II Samuel 2

David asks LORD for directionverse 1

And it came to pass after this – that David inquired of the LORD

saying Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD

said to him Go up

And David said

Whither shall I go up?

And HE said

Unto Hebron

David moves to Hebronverses 2-3

So David went up thither – and his two wives also

Ahinoam the Jezreelitess – Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite

And his men that were with him did David bring up

every man with his household – and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron

David anointed king over Judahverse 4a

And the men of Judah came

and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah

David sends word men of Jabesh-gileadverses 4b- 7

And they told David

saying

That the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul

And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead

and said to them

Blessed be you of the LORD

that you have shown this kindness to your lord

even unto Saul – and have buried him

And now the LORD show kindness and truth to you

and I also will requite you this kindness

because you have done this thing

Therefore now let your hands be strengthened

and be you valiant – for your master Saul is dead

and also the house of Judah have anointed me

king over them

Abner makes Ish-bosheth king of Israelverses 8-9

But Abner the son of Ner – captain of Saul’s host

took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul

and brought him over to Mahanaim

And made him king over Gilead – Ashurites – Jezreel – Ephraim

Benjamin – all Israel

Divided kingdomverses 10-11

Ish-bosheth Saul’s son was forty years old

when he began to reign over Israel

and reigned two years

But the house of Judah followed David

and the time that David was king

over the house of Judah was

seven years and six months

War between Israel and Judahverses 12-17

And Abner the son of Ner

and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul

went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon

And Joab the son of Zeruiah – and the servants of David

went out and met together by the pool of Gibeon

and they sat down

the one on the one side of the pool

the other on the other side of the pool

And Abner said to Joab

Let the young men now arise – and play before us

And Joab said

Let them arise

Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin

which pertained to Ish-bosheth the son of Saul

and twelve of the servants of David

And they caught everyone his fellow by the head

and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side

So they fell down together – wherefore that place was

called Helkath-hazzurim – which is in Gibeon

And there was a very sore battle that day

and Abner was beaten – and the men of Israel

before the servants of David

Abner kills Asahel – Joab’s brotherverses 18-23

And there were three sons of Zerulah there

Joab – Abishai – Asahel

and Asahel was as light of foot as wild roe

And Asahel pursued after Abner

and in going he turned not to the right hand

or to the left from following Abner

Then Abner looked behind him

and said

Are you Asahel?

And he answered

I am

And Abner said to him

Turn you aside to your right hand or to your left

and lay you hold on one of the young men

and take you his armor

But Asahel would not turn aside

from following of him

And Abner said again to Asahel

Turn you aside from following me

Wherefore should I smite you to the ground?

How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?

Howbeit he refused to turn aside

wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear

smote him under the fifth rib

that the spear came out behind him

and he fell down there

and died in the same place

And it came to pass – that as many as came to the place where

Asahel fell down and died STOOD STILL

Abner asks for an end of battleverses 24-26

Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner

and the sun went down when they were come

to the hill of Ammah

that lies before Giah

by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon

And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner

and became one troop – and stood on the top of a hill

Then Abner called to Joab

and said

Shall the sword devour for ever?

know you not that it will be bitterness in the latter end?

How long shall it be then

ere you bid the people return from following their brethren?

Joab stops battleverses 27-28

And Joab

said

As God lives – unless you had spoken

surely then in the morning the people had gone up every

one from following his brother

So Joab blew a trumpet – and all the people STOOD STILL

and pursued after Israel no more

neither fought they any more

Abner retreatedverse 29

And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain

and passed over Jordan – and went through all Bithron

and they came to Mahanaim

Casualties of warverses 30-31

And Joab returned from following Abner

and when he had gathered all the people together

there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel

BUT the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin – and of Abner’s men

so that three hundred and threescore men died

Asahel buried in Bethlehemverse 32

And they took up Asahel – and buried him in the sepulcher of his father

which was in Bethlehem

And Joab and his men went all night

and they came to Hebron at break of day

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up! And HE said, To Hebron. (7592 “inquired” [sha’al] means ask, interrogate, consult, beg for, desire, ask permission, ask intently, or to address a question to and expect an answer from)

DEVOTION: How would you like to be David? He has been running from Saul for years. Now Saul is dead and he wants to return home to fight for Israel. He wants to know what the LORD wants him to do.

