The Reign of David Sweet Psalmist of Israel

Daily Devotionals The Reign of David Sweet Psalmist of Israel Written by: Beverly Barnett Robert Brock EDITOR IN CHIEF: Larry E. Clements larryclements@bogardpress.org BUSINESS MANAGER: Wayne Sewell wsewell@bogardpress.org PRODUCTION EDITOR: Sally McInvale ADULT EDITOR: Jim Jones CHILDREN S EDITOR: Libby Gill ILLUSTRATOR: Connie Spears GRAPHIC ARTISTS: Shawn Blase Jeff Allen Greg Hilterbrand LAYOUT DESIGNERS: Kyle Elkins Cindy Butler Ashley Elkins CONTENT EDITORS: Terry McKellar Carolyn Burks Deby Turrentine Joni Curtis PRINT PRODUCTION: Charles Easley COVER DESIGN: Jeff Allen Copyright 2014 Vol. 24, No. 2 Bogard Press 4605 N. State Line Ave. Texarkana, TX 75503-2928 www.bogardpress.org 1-800-264-2482

About the Writers Dr. Robert A. Sunny Brock discovered America on Income Tax Day, 1941, eight months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, born to an oil field hand dad and child polio victim mother. He was raised by five old country Irish uncles and was first prize winner of the National Interscholastic League Story Telling Contest. He served nine years as a US Air Force chaplain s assistant during the Vietnam War era. He attended Baylor University, University of Southern California and the University of Hawaii. He received his Master s in education from Sam Houston State University and ThD from Texas Baptist Institute and Seminary. Sunny taught eighth grade earth science, vocational agriculture and women prisoners at Huntsville, TX and has thirty-eight years of teaching and tenure at Texas Baptist Institute and Seminary. Dr. Brock has authored articles for newspapers, religious journals and textbooks Romans The Fifth Gospel, Teaching Methods for Bible Teachers, Developmental Psychology, Research and Writing Manual for Master and Doctoral Thesis, Bible Backgrounds, Discipleship and Interpretation of the English Bible, Criterion Press. Book credits include Salt Lick Vol. I and Vol. II, Exlibris Press, Turkey Mountain Boys: My Brother s Keeper, Tate Publishing, OK. His current project is Laughing in the Chapel: Swamp Kids Devotional. Mark David Clements is Senior Pastor at New Liberty Baptist Church in Garland, Texas. He has been married to Jenny since 1996 and God has blessed them with four children: Noah, Mahlah, Nathan and Rhoda. Mark is a graduate of Texas Baptist Institute and Seminary, and he and his family were privileged to serve in the southern Philippines as missionaries for seven years. During those seven years, Mark served as an instructor and Dean of Students at Philippine Missionary Baptist Seminary and planted Grace Baptist Church. Mark is passionate about studying, teaching and preaching God s Word and helping people experience transformed lives through faith in Christ. Beverly Barnett grew up in a Missionary Baptist deacon s home, was saved at the age of nine and joined Hatley MBC, Hatley, MS. She married Nicky Barnett in 1971. Bro. Barnett has pastored in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Florida for the past twenty-eight years. In each of Brother Barnett s pastorates, Beverly has taught children in Sunday School or children s church. Beverly returned to school in 1985 and graduated with honors as an LPN. In 1991, she graduated from Northwest Alabama Community College with an associate degree and became a registered nurse. She has been a guest writer for Women of the Harvest magazine, her hometown newspaper and writes a monthly newsletter. She continues to study the art of writing. She may be contacted at nanb542000@yahoo.com. 2

