Vengeful Counsel

Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.  David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’? I Samuel 24:8-9

Saul listened to the negativity in his head and the negativity from people who liked to stir up trouble. This is a parents worst nightmare when it happens to their own children usually in the teen moments of life. The hormonal changes tell them their parents are out to destroy their life and their fun. Wrong influences of friends begin to feed your children the same lie. Television, music and all the negative things of this world that bombard our kids to believe more negative than good. Unfortunately, it also happens in adults too.

Our families and society are being crippled much like Saul was at that time where all he wanted to do was to hate and destroy a man who had never caused him any harm. His mind and his poor counsel had led him to believe that he needed to destroy an individual who had actually always been good to him. What deception our own minds can be and added with the negatives of those we choose to listen to and anything is possible. 

As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you. I Samuel 24:13 David chose not to hurt King Saul but instead treated him with respect because of his position of authority. He trusted God more than his own thoughts and especially more than the vengeful counsel of others.

This picture was taken when we visited Longwood Gardens with our niece Theresa, October 2014.

A Surprise Package of Love

This was a handmade thank you card I made of paper and fabric for my niece in 2013 when I wrote this blog about A Surprise Package of Love!

Genesis Chapter 18

  

In this chapter Abraham is 99 years old, approximately 1897 BC. God visits Abraham and Sarah in the form of a man.

Verses 1-15

The Lord and 2 men who were angels visited Abraham.

Abraham invited them to sit under a tree.

Sarah made flour cakes and Abraham had a calf to be cooked.

While the Lord and His angels ate the food, the Lord repeated His promise that He was going to give him a son.

Sarah was eavesdropping and laughed within herself when she heard because she was so old and past the age of pregnancy. 

The Lord asked why is Sarah laughing, is anything too hard for the Lord? 

Sarah denied that she had laughed because she was scared.

The Lord repeated the promise and told them they would have a son when he returned next year.

Verses 16-33

The Lord and his two angels left toward the city of Sodom.

The Lord told Abraham he would punish Sodom for its wickedness.

Abraham didn’t want the few righteous people to die so he asked God to spare Sodom if he found 50 righteous people and the Lord agreed. 

Then he changed that number to 45 and the Lord agreed and then 40. (And so on)

He finally lowered the number all the way to 10 and God agreed.

(Next week in Chapter 19 we will read the rest of this story about the city of Sodom).

Abraham and Sarah continue waiting for the promise of God.

Sometimes a promise is drawing closer when it has never seemed more impossible.

If we are waiting for God to do something in our lives like Abraham and Sarah. We need to find the promise in the Word for that circumstance and begin to speak His promise instead of speaking the circumstances.

(Remember this)

God is bigger than our doubts.

God has never faced an impossible situation.

He is the God of Miracles.