Life With Lucas April-June 2025

Consistent daily infusions of energy from a biblical perspective R.T. KENDALL

WITH LUCAS APPLYING GOD’S WORD TODAY

APRIL – JUNE 2025

On the run

A WORD FROM JEFF

WELCOME TO LIFE WITH LUCAS!

VIDEO INTRODUCTION

lifewithlucas.co.uk /intros

How do we trust God when, at any moment, our lives might be snatched from us? And how does faith work when we discover those we viewed as trustworthy friends have become turncoats?

David, Israel’s greatest king, spent much of his life as a fugitive – at one stage he even had to run from his own son. But his cries to God, preserved for us in Psalms, give us unique insight into what he went through, and how he felt during these desperate times. We can learn so much from David’s prayers, hopes, rants, questions, words of desperation and songs of praise. David is specifically credited as the author of 73 of the psalms: additionally Acts 4:25 confirms he wrote Psalm 2, and Hebrews 4:7 attributes Psalm 95 to him.

But the titles (called superscriptions) of fourteen psalms also identify the life episode that David was in when he wrote those specific psalms. So we will consider a broad (and occasionally breathless!) overview of David’s life to give us the context and background to some of his prayers. Over half are ‘lament’ songs, and so we’ll see, repeatedly, that the life of faith and blessing doesn’t exempt us from pain and suffering – on the contrary.

Regular readers will notice I have increased the number of ‘Going Deeper’ segments. I hope you’ll find them helpful, but don’t feel any pressure to use them all!

As we navigate this journey, let’s remember David was not an Old Testament version of a Christian.

He loved God, and he did some terrible things which we shouldn’t try to sanitise. But he is still a picture of us all: we are all capable of foolishness and rebellion, yet also empowered and able to do great good.

Thanks as always for joining me,

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INTRODUCTION

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE WITH LUCAS! CHOOSE A TIME Find the best time that works for you, ideally the same time, same place every day, when you can concentrate and have the least number of distractions.

PAUSE AND TALK TO GOD Take a moment to focus on God and ask Him to speak to you as you read and reflect on His word.

READ GOD’S WORD Read the daily passage from your Bible. Don’t be tempted just to skip this part. It’s important: who knows how the Holy Spirit might speak to you as you read the actual text?

MAKE NOTES

ONLINE VIDEO INTRODUCTIONS, AND GOING DEEPER When you see the video icon, this points you to a brief Video Introduction to the subject.

Make the most of the occasional Going Deeper resources when you see this icon. They will help you delve further into the passage.

GIVE YOUR DAY TO GOD Thank God for what you’ve learned and ask for help if the day’s notes brought to light anything especially applicable to your life at the moment.

Writing slows you down and helps you focus. Write in your Bible, a notebook, or in the white space in the devotions. Don’t hesitate to underline, write in the margins, or circle words.

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TUES 01 APR

THE MESSAGE

READ

Psalm 1:1-6 Matthew 7:13-29

FOCUS The Lord watches over the lives of those who are godly. But the lives of sinful people will lead to their death.

Psalm 1:6

GOING DEEPER

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As we begin our journey, we start with Psalm 1, which is typically attributed to David. We start here because these words are generally seen as an introduction to the whole of the Hebrew prayer book, the book of Psalms. Some suggest this short passage could be viewed as a summary of the message of the entire Bible, Old Testament and New. Here we find the source of the true happiness for every human being: the blessing of God. Walking with Him in the garden of Eden, the first couple experienced paradise and then lost it. In the final and eternal garden described in the book of Revelation, there are no tears because at last we are home again with the Lord. And then walking with Him is not just a call to vague spirituality, but rather to know the truth He brings and live in it. His law, which represents His Word, brings the crystal clear clarity that we need.

Ultimately, the Psalm makes it clear there are only two types of humans in the world. There are God’s people who know and follow Him, and those who reject His invitation to know Him – they are collectively described as sinners.

We’re reminded Jesus taught that we have a choice between one of two pathways in life: the wide road or the narrow path. Just as there are true and false prophets and disciples, and wise and foolish builders, so how we spend our time on earth is dependent on answering this one question: do we want to walk with God, in this season of our lives, and always?

Prayer: Lord, enable me today to walk with You by faith, and make choices that come from a heart of faithfulness to You and Your ways. Amen.

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WED 02 APR

A DOWNHILL PATH

READ

Psalm 1:1-3 Acts 7:54-8:3

FOCUS

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.

Psalm 1:1, NIV

GOING DEEPER

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Preaching on the book of Acts at Capital Church in Salt Lake City recently, my sermon focused on the terror campaign Paul engaged in, as he sought to destroy the church. One of my points was that, when we are heading away from God and His purposes, we walk a morally downhill pathway. In Paul’s case, three steps are noted: first, he guarded the coats of the mob stoning the Church’s first martyr, Stephen (Acts 7:58), then we hear he ‘approved’ of their actions (Acts 8:1): the word means ‘delighted in’. The third downhill step was that he began to ‘destroy the church’ (the word means to viciously rip apart like a wild beast).

Before heading to the church to preach the message, I randomly decided to read Psalm 1, and was stunned to see the same downhill pathway principle. One scholar comments: ‘Note the progression – ‘walks, stands, sits’.

That is the nature of involvement in sin. One begins by tuning in on evil counsel. He next ventures an occasional indulgence, in the presence of bad company, even if it means a violation of his conscience. Then, before he realises it, his life is cast in the new mould; and the change has been so complete that he has become one of that circle who take delight in sneering at goodness and ridiculing religion.1 It was clear to me the Lord wanted to gently remind us all to check our direction of travel in life. The path downhill usually leads to the destination of regret.

Prayer: Lord, help me to live alert to where my life is heading, and make choices that are right and good in Your sight. Amen.

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Tesh, S. E., & Zorn, W. D., Psalms (College Press, 1999) p87.

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THUR 03 APR

A LIFE WITH ROOTS

READ Psalm 1:1-6 Jeremiah 17:7-8

FOCUS He is like a tree that is planted near a stream of water. It always bears its fruit at the right time. Its leaves don’t dry up.

Psalm 1:3

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I am possibly the world’s worst gardener, mainly because I can’t tell the difference between a plant and a weed, making me both a serial flower-slayer and a champion weed grower. One of the toughest jobs I ever undertook was the removal of some tree roots, which caused much frustration and un-Christian muttering. Those roots just wouldn’t budge.

The picture of being rooted is picked up by Paul in the New Testament, both in Colossians 2:6-7, and Ephesians 3:14-20. Roots have two purposes – they provide both sustenance and stability for the plant.

The life of faith is a journey with God through all of our days, including those bleak wintry seasons of trial and stress, as well as the balmier, laugh-out-loud times when we feel on top of the world. And while, as David’s story will show, we experience emotional highs and lows, yet we can be rooted and secure through it all. If that is to be our experience, then we need to treat every day as another opportunity to intentionally walk with Jesus, sharing with Him in prayer, drawing strength from His Word, celebrating with Him in thanksgiving. Spiritual growth doesn’t come by accident, but is a result of a diligent, disciplined lifestyle. As I look back over my life, one of my greatest regrets is that I did not spend more time in quiet prayer and reflection. I’m convinced that better daily choices would have made me more resilient when the storms came and the wind blew.

Prayer: Lord, deepen my roots in You. As I walk with You, grant me nourishment that will lead to fruitfulness. May I be steadfast.

Amen.

FRI 04 APR

DELIGHT IN HIS WORD

READ Psalm 1:1-2 Psalm 119:1-24

FOCUS He takes delight in the law of the Lord.

He thinks about his law day and night.

Psalm 1:2

The first psalm doesn’t just contrast those who walk with God with those who reject His ways; it has further vital truth. As God’s people, we are called to delight in the law of the Lord, a broad term that refers to His Word.

Some translations use the term ‘meditate’ to describe the thinking and reflection that we need to do when coming to Scripture. The word in Psalm 1 means ‘to murmur or mutter’.

Visiting Jerusalem and the so-called Wailing or Western Wall in the heart of the Old City, we watched as dark-robed men rocked backwards and forwards as they prayed, lamenting the loss of the old temple and crying out to God for His help. This is meditation in the Jewish tradition – called shucKling in Yiddish – which is not just about mental consideration but is a physical act.

Those praying eliminate all outward distractions while reciting texts and praying the most intense prayers, getting lost in communion with God while bowing or rocking back and forth. It is a practice which perhaps goes back as far as David’s time. When we turn to the longest psalm (and another one traditionally attributed to David) we learn there of his love for God’s Word.

I’ve often repeated my deep concern about biblical illiteracy among Christians today. If we don’t know, wrestle with, and apply God’s truth to our lives, we will never be able to stand firm in the swirling tides of our bewildered culture. Let’s be those who love God and love what He says.

Prayer: As I’ve been thinking about roots, Father, I’d like to have a fresh hunger to know, wrestle with, and apply Your Word.

May it be delightful to me. Amen.

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WEEKEND 05 - 06 APR

SEEING STRAIGHT

READ 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 36:1-12

GOING DEEPER

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As we turn to the beginnings of David’s story, we see a vital principle. Old Samuel, called and gifted as he was with insight and wisdom as a prophet, initially failed to see things from God’s point of view. Reluctantly commissioned to anoint another king to replace Saul, he made a false assumption about a tall, handsome chap called Eliab. Samuel jumped to the conclusion that he must be the one chosen by God to be anointed as the new king. Samuel was repeating a previous error made about Saul, who had also been ‘a handsome young man. There wasn’t anyone like him among the people of Israel. He was a head taller than any of them’ (1 Sam. 9:2).

But Eliab wasn’t the chosen one. David, also handsome, was the one that God had picked for the task – and not for his good looks but rather for his heart. Later David would affirm the truth that God wants us to gain His perspective on life. In Psalm 36 he affirms, ‘You have the fountain of life. We are filled with light because you give us light’ (Psa. 36:9).

Perhaps you’re like me. When I look with my own limited perspective at my own personal challenges, or ponder the huge issues that our world faces, I can quickly despair. Surely today we should together pray afresh that we will see things with eyes of faith and hearts nurtured in God’s truth. As God helps us to ‘see straight’, we might come to different conclusions, as Samuel eventually did, and find ourselves more hopeful and expectant.

To ponder: Is there a situation in your life where you might need to reconsider your perspective, and ask for God’s help to see straight?

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MON 07 APR

AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART

READ 1 Samuel 16:12-13 Psalm 78:70-72

FOCUS Then the Lord said, ‘Get up and anoint him. He is the one.’

1 Samuel 16:12

GOING DEEPER

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Today we turn briefly to a psalm written not by David, but by Asaph, a prominent Levite singer, poet, and prophet. Asaph celebrates the truth that our shepherd God chose a shepherd boy to lead His people. We know that David was far from perfect; his failures included the adultery with Bathsheba, and the manslaughter of her husband. And his crime sheet also includes treason, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, and lies. He served briefly in the army of one of his country's enemies, was willing to wink at the crimes of his political supporters, and broke his promises to his old adversaries, instructing his son Solomon to take ruthless revenge upon them.

Yet both Samuel in the Old Testament and the apostle Paul in the New describe David as a ‘man after God’s own heart’ (1 Sam. 13:13–14; Acts 13:22, NIV). Perhaps this was true, not because he always did what was right, but because deep down he had such a deep love for God and ultimately wanted to do God’s will. In failure he was ultimately repentant; in crisis, he sought to trust; in prosperity and pain, he worshipped.

None of this prints us a licence to sin, but it reminds us that, just as Jesus came to call broken, messed-up people like us into wholeness, so the story of God has always been about the Holy One partnering with flawed human beings. David’s fragilities didn’t stop him from walking with God. May we be emboldened to follow in his footsteps, even when our walk with God is a limp.

Prayer: Lord, in my frailties, make me strong in You, always, ever pursuing You and Your ways. Amen.

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TUES 08 APR

GOD AT WORK

READ 1 Samuel 16:14-23 Acts 2:22-28

FOCUS David went to Saul and began to serve him. Saul liked him very much. David became one of the men who carried Saul’s armour.

1 Samuel 16:21

Earlier we saw the need for us to see life as God sees. Let’s also celebrate the truth that God is able to direct our paths. He is the great choreographer. God was steering David’s life, even when David had no idea the Lord was in the proverbial driving seat. He had been anointed by Samuel for leadership but then must have wondered – what next? And then David suddenly finds himself in the royal court of Saul as a result of a ‘chance’ remark from a servant.

His job as a court musician was really challenging. Saul, descending into darkness and demonic torment, would prove to be the most unpredictable of audiences. Perhaps there were times when the young harpist would wonder why he had been plucked from the fields, where he loved to spend his days, to find himself in the company of such a strange employer. But this was just another step on the pathway. David was being established in the court, so that when the need arose for a champion to take on the large threat of Goliath, he would be a familiar face to Saul. God was quietly at work, engineering the circumstances.

David’s letters to God come from a man who was convinced there was not only a God, but that God was intimately interested in him. There would be struggles, sins, times of doubt and despair, but the bottom line was this: God was actively involved in David’s life.

And wherever we find ourselves today, let this truth be our confession. God is with us and is working.

Prayer: Help me to trust You, loving God, when circumstances conspire to bewilder me. My life is in Your hands. Amen.

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WED 09 APR

GOD IS BIG

READ 1 Samuel 17:1-37 Psalm 8:1-9 FOCUS I think about the moon and stars that you have set in place. What are human beings that you think about them?

Psalm 8:3-4

GOING DEEPER

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It’s surely one of the most well-known Old Testament stories – David bringing down the mighty Goliath (said to be over nine feet tall!) with a well-aimed stone from a slingshot. For a number of reasons buried in the Hebrew text, some ancient rabbis considered Psalm 8 to be associated with the Goliath encounter. If they are right, there’s a key truth to be affirmed as we link the passage in 1 Samuel 17 together with Psalm 8, and that is that David faced the belligerent giant, not in a spirit of selfconfidence, but rather trusting in the mighty power and enduring faithfulness of his God. Two truths emerge powerfully in Psalm 8. The first is that God is the great, majestic Creator, the all-powerful One, King of Kings. But that truth is coupled with the staggering news that our mighty God is also the mighty carer, who sees us, knows us, and has us on His mind.

