The Road to Emmaus A daily devotional for the Forestdale Community Church March 20 24, 2017
This week in Stillness & Silence The story of David and Goliath is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. It is another example of how God brings down the high and mighty, and raises up the lowly. It is also an example of a battle of champions. The Philistines send out their champion and challenge the Israelites to send out their best fighter. The irony is that Israel s best fighter turns out to be a teen-ager with a slingshot. It seems ridiculous in the eyes of everyone on the battle field, but God flips the scales and uses David and his slingshot to win the day. This points us forward to another battle of champions as Satan and Jesus take one another on at the cross. It looks like a sure defeat for Jesus, but God flips the scales and Satan is vanquished. In your times of stillness and silence this week: Sit down and take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and offer this prayer of David to God, affirming that He is your rock and refuge today, no matter what giants you may face. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; My God is my rock in whom I take refuge. After a few minutes, you are ready to begin.
Monday: Making the Connection Scripture: 1 Samuel 17: 34, 45-47 34 But David said to Saul, 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you. 45 David said to the Philistine, 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord s, and he will give all of you into our hands. Devotional The Lord s plan to redeem Israel, and all mankind, in spite of themselves, continued to unfold in this confrontation between two sets of enemies: Israel vs. Philistia & Israel vs. God. Samuel had secretly anointed young David as the next king to replace Saul, for David had a heart for God and Saul did not. Israel needed to learn that their desire to have an earthly king who fit the role defined by their neighbors, rather than God, would only lead to their demise. David knew who he was & Whose he was in ways Saul & Goliath did not. David rightly proclaimed God s hand in his life and in the victory against seemingly insurmountable odds. Jesus did likewise against Satan & Sin before a subjugated Israel and the Roman Empire 1,000 years later (see prayer). David s acknowledgement of the Lord s victory displayed godly leadership pointing the way to Christ for all with a heart for God. Question: What enemies has the Lord given into your hands? Prayer: (from John 17) 25 Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. Amen
Tuesday: Prayer Scripture: I Samuel 17: 36-37 David said to King Saul, Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. Saul said to David, Go, and the LORD be with you. Devotional: David, the young shepherd boy, showed amazing confidence to first speak to King Saul, and then to actually fight Goliath. David s oldest brother Eliab, accused David of being conceited and wicked in his heart. However God knew differently. It s evident that David s strength came from the Lord. He wasn t idle while he was in the fields with his sheep. He was not only keeping a watchful eye out for the enemy (lions and bears), but he was communing with God. I can imagine David praying to his Heavenly Father and singing God s praises as he watched the sheep. But now he stands before a different kind of enemy (Goliath). However, in his view there s no difference between Goliath and the lions and bears. His confidence comes from God. He knows that in his own power he can do nothing, but in God s power he can do everything. As Saul commanded him to do, David went with the Lord. He defeated the dreaded giant and God s people prevailed. Question: Are you confident that God can solve your problems? Are you praying, knowing God will answer? Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much that you are right there in the difficulties of life. Help us to have the relationship with you that David did. Help us to live each day knowing you are there with us no matter how difficult life may seem. Amen
Wednesday: Rest Scripture: 1 Samuel 14:37 David said to the Philistine, You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Devotional This scripture account fits perfectly the focus on Rest in today s devotional. Resting involves embracing our own limitations, while, remembering Jesus faithfulness and then resting in Him. In this scripture, David embraced his own limits and replaced them with God s faithfulness. God lifted David up, thus overpowering Goliath. In the same way Jesus was lifted up, thus overpowering sin and evil. God doesn t forget His promises. He keeps His word. As we reflect on God s faithfulness today, let s keep a few key scriptures in mind: 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:9, God who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. Deuteronomy 7:9, Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. God is so faithful that anyone who seeks Him can find Him. As faithful people, we should truly believe that God sovereignly controls our circumstances. The goal of our faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work in and through us. Question: What worries, anxieties, or fears do you feel you should be replacing with God s faithfulness? Prayer: Lord, we know that faithfulness is one of the fruites of the Holy Spirit. It is ours when we are empowered by You. Please help us to pray for it, receive it, model it, and teach it. Amen
Thursday: Relationships Scripture: 1 Samuel 17: David & Goliath David said to the Philistine, You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Devotional As Brad said in Monday s devotional: David knew who he was and Whose he was in ways Saul & Goliath did not. David had a relationship with the living God. He was devoted to the Lord and obedient as a good disciple aspires to be. Have there been times in your life, when because of your citizenship in the Kingdom of God, you have experienced great opposition from the citizens of the world? When I am mingling with folks socially, folks from work, friends, and even family, there are times when I feel great opposition and can identify with the opposition David, and later Jesus, faced. David did not need a bronze helmet, a heavy metal coat or pointed iron spear. He relied on the powerful hand of the Lord. How many times have we seen that the Lord wants us to know that He is our strength, He is our power? As we read in the book of Joshua, the Lord wanted all to know that it was God, not strong armies that defeated the enemy. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Question: Do you know who you are and Whose you are? Do you tap into His power to oppose the adversary? Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Friday: Work Scripture I Samuel 17:38-39 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. I cannot go in these, he said to Saul, because I am not used to them. So he took them off. Devotional: David displays here a remarkable degree of self-awareness. He somehow knows who he is, as well as who he is not. He is not Saul, and he can t fight this battle against Goliath in Saul s armor, or Saul s weapons, or Saul s way-of-doing-things. He knows he has to be himself, and use the gifting and training and skills that God has given to him. So, in spite of the fact that it looks ridiculous to all the soldiers on the field of battle that day, David approaches Goliath with nothing but his shepherd s staff, his tunic, his sling, and pouch on this belt containing five smooth stones. But these are the tools of the trade David is gifted with, and comfortable using. Amazingly enough, when offered to God for His service, they are precisely what God can use to bring down the giant and win the day. In fact, the only vulnerable place on Goliath s body was his face. Everything else was covered with armor. So David s sling and stone proved quite effective in hitting Goliath right between the eyes. To the surprise of all the soldiers, David and his slingshot proved to be just what was needed for this particular battle. Question: What is the particular gifting, training, personality, and temperament that you bring to your work place each day? Prayer: Father, thank You the particular way that you have made and fashioned me. Forgive me for the times when I have not been content with who I am, but have tried to wear someone else s armor. Help me today to offer myself back to you, and then use me as I am to serve You, at home, at work, wherever I go. Amen.
This weeks devotional writers: Monday: Brad Edgerly Tuesday: Christine Bartholomew Wednesday: Chris Redford Thursday: Nancy McLaughlin Friday: Paul McPheeters