I Samuel 21
David meets with Abimelech the priestverses 1-6
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest
and Ahimelech was AFRAID at the meeting of David
and said to him
Why are you alone – and no man with you?
And David said to Ahimelech the priest
The king has commanded me a business
and has said to me
Let no man know anything of the business where about
I send you – and what I have commanded you
and I have appointed my servants to such
and such a place
Now therefore what is under your hand?
give me five loaves of bread in mine hand
or what there is present
And the priest answered David
and said
There is no common bread under mine hand
BUT there is hallowed bread
IF the young men have kept themselves
at least from women
And David answered the priest
and said to him
Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days
since I came out – and the vessels of the young men are holy
and the bread is in a manner common
yea – though it were SANCTIFIED this day in
the vessel
So the priest gave him hallowed bread
for there was no bread there but the showbread
that was taken from before the LORD
to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away
Doag the Edomite presentverse 7
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day
detained before the LORD – and his name was Doeg – an Edomite
the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul
David asks for a sword or spearverses 8-9
And David said to Ahimelech
And is there not here under your hand spear or sword?
for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me
BECAUSE the king’s business required haste
And the priest said
The sword of Goliath the Philistine – whom you slew in the valley of Elah
BEHOLD – it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod
if you will take that – take it
for there is no other save that here
And David said
There is none like that – give it me
David in Gathverses 10-13
And David arose and fled that day for FEAR of Saul
and went to Achish the king of Gath
And the servants of Achish said to him
Is not this David the king of the land?
Did they not sing one to another of him in dances
saying
Saul hath slain his thousands
and David his ten thousands?
And David laid up these words in his heart
and was SORE AFRAID of Achish the king of Gath
and he CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOR before them
and feigned himself MAD in their hands
and scrabbled on the doors of the gate
and let his spittle fall down upon his beard
King Achish doesn’t have David stay with himverses 14-15
THEN said Achish to his servants
Lo – you see the man is mad
Wherefore then have you brought him to me?
Have I need of mad men
that you have brought this fellow
to play the mad man in my presence?
shall this fellow come into my house?
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no man with you? (2729 “afraid” [charad] means tremble, discomforted, quaked, startled, anxiously careful, or frightened)
DEVOTION: David is running from Saul. He stops at Nob at a place of worship. The priest on duty at the place of worship saw that David was alone without the king and wondered what was going on.
David gave him a story about being sent on a special mission for the king and that he needed food for the trip. The priest was concerned about the circumstances surrounding David’s visit.
He asked question to which David gave good sounding answers. The answers were enough for the priest to give David some sanctified bread that was supposed to be eaten only by the priests.
What do we say and do when we are running for our life? Would we be just like David? If we needed supplies what would we tell those people that we meet? Would we not tell the whole truth?
These are questions that each of have to ask ourselves if we were in the same situation as David. It is easy to say what we would do in the situation if we never had that situation come up in our life.
How many of us have ever run for our life? How many of us have had our life threatened by someone who could do us real bodily harm? It is a lot different if we had to genuinely face David’s circumstances.
It is easy to lie rather than tell the truth. Sometimes our lies sound like the truth but the LORD knows the difference even if people don’t. We have to realize that everything we say and do is being observed by the LORD. HE knows our circumstances and has given us a way to escape them through obedience.
Watch how we watch others handle difficult situations in their lives and we just sit by to judge them for the way they handled their situation. It is always easier to judge on the sidelines rather than when we are in the battle.
Today we like to be armchair quarterbacks when we watch a football game. We think we could do a better job than the present coach of the team. Don’t allow Satan to cause you to think those thoughts toward those who are facing genuine life issues.
CHALLENGE: Fear is real in all of our lives. We have to concentrate on the FEAR OF THE LORD rather than our own personal fear of what people can do to us.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. (3899 “showbread” [lecham] means loaves, food make from dough of flour or meal, wheat, nourishment or grain product.)