, March Scripture Readings, o February 24 Leviticus 19; Matthew 13:1-30 o February 25 Leviticus 20; Matthew 13:31-58 o February 26 Leviticus 21 24; Matthew 14:1-14 o February 27 Leviticus 25 27; Matthew 14:15-36 o February 28 Numbers 1; 2; Matthew 15:1-20 o March 1 Numbers 3; 4; Matthew 15:21-39 o March 2 Numbers 5; 6; Matthew 16 o March 3 Numbers 7; Matthew 17 o March 4 Numbers 8; Matthew 18:1-14 o March 5 Numbers 9; 10; Matthew 18:15-35 o March 6 Numbers 11; 12; Matthew 19 o March 7 Numbers 13; Matthew 20 o March 8 Numbers 14; 15; Matthew 21:1-22 o March 9 Numbers 16; Matthew 21:23-46 o March 10 Numbers 17; 18; Matthew 22:1-22 o March 11 Numbers 19; 20; Matthew 22:23-46 o March 12 Numbers 21; 22; Matthew 23:1-19 o March 13 Numbers 23; 24; Matthew 23:20-39 o March 14 Numbers 25; 26; Matthew 24:1-26 o March 15 Numbers 27 29; Matthew 24:27-51 o March 16 Numbers 30; 31; Matthew 25:1-30 o March 17 Numbers 32; Matthew 25:31-46 o March 18 Numbers 33; 34; Matthew 26:1-29 o March 19 Numbers 35; 36; Matthew 26:30-56 o March 20 Deuteronomy 1 3; Matthew 26:57-75 o March 21 Deuteronomy 4 6; Matthew 27:1-44 o March 22 Deuteronomy 7 9; Matthew 27:45-28:20 o March 23 Deuteronomy 10; 11; Mark 1:1-20 o March 24 Deuteronomy 12; 13; Mark 1:21-45 o March 25 Deuteronomy 14; 15; Mark 2 o March 26 Deuteronomy 16 18; Mark 3 o March 27 Deuteronomy 19; 20; Mark 4:1-20 o March 28 Deuteronomy 21; 22; Mark 4:21-41 o March 29 Deuteronomy 23; 24; Mark 5:1-20 o March 30 Deuteronomy 25; 26; Mark 5:21-43 o March 31 Deuteronomy 27; Mark 6:1-29 3

, April Scripture Readings, o April 1 Deuteronomy 28; Mark 6:30-56 o April 2 Deuteronomy 29; 30; Mark 7 o April 3 Deuteronomy 31; 32; Mark 8 o April 4 Deuteronomy 33; 34; Mark 9:1-29 o April 5 Joshua 1; 2; Mark 9:30-50 o April 6 Joshua 3; 4; Mark 10:1-22 o April 7 Joshua 5; 6; Mark 10:23-52 o April 8 Joshua 7; 8; Mark 11 o April 9 Joshua 9; 10; Mark 12:1-17 o April 10 Joshua 11; 12; Mark 12:18-44 o April 11 Joshua 13; 14; Mark 13 o April 12 Joshua 15; 16; Mark 14:1-34 o April 13 Joshua 17; 18; Mark 14:35-72 o April 14 Joshua 19; 20; Mark 15:1-23 o April 15 Joshua 21; 22; Mark 15:24-47 o April 16 Joshua 23; 24; Mark 16 o April 17 Judges 1; 2; Luke 1:1-45 o April 18 Judges 3; 4; Luke 1:46-80 o April 19 Judges 5; 6; Luke 2:1-24 o April 20 Judges 7; 8; Luke 2:25-52 o April 21 Judges 9; 10; Luke 3 o April 22 Judges 11; 12; Luke 4:1-15 o April 23 Judges 13; 14; Luke 4:16-44 o April 24 Judges 15; 16; Luke 5 o April 25 Judges 17; 18; Luke 6:1-19 o April 26 Judges 19; 20; Luke 6:20-49 o April 27 Judges 21; Luke 7:1-23 o April 28 Ruth 1; 2; Luke 7:24-50 o April 29 Ruth 3; 4; Luke 8:1-24 o April 30 1 Samuel 1 3; Luke 8:25-56 4

