meet again.

What a man and what a legacy of friendship.  The man who would be king, pouring out his life (and giving his crown) for his friend!

Read it here.

1 Samuel 21-22

Saul chose a path of rebellion (see 15:23) and that path leads to ever increasing darkness and chaos.  He becomes a very dark character.  It is shocking what the human heart can do when one turns from following God.

But David continued down the path of righteousness and sought to care for those left in the wake of Saul's destruction.

God doesn't hold anything back in this Book!

Read it here.

1 Samuel 19-20

Jonathan defines friendship.  And God used him in one of the darkest, most vulnerable times in David's life.  His role in Davids' life was pivotal.  There were key moments when Jonathan was there to point David back to God and to strengthen his faith.

Ever have a true friend?  Thank God for them today!

Read it here.

1 Samuel 17-18

And so begins the awesome story of David, the greatest king of Israel.  But this isn't hero-worship.  David was very aware that it was GOD that would bring victory and God whom David would serve.

And there is another story woven into the first part of this saga.  It is the model friendship between Jonathan and David.  Would that God would give us each such a selfless and loyal friend as Jonathan!

Read it here.

1 Samuel 15-16

It often seems darkest just before dawn.  Chapter 15 ends with regret and mourning.  Chapter 16 begins the dawn of a new day and a new leader.

I'm glad God's stories always bring hope.

Read it here.