Daily Bread from the Prayer Closet-2024

[Murph]

Yes and No

"So David said to [Mephibosheth], “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” 2 Samuel 9:7

We often invoke the notion of a promise when conversing about a commitment: “I promise I’ll be there at four o’clock sharp!” Jesus noted that a promise (oath) is a step beyond merely giving one’s word—and should be an unnecessary step: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” Matthew 5:37.


In the Old Testament, a covenant was a type of binding promise. Before David became king, he and Saul’s son Jonathan made a covenant involving Jonathan’s future children. Jonathan asked David to promise that when he became king, he would care for Jonathan’s children. And David did. Years after Jonathan died and David became king, he heard that Jonathan’s disabled son, Mephibosheth, was alive and living as an outcast as a descendant of Saul. So David brought Mephibosheth to his court and made ample and permanent provisions for him.

David kept his promise to Jonathan. God keeps His promises to us. And we should keep our word to one another—always.

"God hath promised to keep his people, and he will keep his promise." Charles Spurgeon

Dr. David Jeremaih

[Murph]

The Prepared Life

"Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of Goliath; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:32

A professor went to the podium and said, “I can’t wait to hear what I have to say on today’s topic.” He wasn’t unprepared, just the opposite. He had spent a lifetime preparing and had learned that new assignments always bring new insights in the moment if we live a prepared life.

When the teenage David went to the battlefield to deliver food to his brothers, never in his wildest imagination did he think he would be battling a giant. He certainly had not prepared the bold and beautiful speech he delivered to Goliath (1 Samuel 17:45-47). That all happened in the moment because he was available to be used by God. The same thing happened to Peter and John when they encountered a lame man begging outside the temple in Jerusalem. They had not planned what to do or say should such an encounter happen. But when it did, they were ready: They healed the man and gave him new life (Acts 3:1-9).

Living a prepared life means being available to serve God in whatever opportunity He provides. It means trusting Him to make you able.

"If men are prepared to die they are ready for anything." Joseph Addison Alexander

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

Process and Product

"So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord." 2 Samuel 6:17

We often hear people say, “The end justifies the means.” In other words, it’s okay to do something dishonorable, if necessary, in order to achieve something honorable. But that is not a biblical perspective. God is as concerned about the process as much as the product.

Early in King David’s career, he learned this lesson the hard way. He was moving the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. But he failed to follow God’s instructions on how to transport the Ark. A man died as a result, and the Ark’s movement was delayed for three months. There is a lesson there: God cares about how we serve Him as much as He cares about what we accomplish. For example, not only are we to speak the truth, but we are also to speak the truth “in love” (Ephesians 4:15). We are to defend the faith but with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Do God’s work today—yes! But do it God’s way so He is free to bless and honor it.

"God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply." Hudson Taylor

Dr. David Jeremaih

[Murph]

Loving Obedience

"If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity." Job 36:11

In her newspaper column in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, Lynn Lawrence wrote, “I’m not sure how old I was when I began obeying my parents for the right reasons. In my early years of childhood my obedience was mostly a result of wanting to avoid potential punishment. Being one of seven children sure gave me lots of opportunities sometimes not to be loving and definitely not obey! At some point, however, without being aware it was happening, my obedience became a byproduct of love for my parents.”

The Lord wants us to love Him enough to obey without hesitation or vexation. Is there any area of your life currently out of alignment with God’s Word? Be willing to deal with it, asking God to give you the willingness to change, motivated by a growing adoration for Him. That leads to a prosperous life!

A life lived in obedience to God is filled with peace. Praise Him today for the joy that comes from living for Him.

"Obedient love also is what we should strive for in our Christian life…. We should all strive to allow God’s love to compel us to serve Him more faithfully and to share the message that Christ died for all." Lynn Lawrence

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

New Testament Missionaries: Phillip

"Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them…. And there was great joy in that city." Acts 8:5, 8

In the middle of the land of ancient Israel was a group of people known as Samaritans. Some of their descendants are still there today. In New Testament times these people were viewed by the Israelites as odd, heretical, unclean, and to be avoided. Jesus, however, championed the evangelism of the Samaritans, and in His Great Commission in Acts 1:8, He included Samaria as a crucial area for the Gospel.

Philip the Evangelist went to Samaria with willingness and excitement, and “multitudes with one accord” (Acts 8:6) listened to him and came to saving faith in Christ. Peter and John traveled into the area and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, which they did (Acts 8:14-25).

