3-25-22 Today in the Word

Bathsheba: Who Shall Be King? Friday, March 25 | 1 Kings 1:1–31 On the Go? Listen to Today's Devotional History is full of epic stories of kings and queens fighting to obtain or retain the throne. Not surprisingly, 1 Kings begins with such a tale. King David was old and very ill. The throne was vulnerable, and people were vying for position. Adonijah, David’s oldest surviving son by Haggith, declared that he would be king. He commissioned chariot power and recruited two powerful supporters: Abiathar the priest and Joab the general (v. 7). Being allied with Joab also gave Adonijah access to the entire army. The author notes, however, that other leaders did not turn traitor, namely, Nathan the prophet (v. 8). When Adonijah audaciously hosted a celebration feast and invited his father’s royal officials—except Nathan and his own brother Solomon (vv. 9–10) Nathan took action. His strategy was not in military might, but in cunning and connections. Instead of going directly to David, Nathan informed Bathsheba of Adonijah’s plot and enlisted her help. He sent her into the king’s room first. When David asked Bathsheba what she wanted, she reminded him of his oath: “You yourself swore to me your servant by the LORD your God. ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me’” (v. 17). The promise was both personal and providential. Bathsheba reminded David of his influence and authority, and appealed for his care (v. 21). Just as they’d planned, Nathan arrived, and Bathsheba slipped off the scene. Nathan hammered home the gravity of the situation, challenging David directly (v. 27). But before David answered, he summoned back Bathsheba. Though his body was failing, his mind was clear, and his response was regal: “I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel” (v. 30). Solomon would be king. >> Through Bathsheba, we see another unlikely story of God’s redemptive power. We can be thankful that God moves the hearts of kings and that His will can never be stopped. Pray with Us God in heaven, You are sovereign. Nothing that transpires escapes Your notice. Indeed, You foreknew everything! You will fulfill Your promises, no matter how impossible they sometimes seem. We trust You with every outcome.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t...
Read more

9-25-23 The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas

The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are at the time of the year when we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad’s birthday. And my Dad was well-loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve. I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling, and the wind and snow were whipping across the barny...
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th...
Read more