DEVOTION: David was on the run. He came to priest in Nob and told him a story about him being on a mission for the king and that he had no supplies because he left in such a hurry.
The priest didn’t know what to do because he only had holy bread for the priests to eat in his place of worship. He didn’t want to give that bread to these soldiers. He said it was to only be eaten by those who were priest or had at least kept themselves from women.
David convinced him that the men were clean and that he could give them the bread. The problem was that David was lying about the mission. He was not alone with the priest and so his story got told to King Saul.
Too often we think that we can get away with lies and still go to church and worship the LORD and our conscience would not bother us. This is wrong. It was wrong for David to lie to the priest and it is wrong for us to lie to the LORD.
The LORD wants us to confess our sins and mean it. HE wants us to try to live a life that is pleasing to HIM. HE doesn’t want us to pretend or lie about where we are with HIM. HE wants us to be truthful.
So when we sit down to eat our food and pray to the LORD to bless it should we have not confessed our sins to HIM before we prayed? Should each meal be a time when we thank God for the blessing HE has given us with an honest heart?
Today we can learn a lesson from David when he was on the run from Saul and lied to the priest about his mission and about his men. It should remind us to be honest with God at all times and especially when we sit down to eat the food that HE has provided for us each day.
What would happen if every person who claimed to be a follower of God would confess their sins before they ate every meal? We sometimes think that we should either do our devotions in the morning or at night and that is the only time we should confess our sins. How would our life be different if we did it not only at devotional times but also at every meal?
CHALLEGE: The LORD wants us to keep short accounts with HIM regarding our daily walk with HIM if we want HIS blessings on our life.
: 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. (6113 “detained” [atsar] means to hold back, restrain, to keep a firm hold on, arrest, to cause to be slowed down or delayed)
DEVOTION: Here is a person who is loyal or a slave of Saul due to his people losing the battle against the children of Israel. Saul had made him the chief herdsman and he was at the location when David came to get some food from the priest. He observed all that was happening on this day.
We sometimes wonder why the LORD allows witnesses to something we have done out of fear rather than trust. Those who are not followers of Jesus Christ like to find out things about believers they can use to hurt them later. This was going to happen with the Edomite witnessing the conversation between David and the priest.
Many individual like to tattle on those they don’t like. They like to get those they don’t like in trouble with the powers that be or the other children in the school or even sometimes in church.
We need to be individuals that want to please the LORD at all times but there are times when we don’t please the LORD. Even after we become believers we are still sinners that are saved by grace. Anyone one looking for our faults will find some.
If we observe something that is not wrong but can be taken the wrong way and report it to the wrong person because of a personal problem we have with an individual it can be sin. We need to evaluate everything we see and hear from the perspective of the LORD. HE sees and hears everything everyone does while they are here on this earth. HE is the righteous judge. There are some things that we need to leave in HIS hands if we are believers. The world will use everything they can against every believer they can because they are lost in trespasses and sins. They like to sin.
CHALLENGE: Doeg wanted to hurt David.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands? (5772 “sing” [‘ownah] means to produce tones with the voice, to lift up one’s voice, howl, chanting, or hymn)
DEVOTION: How far do songs travel? We know today that songs travel around the world through the internet. There are so many places you can find a song you want to sing or know. There is you tube music. There is google searches. There are many music stores that can sell you any music you want to have.
Here we find that a song that was sung in the camp of the children of Israel had traveled to the camp of the enemies of Israel. They knew the words to the song that was sung about David and Saul.
They wanted to use this song to have Achish kill David. David was trying to hide from Saul and the only place he thought he would be safe was in the camp of the enemy of Israel.
When we are fearful, we do and say wrong things to try to protect ourselves instead of going to the LORD and asking HIM what we should do. In this passage we find David acting on his own rather than going to the LORD in prayer and asking him what we should do.
If something or someone scares us we need to go first to the LORD for wisdom regarding what we should do or say in a given situation. We need to wait on the LORD for that wisdom before we get ourselves in deeper trouble or the persons we are dealing with in deeper trouble.