Think of your town, city, or nation. Are there groups that to you seem odd, heretical, unclean, perhaps to be avoided? How can you be a Philip for them? Perhaps it begins with prayer. When you see a marginalized person or group, pray for them. They’re just the ones the Lord wants to reach!

"Scripture never presents any human condition or dilemma as outside the scope of the gospel. Redemption is nothing less than the rescue of helpless people." Paul David Tripp

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." Matthew 21:21

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! With the Lord of all sovereignty behind us, we can be confident that He will ever enable us to accomplish His will.

[Murph]

Dealing With Disappointment

"Solomon shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."
2 Samuel 7:13

When the Israelites left Mount Sinai to journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land, assignments were made by Moses as to who would carry which part of the tabernacle. Imagine the disappointment of the one who wanted to help carry the Ark of the Covenant but was given a lowly bag of tent pegs to carry. Dreams are sometimes replaced by disappointment, even when serving God.

What do we do when our dream job—“carrying the Ark of the Covenant”—for the Lord is denied and given to another? David faced that challenge as king; he had a dream of building a “house” (temple) for the Lord in Jerusalem. But that task was given to his son and successor, Solomon. God told David his job was to fight Israel’s battles and subdue her enemies, allowing for peace so that Solomon could build the temple (2 Samuel 7:8-13). Every child of God must learn to submit his or her dreams to the will of God (James 4:13-17).

Do your very best to discover God’s will before putting your dreams in motion. His will is always best.

"There are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God." Frederick W. Faber

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

Good News, Bad News

"Thus says the Lord of hosts to David.... “I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.” 2 Samuel 7:8-9

A standard dialogue technique in screenwriting is to have one character say to another, “I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?” It’s a tough choice to make when you don’t know what either piece of news will be.

David experienced something like that choice—only God didn’t ask him which news he wanted first. To prepare David’s heart for the bad news to come, God gave the king the good news first. The good news was that God had always been with David, had given him success over his enemies, and had guaranteed that his descendants would continually occupy the throne in Israel. But the bad news was that David would not have the honor of building a “house” for God in Jerusalem; that honor would fall to his son, Solomon.

There is always good news from God: He is always faithful, even in the face of bad news. Thank Him today for His faithfulness to you.

"Though men are false, God is faithful." Matthew Henry

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

Un-Sinned

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice." Psalm 51:7-8

On the night before the exodus of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt, Moses gave instructions to the people. That night, the Lord would bring judgment on the firstborn sons of Egypt—but not on the Hebrew families. They were to take hyssop and paint their doorways with sacrificial blood. Upon seeing the blood, the “destroyer” would pass over their homes (Exodus 12:22-23).

Hyssop was a plant that was used to sprinkle blood during ritual cleansings. The image of hyssop came to David’s mind as he composed Psalm 51 in the wake of his sin against Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah. In verse 2 he prayed God would cleanse him from his sin, and in verse 7 he pictured how: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean.” Scholars suggest that the word cleanse means to “un-sin”—to make me as I was before I sinned. That’s what God does when He forgives us.

Christians are not called sinners in the New Testament but saints (holy ones). After being forgiven, God sees us as “whiter than snow.”

"God does not demand a beautiful vessel for His work, but He does demand a clean one." Quoted by R. A. Torrey

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

Consequences

"And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” 2 Samuel 12:13-14

One of the hardest but most valuable lessons for children to learn is that there are consequences for their sins. Sins may be forgiven, but the impact of the sin does not disappear with forgiveness. If an older child willfully breaks a toy belonging to a younger sibling, the guilty child can be forgiven, but there will be a consequence. He will have to use his weekly allowance to purchase a replacement toy.

Mercy is the biblical term for not getting the punishment we deserve. But mercy does not do away with consequences. Even though God is “longsuffering and abundant in mercy,” He reserved the right to visit the consequences of sin on future generations (Numbers 14:18). Even though David was forgiven for his double sins of adultery and murder, the consequence of his sins would be the death of the child conceived in immorality.

Mercy spares you from punishment. But it doesn’t always spare you or others from the consequences of your sin.