The LORD tells him to go to Judah. The LORD sends him to his next place of residence but it is not his final place. The LORD is leading him in steps. The LORD has to work on the rest of Israel to accept David as king.

That is how the LORD worked in the life of David and it is how HE works in our lives as well. HE does things in steps. The steps are small most of the time. We are individuals who are slow learners when it comes to doing the will of God in our lives.

Too often we run ahead of the LORD and don’t wait for HIM to move others as fast as we would like them to move. It is not easy following the LORD’s leading in our lives but that is what we must do if we are to be the proper servants of the LORD.

David sometimes wanted to run ahead of the LORD and that is something that we have a tendency of doing as well. Patience is a virtue that most of us don’t have the time for in our lives.

God wants to direct HIS people in HIS time and in HIS way. We have to realize that HE did it in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. There is no sense trying to hurry God with is plan for our lives.

CHALLENGE: ARE we willing to wait on the LORD when HE sometimes works so slowly?

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. (1004 “household” [bayith] means family, a social unit living together, or family of descendants)

DEVOTION: This was not a partial move out of the territory of the Philistines. David brought his family and the families of the men who were in his army. Remember that there were over six hundred men in his army. If David and his men brought their families into the Hebron area the city could not contain them. This would be over a thousand people coming into the city at one time.

So we have them all moving into the area of Hebron to be around David. This was a large group to support David in his future reign over Judah and then over all of Israel. David had waited at least fifteen years from the time that he was anointed by Samuel until he was anointed king over Judah. It would take another number of years before he would be anointed king over all Israel.

Moving is no fun sometimes. This move was good for David and his men because they were coming home. The land of the Philistines needed to be conquered before it could be called home which happened after David was king of all Israel.

Now we understand that this world is not our home. We are just passing through on our way to heaven if we are genuine believers in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. This means that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our life through our study of the Word of God and prayer. Those who say they are believers yet are not interested in the Bible or prayer or the attendance at a local church might not be genuine believers. There should be a desire to know more of the Word of God and a desire to speak to the LORD as David did and have the LORD answer our prayers. We should enjoy being around other believers on a regular basis.

Our household should work together to serve the LORD. David moved six hundred men and their families into an area to work together to serve the LORD.

We need to work together with the family of God to see individuals become followers of Jesus Christ and help those who are to grow in their knowledge of the Word of God.

CHALLENGE: Teamwork is necessary for individuals and family to work together to serve the LORD. No one can or should do it on their own! We are a family!!! We are an army!!

: 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. (3117 “time” [yowm] means day, a unit of time from sunset until the next sunset, lifetime, today, daylight, year, or today)

DEVOTION: David had been on the run from Saul for close to fifteen years. Now he was just made king of one tribe, Judah. He asked the rest of the nation to make him king but they continued to follow a son of Saul for some time.

So David had to set up Hebron as his capital. He had to establish his army in their new home. He had to rule where the LORD allowed him to rule for the time being.

It had to be hard to settle for just one tribe when he should have been king over the nation of Israel but he had to be patient and wait for the LORD’S timing regarding his reign over the entire nation.

Most of us are not patient when it comes to waiting for the LORD’S timing for anything in our life. We want it to happen right away. We want to be the CEO of our company because we know that that is what the LORD has called us to be. It is hard to have someone else tell us what to do when we know we could do a better job than them.

Samuel had anointed him king over all of Israel but that was going to happen in the future. David was patient. Can we be patient and wait? Can we wait seven and a half years for the LORD to work? David did.

CHALLENGE: Our responsibility to is to do the best we can where we are at during the present time. Lessons need to be learned that will help us be a better leader in the future.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 16 And they caught everyone his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so, they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. (2388 “caught” [chazaq] means to hold firmly, to bind, to hold fast, overpower, strengthen, to make firm, or to display strength)

DEVOTION: Patience is not easy. David was learning to be patient. However, the generals were not patient. Joab was the general of David’s army. Abner was the general of Ishbosheth’s army. Abner represented eleven tribes while Joab only represented one tribe.

So, the two generals brought their men to opposite sides of a pool of water in Gibeon. They allowed twelve men from each side to fight with one another. Well, Joab’s men killed Abner’s men and the battle was on.