Armed with that truth, (and not just with five stones), David was able to face Goliath and win the day.

Life has a way of shrinking our vision and perception of God’s great power, especially when prayers seem ignored, or we’re in a season of pain that seems unending. Some of us are weathering dark, wintry seasons right now. May we be strengthened to stare down Goliath, our hearts lifted afresh by the truths, not only of God’s power, but of His love and care. Peter calls us away from fretting: ‘Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you’ (1 Pet. 5:7).

Prayer: Grant me a greater sense of Your majestic power, and a greater confidence in Your loving care, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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THUR 10 APR

REMEMBER

READ 1 Samuel 17:34-58 Psalm 13:1-6

FOCUS ‘The Lord saved me… from the paw of the bear. And he’ll save me from the powerful hand of this Philistine too.’

1 Samuel 17:37

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I’m writing this morning at the end of a weekend where a few friends gathered to celebrate the memory of our dear friend, Steve Legg, whom I’ve often mentioned in these notes, not least because he was the project manager for Life with Lucas. The two days have been filled with memories, laughter and tears. All in our little group are believers, and we share a common grief: not only is our dear friend gone – in our view way too early – but our urgent, frantic prayers were not answered, at least in the way we wanted. Healing did not come. But there were also moments during our time together when we shared some of our own turning points where God spoke, provided a miracle, or clearly directed our paths. And in remembering those undeniable acts of God, we were strengthened. Our sharing was far more than nostalgia; we reminded each other that God is still faithful.

Faced with the potential terror of a towering Philistine giant, David recalled moments of his own personal history. Flocks of sheep were always vulnerable to attacks from hungry lions and bears – and David had obviously experienced some dangerous close encounters in his duties as a defending shepherd. He knew God has helped him in those battles, and was confident the God of his history would help him now on the battlefield. Perhaps we should take a little more time to remember a significant moment in our past, and in so doing, be strengthened in the present.

Prayer: Father, help me to recall battles previously won with You, that I might be strong, empowered for what lies ahead.

Amen.

FRI 11 APR

JOINED IN HEART

READ 1 Samuel 18:1-4 2 Samuel 1:17-27

FOCUS After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David.

1 Samuel 18:1a, NIV

GOING DEEPER

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’Joined in heart’ is a term used in some translations to describe the friendship between David and Jonathan, and literally means Jonathan’s soul became ‘chained’ to David’s soul. Over the years, I’ve been blessed in ministry situations with people who were far more than colleagues – we genuinely had a sense of being called together. There have also been a few people who I thought I was in a deep, committed partnership with, but I was to be disappointed. Such is life.

Disappointment can either make us cynical (which is destructive and will lead to isolation) or determined to continue to invest and endure in our friendships. In David and Jonathan’s case, the ‘chains’ would be needed, because they would face incredible pressures that could have torn their friendship apart.

Are there people that we feel so deeply committed to, we are determined that, come what may, we are going to grow old together with them? Perhaps the ‘chains’ of a dear friendship are being strained right now, and we’re tempted to abandon the whole relationship and walk away. Let’s think again, because such rare friendships are priceless.

Let’s not throw away a vintage relationship because of what might be a temporary tension or misunderstanding.

As we turn into Holy Week this weekend, we will pause our time with David to reflect on what matters more than anything: the walk to the cross that the very best friend of all, Jesus, took for you and for me.

Prayer: Give me eyes to see those You have and are joining with me in heart, Lord. May I value those relationships above all others.

Amen.

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WEEKEND 12 - 13 APR

A BEAUTIFUL THING

READ Mark 14:1-9 Matthew 25:31-40

GOING DEEPER

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This would be a bloody week, when many ugly, spiteful things would be done to Jesus.

‘Faithful’ companions disappeared in a cloud of dust when He was arrested, nowhere to be seen when He needed them most.

A kiss of betrayal brushed His cheek. He was surrounded by priests who brandished indictments of blasphemy even as they blasphemed Him, their eyebrows high in mock horror. Square-jawed Roman bruisers tossed Him aside while they tumbled dice for His coat. But in the midst of the muck, the blood, the bile, the rank stench of hypocrisy, and evil dressed up as good, there was a rose on the rubbish tip, in Mary’s expensive offering of anointing oil. Jesus uses a rich phrase to describe what others despised: ‘she has done a beautiful thing to me.’ What made it so beautiful in His eyes?

Surely her offering showed she understood a hint of all that was to come in the next few days, as she anointed Him for burial. As the scent of that perfume filled the room, perhaps she was saying to Jesus, ‘I’ve heard you. I listened when you said you were going to die, even when others protested it must never be allowed to happen. I don’t understand, but I believe what You say. Let me help prepare You for the journey ahead.’

When others are going through a really difficult week, let’s give them the gift of listening. Let’s soothe them with our silence and care with the gift of careful attentiveness. It will be a beautiful thing to them, and to Jesus Himself as well.

To ponder: Let’s take time to prayerfully consider doing a ‘beautiful thing’ for someone this Easter week. What might that look like, and for whom?

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MON 14 APR

SUFFERING BUT STILL LOVED

READ Mark 14:12-26 Psalm 118:1-14

FOCUS ‘What I’m about to tell you is true.

I won’t drink wine with you again until the day I drink it in God’s kingdom.’

Mark 14:25

How would we spend our last night on earth?

I’ve wondered what my priorities would be if I found myself just a few hours away from the executioner. Many Christians around the world face that reality: thousands are martyred every year because of their love for Jesus Christ. So what if the persecutors came for us?

Jesus chose to spend His final hours over a meal with His best friends. The conversation over the food was real, gritty, and even awkward, with moments of tension and sadness. And there was time to remember what was important, with bread broken and wine sipped.

Then a song was sung. Music has the power to move and strengthen us, to unite, and to solidify truths that life has eroded. The hymn chosen would have been the Hallel, Psalms 113-118. These were the words Jesus declared on His last night. We’ll pause for a couple of days and consider His worship.

Jesus proclaimed that God is good, and His love is eternally enduring (Psa. 118:1-5).

Suffering can whisper a dark accusation about God’s character – does He really care? Difficult times carry a double power: we suffer and we wonder. Perhaps we battle sickness but also struggle spiritually, tormented by thoughts that God is dead or worse, alive but uncaring.

Jesus embraced suffering convinced He was loved by His Father – it was the closing stanza of the hymn, the last words He sang (Psa. 118:29). Whatever else we don’t know, let’s know this: God loves us.

Prayer: Help me to know Your love for me, Lord, when my circumstances and feelings suggest that I am unloved. Amen.

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TUES 15 APR

GOD’S RIGHT-HAND PEOPLE

READ Matthew 26:26-30 Psalm 118:15-29

FOCUS Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:30

I was in a Sunday morning church service, and due to speak on the somewhat obscure but powerful subject of ‘The right hand of blessing.’ In Bible times, the right hand was always the hand used to favour and bless someone, and it speaks of God’s strength and power (Exod. 15:6). So, Jesus is now seated at the ‘right hand’ of the Father (Mark 14:62) – and Joseph sought the primary blessing of the right hand for his eldest son Manasseh (Gen. 48:12-20).

No one else knew my subject for the sermon: the worship team was just coming to the end of their final song, and suddenly I noticed Linda, one of the leaders of the church, heading towards me. She was clutching a bottle of anointing oil in her hand. With a huge smile, she just whispered, ‘Jeff, give me your hand – your right hand, please.’ I extended it nervously and she poured some oil upon my open palm and prayed briefly. Having returned to my seat, I stood up seconds later to speak on the right hand of God’s favour, with my own right hand dripping with oil, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. I was overwhelmed with gratitude: it seemed that God was shouting His love at me that day, and the power of the moment was certainly not lost on the congregation.

It was a morning of thankful tears: God is not just with us (Psa. 118:7) but for us.

In Christ, we are the apple of His eye. Let’s remember this: when life throws all that it can at us, our value is eternal. We are at His right hand.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your loving kindness, Your grace, Your smile over my life. Amen.

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WED 16 APR

NO ILLUSIONS

READ Mark 14:27-31 Job 6:14-20

FOCUS ‘You will all turn away,’ Jesus told the disciples. ‘It is written, “I will strike the shepherd down.

Then the sheep will be scattered.’”

Mark 14:27

‘I don’t trust anybody – that way I won’t be disappointed.’ So said a friend of mine, who embraces an approach to relationships that I could never share. As an idealist, I am usually hopeful, always preferring the happy-everafter endings, and tending to expect that my friends will be marathoners, partners with me for life.

This means that, as I mentioned earlier, I have had a few disappointments along the way – and I’m sure that I’ve not always been all that I could have been to my friends. So while I could never adopt my friend’s stoic philosophy, I do think that we should approach our relationships with a bit more gritty reality, and shed some of our naivety. We are fallen human beings – saved but still in the process of growth and change.

Jesus was under no illusions about the frailties of those closest to Him. Knowing they depended so much upon His leadership, He realised they would be like lost, lonely sheep on a bleak hillside once He had gone. And He wasn’t swayed by speeches that would ultimately turn out to be hollow, unfulfilled promises, like Peter’s insistence that he would uniquely stay true. This prompted a flood of pledges of allegiance from the other disciples that also wouldn’t survive even one day. Their heady vows would disappear in the dust they made as they fled.

Let’s not be tormented when those we expect much of disappoint us. They – and we – still haven’t graduated from the fallen human condition.

Prayer: Lord, help me to hope, without naivety: when I am disappointed, help me to hope yet again. Amen.

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THUR 17 APR

SURPRISE

READ Mark 14:32-34 Hebrews 5:7-8

FOCUS He took Peter, James and John along with him. He began to be very upset and troubled.

Mark 14:33

GOING DEEPER

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Pause and take a long look at this remarkable scene, as we see Jesus struggling. He is ‘upset and troubled’ – the words include a sense of amazement, in the same way that the disciples were astonished (Mark 10:32).

Jesus knew death was coming, and He had repeatedly tried to explain what was ahead to His slow-witted disciples. But then, when He finally came face to face with His painful destiny, He naturally recoiled at the awfulness to come. Even though He knew what He knew, He found himself overwhelmed by horrified surprise. It’s one thing to contemplate suffering in the future; it’s quite another to find today is the day of pain.

There’s usually an element of surprise in suffering – especially because most of us have little prophetic warning of trouble ahead. Most of us live in the delusion that bad things happen to other people. No one assumes cancer, premature bereavement, or some other tragedy will be part of their lives, and so when they arrive, we go into shock.

But Jesus is open in His struggle, not trying to hide His anguish from His trusted friends.

There’s no pretending all is well. Jesus is in the deepest anguish. Faith doesn’t pretend: it faces the unfortunate surprises of life with reality. If we are facing suffering today, let’s reach out for help. And if those around us are struggling, let’s reach out to them. We can at least make sure, whatever they are going through, they don't go through it alone.

Prayer: Lord, help me weep with others.

And if trouble takes me by surprise, may I be found faithful. Amen.

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FRI 18 APR GOOD FRIDAY

THE DAY OF DAYS

READ Mark 15:1-41 Psalm 22:1-31

FOCUS At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ This means ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’

Mark 15:34

In writing about this day of days in his gospel, Mark doesn’t give us a detailed description of the bloody horrors of death by crucifixion: he succinctly affirms, ‘They nailed Him to the cross’ and spares us the rest of the gory details (Mark 15:24). The fact is that there was something far more awful than even the shocking piercing of the nails; that was the sense of abandonment and aloneness Jesus felt as He took upon Himself the megaton weight of the sins of the world. As we consider Him hanging there, we peer into a mystery, as He plunged into a black hole of being utterly, totally cut off.

To be alone in the universe, without God available to help or thank is no life at all. A poet once spoke with pride at the thought of being the captain of his own soul. I can’t think of anything worse; life without God is desolate and meaningless. But today there are still so many who are hauling themselves through life, scrabbling to heal their own wounds, be the answer to their own prayers, and survive as models of self-sufficiency. God, as far as they are concerned, is either non-existent or indifferent.

Jesus tasted that sense of desolation and separation from the Father, so that we might be reunited and partnered with God forever.

Are we watching someone we love who is battling against feeling abandoned? Pray for strength, for wisdom, for endurance, but most important of all, pray they may know God Himself, up close and personal.

Prayer: Loving Father, for those who do not know You, let me be a light, a servant, a life that points to You. Amen.

21

WEEKEND 19 - 20 APR

ALIVE!

Happy Easter – because Jesus is alive! I am grateful to be reminded of that truth. It may seem strange to put it this way, but here goes: I keep forgetting the resurrection. In the blur of everyday life and ministry, the incredible truth that Jesus is very much alive, right now, can get buried, filed away as a mere theological belief, a conviction that I carry, but little more.

I talk about Jesus every day of my life, but sometimes the core truth gets swept away.

He is risen!

The two Marys and Salome, hurrying to the tomb of Jesus, are certainly to be admired for their devotion. Sadly, they had missed the point about the resurrection too. Even though Jesus had repeatedly said that He would rise on the third day, the truth had not quite landed with them (Mark 9:9-10, 31; 10:34).

READ Mark 16:1-8 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

When we forget the resurrection, we waste a lot of life on things that don’t matter – like carrying spices to anoint a body that isn’t there. We fret – anxious about apparently insurmountable problems when, actually, some of those things have been taken care of. Because Jesus is alive, even the biggest stones can become parking spots for passing angels (Matt. 28:2). When we forget the resurrection, we weep rather than witness.

Faith is useless and forgiveness a vain hope (1 Cor. 15:14-17).

It takes practice to accept the really good news. Initially the poor women were terrified into silence. But eventually, thankfully, they got it. He really has risen. What about us?

To ponder: In what ways do we ‘forget’ the resurrection of Jesus?

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MON 21 APR

JEALOUSY

READ 1 Samuel 18:5-30 James 3:14-16

FOCUS From that time on, Saul became very jealous of David.

So he watched him closely.