, May Scripture Readings, o May 1 1 Samuel 4; 5; Luke 9:1-26 o May 2 1 Samuel 6 8; Luke 9:27-62 o May 3 1 Samuel 9; 10; Luke 10 o May 4 1 Samuel 11 13; Luke 11:1-28 o May 5 1 Samuel 14; Luke 11:29-54 o May 6 1 Samuel 15; 16; Luke 12:1-34 o May 7 1 Samuel 17; Luke 12:35-59 o May 8 1 Samuel 18; 19; Luke 13 o May 9 1 Samuel 20; 21; Luke 14 o May 10 1 Samuel 22; 23; Luke 15 o May 11 1 Samuel 24; 25; Luke 16 o May 12 1 Samuel 26; 27; Luke 17 o May 13 1 Samuel 28 30; Luke 18:1-17 o May 14 1 Samuel 31; Luke 18:18-43 o May 15 2 Samuel 1; 2; Luke 19:1-27 o May 16 2 Samuel 3; 4; Luke 19:28-48 o May 17 2 Samuel 5; 6; Luke 20:1-18 o May 18 2 Samuel 7; 8; Luke 20:19-47 o May 19 2 Samuel 9; 10; Luke 21 o May 20 2 Samuel 11; 12; Luke 22:1-34 o May 21 2 Samuel 13; 14; Luke 22:35-71 o May 22 2 Samuel 15; 16; Luke 23:1-26 o May 23 2 Samuel 17; 18; Luke 23:27-56 o May 24 2 Samuel 19; 20; Luke 24:1-32 o May 25 2 Samuel 21; 22; Luke 24:33-53 5

Monday, February 24 God s Word for Kings Deuteronomy 17:18-20 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest, Joshua 1:7. As Joshua was preparing to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, God encouraged him to always remember His Word. God promised success to Joshua and the nation of Israel as long as they remembered His Law, not veering from it to the right or to the left. The people of Israel were in wilderness territory, about to travel to unknown territory, and the only guarantee that they would find what God wanted them to find was to obey what God told them to do. One lesson we learn from this is that no one finds success outside of submission to the will of God. From kings to commoners, every human being must be subject to the authority of God if victory is to be enjoyed. God s Word is so important that He commanded the kings of Israel to write and keep their own copy of His Law with them at all times, reading and meditating on its truths with a spirit of complete agreement. Reading and obeying God s Word helps us in two major ways. First, it keeps us humble. If I am daily subjecting myself to God s authority in His Word, I am less likely to think of myself more highly than I ought to think. Second, it gives us direction. I find guidance for daily living as I look to the Bible with a spirit of obedience. Will you commit to daily Bible reading today? 6

God s Choice of King 1 Samuel 16:3-13 Tuesday, February 25 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart, 1 Samuel 16:7. When it was God s timing for Israel to have a godly king, He sent Samuel to a man named Jesse to find and anoint the man God wanted to govern His people. To begin the search for the next king, Samuel started with Jesse s son, Eliab, and Samuel thought, Surely he is the Lord s anointed. According to Samuel s own standards of kingship, Eliab must have fit the description. Immediately, however, God made it clear that Eliab had been rejected by Him. Jesse began bringing out his other sons, one after another, but each son was denied kingship by God. Finally, Samuel asked Jesse if all his sons were present, to which Jesse responded that his youngest son David was out keeping the sheep. When Jesse had David brought in to stand before Samuel, it became obvious that God had chosen him to be king. What had they missed? Why were they off target so many times before David? It was not only because they were searching for a king that met their own human standards, but it was also because they had an inability to peer into the hearts of Jesse s sons. The kind of people God uses to accomplish His will are people whose hearts are committed to His will. These may not be the best or the brightest according to worldly standards, but they are people who are chasing after God s heart, like David (1 Sam. 13:14). Will you chase after God s heart today? 7

Wednesday, February 26 Understanding the Times 1 Chronicles 12:23-40 For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God, 1 Chronicles 12:22. God had chosen David to be the king of Israel. It was His decision, and He made sure that it happened. As word spread across the land, mighty warriors began congregating around David. David did not go out and seek these warriors, begging them to come assist him; it was God who compelled them to rally around the man He had chosen. The mighty men who joined David and the entire nation were united in the firm belief that God s will was being done in anointing David as king, so they enjoyed several days of peace and rejoicing. Maybe God has called you to do something significant but you hesitate because of your own weakness, inability or low self-esteem. Maybe your family or peers have reinforced your self-doubt by snide comments or lack of trust in you. You should remember that God will never ask you to do something without providing the means with which to do it. If God singles you out for a task, He will give you what you need to accomplish it. Since God typically only uses people who are humble and weak according to the world s standards, it should be obvious to you that, if we will accomplish anything for God s glory, it will only happen by God s doing. Why is that the case? God uses the weak things of the world to accomplish great things so that no one will boast or glory in His presence (1 Cor. 1:26-31). Will you rely on God to work through you today? 8