David didn’t want to get anyone in trouble but he did. The priest and his family would pay the consequences for his actions in the future. If he had prayed about it he might have done something different and it would not have hurt other people.
CHALLENGE: Are you taking things that make you fearful to the LORD? Are you waiting for HIS answer to the problem? This is what the Word of God tells us we should do with our problems.
: 13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. (8138 “changed” [shanah] means to fold, duplicate, to transmute, alter, disguise, or do a second time)
DEVOTION: Do we alter our behavior depending on the group we are with at the time? Can we put on “airs’ at one party and then act like one another at another?
David was running from Saul. He is running in fear of Saul. He runs to a key city of the Philistines. He runs to the city of Goliath. He was the one who killed Goliath. He was carrying Goliath’s sword.
The servants of Achish told him that David was really the king of the children of Israel. They told him about the song the women were singing about David.
David was sore afraid of what would happen to him in this Philistine city. David was caught in a bad situation. He wasn’t asking instructions of the LORD. He went to a place that was dangerous to him. He went into his enemy’ camp. He should have known better but again he was moved with fear. He thought quickly on his feet and faked being mad. It worked.
We sometimes change our behavior to fit a situation. One problem we might have is that we fake being a good Christian when we are in church. God wants us to be genuine for HIM. HE wants us to stay in touch with HIM through prayer. HE will give us wisdom if we ask HIM for it.
When we work with only human wisdom, we find ourselves in the same situations David found himself in.
Let the LORD change us on the inside, so we don’t have to fake the outside. At this time, David demonstrated, that he did not trust the LORD. When we worry about what people think, it causes us to fear those we should not fear. David wrote two psalms regarding this incident in his life. Which ones were they???
CHALLENGE: Walk with the LORD. Have HIM direct your steps. HE will never lead you wrong. Does HE ever lead us into danger, so that, we can see HIS power in our lives?
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Kept themselves from women before eating hallowed breadverse 4
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Ahimelech the priestverses 1-9
Place of worship in Nob
Only had hallowed bread
Ephod
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 6, 7
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Doeg – the Edomiteverse 7
Chiefest of the herdsmen of Saul
Sword of Goliath the Philistineverse 9
Achish – king of Gathverses 10-15
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Afraidverse 1
Lying of Davidverses 2, 5
Eating hallowed bread (showbread)verses 4, 6
Fear of Saulverse 10
Changed his behavior: acted madverses 13-15
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Holyverse 5
Sanctifiedverse 5
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David to Nobverses 1-15
Lied to priest
Asked for bread
Afraid to help David
Asked for weapons: sword of Goliath
Song: has slain his ten thousands
Afraid in presence of Achish – king of Gath
Changed his behavior to act mad
Young men with Davidverses 4-6
Kept themselves from women at least to eat hallowed bread
Saulverses 7, 10, 11
Song: has slain his thousands
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
In v.13 the verb translated “he acted like a madman” is used elsewhere to describe behavior resulting from drunkenness (Jer 25:16; 51:7) or terror (Jer 50:38) or to drive a chariot furiously or recklessly (Jer 46:9; Nah 2:4). The manifestations of David’s pretended insanity were “making marks” (Heb. verb used elsewhere only in Ezek 9:4) on the doors of the (city) gate and letting saliva run down his beard—hardly the picture of a recently anointed king (contrast the positive image of oil running down the beard of Aaron in Ps 133:2).