1 Samuel 18:9

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Many people create playlists, downloading their favourite songs to their streaming devices. As we hear about a popular song from David’s day, it’s certain that Saul would never have added it to his list of preferred tunes. Celebrating his and David’s victories in battle, the lyrics nurtured a seed of jealousy in his heart. Ironically, there was no undermining intended. As king, Saul was celebrated first, and the wording used in the original Hebrew doesn’t suggest comparisons between the two men. In Hebrew poetry, it was usual to put a number in the first line and then increase it in the second. But that’s not how Saul heard the refrain. Wrestling with deep insecurity, he viewed David’s growing popularity as a threat.

In the New Testament, James warns us about the fruit of jealousy: ‘Are you jealous? Are you concerned only about getting ahead?

Then your life will be a mess. You will be doing all kinds of evil things’ (James 3:16). As we read this passage, we see that truth lived out in Saul. Angry, he becomes volatile and murderous. Then he banished David, and in placing him in a new military role, probably demoted him – literally, ‘putting him down’.

Manipulation followed, with Saul initially planning a marriage for David that would require him to prove himself in more battles, hoping he would die fighting. The plot failed, but Saul’s envy simmered on. Let’s root out jealousy before it has a chance to bear such bitter fruit.

Prayer: Father, as I see the destructive power of jealousy, I ask You to save me from it. I want contentment: may envy be far from me. Amen.

23

TUES 22 APR

GOD WITH US

READ 1 Samuel 18:5-30 Psalm 139:1-24

FOCUS Your hand would always be there to guide me. Your right hand would still be holding me close.

Psalm 139:10

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I would like us to return to the same reading that we shared yesterday, because there’s a key truth contained there that we must not miss. There’s the blunt statement: ‘The Lord had left Saul and was with David. So Saul was afraid of David’ (1 Sam. 18:12). And then two further times in this one chapter, we’re reminded of the source of David’s success: ‘In everything [David] did, he was very successful.

That’s because the Lord was with him’ (v.14), and then ‘Saul realised that the Lord was with David’ (v.28).

Repeatedly throughout Scripture, God promises to be with people. David celebrates that God is with him in Psalm 139. In giving the great commission, Jesus promises His disciples – and us – that He would be with us always (Matt. 28:20). God does not just promise His accompanying presence, but also His empowering and enabling, working in us to help us accomplish His will, shaping our characters, helping us to pray, and developing the fruit of the Spirit. That was David’s experience. We’re not called just to admire the young shepherd boy’s success, but rather to ask God to fill us afresh with His Spirit daily. That way, true success – which is about living wisely and beautifully for the glory of God – will be ours.

As David’s journey in life clearly shows, God’s presence with and for us doesn’t guarantee us an easy life. But it does show us that we will never be alone and without His powerful presence – forever. Thank God! Prayer: I gratefully affirm this truth today, Father: You are with me, and for me, and always will be. I will never be alone again.

Amen.

WED 23 APR

DEEP FRIENDSHIP

READ 1 Samuel 19:1-3 Philippians 4:2-3 FOCUS So Jonathan warned him, ‘My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you.

Be very careful...

Find a place to hide and stay there.’

1 Samuel 19:2

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He is a well-known Christian leader, and God has used him wonderfully, especially in his work with the urban poor in low-income housing areas in the USA. But I felt anxious for him after a few minutes of conversation. ‘I don’t have time for friendships’, he murmured, his voice confident but his face somewhat sad.

The psalms that David wrote obviously focused on his relationship with the Lord, the ultimate source of his confidence. But he also found strength and support in his deep friendship with Jonathan. As jealousy increasingly consumed Saul, surely Jonathan must have felt the mounting pressure on him. Watching his father descend into everincreasing paranoia, an inevitable crisis occurs as Jonathan has to make a decision about whose side he will take. As it turns out, overall Jonathan managed to honour both his father and his friend, but it was not without great diplomacy. Jonathan stepped up and offered himself as a broker of peace.

The Hebrew translation here emphasizes Jonathan’s offer: ‘I myself will speak to my father’ is a better way of sensing the explicit responsibility that Jonathan accepts. As a prince, he would have been used to having others do his bidding, but this is a task for nobody else – he will do his best to calm the situation down, even though this will bring great risk to him personally.

Actions do indeed speak louder than words.

Loyalty that is not practical – and at times, costly – is no loyalty at all.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the power of true friendship. Enable me to be a lifeline to others. Amen.

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THUR 24 APR

PLAIN BUT KIND TALK

READ 1 Samuel 19:4-10 Ephesians 4:14-16

FOCUS Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, ‘Let not the king do wrong to his servant David.’

1 Samuel 19:4, NIV

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In today’s Going Deeper, we will take a close look at Jonathan’s attempt at peace-making (I say ‘attempt’, because although initially Saul responded well, the peace was soon broken).

Nevertheless, Jonathan’s conversation with his father is a wonderful demonstration that can help us when we need to correct or rebuke each other – and those times do come. As Christians, we’re called to build robust relationships where we don’t just agree when we can clearly see a fellow believer is meandering into terrible choices. We have to risk conflict and offence if we’re willing to offer some kind but straight talk. And when these sensitive times come, it’s important to appeal to what is right and wrong.

The heartbeat of Jonathan’s appeal to his father was this: what you’re proposing to do in having David killed is immoral. Israel’s kings were not absolute monarchs who could do as they pleased and toss justice aside: there were community rules binding them. Saul was about to ignore those constraints and effectively commit murder.

Sometimes the best way we can help each other is to be gentle but blunt, and say, ‘This is wrong’. When we refuse to tiptoe around an issue, we can help a friend avoid making a terrible choice that will create awful results.

And if we’re willing to give such advice, we must be willing to take such advice as well, and give trusted people around us permission to tell us truths we might not really want to hear.

Prayer: Lord of grace and truth, help me to speak the truth in love, and allow others to speak truth lovingly to me. Amen.

26

FRI 25 APR

HOPELESS

READ 1 Samuel 19:11-17 Psalm 59:1-6

FOCUS Saul sent some men to watch David’s house. He told them to kill David the next morning.

1 Samuel 19:11

As Saul’s jealousy explodes again and David is forced to literally run for his life, we come to an episode where there is a psalm definitely linked with what he was facing. And so, we have the incredible privilege of not only knowing what David was experiencing, but what he felt about it, as he pours out his heart to the Lord. Before we look closer, we’ll spend a couple of days considering that dark, strange story.

For David, the situation must have seemed totally hopeless. Saul’s rage was building – David had already dodged three attempts by Saul to pin him to a wall with a spear. Now his wife Michal was risking her own life, because obviously her father had shared his plan to kill David with her. And having escaped from the royal court, now David was not even safe in his own home, with hired assassins sent to murder him. David must have wondered: how could I ever be safe again? And then other questions might have tormented him. Before Samuel anointed him, and prior to the great battle with Goliath, David had lived a quiet, peaceful life as a shepherd. The call of God and the victory that followed had brought him great success, but very real threats to his life.

Sometimes we slam into circumstances that seem unchangeable or impossible.

Hopelessness silences our prayers. What’s the point? We give up on asking. But as we’ll see, David refused to take that pathway. When a situation seems impossible, let’s be faithful and continue to pray.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to pray. I want to be tenacious, but also sensitive to know how to pray. With You, all is possible. Amen.

27

WEEKEND 26 - 27 APR

WHO WOULD WE CALL?

READ 1 Samuel 19:18-24 Psalm 59:7-17

Here’s an important question: if we were in major trouble, who would we run to for help? We know that we need to dial 999 in an emergency (911 in America), and help (perhaps eventually) will be on its way. Do we have an ‘emergency’ friend standing by too?

David’s situation was now incredibly precarious – there was now ‘only a step between him and death’ (1 Sam. 20:3, NIV), because Saul was bouncing between murderous rage, strangely mingled with fits of prophetic intensity. David runs to two people – Samuel, the priest and mentor, and then later Jonathan, his closest friend.

What kind of person would we want in a terrible crisis? It would have to be someone who was prepared to interrupt their schedule to make room for us. They would be willing to listen extensively to us, rehearsing our problems and fears. Notice that David was able to tell Samuel ‘everything that Saul had done to him’ (1 Sam. 19:18). A listening ear and a patient heart would be vital. And if our crisis was due to our own failure and foolishness, surely we would want them to remain committed to us despite our failures, and yet firm enough to tell us the truth and not allow us off the hook. And personally, because of my own spectacular capacity for panic, I would need them to be clear-headed in a crisis.

All of this challenges me to be a better friend – and make sure that I have ‘emergency’ friends standing by! We need to know who we would call before a crisis hits.

To ponder: Have you identified any ‘emergency’ friends? And do others know that you are willing to be that kind of friend to them?

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MON 28 APR

SPEARS AND SWORDS

READ Psalm 59:1-7 Proverbs 12:18

FOCUS Listen to what pours out of their mouths.

The words from their lips are like swords. They think, ‘Who can hear us?’

Psalm 59:7

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Because of his encounters with Saul’s mad temper tantrums, David was very aware of sharp objects. As we’ve seen, Saul was in the habit of hurling spears around, fully intending to take David’s life by pinning him to a wall.

The latest attack had occurred just one day before David discovered there were wouldbe assassins watching his house, so it was very fresh in his mind. As we eavesdrop on his cries to God, we find that now he uses the metaphor of a sword to describe the evil words being spoken about him.

The old children’s rhyme which included the phrase ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ first appeared in the mid-eighteenth century, so the saying is well-known, despite being totally false! Scripture makes it clear that words of gossip and slander are sharp weapons that can wound us deeply. Proverbs warns us about their power: ‘Thoughtless words cut like a sword. But the tongue of wise people brings healing’ (Prov. 12:18). Looking wider in Proverbs, we also hear that words can be like a battle axe and an arrow. Together with a sword, that’s an impressive, and potentially devastating armoury. During the Second World War, posters carried a stern warning about thoughtless chatter: ‘Careless talk costs lives’. But gossip is always potentially devastating, causing character assassination.

We’re not likely to be in the habit of throwing spears around. But let’s be careful about thoughtlessly spoken words.

Prayer: May my words be true, kind, and filled with grace, bringing healing and not hurt. Amen.

29

TUES 29 APR

TAMING NIGHT TERROR

READ Psalm 59:6,13-14 Psalm 95:1-16

FOCUS But I will sing about your strength. In the morning I will sing about your love.

Psalm 59:16

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Suddenly awake in the middle of the night, I start to ponder some challenges. My mind races. I worry that a minor health problem might be a life-threatening disease. Only when morning comes do I begin to regain perspective. If you experience something similar, you’re not alone. One clinical psychologist states most panic attacks occur between 1.30am and 3.30am. During the day, we are distracted by the tasks we have to perform, but in the small hours, our brains can totally fixate on worrying, making our problems seem larger.

But there is hope buried in the words David spoke when assassins crouched outside his home. Night-time anxiety can be tamed.

Elsewhere in the Psalms, we read the promise, ‘You won’t have to be afraid of the terrors that come during the night’ (Psa. 91:5). Whispered urgent prayer can bring fear down to size.

David initially tags those who threaten his life as a ‘pack of barking dogs’ that ‘prowl around the city’ (Psa. 59:6). Later the threatening dogs appear again, pathetic this time: ‘they wander around looking for food. They groan if they don’t find something that will satisfy them’ (v.15). One commentator says, ’The tables have been turned, and the fearsome beast has become the starving wanderer.’2 At the beginning of the Psalm, David asks God to be his fortress (v.1, NIV). But by the end, he affirms twice that God is his fortress (v16-17, NIV).

When fear stalks us in the night-time, urgent prayer can restore perspective.

Prayer: Lord, You give me strength. I give You praise. When fear grabs me in the shadows of night, be my light. Amen.

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2

Wilson, G. H. Psalms Vol 1, (Zondervan, 2002) p852.

WED 30 APR

THE BIGGER PICTURE

READ Psalm 59:10-13 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

FOCUS Lord, you are like a shield that keeps us safe. Don’t kill my enemies all at once.

If you do, my people will forget about it.

Psalm 59:11

When we go through tough seasons, we can become self-centred, just concerned about getting through a problem, and moving on.

Suffering can do that to us. But recently a dear friend, a fellow writer, taught me we all need to consider a bigger picture: what God does in our lives on our darker days can be used to help others in their struggles.

Describing his terminal diagnosis, he smiled and said, ‘Never mind, Jeff. It’s material for another chapter.’ He was determined to be faithful in his pain, and to use his experiences to encourage others. He refused to waste his sorrows.

The apostle Paul, no stranger to suffering, thought the same, reminding the believers in Corinth that ‘[God] comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves have received comfort from God’ (2 Cor. 1:4). The Psalms are filled with chilling prayers calling for God to break people’s teeth, even strike them dead. If there were assassins lurking at my door, I’d probably cut straight to the ‘kill them now’ prayer request. But, talking like a king now, David wanted God’s saving work of judgment to be an unforgettable lesson for his people, a reminder of his attitude when he faced Goliath: ’This very day the Lord will hand you over to me... then the whole world will know there is a God in Israel (1 Sam. 17:46).

If we don’t always care about our sorrows being of use to others, may God give us strength to see the bigger picture.

Prayer: Father, help me to not squander my struggles, but have grace to use the harder times as opportunities to grow in trust and wisdom. Amen.

31

HOLY LAND TOURS OUR NEXT TOUR HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO APRIL 2026

Join Jeff and Kay Lucas on a very special tour of Israel that will transform and inform your Bible reading time.

Sharing practical, biblical insights as they travel, they will take you to the famous biblical locations, including Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Register your interest now and look forward to a well-organised and informative visit. And there will be lots of fun too!

Some highlights of the visit will be to biblical locations where Jesus walked such as the Sea of Galilee, Caeserea Philippi, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, and the garden of Gethsemane. We will also visit the Dead Sea, Masada and Qumran, the Garden Tomb, walk the streets of the old city of Jerusalem, and visit the Western (Wailing) Wall.

Professional local guides share their wealth of historical and archeological knowledge; Jeff offers teaching as we tour, and Jeff and Kay host the entire experience – one that some travellers have enjoyed so much they have returned to do the same trip a second and even a third time!

With excellent hotels, amazing food, and the unforgettable experience of exploring the stunning old city of Jerusalem (with markets where you can haggle for a bargain) this trip will delight and inspire. Come with us!

