consultation

1 Samuel 30:1-31:13, 1 Chronicles 10:1-14, 2 Samuel 4:4, 2 Samuel 1:1-27

Some neighboring peoples raided David's camp while he and his army were away...

30:6 David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God. 7 Then he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the ephod!" So Abiathar brought it. 8 Then David asked the Lord, "Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?"   And the Lord told him, "Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!"

Observations:

1. David experienced difficulty.  True.  I can identify.  The Lord allows us to experience difficulty to drive us to seek Him.
   
2. David found strength in Yahweh his God. 
   
3. He had a personal relationship with Yahweh, and Yahweh was in charge of his life.
4. He consulted Yahweh about his predicament.
5. Yahweh answered him.
6. Yahweh delivered and blessed him.
7. Yahweh cares about us and desires us to have close fellowship with Him so that we will obey Him according to His good plan.
   

Application:  It is the end of the semester - lots of work to do.  I will find strength in Yahweh my God.  I will not sacrifice my personal time with Him because it is out of that relationship that I am enabled to live.  He fills me with ZOE - His divine life.  I will ask Him for guidance and obey His direction.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I humbly submit to your will.  I acknowledge that my plans are evil because the flesh inside me desires wickedness.  I don't want to live an empty life; I want you to fill me with your ZOE life and guide me to glorify you.  Lord, I want to honor you all day; I want to think about you all day long.  I want to meditate on your Word, that I may experience the application of your LOGOS as RAMAH.  I pray this in the name of the Word, Jesus Christ. Amen.