David s Disobedience Deuteronomy 17:14-17 Thursday, February 27 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold, Deuteronomy 17:17. Long before the nation of Israel requested and received its first king, God prescribed the qualifications for the king. God told the people of Israel that once they had occupied the Promised Land and had begun to enjoy living there, they would desire a king to rule over them. God allowed for that provision, but with a few caveats. Their king must be an Israelite, he must not acquire too many horses, he must not lead the nation back to a dependence on Egypt, he must not have more than one wife and he must not become too obsessed with wealth. At first glance, these seem to be odd qualifications, don t they? Upon further inspection, however, we can see that the negative kingly qualities God spoke against are the same qualities that existed in every king of the surrounding nations. What did God want for the leaders of His people? He wanted them to be distinct from the world so that the light of His glory could shine more brightly. How did David stack up against the other kings? He started humble but ultimately caved in to the temptations of power, prominence and wealth. He was still a man after God s own heart, but imagine how much greater God s glory would have shined had David been able to resist the temptations of lust, money and power. Will you resist the temptations of this world so that God s glory can shine through you today? 9

Friday, February 28 Dedication of David s House Psalm 30:1-12 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper, Psalm 30:10. I will never forget the overwhelming feeling of helplessness as I held our firstborn son in my arms for the first time. At first, I was not thinking about how awesome fatherhood is or how blessed I was to have a son. No, my very first thought was, I do not know what I am doing, and I have no idea how to be a dad! Since then, God has blessed us with three more children, and each day we are reminded that we are walking in uncharted territory, desperately dependent upon God to be patient with us, to protect us from ourselves and to intervene when we make mistakes. As David sang this song at the dedication of his home, the verse that rings out the loudest is verse 10, in which David cried out, Have mercy on me. History tells us that David did not always make the best decisions, and his erroneous choices caused much hurt to himself and others. David was familiar with pain and understood the importance of God s mercy. Today, as we seek to build our homes and dedicate them to God s honor and glory, may we never forget to daily cry out for God s mercy. As long as we are in the flesh, we will make mistakes that cause hurt and pain to us and to others. We need a God who is patient with us and who will intervene on our behalf because of His steadfast love. Will you cry out for God s mercy today? 10

Saturday, March 1 Keys to Success Proverbs 3:5, 6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths, Proverbs 3:5, 6. Have you ever been lost? Several times in my life I have walked through a forest without a compass, dependent upon my own sense of direction to get to a certain location. Most times, I end up backtracking. When there are no trails to follow and no compass to guide, it is nearly impossible to walk a straight line in the dense woods and find what you are looking to find. As we walk through life, there are times when we find no trail; no sign that anyone else has walked the same path we are walking. In those instances, we hesitate to move forward because of the uncertainty that the path we are headed down will lead to success. What does it take to find what we are looking for in life when we are unsure of which direction to go? It takes faith. Too many times I am tempted to think I have control over where I am headed, only to find out I have been backtracking, too afraid to admit I am lost. All through life, we have a God who is able and willing to lead us to victory if only we will trust Him to guide us. Trusting God means not trusting ourselves but placing complete confidence in Him alone to cut a course through life that leads to His definition of success for us. Will you abandon your trust in yourself to place complete confidence in God today? 11