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To register your interest so that you are among the first to get all the information you need, visit: www.jefflucas.org

Please continue to join in prayer with us for Isreal and Gaza at this time...

– pray for global political leaders, especially with the change of administration within the USA and also high-level changes in the Israeli core governmental leadership.

– pray for the ongoing situation with Iran.

– pray that all who mourn will be comforted.

Please pray.

33

THUR 01 MAY

PRAYERS FOR JUDGEMENT

READ Psalm 59:13 Matthew 5:43-48

FOCUS Burn them up until there isn’t anything left...

Then everyone... will know that God rules over the people of Jacob.

Psalm 59:13

Have you ever had a sworn enemy? In trying to answer that question, I had to think long and hard. Like most people who’ve been involved in leadership, I’ve experienced harsh criticism, outright betrayal, and disappointment with individuals and organisations. But I wouldn’t regard any of the people involved as enemies.

One lady does come to mind, however. She lived a few doors down from us when we first began in ministry and absolutely hated us. She would scream abuse at us whenever she saw us. There had been no neighbourly dispute – we could only conclude she despised us because I was a Christian minister. Certainly her expletive-loaded tirades included many references to my work...

So as we read the Psalms, and ponder some of David’s requests for God to rain down judgement on his enemies, can we do the same? I don’t think so. The Psalms are not given to us as a model for our own prayers, but rather, they capture the full range of human emotion with raw authenticity. They do show us we can express our outrage at evil and injustice in our prayers. But while I believe we can pray that evil dictators fall, and especially that our persecuted brothers and sisters will find relief and freedom, in our personal relationships, Jesus calls us to love our enemies, summoning us to a higher way.

That doesn’t mean there will not be times when we feel like asking God to bring down a little fire on those who hurt us, but we are called to bless, not curse.

Prayer: You hate evil and injustice, Lord. Help me to have a heart that longs for goodness and be prayerful for those who bring hurt.

Amen.

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FRI 02 MAY

PROWLING DOGS AND LIONS

READ Psalm 59:15-16 1 Peter 5:8-11

FOCUS My enemies are like a pack of barking dogs that come back into the city in the evening.

They prowl around the city.

Psalm 59:14

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Until recently, we lived in a rural location in Colorado, which gave us an abundance of visiting wildlife. We often heard howling packs of coyotes (they’re like small wolves), and herds of deer and elk stopped by. Then there was the brown bear who wandered up onto our front porch and deposited a smelly souvenir on our doorstep. But in our regular walks in the area we would also stay alert, because although mountain lion sightings were rare, they did happen occasionally.

A jogger was attacked by one, and had to literally fight for his life.

As David likens his enemies to roaming wild dogs, we should remember the roaming, roaring lion who has set his sights on us as believers. Talk of the devil can seem antiquated – the stuff of horror movies and folklore – but Scripture makes it clear that we are all engaged in a furious battle in the unseen world. The book of Job affirms that Satan is ever on the prowl, ‘roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it’ (Job 1:7, NIV). And as Peter describes Satan like this, he portrays our enemy’s ferocity: the description of him ‘devouring’ means ‘to chew up and swallow whole’ (1 Pet. 5:8, NIV).

Just as David’s enemies maligned him with sharp words, so Satan’s primary tactic is accusation, not temptation. If he can beat us up with taunting words that cause us to lose our grip on who we are in Christ, we will be easy prey for temptation. Let’s be wide awake and alert – there’s a prowling lion about.

Prayer: Father, help me to live in a state of alertness with my heart and eyes wide open to the reality that a battle still rages. Amen.

WEEKEND 03 - 04 MAY

GOD AS A FORTRESS

READ Psalm 59:16-17 Psalm 31:1-24

David affirmed that God was his fortress – a very common truth repeatedly found in Scripture. God is referred to as a fortress twenty-one times in the Bible. In the Psalms, the idea of God being a fortress or ‘strong tower’ is found sixteen times. As David found his life repeatedly threatened, the picture of God as a fortress of protection was more than a metaphor. He saw God as his rescuer from actual physical harm.

But how does that apply to us as followers of Jesus today? Although I have experienced some episodes of actual physical protection, the reality is Christians still experience disease or get mugged. Around the world, many are imprisoned, tortured and even martyred – for them, there was no protection from physical attack.

It’s often said that unanswered prayer creates questions – but surely answered prayer can be confounding too. Why did God intervene in what might seem to be a trivial situation, but not when a healing miracle was needed? We have to face those questions with trust and perhaps make peace with mystery this side of eternity. But what we do know for certain is this: when the storms of life batter us and we feel overwhelmed, there is One to whom we can run, and ultimately, we can find rest and security in Him. We are not promised there will be no threats – on the contrary. But with God as our foundation and the source of our strength, we can experience a peace that can be a sign and a wonder to others around us.

To ponder: Have there been times in your life when you experienced God as your fortress? What do you learn from those episodes?

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MON 05 MAY

LOVE THAT IS NOTICED

READ 1 Samuel 20:1-3 John 11:1-37

FOCUS David took an oath.

Then he said, ‘Your father knows very well that you are pleased with me.’

1 Samuel 20:3

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3

We saw earlier (Apr 26-27) that we all need friends, especially when storms suddenly disrupt our lives. But in order to have those ‘emergency call’ relationships, we need to invest in them. Over the next few days, we’ll take a further look at this friendship that David developed with Jonathan and see how vital their bond was when David’s life was threatened. So wonderful was this friendship, people noticed. When Jesus shed tears over the death of His friend Lazarus, others commented on the depth of love He expressed. His loyalty and concern turned heads. Love is a sign and a wonder.

So it was with David and Jonathan. David realised that Saul was well aware of the profound friendship he’d built with his son.

Theirs was a friendship that was very much on display, even though their bond carried incredible risks because of Saul’s terminal insecurity. Love spoke its own language. And in a lonely world, our love for and friendships with each other as Christians can make an incredible impact.

It’s been said that the Early Church attracted curiosity because of the way believers spoke to each other, cried together, laughed together: all of this was strangely appealing.

Keith Miller calls this ‘the scent of love’ which ‘drew onlookers like bees to a flower. They didn’t understand it but wanted to be part of it.’3 May people around us notice we are a family of friendship and love, and find themselves wanting to come in from the cold.

Prayer: Help me to love in such a way that is obvious, that Your love might be seen in me. Amen.

Keith Miller, The Scent of Love, (W Pub Group; 1983)

TUES 06 MAY

PERSUADED

READ 1 Samuel 20:1-3 Proverbs 12:15-25

FOCUS ‘I’m very close to being killed. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.’

1 Samuel 20:3

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Just the other evening, we spent time in a friendship group where there are some very diverse political views. We enjoyed an intense but warm and kind debate which was enlightening and beautiful. We disagreed agreeably and genuinely learned from each other’s perspectives. Nobody insisted they alone were right in their opinions.

Some Christians become firmly attached to the idea that, as Christians, we are generally right and everyone else is wrong – they can become especially dangerous when let loose holding a Bible. Quiet assurance becomes blistering arrogance: the once avid learner becomes a self-appointed expert, insisting they are always keen to learn more, but actually only being open to that which confirms their own opinions and prejudices.

And this kind of person rarely says this powerful little sentence: ‘I was wrong.’

David uses powerful language to persuade Jonathan that his father had indeed broken his vow and was planning a murder: he swears both by the existence of God and the existence of Jonathan, and then states that he is very close to being killed. Some translate that as, ‘Saul has made a covenant with death’. Surely Jonathan was shocked by the realisation that he had been wrong about his father. And so, like Thomas, also famous for his initial doubting, he changed his mind.

If we’re to build strong, rugged friendships, let’s face this reality: we can be wrong, and we often are. Let’s be open to persuasion.

Prayer: Father, I want to walk in true humility, ready to learn. Help me to know when I am wrong, and may I be willing to say so. Amen.

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WED 07 MAY

REAL LOVE

READ 1 Samuel 20:4 1 John 3:18

FOCUS Jonathan said to David, ‘I’ll do anything you want me to do for you.’

1 Samuel 20:4

‘I love you.’ It’s one of the most important sentences we can ever say, and yet it can be cheapened. People who I’ve barely met have told me they love me deeply. They may be trying to be kind, but it doesn’t ring true. Only those who really know me ‘warts and all’, as the saying goes, can say they love me. Others ‘love’ the little they know of me, which might not be much.

Jonathan’s love for David was real and practical. Scholars sense there is a hesed covenant between them, one where they promised to do good to each other, and be unswervingly faithful. John Wycliffe invented the beautiful English word, ‘lovingkindness’ to try to show the depth of this hesed love.

Now, as Jonathan effectively offered his friend unlimited help, he was doing hesed, and at great personal risk. Some scholars suggest he was not only pledging allegiance to David as a dear friend but also acknowledging him as the rightful king.

The Bible shows little patience for cheaply offered words of love that aren’t accompanied by selfless actions. It’s sad to say it, but I have discovered most of us are self-preoccupied much of the time. We can take time out to care, but rare is the friend who cares and gives without limits. Perhaps it’s a little dangerous to offer to do absolutely anything to help someone else; we should only make an offer like that after careful and prayerful consideration. And if the offer is taken up, we need to make sure that we follow through.

Prayer: God who is love, let love live in and through me, putting actions together with words. Amen.

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THUR 08 MAY

ON MY WORD

READ 1 Samuel 20:5-13 Matthew 5:33-37

FOCUS ‘If I’m guilty, kill me yourself!

Don’t hand me over to your father!’

1 Samuel 20:8

This saying embodies the ultimate bond: ‘I’d trust him/her with my life.’ And that’s exactly what David does with Jonathan. Even though Jonathan was struggling to maintain some loyalty to and belief in his father, David now had a choice to make. When the chips are down, will Jonathan side with him – or will blood prove to be thicker than water, leading him to side with his father? David placed his future in Jonathan’s hands entirely. This is the climax of the story: just a whisper of their plan in Saul’s ear, and David would die. Everything pivots on Jonathan’s loyalty. As the tension builds and Jonathan and David agree to their risky plan, both need some fresh assurance.

And so once again the covenant between them is renewed.

I’d love to be thought of as solid and dependable, in both the trivial daily choices and the more significant decisions in life.

All too often, Christians are not true to their word. Some people refuse to employ fellow Christians because they believe them to be the worst at punctuality, paying their bills, or generally keeping their word as their bond.

Perhaps we won’t face a life and death moment when the survival of another is reliant on our being dependable, but there are likely to be smaller situations in our lives where we prove whether we can be trusted or not. The question is, does our word mean anything, over small issues or big ones? Those who are faithful in little can be trusted with much.

Prayer: I ask simply this, Lord: may my word always be my bond. Amen.

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FRI 09 MAY

CHANGING ROLES

READ 1 Samuel 20:14-22 1 Peter 5:5-7 FOCUS ‘And never stop being kind to my family.

Don’t stop even when the Lord has cut off every one of your enemies from the face of the earth.’

1 Samuel 20:15

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Humility is so easy to talk or write about, and so hard to live in. When we’re ignored, treated with a lack of respect, or have to rely on the help of others, then we need humility. Our sense of dignity and proficiency is eroded – now we have to assume the posture, not of inferiority, but of servanthood.

Look more closely at David and Jonathan.

Jonathan has been the crown prince. David has been the court attendant, musician and latterly military man – all under the authority of the royal family, of which Jonathan was obviously a senior member. Jonathan had held a great deal of power, and technically he still held that power. But now there is a remarkable role reversal, as Jonathan asks David for kindness to be shown to his family, when David eventually rises to the height of his military and political power.

Life can present all of us with these switches in role – the apprentice we worked with becomes our manager; the fledgling preacher who we helped along the way now helps and encourages millions. The strong parent is struck down by age or disease and finds themself relying upon their child. Fortunes change, and the person who had spending power suddenly has to concede that their budget is much tighter these days, and they perhaps accept help.

When presented with these challenging rolereversals, we need God’s help to walk in quiet humility and respond to life – not as we’d like it to be, or even as it was once, but as it is now.

Prayer: Lord, give me grace when roles and circumstances change and humility is needed. Show me what it means to clothe myself with humility. Amen.

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WEEKEND 10 - 11 MAY

GOD IS WATCHING US

READ 1 Samuel 20:23 Psalm 139:1-24

‘Remember, God is watching you’ is a statement parents really shouldn’t use in order to make their children behave. Carelessly spoken, it could simply give young ones the impression that God is a divine policeman, waiting to catch them doing something naughty. But perhaps we should all remind ourselves that whatever we do in life, we do before a God who sees everything.

As Jonathan and David end their discussions and planning, Jonathan reminds David that the promises made between them – including Jonathan’s pledge to warn David of peril, and David’s vow to show ongoing kindness to Jonathan’s family – all of this has been done with God as witness. Perhaps that was a key to David and Jonathan’s greatness.

They lived, for the most part, with a sense that they had an audience. David would celebrate this truth: ‘I’m amazed at how well you know me. It’s more than I can understand’ (Psalm 139:6). And in this episode, Jonathan was able to walk away from the adoring eyes of those who would have feted him on his coronation day, because he had a higher purpose: to be approved of in the eyes of God. God is watching us, not as a policeman waiting to pounce, but as a Father who cares too much to ignore anything about us. Jesus taught that God sees even sparrows, which were one of the cheapest items poor people could buy to eat. A pair could be bought for an assarion – a small copper coin. His eye is on the sparrow, and we know He see us too.

To ponder: Does the truth that God is watching us comfort or challenge us – or both? Why? 43

MON 12 MAY

COSTLY LOYALTY

READ 1 Samuel 20:27-34 John 18:25-27

FOCUS But Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him.

Then Jonathan knew that his father wanted to kill David.

1 Samuel 20:33

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As we have seen, loyalty can be costly. When we side with someone who is unpopular, we run the risk of sharing that unpopularity. Ask anyone who has ever attended a secondary school. Certain people are cold-shouldered and isolated because they’re just not cool. It’s a sad and sometimes vicious pecking order.

David has experienced Saul’s anger and Jonathan receives a tongue-lashing, but now it escalates into violence. Saul is angry enough to attempt to kill his own son, and Jonathan finds himself dodging spears at the dinner table – a vivid portrait of a dysfunctional family! And the writer here makes no bones about what was in Saul’s heart; this was not a warning shot, but an intention to inflict mortal injury.