Achish has seen enough. Sarcastically declaring that he already has sufficient madmen of his own, he makes it clear that he wants nothing more to do with this Israelite refugee (vv.14–15). David’s deception of Achish has worked—as it would again (ch. 27) and again (ch. 29). (Youngblood, R. F. (1992). 1, 2 Samuel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 731). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Taking Goliath’s sword which had been kept by the priests at Nob (21:8–9), David immediately fled for his life and, throwing all caution to the winds, fled to Gath, hometown of the dead Philistine hero Goliath (v. 10). Recognized by Achish, the lord of Gath, David pretended to be insane and so escaped Philistine reprisal (vv. 11–13). This is in line with the practice of the ancient world to regard the insane as being in some sense an evil portent and so exempt from harm lest the gods be provoked. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 1 Samuel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 451). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Psalms 34 and 56 both came out of this bizarre experience. Psalm 56 was his prayer for God’s help when the situation became dangerous, and Psalm 34 was his hymn of praise after God had delivered him, although he mentions “fear” (vv. 4, 7) and deliverance from trouble (1 Sam. 21:6, 7, 9). The emphasis in Psalm 56 is on the slander and verbal attacks of the Philistine leaders as they tried to get their king to deal with David. There’s no question that David was a frightened man while he was in Gath, but he sustained his faith by remembering God’s promises (vv. 10–11) and God’s call upon his life (v. 12). According to Psalm 34, David did a lot of praying while in Gath (vv. 4–6, 17–22), and the Lord heard him. David learned that the fear of the Lord conquers every other fear (vv. 9–16). The Lord was indeed merciful to David to enable him to escape back to his own land. No matter how we feel or how dismal the circumstances appear, the safest place in the world is in the will of God. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2001). Be successful (pp. 116–117). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor/Cook Communications.)
David, though king elect, is here an exile—designed to be master of vast treasures, yet just now begging his bread—anointed to the crown, and yet here forced to flee from his country. Thus do God’s providences sometimes seem to run counter to his promises, for the trial of his people’s faith, and the glorifying of his name, in the accomplishment of his counsels, notwithstanding the difficulties that lay in the way. Here is, 1. David’s flight into the land of the Philistines, where he hoped to be hid, and to remain undiscovered in the court or camp of Achish king of Gath, v. 10. Israel’s darling is necessitated to quit the land of Israel, and he that was the Philistine’s great enemy (upon I know not what inducements) goes to seek for shelter among them. It should seem that as, though the Israelites loved him, yet the king of Israel had a personal enmity to him, which obliged him to leave his own country, so, though the Philistines hated him, yet the king of Gath had a personal kindness for him, valuing his merit, and perhaps the more for his killing Goliath of Gath, who, it may be, had been no friend to Achish. To him David now went directly, as to one he could confide in, as afterwards (ch. 27:2, 3), and Achish would not have protected him but that he was afraid of disobliging his own people. God’s persecuted people have often found better usage from Philistines than from Israelites, in the Gentile theatres than in the Jewish synagogues. The king of Judah imprisoned Jeremiah, and the king of Babylon set him at liberty. 2. The disgust which the servants of Achish took at his being there, and their complaint of it to Achish (v. 11): “Is not this David? Is not this he that has triumphed over the Philistines? witness that burden of the song which was so much talked of, Saul has slain his thousands, but David, this very man, his ten thousands. Nay, Is not this he that (if our intelligence from the land of Israel be true) is, or is to be, king of the land?” As such, “he must be an enemy to our country; and is it safe or honourable for us to protect or entertain such a man?” Achish perhaps had intimated to them that it would be policy to entertain David, because he was now an enemy to Saul, and he might be hereafter a friend to them. It is common for the outlaws of a nation to be sheltered by the enemies of that nation. But the servants of Achish objected to his politics, and thought it not at all fit that he should stay among them. 3. The fright which this put David into. Though he had some reason to put confidence in Achish, yet, when he perceived the servants of Achish jealous of him, he began to be afraid that Achish would be obliged to deliver him up to them, and he was sorely afraid (v. 12), and perhaps he was the more apprehensive of his own danger, when he was thus discovered, because he wore Goliath’s sword, which, we may suppose, was well known in Gath, and with which he had reason to expect they would cut off his head, as he had cut off Goliath’s with it. David now learned by experience what he has taught us (Ps. 118:9), that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. Men of high degree are a lie, and, if we make them our hope, they may prove our fear. It was at this time that David penned Psalm 55 (Michtam, a golden psalm), when the Philistines took him in Gath, where having shown before God his distresses, he resolves (v. 3), “What time I am afraid I will trust in thee; and therefore (v. 11) will not be afraid what man can do unto me, no, not the sons of giants.” 