David – indycrowe

How David Learned His Lesson the Right Way (Eventually)

There’s an interesting story from early in David’s reign as king that takes place in both 1 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13-15. After securing a new capital city, one of King David’s first recorded acts was to defeat the Philistines, retrieve the ark of God, and begin the important process of putting it in the new capital so God’s presence and worship would be at the center of Israel’s kingdom and life. David admonished the priests and people for not prioritized seeking God by seeking the ark in the days of Saul (1 Chronicles 13:3).

God’s Grace When We Stray

One frustrating thing about the Christian life is how fickle our hearts prove to be. I’m amazed how I can start my day in Scripture soaring on the truths of God’s glory, and then by lunch I doubt whether God will come through for me. I can tell others about His goodness one day and then question His goodness the next. I’ve had seasons of spiritual dry spells where it felt like the dark clouds of life hid the sun of God’s presence, and then had seasons where the rays of God’s presence felt like they beamed directly on me. I can lay down my life in selflessness toward one person but act so selfish toward someone else. My mind can rest in God’s Word, only to have a windstorm of anxious thoughts sweep through with a trail of destruction.

What Does It Mean that David was “a man after God’s heart”?

When I began studying David, one question that intrigued me was what it meant that he was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). When I asked people what they thought this phrase meant, I heard differing opinions. Some were even bothered by the fact that such a sinful person was described this way. So what does it mean?

Psalms Prayer Guides & Worksheets

I’m teaching a short class on the Psalms, and so far, we’ve studied Psalms 3 and 13. Each week I’m creating a prayer guide with some reflective questions that can help us pray back the psalms through in our own words in light of our own circumstances. We want to both learn about God but also talk to Him.

Part of what we’ve talked about is praying with both honesty and humility before God. Eugene Peterson describes this as praying who you actually are not praying who you think you should be. But we’re also letting the Psalms help us express what we’re thinking and feeling while also shaping our thoughts and feelings.

Singing Praise when Pain Stings

I think we can know God has good plans and purposes for us in our personal trials, and yet the pain of those trials lingers. There’s a sting of the trial but then there can even be a bit of a sting in God walking us through it. I say that believing God is always wise, good, loving, and faithful in everything we go through, and that He is with us in whatever dark valley He leads us through. You can know God’s heart is good and loving, you can trust His character and plan, and yet it still hurts. You might even be able to give thanks to God or be thankful for the trial in retrospect (or at least grateful for what God has done in and through it) and yet still carry wounds and scars from it all.

Don’t Lose Hope in Hardship

One of the many lessons I’ve learned from David’s time in the wilderness is not to let present hardship rob me of future hope.

10 Contrasts Between Saul and David

Israel’s first king, Saul, had the royal throne ripped away from him and given to David. He rejected God’s commands, and God rejected him as chief-in-command. But why does God respond so firmly to Saul and so graciously to David? If both Saul and David were sinners, why is Saul portrayed so negatively overall in and why is David portrayed so positively overall?

Who was the prophet Samuel?

Samuel was “…the kind of leader that Israel actually needed. Their need was not for a great military hero or genius. God had demonstrated unambiguously that he could deal with their enemies without such a champion. Their need was not for a brilliant political giant who could organize the nation efficiently. Israel’s need could not be met by management abilities. Israel’s great need was a leader who would bring them back to God. They needed a leader who would lead them in righteousness. They needed a Samuel. And God gave them Samuel!”^[1]

In many photos of Samuel online (such as the one above from Amazon’s series House of David), you might get him confused with Gandalf the Grey. Both appear old, wise, travel with a nice staff, and perform some pretty awesome deeds. But who was Samuel in the Bible, or what was his ministry to Israel?

Grateful Offerings: Gratitude Reading Plan (Day 5)

(This devotion is day five of a 30-Day Thanksgiving Challenge. Each day includes a daily reading that will be accompanied by a post on this blog.)

Read 1 Chronicles 29:10–22; Leviticus 7:11–15

As a kid, one of my parents would give me money to buy the other parent a birthday gift. Even when I had an allowance or helped around the house, any money spent on cards or gifts came from my mom or dad. I had nothing to give them they didn’t provide first.

David’s Trust in the Wilderness

Psalm 63 was written in the wilderness. Considering what he was experiencing helps us see why he uses the language he does. David likely wrote Psalm 63 either before he was king and fled from Saul (1 Sam. 23:14-15) or–more likely–while he was king but fled because of his son Absalom’s revolt (2 Sam. 15:24-17). In either case, he faced significant trials in the wilderness.

Continue reading David’s Trust in the Wilderness