It was a battle between the tribes of Israel who should have never fought with one another. They were all the people of God. They were all part of the twelve tribes that were to inherit the land together.

If they had been obedient to the LORD, they would have all been over one king right after Saul died because the LORD had called and anointed David as the next king of the twelve tribes.

The problem is one that is even happening today. The people of God couldn’t get along with one another because each general wanted their own king. Abner was not willing to follow David. He wanted the power.

Power causes individuals to be divided when they are not willing to listen to the LORD. Obedience would have saved a lot of lives in the nation of Israel at this time. This battle caused three hundred and sixty men to die who followed Abner. It caused nineteen men to die that followed Joab.

CHALLENGE: It has been said that Christians are the only ones who shoot their wounded. Is that true in your world?

: 26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour forever? Know you not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, ere you bid the people return from following their brethren?

(4751 “bitterness” [marah] means angry, chafed, discontented, or heavy)

DEVOTION: David asks the LORD what he should do next. The LORD tells him to go to Hebron. At Hebron the children of Judah anoint him king. He began to live there with his two wives.

David learned what the men of Jabesh-gilead had done and gave them some compliments. He told them that Judah had made him king but Abner, Saul’s general, took Ish-bosheth and made him king.

The kingdom was divided. David was over the tribe of Judah and Ish-bosheth was over the other tribe.

There was trouble between these two groups. One day troops from each group gathered together. A battle started. The children of Judah chased the children of the other tribes.

It is a civil war between two generals in Israel and Judah. The two armies meet on the battlefield. Joab’s brother goes after Abner. Abner tells him to go after someone else but he does not. Abner kills Joab’s brother. This causes more problems between the two parts of the nation. Joab pursues Abner. Abner, Ish-bosheth’s general, knows that this can only end in anger toward one another.

When they confronted each other, Abner said to Joab what is recorded in this verse. He stated that if they kept fighting each other many more were going to die. They were all part of one nation. He suggested that they stop the battle. He stated that if the battle continued there would be anger for a long time between the tribes.

He asks Joab, David’s general to stop the fighting. Joab agrees. Internal fighting in a nation, as well as, in a church can cause discontent and anger that lasts for years.

We have all been involved with churches that have coldness about them. The coldness is caused because of internal fighting. Abner reminded Joab that they were brothers in the LORD. We need to remind individuals in the church that they are brothers with each other in the LORD.

Are we causing coldness in the church? Are we getting rid of anger in our lives over past hurts? Are we discontent with what is going on in the church? The church can only move forward when all those involved are working together for the LORD. Let us work together to advance the kingdom of God!!!

CHALLENGE: Watch for discontent in your life. Make sure you are not causing discontent in your local church. Many times, it only takes a little gossip to cause real problems in the church.

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

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)

David inquired of the LORDverse 1

LORD answered Davidverse 1

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovahverses 1, 5, 6

God – Elohimverse 27

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)

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Bitternessverse 26

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Enquire of the LORDverse 1

Family importantverse 3

Anointedverses 4, 7

Blessedverse 5

Kindnessverses 5, 6

Truthverse 6

Valiantverse 7

Brethrenverse 26

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Davidverses 1-7, 11

Inquired of the LORD

Two wives when with him

Ahinoam the Jezreelitess

Abigail (Nabal’s wife) of Carmelite

Dwell in Hebron

David king over Judah in Hebron

7 years and six months

Cities of Judahverse 1

Men of Jabesh-gilead buried Saulverse 4

Abnerverses 8-31

Captain of Saul’s host

Makes Ishbosheth king of Israel

Ishbosheth – Saul’s sonverses 8-10

King over Israel

Forty years old

Reigned 2 years

Joab the son of Zeruiahverses 13-30

Battle in Gibeon between Abner & Joabverses 13-31

Helkath-hazzurimverse 16

Three sons of Zeruiahverse 18

Joab

Abishai

Asahel

Pursued Abner

Burial of Asahel in Bethlehemverse 32

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Asahel – Joab’s brother killed by Abnerverse 23

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QUOTES regarding passage

“How long” (v.26) commonly introduces questions implying a rebuke (see comment on 1 Sam 16:1; cf. also 1 Sam 1:14; Hos 8:5; Zech 1:12), and Abner uses it to good effect. He cleverly baits Joab by referring to the two groups of antagonists as “brothers”—and Joab bites by accepting the identification (v.27). He suggests that Joab’s men “stop pursuing” Abner’s—and the end result was that Joab “returned from pursuing” Abner (v.30; same Heb. expression). When brothers fight brothers, the result can only be “bitterness” (v.26) and shame (Obad 10).