4. The course he took to get out of their hands: He feigned himself mad, v. 13. He used the gestures and fashions of a natural fool, or one that had gone out of his wits, supposing they would be ready enough to believe that the disgrace he had fallen into, and the troubles he was now in, had driven him distracted. This dissimulation of his cannot be justified (it was a mean thing thus to disparage himself, and inconsistent with truth thus to misrepresent himself, and therefore not becoming the honour and sincerity of such a man as David); yet it may in some degree be excused, for it was not a downright lie and it was like a stratagem in war, by which he imposed upon his enemies for the preservation of his own life. What David did here in pretence and for his own safety, which made it partly excusable, drunkards do really, and only to gratify a base lust: they made fools of themselves and change their behaviour; their words and actions commonly are either as silly and ridiculous as an idiot’s or as furious and outrageous as a madman’s, which has often made me wonder that ever men of sense and honour should allow themselves in it. 5. His escape by this means, v. 14, 15. I am apt to think Achish was aware that the delirium was but counterfeit, but, being desirous to protect David (as we find afterwards he was very kind to him, even when the lord of the Philistines favoured him not, ch. 28:1, 2; 29:6), he pretended to his servants that he really thought he was mad, and therefore had reason to question whether it was David or no; or, if it were, they need not fear him, what harm could he do them now that his reason had departed from him? They suspected that Achish was inclined to entertain him: “Not I,” says he. “He is a madman. I’ll have nothing to do with him. You need not fear that I should employ him, or give him any countenance.” He humours the thing well enough when he asks, “Have I need of madmen? Shall this fool come into my house? I will show him no kindness, but then you shall do him no hurt, for, if he be a madmen, he is to be pitied.” He therefore drove him away, as it is in the title of Ps. 34, which David penned upon this occasion, and an excellent psalm it is, and shows that he did not change his spirit when he changed his behaviour, but even in the greatest difficulties and hurries his heart was fixed, trusting in the Lord; and he concludes that psalm with this assurance, that none of those that trust in God shall be desolate, though they may be, as he now was, solitary and distressed, persecuted, but not forsaken. (Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (pp. 420–421). Peabody: Hendrickson)
Ver. 15. Have I need of madmen? &c.] Or fools, do I want them? have not I enow of them already at my court? I want wise men, and not fools and madmen. The Jews say that the wife and daughter of Achish were mad; that whilst David was playing the fool and madman without, they were acting the same part within; so that Achish had enough of that sort of diversion, if it was to be reckoned such; as it was according to the taste of some persons, who used, as in later so in earlier times, to keep fools in their houses to make them sport; but Achish had enough of that, and too much, at least needed no more: that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? or act the part of a fool before me: shall this fellow come into mine house? court or palace, and have a post there; you need be in no pain about it; he’s neither agreeable to me, nor fit for any; and therefore Achish drove him away as a fool or madman, instead of imprisoning him as an enemy, or taking away his life; see the title of psalm 34th. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 524). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Without God, there is no right and wrong; there is only preference. We can say that we prefer something to be or not to be; but unless we appeal to God, we cannot use the words right and wrong. If one person says something is right and another says it is wrong, their opinions cancel each other out unless they can appeal to a higher authority. Mankind needs God not only for salvation but also for the normal functioning of society. It is sobering to ask, “If everyone were exactly like me, what kind of society would we have?” (Quiet Walk)
Deuteronomy 28
The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.
INSIGHT
A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.
But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.
How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever. (Quiet Walk)
ETERNAL LIFE
…that he should give eternal life… John 17:2
Let us try to understand exactly what is true of this life. Let me give you some of the New Testament definitions of it. We are told that as a result of having this life we become sons of God or children of God: “For ye are all the children of God,” says the apostle Paul in Galatians 3:26. Another phrase, used by John in his first epistle, is that we are “born of God” (1 John 5:1); and in John 3:8 we read that we are “born of the Spirit.”