There have been times when defending a friend has been costly. There’s been no spear-throwing, but the suspicion felt about them has suddenly been transferred to me.

People have disapproved of me because they disapprove of my friends, mainly because of their theology and teaching. This practice of ‘guilt by association’ happens a lot in Christian circles. But Jonathan was willing to take a rebuke – and a spear – rather than abandon his friend. He challenges his father fearlessly, declaring David’s innocence, and then he leaves the table. When we’re tested, and our friends come under attack (and they’re not there to see our response), may we be loyal, whatever the cost. Peter faced that test when Jesus was arrested – and failed it.

Prayer: When it is unpopular to be loyal, and when I face disapproval because I stand with others, may I be loyal. Amen.

TUES 13 MAY

REAL MEN CRY

READ 1 Samuel 20:35-42 John 11:35

FOCUS Then they kissed each other and cried. But David cried more than Jonathan did.

1 Samuel 20:41

As a man, sometimes I tire of macho images of what Christian men are supposed to be like, many of which are modelled more on beefy chaps from action movies rather than on any biblical portrait of masculinity. The picture painted here of these two friends (both proven warriors, veterans of the battlefield) is one of tenderness, emotion and expression.

First off, David bows before Jonathan – an act of homage to a superior. Even though he, David, will ascend to the throne in Jonathan’s place, there is such a sense of mutual respect between them which speaks volumes about their friendship. Sometimes familiarity can build, not so much contempt, but a lack of respect for those we are closest to. Not so here.

Then there is this highly expressive scene of kissing and weeping. Obviously, this needs to be seen in its original context, but there’s no sense of emotional containment, reluctance to express love, or hesitation about shedding tears between these two. Real men do cry.

This is not the British stiff upper lip. David showed more emotion than his friend, perhaps because of gratitude.

As I occasionally find myself weeping at moving television commercials, I’m relieved.

Let’s get our models of what masculinity and femininity look like from better sources than action movies. Let’s let those we love know of our love and affection. For both men and women, when tears flow, let’s not feel the need to apologise for them.

Prayer: Help me to live according to Your model, Lord, and not by the superficial images often presented to me. Amen.

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WED 14 MAY

QUICK TO JUDGE

READ 1 Samuel 21:1-9 Joshua 2:1-7

FOCUS David answered Ahimelech: ‘The king... said...

‘I don’t want anyone to know what I’m sending you to do.’

1 Samuel 21:2

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In writing Life with Lucas, I make use of dozens of different commentaries and listen to other Bible teachers – their sermons and podcasts – so that I can grasp a broad background to the biblical narratives we explore.

Occasionally, I’m shocked by what I read, and that happened today. Some commentators rush to condemn David for the repeated lies he told as a desperate fugitive. David lied to Ahimelech, insisting he was on a royal mission, and, as we’ll see, he would engage in a theatrical performance, feigning madness in the presence of Achish, king of Gath. The scholars who accuse David are adhering to the idea that we should never, ever lie. But is that realistic?

If a murderous mob came to my home, intent on rape and asking where my wife was, I would lie. If I was smuggling Bibles into a country (like North Korea) where the use of Scripture is forbidden, I would have to lie if interrogated by their border authorities, and the very act of smuggling is one of deception. We also see numerous examples in Scripture where deception or civil disobedience was needed, including Rahab, who famously lied, and is celebrated in the book of Hebrews (Heb. 11:31)! Broadly, we are called to be people of the truth. But there may be situations where that might not be redemptive or possible, and as we see David in a perilous season, we shouldn’t rush to judge. And we remember Peter before the Sanhedrin: we must obey God rather than men.

Prayer: Lord, help me to think carefully about the struggles that others have to walk through, and be quick to pray and slow to judge. Amen.

THUR 15 MAY

THE SON OF DAVID

READ 1 Samuel 21:3-9 Mark 2:23-27

FOCUS So the priest gave him the holy bread.

It was the only bread he had. It had been removed from the table.

1 Samuel 21:6

It’s fascinating that Jesus used this episode as a teaching illustration when He was challenged by the ultra-legalistic Pharisees. They were critical of His hungry disciples because they picked and ate grain on the sabbath. In responding to their carping, Jesus turned to this story where David ate consecrated bread.

The Lord was not asking for an exception for His disciples but was pointing to David as a previous rescuing king – a role Jesus had now embraced. Jesus was showing that, as King of Kings, He was now Lord of the Sabbath: the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).

As we look back on the era of the law, we can tend to view it negatively, and rush to affirm the truth that we are no longer bound by it. But let’s remember the Jews loved the law and, writing in Psalm 19, David described the law as a priceless treasure: ‘The law that brings respect for the Lord is pure. It lasts forever.

The directions the Lord gives are true. All of them are completely right. They are more priceless than gold. They have greater value than huge amounts of pure gold. They are sweeter than honey that is taken from the honeycomb’ (Psa. 19:9-10).

Today, we live under grace, not law. But let’s remember the law of God in the Old Testament and the commands of Scripture in the New are given to us by our loving Father. He has our welfare and wellbeing at heart, and His way really is the best.

Prayer: When obeying You is a struggle, help me to remember, Lord – Your way is the very best. Amen.

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FRI 16 MAY

MORE TROUBLE

READ 1 Samuel 21:10-11 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

FOCUS But the servants of Achish... said, ‘Isn’t this David, the king of the land?

Isn’t he the one the Israelites sing about when they dance?’

1 Samuel 21:11

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Imagine it. David is now in Gath – a Philistine city where Goliath had been the hometown hero, until David killed him. Add to this that, in his various military skirmishes, David would have been responsible for the deaths of many Philistines. It’s been said that music crosses borders, so the song celebrating David’s victories over ‘tens of thousands’ had even reached the people of Gath – and it was unlikely to be their favourite. It seems David was actually held captive by the Philistines.

Later in the next chapter, we read that, ‘David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam (1 Sam. 22:1, NIV). And the superscription of Psalm 56 helps us too: ‘A miKtam of David after the Philistines had captured him in Gath’ (my italics).

Let’s pause for a moment. David was Israel’s greatest king. God was with him. He was chosen and anointed. But the pathway to fulfilling his destiny was perilous; it included battles, betrayals, manipulation, repeated assassination attempts, and now he is held for a time by his enemies, with his fate entirely uncertain. We’ve seen this truth previously, but it bears repeating: walking with God doesn’t mean that we will be exempt from trials and threats. The Bible, from beginning to end, makes that clear. David knew it. Paul the apostle affirmed it. Jesus taught it clearly, promising, ‘In this world you will have trouble’ (John 16:33). So when trouble comes, let’s not be either surprised, or disappointed with God. Prayer: You have never promised me a life without pain, Father. When storms come, help me to remember and trust You more deeply. Amen.

WEEKEND 17 - 18 MAY

WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?

READ Psalm 56:1-13 Psalm 118:1-29

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David is captive, and he turns to God in prayer.

He asks a rather strange question: ‘What can people do to me? (Psa. 56:4). The obvious answer is, ‘Quite a lot, seeing as you are their prisoner...’ And in his prayer, David even lists some of the actions of his enemies. They are chasing and attacking him, spreading lies, twisting his words, making plans for his harm, and they hide and watch his steps in their hopes to kill him! And all this they do ‘all day long’ – a phrase he repeats three times.

So where is the logic in his question which he repeats towards the end of the psalm, adding the word ‘mere’ in for good reason, to show the ultimate impotence of his enemies: ‘what can mere men do to me?’

The truth that we constantly need to be reminded of is this: the power of humans to harm us is limited. Bluntly, we can be killed, but the promise of God being with us now and of our being alive with Jesus forever can never be stolen. That’s why Hebrews 13 affirms that promise and repeats the question: ‘God has said, “I will never leave you. I will never desert you.” So we can say boldly, “The Lord helps me. I will not be afraid. What can a mere man do to me?”’(Heb. 13:5-6).

We saw earlier that Jesus would have sung the Hallel before He went out to face terrible pain and death. It included the same declaration: ‘The Lord is with me. I will not be afraid. What can mere men do to me?’ (Psa. 118:6). God grant us a greater eternal perspective.

To ponder: How might we gain a ‘greater eternal perspective?’

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MON 19 MAY

PLAYING OUR PART

READ 1 Samuel 21:10-15 Ephesians 4:1-16

FOCUS So he pretended to be out of his mind when he was with them. As long as he was in Gath, he acted like someone who was crazy.

1 Samuel 21:13

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As we’ve seen, David’s terror was real – and the danger that he felt from Saul is demonstrated by him taking refuge in that hostile enemy city of Gath. And so he adopts a bizarre strategy, faking madness in order to irritate and distance anyone who might threaten him. The people of Gath practised a religion that declared the insane to be possessed by gods – so they left David well alone. There’s even a moment of potential humour as the king of Gath, Achish, makes a defamatory comment about his subjects: 'Don’t I have enough crazy people around me already?’ (1 Sam. 21:15). It’s a comment some of us might be tempted to make about some of the absurd ideas accepted as the norm in our current culture.

So why is this strange story included in Scripture, with a psalm that once again shows us what David was feeling at this time?

Some scholars suggest this shows that while God’s deliverance and protection were key in David’s life, nevertheless he still had to play his part – and (forgive the pun) here he does so by playing the part of a madman.

I know. It’s an odd illustration. But the truth is that we have been called into partnership with God, in prayer, in action, in acts of love.

God will do what only He can do. But He does call us to respond and do what we alone can do. As we, God’s people, accept the privilege and responsibility of partnering with God, so steadily His kingdom can come, and sanity can be restored. Let’s play our part.

Prayer: Lord, help me to have faith that You will do what You alone can do in my life, and wisdom to know my part. Amen.

TUES 20 MAY

THANKFUL

READ Psalm 34:1-22 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

FOCUS I will thank the Lord at all times.

My lips will always praise him.

Psalm 34:1

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We’ve reflected on Psalm 56, which was David’s prayer while he was still a prisoner in Gath. Psalm 34 is the song he sang after he was set free. Before we look at it in more detail, let’s know these words were treasured by the apostle Peter – he quotes from Psalm 34 twice in his first epistle in the New Testament. And John, in writing his gospel, views the psalm as prophetic. In describing the terrible details of the crucifixion, John tells us that ‘These things happened in order that Scripture would come true. It says, “Not one of his bones will be broken”’ (John 19:36).

David begins by immediately thanking God for his escape – and there’s an immediate challenge. Too often, I have prayed and experienced God’s help but then have failed to thank Him. The challenge deepens, however, because David affirms his lips would always praise God. This is not about being thankful for tragedy and struggle but rather being thankful to Him in the midst of it. That might be tough, but a thankful attitude is a vital part of prayer and is good for our mental health: ‘Don’t worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds because you belong to Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:6–7).

I’d like to be more disciplined about being thankful – expressing thankfulness to God for who He is in His character, rather than just what is in my circumstances.

Prayer: I want to embrace thankfulness to a greater degree in my life, Father. Holy Spirit, please nudge me to moments of gratitude.

Amen.

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WED 21 MAY

WORSHIP WITH ME

READ Psalm 34:1-8 Hebrews 10:22-25

FOCUS Join me in giving glory to the Lord.

Let us honour him together.

Psalm 34:3

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During Covid, local church leaders felt so much uncertainty because of the lockdowns, with some churches closing (and congregants being angry at the decision, feeling the church was surrendering its call to worship) and others insisting on gathering (they were criticised for potentially risking lives). Leaders felt they couldn’t win, whatever they decided to do. Technology helped us to get through that dark time as we worshipped online.

And now there is a new problem, constantly discussed by church leaders: where are the people? Because now it is universally viewed to be safe again to gather, many believers have not returned to their local churches for worship, and they have no intention of going back. I am convinced that while online church has been a life saver, it is ultimately a poor substitute for physical gathering. When we get together, sing our songs, pray our prayers, and open the Bible, we remember just exactly why we have a pulse, and who gave it to us. In the blur of information overload, where many social media users post photos of themselves eating hamburgers (so that the Universe can stand amazed in wonder) these gatherings enable us to bring to mind what really does matter. We recall our covenant with God again and consider how we’re doing with our end of the bargain.

Getting up and going on Sunday morning can be costly, irritating even, as we navigate our busy lives. But it’s worth it. Staying away?

Come on back.

Prayer: I am thankful for the privilege of gathering with Your people, Lord. Help me to be an active participant rather than a spectator. Amen.

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THUR 22 MAY

TASTE AND SEE

READ Psalm 34:9-10 1 Peter 2:1-10

FOCUS Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed is the man who goes to him for safety.

Psalm 34:8

I suffer from a rather strange malady that strikes me when I visit a restaurant with family or friends. I peruse the menu, and then immediately move into what I have come to call ‘food choice paralysis’: I struggle to decide what to eat. For no logical reason, I then ask everyone else to tell me what they are going to have, as if that knowledge is likely to help influence my decision. It doesn’t. Ultimately, I have to take the plunge and resist regret when the food actually arrives.

In issuing an invitation to all to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’, David points to a vital truth that Christians need to remember: God’s goodness is to be experienced, just as delicious food is not just to be admired. It’s created to delight our taste buds and nourish our bodies.

Sometimes my faith descends into a mere theory, a set of truths that I utterly believe and affirm on Sunday mornings, but I don’t ‘enjoy’ or apply on Mondays. But while walking with Jesus is obviously a walk of faith, it is still an experience. Peter uses the ‘taste’ analogy in his first epistle – he had tasted the tender kindness and restoration of Jesus and would ultimately die a martyr’s death because of his Saviour’s goodness. And the writer to the Hebrews uses a culinary image too, talking about those who have ‘tasted the good things of God’s word’ (Heb. 6:5).

Today, Jesus is alive. Real. Active. Working.

Let’s walk with Him, open and expectant to what He is saying and doing.

Prayer: When faith becomes a theory, help me to taste Your goodness, living God. Amen.

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FRI 23 MAY

TASTING NOTES

READ Psalm 34:1-22 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

FOCUS The lions may grow weak and hungry.

But those who look to the Lord have every good thing they need.