Commentators differ on their understanding of Joab’s response in v.27 (after the introductory oath formula, for which see comment on 1 Sam 14:39). Some connect Joab’s reply to v.14 (cf. KD, p. 298: ‘ ‘If thou hadst not spoken [i.e. challenged to single combat, ver. 14], the people would have gone away in the morning, everyone from his brother,’ i.e. there would have been no such fratricidal conflict at all”; cf. similarly first NIV footnote on v.27). But the NIV text (and that of the second footnote), in assuming that Joab is responding to Abner’s words in the nearer context (v.26), is the more natural reading of the Hebrew original. The verb naʿ^alāh translated “gone away” by KD, is elsewhere rendered “took oneself away” in the sense of lifting a siege (Jer 37:5, 11 [“withdraw”]). Joab calls off the chase (v.28), and Abner’s timely plea thus leads to results remarkably similar to those described in 1 Samuel 25:34. Three times in 2 Samuel Joab blows the ram’s-horn trumpet (v.28; 18:16; 20:22), and on each occasion his act signals the cessation of hostilities. (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, pp. 827–828). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

Joab knew the heart of David, that he wanted unity and peace, not division and war, so he blew the trumpet and stopped his troops from pursuing the enemy. He said to Abner, “God only knows what would have happened if you hadn’t spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary” (v. 27 nlt). Abner and his men walked all night to return to Mahanaim, and Joab and his army returned to Hebron, stopping at Bethlehem along the way to give Asahel a proper burial. During that all-night march, Joab and Abishai hatched a plot to avenge the death of their brother. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be restored (p. 25). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor.)

After the death of their brother, Joab and Abishai keep up the chase until sunset, when Israel’s resistance stiffens (2:24–32). Abner calls for a truce, because the terrible results of civil war are already becoming clear to him, and further fighting will only make it worse. In light of the number of fatalities, Joab agrees to the truce and the battle is finally over. Both armies march all night in order to return to their respective capitals by morning. Only nineteen of David’s men have perished, compared with 360 casualties for Abner and Benjamin. This large discrepancy may be due to the decimation of Saul’s army at the Battle of Gilboa, a battle in which David’s men were not allowed to participate (1 Sam. 29:4). (Wolf, H. M. (1995). 1-2 Samuel. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 214). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)

Ver. 27. And Joab said, as God liveth, &c.] Which was the form of an oath, swearing by the living God: unless thou hadst spoken; that is, these words in ver. 14. let the young men arise and play. that he had not given the challenge to fight: surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother; they would have gone away and never fought at all; they were not desirous of shedding their blood, and following after them to slay them: thus he lays the blame upon Abner, and makes him to be the cause and beginner of the war. Some render the particle by if, and give the sense, that if he had spoken what he last did sooner, the people would long before this time have desisted from pursuing them; for it was not from a thirst after their blood, and a desire to take vengeance on them, that they pursued them, but to bring them to submission, and lay down their arms; for they could not in honour retreat until they desired it; but the former sense seems best, and is the general sense of the Jewish commentators. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 573). 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!!)

David’s sizable group, which may have numbered more than a thousand, appears to have overwhelmed the city of Hebron itself. As a result, many in the returning group had to settle in “the cities of Hebron” (NIV, “its towns”), that is, the unwalled villages in the immediate vicinity. (Bergen, R. D. (1996). 1, 2 Samuel (Vol. 7, pp. 297–298). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

The wives and families of David and his men are mentioned to reinforce the fact that this is a final removal from Philistine territory, in favour of the towns of Hebron, settlements in the neighbourhood of the larger walled city. (Baldwin, J. G. (1988). 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 8, p. 196). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

One Impossible Possibility

Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. COLOSSIANS 3:13

Are there things that someone has done to you that you think you could never forgive?

You are not alone. Ron Luce, president of Teen Mania Ministries, shares a story that many can identify with.