Sunday, March 2 David, the Shepherd King Psalm 78:70-72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands, Psalm 78:72. This morning I read where a highly recruited high school football player was denied an invitation to a prominent NCAA team. He was not denied because the recruiters decided he did not have enough talent, nor was he denied because he had committed a serious crime. He was denied because of how he had mishandled a certain social media network. The university that was recruiting him determined that he would not be a benefit to its team despite his extreme talent because of his absence of character and integrity. King David showed the opposite of this story. He did not have extreme leadership talent that had been tested in the arena of politics. The only experience he had was shepherding sheep; yet, God selected him to be the leader of His people. What was so great about David that made God choose Him? It was his character and integrity, developed by humbly watching sheep. I am not sure what you or others might think of your own abilities, but history shows that God would rather have an unlearned peasant with integrity in His service, than a skilled workman who lacks character. God chooses the foolish things of the world to do His work so that no one will boast in anyone but God. (Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.) Will you pursue after God s heart today? 12

Instructions for the Ark Numbers 4:15-20; 7:6-9 Monday, March 3 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders, Numbers 7:9. I would love to have a front yard with all grass and no weeds. There are multiple ways I can prevent people from seeing the weeds in my yard. One way would be to get down on my hands and knees and dig up the weeds, then spray a herbicide to kill the remnants. Another way to prevent people from seeing the weeds would be to simply mow the yard so that all the grass and weeds are the same height. Which way do you think would be best? Mowing the weeds and grass to the same height would be the easiest way to hide the weeds, but would that really take care of the problem? No, it would just be a matter of time before the weeds crept up again. The best way to take care of it is also the most cumbersome way. That is usually the case in most jobs. God gave specific handling instructions for the most holy things of the Tabernacle, including the ark of the covenant. For these things to be moved, they had to be wrapped up and carried on men s shoulders. That was the best way to transport the objects because that was God s way. When it comes to displaying God s glory in this world, there are no shortcuts. You may be able to trick others into thinking that you are holy by conforming to an appearance of holiness, but you will never trick God. We either do things God s way or our way. Today, choose God s way. Will you choose God s way today? 13

Tuesday, March 4 Michal s Cutting Sarcasm 2 Samuel 6:16-23 And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord, 2 Samuel 6:21. When was the last time you said something you did not mean? It might be a heated argument with a loved one or a quick comment in a passing moment, but, most likely, we have all been guilty of using our words in an unwise manner. The way we respond, however, is interesting because we typically will say to the offended person, something like, I didn t mean to say that. A good person usually apologizes for the offhand remark and claims to have meant something different, but, in all honesty, I do not think we can use that excuse. Jesus taught us that whatever is in the heart comes out of the mouth. (Read Matthew 15:18, 19.) Michal derided David for behaving in a manner she thought was unkingly. Her comment was out of place and showed her dishonor for God. It came out of her mouth because it was in her heart. Verse 16 tells us that she despised David in her heart. This should serve as a great reminder to all of us. If we want to change how we speak, we need to change what is in our hearts. There should never be anything in our hearts that would be inappropriate if they were made known by our mouths. What should be on our hearts and minds? We should meditate upon whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8). Will you meditate upon honorable things today? 14

Instruments of Praise Psalm 150:1-6 Wednesday, March 5 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord, Psalm 150:6. What kind of worship does God deserve? What quality of worship would do justice to the infinite excellencies of our sovereign God? As you mull over the answer to these questions in your mind, consider this: the quality of our worship is directly proportionate to the value we place on the objects of our worship. My favorite NBA basketball team did not do well this year. They barely finished the regular season with a five hundred winning percentage. Consequently, I did not take my family to a game, and we did not watch them on TV as much as usual because there was not much that excited us about them. A few years ago, however, they made the playoffs and won the National Championship, and we could not cheer loudly enough! What was the difference? The quality of our cheers was determined by the value we placed on the team. The same is true in our worship of God. So, let us go back and answer the first question. What kind of worship does God deserve? The psalmist decrees that, because of the mighty deeds and excellent nature of our God, He deserves the best quality of worship, played on every kind of instrument, accompanied with physical postures and movements from everything in Heaven and earth that is capable of praising Him, including you! It is noteworthy that the book of Psalms a collection of worship songs concludes with a final command for every creature, Praise ye the Lord. Will you praise the Lord today? 15