Psalm 34:10

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Wine buffs are familiar with the concept of tasting notes. An expert provides information about the vineyard’s location, the type of grapes used, and the wine’s specific taste and texture. The notes will often use bizarre descriptors to highlight the uniqueness of the vintage, referring to it as smoky, with a hint of chocolate, leather or cherry.

Before we move on from Psalm 34, as we read it in its entirety once more, we see David provides ‘tasting notes’ to his relationship with God. He calls us to adopt an attitude of dependency – to specifically ‘look’ to the Lord with a posture of faith, seeing as God is currently invisible. The New Testament echoes this call, encouraging us to keep ‘fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith’ (Heb. 12:2, NIV). He celebrates that God hears him.

And then humility is needed if we are to ‘taste and see’ that the Lord is good – David realises that ultimately his deliverance came from God, not just his ingenious ruse of pretending to be mad. Compared with the Lord, he is just a ‘poor man’ who cried for help. And the call to faith is repeated as David acknowledges there is a battle going on in that invisible realm, affirming that the angel of the Lord camps around those who reverence God. But perhaps the main encouragement to us here is to seek the Lord – again, an idea repeated constantly throughout the Bible. Just as David calls us to ‘pursue’ peace, so we are to diligently look for God. Prayer: Holy Spirit, I determine, with Your help, to fix my eyes upon Jesus today.

Amen.

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WEEKEND 24 - 25 MAY

A MOTLEY CREW

READ 1 Samuel 22:1-5 Psalm 57:1-11

We’ve seen that sometimes church can be a trial, and for good reasons. For one thing, it’s loaded with people like us – human beings in process who have not arrived, but are all very much under construction. It’s surely no accident that a frequent biblical metaphor for humanity is sheep. Our woolly friends are not noted for their great intelligence, and they do seem especially gifted at wandering and getting themselves into trouble as a result.

But not only is the church filled with flawed, fragile humanity; we are also a people who are probably only together because of Jesus. The church is a community created, not by common interest, social connection or political agreement, but is birthed by the work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

We shouldn’t be surprised that fellowship can be demanding, irritating, and at times, depressing.

As David continued as a fugitive from Saul, still in mortal danger, some friends came to be part of the little cave community that was temporarily formed at Adullam. But others came too, described as those who were ‘in trouble or owed money or unhappy’ (1 Sam. 22:2). That doesn’t sound like a great fraternity to be a part of! Yet out of this season came at least two of David’s most beautiful psalms.

Our worship flows, not from part of a perfect church community – none exists – but as the fruit of our being drawn together by and for the purposes of God. Let’s hang in there!

To ponder: How would you describe your current experience of church?

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MON 26 MAY

HIDDEN IN GOD – AND IN A CAVE

56

David and his depressed group are holed up in a cave, homeless fugitives. It’s hardly a place likely to produce songs of praise. But sometimes the sweetest music comes from suffering. I have seen some of the greatest examples of faith in friends who have walked through harrowing circumstances. God was not making them walk that pathway to exact some sacrificial worship from them, but He did redeem their suffering, producing pure gold faith, to use Peter’s metaphor.

READ Psalm 57:1-3 1 Peter 1:3-8

But ultimately David’s faith is not in the protection of the cave. He has taken sensible steps to make himself scarce – but he knows that, beyond the stony walls, God is his true refuge. So David compares himself to a bird that shelters from an enemy by hiding under the wing of its parent (see Psalm 17:8; 36:7; 61:4; 63:7; 91:4). Some commentators suggest, the wall of the cave in which David was hiding reminded him of a wing. He refers to God no less than 21 times in this psalm.

FOCUS I will find safety in the shadow of your wings. There I will stay until the danger is gone.

Psalm 57:1

All that said, let’s remember that David still hid. That teaches us not only that David looked past the cave to God to save him, but (as we’ve seen before), it also demonstrates that he exercised common sense. God was his protector, but the cave was part of the protection! Sometimes I meet Christians for whom ‘faith’ has cancelled out common sense. Insisting that God will take care of issues in their lives, they fail to take sensible steps to help their situation. Again, let’s pray – and play our part.

Prayer: Grant me, Lord, great faith, and great wisdom with it. Amen.

TUES 27 MAY

NOT JUST RESCUED

It’s a mistake often made by Christians. Eager to focus on the importance of salvation, and the amazing work of rescue that Christ has done for us, we can end up implying that the main message of the gospel is to get people saved and then be ultimately ushered off to heaven. But that, bluntly, is not the gospel.

We are not just snatched from the tyranny of sin and then assured of life hereafter, but are called to live abundant lives as agents of the kingdom of God, here and now. Ours is a call to destiny, to live according to the purposes of God for us.

Let’s face it, if we were holed up in a cave, as David was, and our lives could be ended at any moment – David uses words that describe his pursuers as ‘man-eaters’ – then we’d be happy enough just to be rescued.

READ Psalm 57:1-11 Philippians 3:1-14

FOCUS Lord, I will praise you among the nations. I will sing about you among the people of the earth.

Psalm 57:9

David’s heart, however, soars beyond the confines of the cave, as he looks forward to celebrating God in the nation and the nations.

His present trials have not caused him to lose his grip on the prophetic promise that Samuel had given him when he anointed him to be king. Mere rescue would not be enough – David was intent on fulfilling his destiny. But even that was not the sum of his ambitions.

David wanted God to be exalted above all.

Even in his dingy circumstances, he wanted to glorify God. Let’s not lose our grip on purposeful living. If we are in ‘cave-like’ circumstances today, may God enable us to exalt and glorify Him in the midst of that tough situation.

Prayer: Help me to remember the big picture of Your purposes for me, Lord, that I might live in them today. Amen.

57

WED 28 MAY

TELL GOD

READ Psalm 142:1-7 Matthew 6:5-15

FOCUS I pour out my problem to him. I tell him about my trouble.

Psalm 142:2

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As we turn to Psalm 142, we can’t be absolutely sure which cave David was in at the time of writing this psalm, but it’s generally thought it is a companion psalm to Psalm 57 and also relates to David’s time with the sad group who gathered at Adullam. Think with me again about what this must have felt like: David was cut off from normal life, a homeless nomad, with hope in his heart but no real certainty about the future. One commentator remarks that David’s faith was stretched to breaking point at this time. And so his prayers become a torrent of troubled thoughts and bewildered confessions. He cries out, he pours out his troubles, he tells God. He shares his loneliness and admits that faith is a flicker rather than a flame, because his spirit is faint within him.

Prayer is not about crafting speeches but about sharing our life with God. That means we are invited to bring our troubles and joys, our gratitude and grumbling – we can bring it all to God. Too often I worry and fret alone, instead of fretting with God! The Lord knows what’s in our hearts anyway and so invites us to share with Him honestly. He can cope with our complaining. That doesn’t mean that all of our perspectives will be right – in fact sometimes, as we speak them out in prayer, we realise we have got things wrong. In the Hebrew, ‘I tell him about my trouble’ means that psalmist was praying out loud. When agony comes, let’s share it with Him. Prayer: I want a relationship with You rooted in truth and authenticity, Father. Amen.

THUR 29 MAY

NOT SEEING STRAIGHT

READ Psalm 142:1-7 1 Samuel 22:1-5

FOCUS Look around me, and you will see that no one is concerned about me. I have no place of safety. No one cares whether I live or die.

Psalm 142:4

When trouble comes, our perspectives may be wrong. This psalm is called a psalm of lament – there are 48 of them in the book of Psalms. And in this psalm, David has sunk so low emotionally that he insists no one cares about him at all – but that was just not true.

Even if members of the ‘in trouble or owed money or unhappy’ group were too sullen and self-preoccupied to show concern for David (no doubt true), we read from 1 Samuel 22 that David’s brothers and his father’s household headed for the cave as well. There definitely were people who had David’s welfare in mind, and they made a dangerous trip to demonstrate that care. I’m reminded of Elijah insisting that he was the only faithful one left in Israel, when in fact God corrected him, revealing that 7,000 had remained true and had shunned Baal worship (1 Kings 19:18).

‘We see the world and things not as they are, but as we are’ remarked the 18th-century German philosopher, Immanuel Kant. When we’re tired, feel rejected, or have had a bruising experience, our perspective gets skewed, and everything seems darker than it actually is. And once we get into such a negative mindset, it can be difficult to change our mind.

As we look around at the landscapes of our lives, perhaps the view is currently gloomy.

Let’s ask God to help us to see straight, so the current season is not darkened further by a false perspective. And let’s stop and consider.

Are we seeing straight?

Prayer: Grant me true perspective on life, Lord. Help me to see straight. Amen.

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FRI 30 MAY

RAGE

READ 1 Samuel 22:6-23 Psalm 52:1-9

FOCUS You think you are such a big, strong man! Why do you brag about the evil things you’ve done?

You are a dishonour to God all the time.

Psalm 52:1

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As we move on to look at another of David’s psalms, let’s look back to set the scene again. Remember how David, still on the run from Saul, had ended up at a shrine in Nob, asking for food? Eventually word got back to Saul, because of an informer at the shrine – Doeg. Saul’s crazed outburst shows his paranoia was getting deeper. Realising his own son had made a covenant with David, he gathered his ‘trusted’ officials around him, and accused them of treachery. And as we’ll see, Saul’s intimidation then led him to commit a terrible atrocity, slaughtering innocents because of his fears.

David’s response is clearly sarcastic as he condemns and mocks the treacherous informer. The words are loaded with dark irony. David also jeers at Doeg’s arrogant attitude. One translation is literally, ‘Why do you make yourself big?’

There have been times in my life when I have been deeply wounded by fellow Christians, and then felt guilty because I was so angry with them – they had hurt me so badly.

Sometimes we can rush people to forgive, not allowing them to express their pain. Some Christians have been told to stay in violent marriages, to keep showing grace, and their cries went unheeded. I’m not suggesting we mock and curse those who hurt us, but when we’ve been hurt, we should own the pain and allow others to do the same. Part of our healing will come as we bring our frustration and even rage into our prayers, as David did.

Prayer: Lord, help me to come to You with truth, especially when frustration and bitterness tinge my thoughts and prayers.

Amen.

WEEKEND 31 MAY - 01 JUNE

OLIVE TREE PEOPLE

READ Psalm 52:1-9 Philippians 2:1-11

We’re living in a time when it’s quite easy to be afraid. So many members of the Christian family around the world are suffering terribly for their faith. Others are caught up in wars that rumble on, while yet others suffer disease, famine, floods, droughts and poverty – all shown on our screens. With billions of dollars being funnelled into the hands of radical extremists, who seem to attack at random, we can wonder what atrocities are going to unfold next across the landscape of our troubled world.

Even in the shadow of Doeg’s murderous rampage, David celebrates the sense of security that he has in God, and contrasts how Doeg is in a place of peril. He will experience sudden judgement. Doeg stands in stark contrast with the stability and joy of the righteous, who will have the last laugh.

We’re pictured as being like olive trees, which were not only vital to the economy of Israel, and were evergreen, but were known for their longevity and resilience. Ultimately, in the end, God will rule and reign and every knee will bow. As we’ve seen, even if we ever move into a season where we are called to suffer or even die for our faith, the power of death itself has already been vanquished anyway.

In these times of uncertainty, David reminds us that one thing is certain and eternal – the loving kindness of God. Let’s join David in his declaration of hope and trust today and set our hearts at peace when fear seeks to stalk us.

To ponder: How should we as Christians respond when it feels like fearful news is all around us?

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MON 02 JUNE

HELP IS OURS

READ 1 Samuel 23:1-5 James 1:1-8

FOCUS Once again David asked the Lord what he should do.

1 Samuel 23:4

It happened just yesterday. Feeling weary because of an extended season of loss and grief, I decided to dig into some serious prayer and reflection. I specifically asked the Lord to show me how to respond to the various challenges that life currently presents. I heard no audible voice, but in the stillness, a strategy formed in my mind, one that I sense has come from the Holy Spirit. I’d spent countless hours worrying, filling my mind with ‘futile thinking’ – and none of that mental churning got me anywhere. Scripture makes it clear that wisdom doesn’t come to us automatically – we’re commanded to ask God for it and promised we won’t be rebuked for our asking.

As I look back over my Christian journey, the worst mistakes have been made when I ran ahead of God and just made prayerless, rushed decisions.

How easy it is to forget that Jesus has promised the Holy Spirit will help us – in guidance, in prayer, in shaping our characters, and developing Christlikeness in us.

Put simply, let’s be reminded that following Jesus is not about us struggling along, desperately trying to do what’s right in our own strength. Help is available – twice in this episode we see David going to God for counsel. We’re not told exactly how God spoke – was it an audible voice, a hint confirmed by something tangible? But what matters is that David looked to the Lord, and not to his own ingenuity. As followers of Jesus, we’re called to live lives of dependency.

Prayer: Lord, I want to walk today in Your strength, living in the good of Your wisdom, sensitive to Your direction. Amen.

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TUES 03 JUNE

GOD IS ON MY SIDE

READ 1 Samuel 23:7-8 Psalm 54:1-7

FOCUS Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. He said, ’God has handed him over to me.

David has trapped himself... ’ 1 Samuel 23:7

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I’ve seen it happen too many times. A Christian comes up with a crazy plan, insisting the Lord has spoken to them and He is the author of their idea. Or churches go through tension, as people fall out with each other, often over petty issues. As the conflict escalates, a complicating factor emerges – both use the name of God Himself to back up their opinions, insisting that their preference is God’s preference too (this happens a lot when people argue about styles of worship).

As David and his men continue to try to avoid Saul, we see the event from both points of view – and both men insist that God’s blessing is upon them. In the account in 1 Samuel 23, King Saul blesses the treacherous Ziphites as they offer intelligence about David’s whereabouts, apparently in a manipulative attempt to get them to continue to report back to him. Saul is driven by jealousy, and out to kill the one who is now God’s anointed, but he still deludes others – and perhaps himself – into believing that he is on a mission from God. Previously, Saul had declared that God had enabled him to locate David (1 Sam. 23:7), but in Psalm 54, which corresponds to this event, David insists God is his helper, sustainer and deliverer.

It’s obvious which man is in the right. As we saw before this, David was found repeatedly enquiring of the Lord. Let’s not rush into involving God in our disputes, insisting He endorses our opinions or blesses our behaviour.

