Watch a neat trick with a cup of hot water at -40!! click here

Impress your teachers/lecturers by putting this in your essay!!

What does it mean? It means the fear of long words!

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“David is in great danger” - this is just like a newspaper headline - or a comic book phrase! David has fought a giant, battled against the Philistines, been chased by the king and lived like an outcast in the danger of the wilderness - what possibly could come next? What could be worse?

1 Samuel 30:6 (New Living Translation)

 David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

The hardest battles to fight are the ones closest to us - our friends. He has overcome all hardship, enemies and even the death of the one who anointed him (Samuel) but now comes a trial that is the nearest he has been to death. The men who chose to join him. Those who have given their lives for his cause. Those who have comforted, encouraged him and supported him are now ready to stone him. This is the biggest danger for David, the hardest battle to overcome.

What does he do? Loose all confidence in himself? Go and hide and pretend it isn’t all happening? Go and sulk? Give up and sail away to somewhere new? No he throws himself upon God. He hopes on God and finds his strength

Is 40:31 ” but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Christmas can be such a pressure. The tierdness of a long term can leave us with little to give. We may feel cornered and feel like people are ready to stone us - but hope in the Lord and you will have more than enough strength again. Find your eagles wing and soar into the heavenlies - where you belong.

1 Samuel 25:28 (The Message)

 

 ^28-29 “Forgive my presumption! But God is at work in my master, developing a rule solid and dependable. My master fights God’s battles! As long as you live no evil will stick to you.
    If anyone stands in your way,
      if anyone tries to get you out of the way,
   Know this: Your God-honored life is tightly bound
      in the bundle of God-protected life;
   But the lives of your enemies will be hurled aside
      as a stone is thrown from a sling.

In this time of battle today Abigail speaks from thousands of years ago through the bible. She says to us that if we fight God’s battles evil cannot cling  to us. We are protected. Our lives are secure in God’s hands.

I am amazed at the wisdom of Abigail. She draws parallels to the battle David fought as a boy to the battle of David the man. From the boy fighting Goliath in 1 samuel 17 to the man fighting those who oppose God’s design for David’s life. The clearest picture she uses is the way she describes David’s enemies as being hurled aside “as a stone is thrown from a sling” - just as David slew Goliath with a stone from a sling. She knew what a rise of faith this would cause in David’s heart by this word of prophecy and encouragement as he had seen the word fulfilled before his eyes before. Abigail also speaks words which echoes the declaration David himself shouted “you fight the Lord’s battles (1 Sam 25:28 NLT) (David declared before Goliath “for the battle is the Lords” 1 Sam 17:47)

What does it mean the battle is the Lords today when we don’t have many giants to fight? It means that when you speak the good news and your friends reject it they are not rejecting you - but God. You don’t need to defend God, he is quite capable of doing it himself. When God asks you to do something and the reaction to what you do isn’t quite what you expected don’t worry - that is God’s issue. If you stand up for the truth doing what you know is right and if people come against you, they come against God - as you have done all he asked of you.

As it is God’s battle we don’t need to concern ourselves with peoples attitudes, their failings, compare their strengths, worry about the outcome of acts done in obedience - God is in charge and he will win. His thoughts are way higher than ours and he knows what he is doing. I know we sometimes think that if we were in charge we would do things differently - but we are not, he is Lord, and it is his battle. He is the Champion, the Lord of Heavens Armies - he is more than enough. We are secure in his hands.

JOB 38

 ²² “Have you visited the storehouses of the snow
      or seen the storehouses of hail?

Was reminded me of this classic today. Such a fantanstic Psalm

Snow is just such amazing stuff!!

Ready for Christmas we will be having a few cracker jokes in the blog

What has eyes but cannot see?

A POTATO

I can’t stop listening to this music. Sorry there are no pictures - just lie back and listen!

Saul has chased David all over the place in order to kill him. David is still hiding in caves in the wilderness in fear of his life. What will bring Saul down?  What will stop his eager persuit? A brutal fight perhaps, maybe an abush, a plague or a catastrophe? In 1 Samuel 24:16 we find that it is quiet the opposite. It is kindness that causes him to give in, cry and fall to his knees.

It is goodness and love every time that wins the day. Our clever arguments, shows of strength, or winning fights are not the means of breaking people’s stubborness or thoughtlessness - but love can and will.

1 Samuel 24 finds David stuck in a hard place. Cornered by the King and running for his life. How easy would it be for David to lash out? He has been sleeping in the wilderness for months with nothing but his men to  bring him comfort. There must have been days even weeks when food was scarce, when the wind cut through his cloak and the rain poured down. How tempting for David and his men to find a quick solution to all their problems - remove King Saul the tormentor.

David was innocent. He had followed God faithfully. Anointed to be the next king he had beated Goliath, been a servant of Saul and found favour with the people. How tempting must it have been for David to stand up and say “right, enough is enough, lets get rid of this trouble maker who has turned his back against God!”. Amazingly, we find that when Saul strays into the cave that David and his min army are hidiing David does not harm Saul but cuts a corner of his robe - to prove a point. Such was his gentle conscience before God that even this  action bothered David as he had showed a lack of respect and harmed God’s anointed. He recognises that God himself chose Saul. That life is about God’s plan and its fulfillment - not David becoming king or David’s fulfilment.

How careful must we be in showing respect towards God’s annointed. Not because we think they are doing well, or are walking in God’s ways but because he has called them. God himself has chosen them. We should do nothing but support and honour them.