The apostle Peter describes it by saying that we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4)—an astounding statement. In another place he tells us that we are “begotten . . . again”(1 Peter 1:3)—we are regenerated.
Now all those terms, and others too, are used in the New Testament in order to give us some conception and understanding of the quality and nature of eternal life. And it was in order to give us this marvelous life that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world. That is why He went to the cross, that is why He was buried and rose again—so that you and I might become sons of God, children of God, born of God, partakers of the divine nature, that we might be regenerated and made anew and receive a new life. But I must hasten to add, it is very important that we should not misconstrue any of these great, exalted terms.
Not one of them means that you and I become divine. We do not cease to be human. We are not turned into gods. We must never put such a meaning to those great terms. It does not mean that the divine essence, as it were, is infused into us. We are still human, though we are partakers of the divine nature.
A Thought to Ponder: Christ went to the cross that we might become children of God and receive a new life.
(From Saved in Eternity, pp. 150-151, by Dr. Martyn Llloyd-Jones)
To Be Human
Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
Matthew 23:37
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The God Who Provides
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13)
God’s provisions for the believer include far more than physical necessities. These are indicated by seven beautiful titles ascribed to Him in the New Testament.
The God of love: First of all, we need love, and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Then “the fruit of the Spirit is love” in our lives (Galatians 5:22) because He Himself is “the God of love and peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
The God of all grace: God saves us by His grace, and then we need to “grow in grace” (2 Peter 3:18). This we can do because “the God of all grace…hath called us unto his eternal glory” (1 Peter 5:10).
The God of peace: He satisfies the need for peace of soul in the believer’s life, and He is called “the God of peace” five times in the New Testament (Romans 15:33; 16:20; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20).
The God of all comfort: Our God is called “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort,” because He “comforteth us in all our tribulation,” thus enabling us also to provide comfort to others ”by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
The God of patience: We do “have need of patience” (Hebrews 10:36), and this need also is supplied by “the God of patience and consolation” (Romans 15:5).
The God of glory: It was “the God of glory” who first called Abraham (Acts 7:2), and through the Word we also “are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The God of hope: By His Spirit He fills us with joy and peace, with power, and abundant hope—blessing us “with all spiritual blessings…in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Who Ever Said The Christian Life Is Easy?
AUTHOR:DR. JAMES DOBSON
Where did we get the notion that the Christian life is a piece of cake? Where is the evidence for the “name it, claim it” theology that promises God will skip along in front of us with His great cosmic broom, sweeping aside each trial and every troubling uncertainty?
To the contrary, Jesus told His disciples that they should anticipate suffering. He said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Paul wrote, “In all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within” (2 Corinthians 7:4-5).
Peter left no doubt about difficulties in this Christian life when he wrote, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-13).
Note in each of these references the coexistence of both joy and pain. This is the consistent, unequivocal “expectation” that we have been given by the biblical writers, and yet we seem determined to rewrite the text. That makes us sitting ducks for satanic mischief.
My concern is that many believers apparently feel God owes them smooth sailing or at least a full explanation (and perhaps an apology) for the hardships they encounter. We must never forget that He, after all, is God. He is majestic and holy and sovereign. He is accountable to no one. He is not an errand boy who chases the assignments we dole out. He is not a genie who pops out of the bottle to satisfy our whims. He is not our servant—we are His. And our reason for existence is to glorify and honor Him.
Even so, sometimes He performs mighty miracles on our behalf. Sometimes He chooses to explain His action in our lives. Sometimes His presence is as real as if we had encountered Him face to face. But at other times when nothing makes sense—when what we are going through is “not fair,” when we feel all alone in God’s waiting room—He simply says, “Trust Me!”
(From Dr. Dobson’s book When God Doesn’t Make Sense)
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