Ron came to faith in Christ as a teenager after enduring an abusive home life. Not long after his conversion, God began to convict him of his need to forgive his mom for the evil things she had done and said to him as a boy. Things like hitting him in the face. Crushing a cigarette butt out on his back.

Telling him when he was 13 years old, “Why don’t you do me a favor and kill yourself?”

Initially, Ron reacted with typical human disbelief. How could he forgive his mom? She didn’t deserve it. But in time, God broke through, and Ron decided he needed to forgive his mother.

So Ron started carrying around Scriptures on little cards—verses about forgiveness he could meditate on and memorize. He began desperately praying that God would give him the ability to give up his right to punish her. It wasn’t easy, and it didn’t happen overnight. But one day as a senior in high school, he remembers praying, “Lord, You need to reach my mom and touch her, because I love her.”

He couldn’t believe what he’d just said. “I love her?” He had never spoken those three words before in his entire life! “But I do love her. I do love my mom. And You’re the One who put it there, Lord. You must have done it.”

We can forgive, because He forgave us. He shows us a better way. A way of freedom from bitterness and punishment. Christ does it through us. And He can do it through you.

DISCUSS

What impossible injustices—things you’ve grown weary of dealing with on your own—do you need to hand over to Christ? Make a list and ask Him to lead you to full forgiveness. (Devotionals for couples by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)

Mark 2

Mark tells of Jesus’ early ministry in Capernaum.

INSIGHT

When a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus, He says, “Son, your sins are forgiven you” (Mark 2:5). The scribes are incensed. No one can forgive sin but God, and they do not believe that Jesus is God. In response, Jesus says, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?” (Mark 2:9).

Of course, it is easier to say that your sins are forgiven. After all, who can verify if it is true? So, to prove that He is God and has the power to forgive sins, Jesus says to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed and go your way to your house” (Mark 2:11). Jesus’ miracles are often. (Quiet Walk)

GOD’S PARTICULAR POSSESSION

That ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:18
God desires us as His own particular possession and portion, and ultimately as those who are to share His glory. Look again at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church in Ephesians 1. It is that they may know what is “the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (verse 18). To talk about God’s “inheritance in the saints,” the God who made everything and to whom all things belong and by whom all things are, to talk in this way is the most amazing and daring piece of anthropomorphism that Paul ever produced, and yet he has put it like that in order to give believers an understanding of it. What he means is that these are the people in whom God delights and whom God is going to enjoy.
Let me give an illustration in order to make this point clear. Take a child who has many toys, all of which he likes. Yes, but there is one particular favorite, the toy that is always with him. The child is fond of them all, but that one is something special. And it is the same with us. We all have certain possessions that we prefer to others; there is always something especially dear and of interest to us. That is the idea—that the great Lord of the universe has a special object of interest and affection—His own people, those whom He has taken and, as Paul puts it in writing to the Galatians, separated out of this evil world and put into a special category and compartment. That is the whole message of the Bible—God preparing for Himself a people who are going to be His joy throughout eternity.
A Thought to Ponder
These are the people in whom God delights and whom God is going to enjoy.
(From Safe in the World, pp. 37-38 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

Thy Precious Blood
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:…And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:14, 20)
John introduced Jesus to the world at His baptism by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He was known prophetically as a lamb even before then. “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). He fulfilled the lamb role in His sacrificial death for the sins of mankind: “With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). The third verse of “There Is a Fountain” continues that picture.

Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God
Be saved, to sin no more.

The precious Christology passage of Colossians 1:13-20 identifies Christ as Creator, Redeemer, and King. As Creator, His redemptive work included the ransom of His creation, lost and shackled in sin. There will come the time when all of redeemed mankind will gather around His throne “saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).
They will be joined by all in creation to sing His praises. “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:3). (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

Stephen Skwieralski quotes: : Everything happens for a reason. You may not see it now, but sooner or later, God will reveal why He lit things happen. Always remember that His way is better than our ways. His will is beyond our will. Put your trust in Him. Amen!

Heard a radio station call-in transcript where a lady was upset about a deer crossing sign. She hit two deer in that spot and asked them to please move the sign so they’d cross somewhere else. She got mad that the local DOT wouldn’t take her seriously. She even tried a petition. Bless her heart.

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