Prayer: Father, may I never insist You share my perspectives: may I not take Your Name in vain in this way. Amen.

WED 04 JUNE

INGRATITUDE

READ 1 Samuel 23:5-12 2 Timothy 3:1-5

FOCUS David asked, ‘Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?’ And the Lord said, ‘They will.’

1 Samuel 23:12

Paul the apostle quotes Jesus as saying, ‘It’s better to give than receive’, even though it’s not recorded in any of the gospels. Paul would have known about those sayings of Jesus that were not recorded in the four main gospels.

Giving and generosity brings so many benefits.

It does feel rather wonderful to bring relief and joy to someone who is struggling. But there have been too many times in our own lives when a moment of generosity was spoiled because of what seemed like ingratitude.

A gift that called for sacrifice was barely acknowledged; a simple ‘thank you’ was not forthcoming; or maybe there was even a presumption it was our role to do the paying, so we were taken for granted, and there was little evidence our giving was appreciated.

Jesus viewed ingratitude with astonishment (Luke 17:11-19). And when that happens to me, my joy is vapourised and replaced by quiet resentment. I’d like to learn to be a little less dependent on gratefulness.

We read that David ’saved the people of Keilah’ as he and his men saw off the marauding Philistines (1 Sam. 23:5). One might have expected some loyalty and gratitude in return, but instead, the Lord let David know that, given the opportunity, the Keilahites would betray their rescuer to Saul. Maybe they were afraid of him.

Let’s agree to be generous and not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy that giving brings, even when the response is not what we’d like.

Prayer: Help me to express gratitude when I am blessed by others, and grace when my generosity is unappreciated. Amen.

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THUR 05 JUNE

MAKE SOMEONE’S DAY

READ Psalm 54:1-7 Psalm 142:1-7

FOCUS You have saved me from all of my troubles. With my own eyes I have seen you win the battle over my enemies.

Psalm 54:7

GOING DEEPER

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We’ve been looking at two psalms which, it is believed, emerged from David’s time when he was holed up in the cave, before he was betrayed by the Ziphites (1 Sam. 26:1). As we compare the two pieces, let’s notice how David’s perspective has changed. He doesn’t minimise the extent of the challenge he faces, but seems more able to look to the mighty power of God to deliver him. So what has changed? One possibility might be Jonathan’s trip to encourage him, calling him away from fear, and making a covenant with him before the Lord (1 Sam. 23:15-18). Perhaps Jonathan brought cheer to David, strengthening him to trust the Lord despite his harrowing circumstances.

We’ve seen this earlier, but let’s know that God’s strength often comes through the kindness, listening ear and attentive care of close, trusted friends. Even a hardy soul like the apostle Paul testified that he had been refreshed by the coming of Titus (2 Cor. 7:6).

Paul needed God – and he also needed friends that he could trust and enjoy being around.

All of this makes me want to act like Jonathan.

How easy it is to dash through the hours, preoccupied with our own agendas, minds crammed full of our own self-centred thoughts, set on fulfilling our task lists. Today we might encounter someone whose day – and perhaps even life – will be changed by a simple act of commitment and care. Let’s be on the lookout. If the opportunity arises, let’s make someone’s day.

Prayer: I make myself available to be a source of strength to someone today, Father.

Guide my steps. Amen.

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FRI 06 JUNE

GRABBING

READ 1 Samuel 24:1-7 3 John 1-13

FOCUS He said to his men, ‘May the Lord keep me from doing a thing like that to my master again.

He is the Lord’s anointed king.’

1 Samuel 24:6

It’s been the ruin of many churches. People hungry for power try to grab a place of influence by posturing, bullying, undermining, spreading gossip, and advertising their being offended to all. Apparently, God’s plan doesn’t seem to matter. If they can claw their way into position, then they’ll get there by any means, fair or foul. In the New Testament, Diotrephes is a tragic example.

David finally has an opportunity to neutralise Saul, who was still a real threat to David’s life.

One could hardly blame David for making the best of the opportunity, as the king relieves himself in a cave. David could have been spurred on by his own men, who were claiming God Himself had delivered Saul into David’s hand, in fulfilment of a prophecy. But that prophecy is not mentioned in Scripture. It is possible David’s men were getting overexcited at the idea of Saul’s demise, perhaps another example of using God’s name to get our own way.

David cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe, both to prove he had been in the cave too, and because this symbolised a transfer of royal power. It also made the robe unwearable, in accordance with the requirements set down in the Torah. But this act was premature, and David felt ashamed for doing it, a true indicator of his humble heart. Let’s not grab money, power, the spotlight of attention, or attempt to undermine the good reputation of others – but allow God to give us what He would like us to have.

Prayer: Help me to be a giver, never a grabber, Lord. Amen.

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WEEKEND 07 - 08 JUNE

GRACIOUS

READ 1 Samuel 24:1-22 Ephesians 4:17-32

We’re about to fast forward, moving towards David finally becoming king. But first, let’s look at this episode, which has been described as ‘the most passionate and eloquent plea for reconciliation between persons recorded in all ancient literature.’4 Instead of killing Saul, David reveals his position and comes out to talk to his royal stalker. Perhaps there was little risk involved, as Saul was separated from his troops and alone. But the tone of the conversation was amazingly kind, considering the terrible lengths Saul had gone to in trying to capture and kill David.

There’s respect, as David refers to the crazed king as ‘my Lord’ and then ‘the king’. In a posture of great humility, David prostrates himself before his would-be assassin. And the lack of accusatory language is startling too. Little wonder that Saul was so moved

by David’s magnanimous attitude. He affirms his repentance, which would not last long, but was certainly a response to David’s graciousness.

It’s so much easier to talk about being gracious than actually being so, especially when we have been bruised by the unkind words or actions of another. That is not to suggest that we should allow ourselves to become doormats for others to tread on, or permit abusive relationships to continue unchallenged. But it does nudge me not just to talk about graciousness, or even write about it, but actually live it when it’s difficult to do so, like David did.

To ponder: Is there a situation in our lives right now where grace and kindness is urgently needed? What steps might we take?

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4

Robert D Bergen, New American Commentary: 1,2 Samuel, (Tennessee: Broadman and Holman, 1996) page unknown.

MON 09 JUNE

HOW TO HANDLE SUCCESS

READ 2 Samuel 8:1-18 Psalm 60:1-5

FOCUS The Lord helped [David] win his battles everywhere he went.

2 Samuel 8:14

I spend part of my time as a LifePlan coach, walking people through an intensive time of review and planning for their lives. There’s a pattern I’ve found as I spend up to twenty hours noting people’s life journeys – often pain brought out the very best in them, but success was a dangerous time of temptation.

Success can ruin us. Not only can we be hijacked by pride, but over-confidence can lead us to disaster. Trust me, I know this from personal experience.

As we fast forward now in David’s life – probably around 13 years – we see he had gone from misery to huge accomplishment and security. Much had happened in thirteen years. He got married again, continued to battle with the unpredictable Saul, and had lived among the Philistines. His old mentor Samuel had died, as had his dearest friend Jonathan, and then Saul took his own life. And then a golden era of a forty-year reign had begun, as David became king. But the shadow of Saul continued to plague David, with his descendants grappling for power. The young king became militarily and politically superior, however, and was established in Jerusalem.

Grateful, David determined to build a house of God. And after he returns home victorious in battle against the Edomites, he writes, not with heady triumphalism, but with humility, recognising his victory came from the Lord.

In success, let’s beware, and stay humble, when life is going well.

Prayer: May You be able to trust me with blessing and success, Lord, as I refuse to allow either to ruin me. Amen.

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TUES 10 JUNE

LIFE IS RARELY PERFECT

READ 2 Samuel 8:1-18 Psalm 60:1-12

FOCUS While David was king of Israel, he won many battles over the Philistines.

He brought them under his control.

2 Samuel 8:1

GOING DEEPER

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In researching the synergy of David’s Psalms with the events in his life, I really struggled when I reached this point. The Psalm seems to come from a man who is in dire trouble, not celebrating massive military success (I know, it makes for harrowing reading). But David’s victories didn’t mean he was free from all threat. Although the heading of the 2 Samuel passage is about a battle won, the body of the Psalm itself tells us there were battles that led to defeat. There was always potential for trouble from a distant invader who wanted David’s wealth and power; and an even more subtle peril might come if David foolishly entered into a covenant with another nation or group that might turn sour.

Without sounding pessimistic, let’s agree totally sunny seasons – and even days – are quite rare. Even when everything is mostly going right for us, there will always be an opportunity to worry, be afraid or irritated about something. Solomon’s writing in Ecclesiastes says that life ‘under the sun’ is difficult – even with God in our lives.

So let’s not wait until everything is ‘just so’ to be glad and grateful. The Psalm ends with hope, and we are called to be a people who live in the light and hope of the second coming of Christ. One day life will be quite perfect, when Christ returns. There will be no more tears when that great day dawns. But until then, let’s celebrate whenever we can, because life, although painful at times, is precious.

Prayer: Today, I have the gift of life, Lord Jesus. I give you thanks. Help me to relish the moments. Amen.

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WED 11 JUNE

THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD

READ Psalm 60:1-12 Mark 16:19

FOCUS Save us. Help us with your powerful right hand, so that those you love may be saved.

Psalm 60:5

It’s my earliest memory as a child. My dad used to dance with me, and he’d pick me up, press my face close into his shoulder, and waltz around the room, humming the song in my ear. It was my favourite place to be – it felt special and safe.

In the early pages of this edition, I mentioned the theme of the ‘right hand of God’ in Scripture. The Lord’s right hand is a picture of His favour. Just as Jacob received the ‘right hand’ of blessing that Esau was entitled to, and just as Jesus, in His perfect obedience all the way to the cross, now sits at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19), so now David asks for that same right hand to rest upon him. Now, through Christ, we don’t have to do anything to get into God’s good books, as it were. Jesus is at that right hand, and we are in Christ, favoured with the Father, not because of what we have done, but because of the finished work of Jesus.

Perhaps we find it difficult to believe we are totally loved and accepted by God, maybe because some of us didn’t have that place of safety with our own human fathers. If that is the sad truth, then we could end up with a Christian life filled with striving and fear, always concerned we’re not quite safe in God’s hands.

But as we read about God’s saving right hand, and about Him delivering those He loves, know you are included. We’re in the best seat in God’s household, because Jesus did the best work on your behalf and mine.

Prayer: I am favoured, Lord. Thank you. Amen.

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THUR 12 JUNE

A USER

READ 2 Samuel 11:1-8 James 3:13-16

FOCUS Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him. And he had sex with her. Then she went back home.

2 Samuel 11:4

GOING DEEPER

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It’s one of history’s most infamous stories of the abuse of power. David’s adultery with the lovely Bathsheba and the tragic events that follow offer stark warnings. But let’s notice the root cause of all this disaster: David became a user. The man who had everything thirsted for more. He uses the bathing beauty but then sends her home. At this stage, there’s no hint of a deeper relationship: just a powerful man abusing his position.

And then she discovers she’s pregnant.

Frantic to cover his tracks, David urges her husband Uriah to reject the vow of celibacy that men in active military service would take (2 Sam. 11:8, NIV). The summons home from battle and the encouragement that he ‘wash his feet’ (probably a euphemism for sex) was a desperate attempt to make it appear that Uriah is the father of Bathsheba’s coming baby. When that fails, David uses his trusted friend, Joab, to ensure Uriah died.

People become objects when lust reigns. And it’s not just about sex. When selfishness takes over, we don’t care who we hurt. Ultimately, we become obsessed with getting what we want for ourselves. When might we use people? Pornography is an obvious example.

Or we can nurture relationships with people we don’t care about, simply because they might be useful to us. We flatter them to benefit ourselves. Or we allow selfish ambition to dominate our decisions.

We follow a God who gave everything for us.

Let’s serve and bless – and not use people.

Prayer: Father, how easy it is for me to focus on my wants and use others as a result. This is not Your way. May it not be mine. Amen.

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FRI 13 JUNE

ANGRY

READ 2 Samuel 11:9-27 Proverbs 19:1-20 FOCUS He told the messenger, ‘Tell the king everything that happened in the battle. When you are finished, his anger might explode.’

2 Samuel 11:19-20a

GOING DEEPER

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‘You can’t tell him anything.’ It’s a phrase used to describe people who are so arrogant, they refuse to listen to wise counsel. Long before they make disastrous choices, they sow the seeds of their own destruction. They place themselves beyond reach of help; the sound of crunching eggshells is heard whenever others are around them. It happens to veteran politicians, adolescent teenagers, and Christian leaders. Surely there’s a hint of this in David’s downfall.

The dirty, corrupt deed was done. Uriah, a man of courage and honour, was killed in battle, set up for death by a distant king. Now it only remained for Joab to inform David of the news. But there is a note of trepidation in Joab’s instructions to the messenger, found in a detail in the text that would be easy to miss.

Even though Joab had followed David’s orders to the letter, he feared an angry outburst when the report was given. Suddenly David is starting to look like the wildly unpredictable Saul, who, as we have seen repeatedly, was given to massive mood swings and irrational rage (1 Sam. 18:8). Angry people who fly off the handle don’t make good listeners.

Christians can be prone to refusing to listen to the counsel of others, because we use spiritual language to defend our stubbornness in a foolish decision. ‘I’m sure I’m right’, we insist, ‘I’ve prayed about it.’ Let’s make it easy for people we trust to tell us we’ve got it wrong, with humble, listening hearts.

Prayer: Lord, give me a kind, teachable, open heart, that others might show me faults hidden from my own view. Amen.

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WEEKEND 14 - 15 JUNE

BLUSTER

READ 2 Samuel 12:1-25 Psalm 32:1-4

It had become an almost predictable ritual.

Almost every time I heard one particular television preacher, he would end up addressing the same sin. It didn’t seem to matter what his text was or where he began his sermon – he would inevitably end up ranting about the same issue. It had become his obsession. I began to wonder if there was a deeper reason for his one-track preaching but dismissed my concern as unkind speculation.

But tragically, my hunch turned out to be true and the man concerned toppled and fell from grace, not just because of his sin – but because the media duly noted how hard he’d preached on that very subject. They subjected him to a feeding frenzy as a result.