"We are free to choose, but not free to choose the consequences of our choice." Spiros Zodhiates

Dr. David Jeremaih

[Murph]

The Painting Found

"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous spirit." Psalm 51:12

Historian Patricia Millen was working on a book about images depicting Washington’s crossing of the Delaware when she saw a reference to a lost painting. George Harding’s mural had once hung in Trenton’s opera house, which was torn down in 1969. Millen finally found the huge painting stored in the basement of another building. A conservator carefully unrolled the painting. It showed signs of damage and mold, but it’s not only salvageable—it can also be restored and proudly displayed.

Many people feel forgotten, as if the painting of their life is rolled up and wasting away in a basement somewhere. Not true! Perhaps you’ve had a rough patch, or maybe you feel you’ve committed sins God cannot forgive. Don’t underestimate His grace. He is the divine Conservator and Restorer. The blood of Christ will dissolve the mold, restore the colors, and make your life beautiful.

No matter the sins of the past or the sins we will commit in the future, we can rejoice because God’s grace covers all our sin.

"The Son of God alone can restore us to God, for He shed His blood to cleanse our sins and give us new life." Watchman Nee


Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

New Testament Missionaries: Barnabas

"And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite from the country of Cyprus.
Acts 4:36

Did you know you can encourage someone by asking them to do something for you? Sometimes people want to be needed, and by asking a simple favor you can lift their spirits. You can do the same with a sincere compliment. Our world needs more of those! Taking time to listen, being genuinely concerned, looking someone in the eyes and offering to help, sending a thank you note, or surprising someone with a simple gift—all these are ways of being an apostle of encouragement.

Barnabas was the first apostle of encouragement. While he certainly led others to Christ and shared the Gospel, he really excelled at encouraging others who were doing the same. He gave Paul his start, pulled Mark out of his failures, provided funds for the Early Church, and was a cheerleader for everyone who was busy with the Lord’s work.

Don’t let the day pass without intentionally encouraging someone. Become an apostle of encouragement.

"I know of no one more needed, more valuable, more Christlike, than the person who is committed to encouragement."
Chuck Swindoll

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25)

By the grace and mercy of the Father, the believer is kept from stumbling to destruction during the long journey of life and will be presented blameless and pure before the throne of God. As followers of Christ, we must keep ourselves in the love of God as we anxiously wait for the return of the Messiah. During this time of waiting, we are promised that God will keep us in His hands and we will not stumble away from His great purpose. Instead, nothing will snatch us away (John 10:29) and we will reside with Him for eternity!

[Murph]

Union With God

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

The New Testament word fellowship (koinonia) comes from a root word that means “common.” From that idea come the notions of commonality, community, and communion. The apostle John in his first epistle wrote about the fellowship we have “with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3)—and, therefore, the fellowship we have with others who are in fellowship with God. But the idea of fellowship (commonality, union) with God raises the question: What happens to our union with God when we sin?

John anticipated the question and went on to write, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). He then put this theology in practical terms: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” No one lives a sinless life, so we all need to know how to enjoy our fellowship, our oneness, our communion with God through confession and forgiveness.

Never doubt God’s desire to fellowship with you. Confess your failures to Him and receive His forgiveness.

"The fellowship of God is delightful beyond all telling." A.W. Tozer

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

Absalom, Absalom!

"King David covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!” 2 Samuel 19:4

In 2009, William Faulkner’s novel Absalom, Absalom! was named the best Southern novel of all time. The novel is set in nineteenth-century Mississippi and follows the greedy rise and tragic fall of the family of a would-be Southern patriarch and aristocrat. Faulkner chose the title of his novel from the tragic story of King David and his son Absalom.

Absalom, like King Saul, had a kingly and charismatic appearance but a self-serving bent. He gradually began to see himself as a potential successor to his father’s throne and began gathering supporters among the northern tribes of Israel. It was his intention to raise an army, mount a rebellion against his father, and take over the throne. But in a battle with David’s armies, Absalom was killed, throwing David into an extended season of grief. Even though Absalom was his enemy, David loved him unconditionally, even at the time of his death.

Loving an enemy unconditionally is the New Testament’s picture of our salvation. Even while we were God’s enemies, He sent Christ to die for us (Romans 5:10). Thank God today for His unconditional love.

"God’s love for his people is infinite and unconditional." John Blanchard

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

Rediscover God’s Love

"You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you."
Isaiah 41:9-10

Rejection is a punch in the stomach. We all know the feeling, and some rejections can impact our mental health. Being rejected by a parent is hurtful beyond description. Imagine the pain of a young man whose marriage proposal is rejected. We can fall into depression when a college rejects our application or an employer hires someone else for the job we wanted.

The Lord will never reject us when we come to Him needing His grace. Even when we sin, God’s love for us remains. Thank Him that His love doesn’t stop even when we fail Him.

Maybe you’ve done something that makes you feel so unworthy or guilty you think the Lord cannot or will not forgive you. He is more willing to forgive you than you are to seek His forgiveness! Come to Him in humble repentance, confess your sin, trust His grace, and rediscover His love.

Jesus was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3) that you might be accepted and embraced by God.

"Through Christ, you have forgiveness…. The guilt you continue to carry around because of past sins is unnecessary."
Charles Stanley

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

When Tempted

"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed." James 1:14

All of us are tempted all the time, but not always at the same time, by the same things, or to the same degrees. Temptation is like a virus. It is always reinventing itself and mutating. It looks for our weaknesses. Some people reading these words are battling addiction to pornography. Others are seldom bothered by that, but they’re buying too many clothes, eating too many calories, or missing too many church services. Yet others are upright and faithful, but the joy is missing because of a bitter attitude toward something or someone!

How do we fight this ever-evolving virus of temptation? Stay close to the Great Physician!

The book of James has a lot to say about temptation. But the bottom line is this: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8). Immerse yourself in God’s Word, talk to Him in prayer, confess your sins, consider Satan an enemy, and let Jesus Christ live His life through you by His Spirit more and more each day!

Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole. Yielding is opening the door and inviting him in.
Billy Sunday

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

Hardship Is Discipline

"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:11-12

Pastor James Galea loves holidays and plans them a year in advance. When COVID-19 kept canceling his plans, he experienced repeated disappointments. Then he thought of Hebrews 12:7: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children” .

“Though I don’t like to admit it, I think another cancelled holiday was actually healthy for me,” he wrote. “It was as if God was disciplining to show me how I had turned a good thing into a god thing—something I was using to satisfy my ultimate satisfaction and longing. As I called the hotel to cancel the booking, it felt like the question God was asking me was ‘Can you find your rest in Christ, even when the holidays are not there?’”

What insight! If you’re facing any hardship today, large or small, let God use it to grow you in grace and godliness.

"Consciously choosing to see hardship (small though it was) through this lens began to change a cancelled holiday into a spiritual experience. It became a reminder that God is my Dad and that he wants me to grow up more and more in my trust of him." James Galea

Dr. David Jeremaih

[Murph]

New Testament Missionaries: Aquila and Priscilla

"When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately." Acts 18:26

In Acts 18:24, Apollos came to Ephesus. He had a grasp of the Old Testament and was a disciple of John the Baptist. The same Christian couple who welcomed Paul to Corinth at the beginning of the chapter now welcomed Apollos to Ephesus. For Paul they had provided shelter, friendship, and a job in their tentmaking shop. For Apollos they provided instruction. They told him all about Jesus, whom John had introduced to Israel. Apollos later became a great teacher of Christianity, but it’s due to the hospitality of this missionary couple—Aquila and Priscilla.

If you want to study these two, you can find references to them in Acts 18, Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 16, and 2 Timothy 4. If you want to emulate them, look around for a Christian worker needing something you can provide. You may not think of yourself as a missionary, but can you not consider yourself a coworker, coming alongside, helping, paying, praying, providing, or instructing?

Go ahead! Lend a helping hand!

"Every pastor and missionary thanks God for people like Aquila and Priscilla, people with hands, hearts, and homes dedicated to the work of the Lord." Waren Wiersbe

Dr. David Jeremiah

[Murph]

Final Words

"For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption." Acts 13:36

In ancient Greece, an ephitaphios (“upon a tomb”) referred to words inscribed on the outside of a tomb in memory of the deceased person buried within. We know that term today as epitaph, the inscription on a gravestone or tomb in memory of the deceased. Books have been published about famous and unique epitaphs, often in memory of the deceased’s personality.

The apostle Paul didn’t intend to suggest an epitaph for King David when he mentioned the long-dead king in a speech in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. But his words would have been fitting: “David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep.” Could there be a more succinct, yet powerful, summary of one man’s life? Does God expect any more from any of us than to complete the work He has given us to do?

David was not perfect, but he was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). May each child of God strive to follow David’s example and leave a similar legacy.

"We are contributing to a much larger building of the kingdom of God. It’s through this means that we leave a legacy of godliness for the next generation." Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Dr. David Jeremiah