As David ignites with ‘righteous’ indignation when Nathan told his story, he falls into the same trap, becoming furious with someone else for a crime that he himself was so guilty of. His crime was far worse: his story didn’t involve a pet lamb, but a human being, Bathsheba. And David didn’t just take something precious, but then went ahead and had the one by whom she was so beloved – Uriah – set up and killed in battle. So why the blustering, hypocritical speech? Perhaps Psalm 32 – which some scholars believe may have been written around the time of the Bethsheba episode – gives us a hint, as David says that God’s hand was ‘heavy’ upon him (Psa. 32:4, NIV). When we feel guilty, we can try to shrug the shame off by projecting the guilt onto others.

To ponder: Are we angry with someone else – but the problem really is ours, and is connected with some shame that we feel?

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MON 16 JUNE

STUBBORN

READ 2 Samuel 12:7-12 Psalm 32:5-11

FOCUS Don’t be like the horse or the mule. They can’t understand anything. They have to be controlled by bits and bridles.

Psalm 32:9

I am not a good horseman. The last time we went riding, I ended up gripping Dobbin’s ears so tight, his eyes were bloodshot. I eventually progressed to steering by using the reins, but I never enjoyed the experience. The horse had no brakes, no GPS system had been installed, and he ignored my nervous tugs at the reins – he just went where he wanted to go.

I can be similarly stubborn. And if David’s story and his words recorded in Psalm 32 are anything to go by, he too could be very thickskinned and slow to respond to God. The Lord had to dispatch a prophet who spoke out a rather obvious parable to try to nudge David out of his sin – and even that didn’t work, as we saw yesterday. Finally Nathan points the prophetic finger at the king, speaks terrifying words of judgment and at long last David surfaces out of his coma of self-deception and subterfuge (James 1:22). It took the shattering indictment, ‘You are the man’ to finally wake David up. No wonder he writes, penitently, of the need to respond quickly to the Lord, rather than being like a woodenly rebellious horse or mule.

Elsewhere the Bible calls us to avoid the heart condition that comes when we refuse to listen to God: the hardening of heart that puts off until tomorrow what should be done today.

Tomorrow then never comes, because our endless procrastination and rebellion makes sure of that (Heb. 4:7).

Are we sensitive to a whisper – or as stubborn as mules?

Prayer: May I listen and immediately respond to You, Lord. Save me from a rebellious, stubborn heart. Amen.

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TUES 17 JUNE

RIGHT AND WRONG

READ 2 Samuel 12:13 Psalm 51:1-7

FOCUS Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You aren’t going to die.’

2 Samuel 12:13

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Sometimes one simple insight changes everything. Successful living is often not so much about unravelling intricate insights, but rather our coming to realise a home truth is just that: true.

So it was for David. After all his ducking, weaving and speech-making, at last he came to a place of simple recognition: he had sinned. No longer does he hide behind excuses, rationalisations, or bluster. What he had done was terribly wrong.

In today’s culture, the straightforward phrase, ‘It’s wrong’ isn’t so easy to say. We seem to be expected to worship tolerance, where the only thing frowned upon is intolerance – which, if you get my drift, is met with total intolerance.

When we claim any behaviour is wrong, we can be accused of being narrow bigots who hold convictions that have no place in today’s postmodern maze. But, unpopular though it may be, there comes a time when we just have to submit to God’s verdict, as David did: he had sinned.

Perhaps some of us are finding it difficult to hold onto a biblical conviction right now.

Others accuse us of being opinionated because we have an opinion! Let’s be gracious, but not brow-beaten because our viewpoint is unpopular. Let’s also make sure that our convictions are founded in Scripture and are not just our own personal hobby horses. And perhaps there’s an area of our lives where we need to agree with God: we have sinned. It’s a realisation that opens the door to a brighter future.

Prayer: Lord, help me to stand for You and submit to You. Amen.

WED 18 JUNE

WE’RE ALL SINNERS

READ Psalm 51:5-6 1 John 1:1-10

FOCUS I know I’ve been a sinner ever since I was born. I’ve been a sinner ever since my mother became pregnant with me.

Psalm 51:5

We had just heard about a dear friend who had not just tripped into sin: he had dived headfirst into a secret pattern of behaviour many years earlier and had lived a double life for decades. One of my friends sighed with sadness: ‘I don’t know how he did it’, she said. ‘I could never do such a thing.’

Alarm bells went off immediately, because I think we fool ourselves when we believe we are above a certain temptation. This is surely why we are told to watch when we stand, lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:12). The stark news is we are all sinners. I preached that obvious truth once and was immediately confronted by a member of the congregation who insisted it was not so; now that we were saved, he said, we should not refer to ourselves any longer as those who struggle with the sinful condition.

But the Bible makes it clear: not only have all sinned (Rom. 3:23), but the struggle against sin continues, as Paul testified (Rom. 7:14-25).

St. Augustine taught this is a primary truth for us all to understand. As he put it, ‘The beginning of knowledge is to know oneself to be a sinner.’ This doesn’t give us an excuse to sin but helps us realise our continued vulnerability.

David does not use the truth that he was born in sin as an excuse, but as a means of understanding. He realises that fallen people fall easily – it’s our natural bent, without the help of God. Let’s guard our hearts and never presume we will not be tempted and will not succumb.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that, through You, there is power over sin. Help me know my vulnerabilities and so be on my guard.

Amen.

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THUR 19 JUNE

MORE THAN FORGIVEN

READ Psalm 51:7 Hebrews 12:1-3

FOCUS Make me pure by sprinkling me with hyssop plant. Then I will be clean. Wash me. Then I will be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51:7

GOING DEEPER

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It’s possible for us Christians to live for years chained to one sinful pattern. We ask for forgiveness ten thousand times and yet the same predictable pattern emerges through decades. Surely the reasons for this are complex, and yet there is perhaps a hint of why that might happen here, as David not only asks the Lord to forgive him for his sin, but to cleanse him from it. This is not a man who treats God like a fast food solution, picking up a bag of forgiveness at the counter today and then carelessly repeating the same sin tomorrow.

Of course, forgiveness is continually available when we repeatedly stumble, but David’s prayer shows that he didn’t just want pardon – he sought inner transformation, a renewed heart. ‘Cleanse’ is a term that comes from the tabernacle ritual. Those who came into God’s presence to worship Him had to be clean.

David is comparing himself to a filthy garment that needs to be thoroughly washed. And the reference to hyssop is telling. According to the Levitical law, hyssop alone could cleanse one from contact with a corpse (Num. 19:18) or from the defilement of leprosy (Lev. 14:4).

David recognizes his behaviour has been nothing short of deathly.

Here is a radical approach to sin – recognising what it is, we ‘throw off everything that hinders’ – a reference to determined athletes who ran naked in the Olympics rather than be held back (Heb. 12:1). We all want to be forgiven – but do we want to be changed?

Prayer: Lord, help me to come, not only for forgiveness, but also for cleansing and renewal by Your Spirit. Amen.

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FRI 20 JUNE

A NEW DAWN

READ 2 Samuel 12:14-25 Psalm 51:8-19

FOCUS So the Lord sent a message through the prophet Nathan.

It said, ‘Name the boy Jedidiah.’

2 Samuel 12:25

Sometimes we can feel so ashamed, we define our whole lives by our worst moments.

We look back at our failures as friends, spouses, parents or leaders, and feel we are forever tagged with a label hastily scrawled in a mad moment of sin. But with God, there’s always hope. Despite the adulterous (and murderous) roots of David’s marriage to Bathsheba, they produce another son, Solomon. Then another prophetic message comes from Nathan. David may have feared another pronouncement of judgment and death. But this time, it is word of God’s ‘private’ name for the child called Soloman – Jedidiah.

It was common for kings to have two names, and the name means ‘loved by the Lord’ and is formed from a word often used in baby talk. David’s own name comes from the same root word. Joy and gladness had come again (Psa. 51:8).

Judgment and death had filled David’s days, but now God comforts David with gentle, wooing words that reveal great tenderness.

And these were words that would later encourage David that Solomon was indeed his rightful successor to the throne – a belief that would later be contested (1 Kings 1:5-27).

Perhaps some of us are in a situation right now which began badly. There’s nothing that we can do to extract ourselves from what was not the best when it began, but now we want to serve the Lord today. Let’s know that God is able to bless and redeem even that which started with sin. He speaks tenderly and offers us fresh hope.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your loving kindness. Help me find Your perfect love in situations that began imperfectly. Amen.

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WEEKEND 21 - 22 JUNE

A PURE HEART

READ Psalm 51:8-12 Ezekiel 36:24-27

When I first became a Christian, I spent a lot of time trying to look and sound like a turbo-charged disciple. In the lovely church where I was converted, people often used to pepper their everyday speech with words of thanksgiving. ‘Praise the Lord’ and ‘Hallelujah’ came naturally to us. So determined was I to fit in, I would practise my ‘Praise the Lords’ at home in front of the mirror, so that when Sunday came, I would fit in with my new friends.

It didn’t take long to learn that being a follower of Jesus is far more than just looking the part or even doing the right things. The Christian message is not just about bad people starting to do good things, but an invitation to a heart transplant, where God works on us on the inside, with wonderful fruit appearing in our lives as a result. God wants nothing less than internal revolution and transformation for every one of us who love him (Rom. 12:1-2).

David, painfully aware of his own fragilities, also prays for a ‘steadfast spirit’: he asks God for a heart that will stay faithful in the heat of temptation, one that will not waver when severely tested. This is the same attitude behind the request of the Lord’s prayer (Matt.

6:13): ‘Lead us not into temptation’ or, as it’s put in The Message, ‘Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.’

Perhaps we all know how to fake it occasionally and appear better than we are.

But God is looking for the real thing: heart change, by His hand.

To ponder: What does God think about spiritual ‘fakery’?

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MON 23 JUNE

REDEEMER

READ Psalm 51:13-19 Luke 22:31-34

FOCUS Then I will teach your ways to those who commit lawless acts. And sinners will turn back to you.

Psalm 51:13

Sometimes I listen to Christian leaders preach and they appear so together, so holy, they depress me. They seem to have boundless faith, bionic prayer lives, and hear God’s voice fifty times a day. I’m not like that. I’m more encouraged when I hear about people talk about navigating through the struggles of life.

Failure can be a teacher.

No one wants to fail. It was never God’s intention that David ended up in the moral quagmire with Bathsheba: two lives lost, a marriage shattered, the royal throne bloodied.

But we saw earlier that God can bring life and strength even out of brokenness and chaos.

Even some of our shameful experiences can be used for blessing, as we pass on to others some of what we have learned as a result.

Jesus encouraged Peter that this principle would work in his life – even before Peter made the huge mistake of denying his Lord.

Jesus looked beyond that, to when Peter would use his shadowy experiences to teach others to avoid the same pitfalls: ‘When you have turned back, help your brothers to be strong’ (Luke 22:32). But if we are going teach others and use our mistakes to do so, we will have to be real. Vulnerability is costly; we feel embarrassed as we confess our fragilities.

Others can use our confession of weakness against us, insisting that we are unworthy of respect. But probably only those who are willing to share their battle stories – and show their scars – are able to help others in the fight.

Prayer: Help me to share not only my stories of victory, but of failure and defeat, that others might be strengthened. Amen.

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TUES 24 JUNE

THE CON MAN

READ 2 Samuel 15:1-37 Romans 16:17-19

FOCUS Absalom did that to all... who came... with their... claims.

That’s why the hearts of the people were turned toward him.

2 Samuel 15:6

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David becomes a fugitive yet again, forced to flee from his son Absalom. So how did all of this family chaos start? David didn’t help. He was a negligent parent. Angry at the rape of his daughter by his son (2 Sam. 13:21), he did nothing about it. When Absalom went into exile after killing Amnon the rapist, still David didn’t bring Absalom back for three years.

Even when he returned to Jerusalem, he was barred from his father’s presence for a further two years (2 Sam. 14:28). David refused to act when he should, to correct, to reconcile, to comfort.

So Absalom set his heart on his father’s crown, working hard over a four-year period, undermining his father’s integrity, suggesting he was an uncaring despot (2 Sam. 15:3). He planted seeds in people’s minds of what might be if only he was king, and kissed them (a salute signifying they were equal to him).

He established himself as ‘one of the boys’ – truly, the people’s prince.

I have met people just like that in churches.

They smile, are subtle, but gradually they divide. With flattery and accusation, these people spread a rot. Like Absalom, they are patient in their work, biding their time, just waiting for the day of downfall to come. And it’s not just in the church that we need to beware.

All so-called con men are nice: they smile and promise much. That’s why people are taken in: they have confidence in the person who seeks to defraud them. Let’s beware.

Prayer: Grant me discernment Lord. Help me not to be taken in by those who plot evil.

Amen.

WED 25 JUNE

A DEEP WOUNDING

READ 2 Samuel 16:1-23 Psalm 3:1-3 FOCUS You spilled the blood of a lot of people in Saul’s family... Now the Lord... has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom.

2 Samuel 16:8

GOING DEEPER

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Anyone in Christian leadership will experience criticism: it comes with the calling. Healthy churches will always be places where conflict happens and people with diverse opinions clash. But that can go too far.

A sermon I preached at a well-known Christian conference had included moments of fun, with some illustrations that had prompted laughter. But I soon learned one of my fellow preachers was very unhappy with my communication style – and his words chilled me. ’Tonight was blasphemous, Jeff. You’re guilty of stealing the glory of God.’ He didn’t have to like my approach – but he pummelled me with the suggestion that God’s judgement was upon me.

Over the last few months, there have been times when we have considered the damaging power of words – remember how David had likened some of the words spoken by his enemies as ‘sharp swords’. Now, as he goes through a season where he rightly feels surrounded by those who would do him harm – including being pelted with stones by a rather deranged chap – David’s tormentors insist that God Himself has become his enemy, and that Absalom’s treachery is the result of judgement. Shimei’s words must have been devastating – David sobs out his pain in Psalm 3, which, according to the superscription, was written during this dark season: 'Many are saying about me, “God will not save him”’ (Psa. 3:2).

Let’s disagree agreeably, and be measured in our words when conflict arises.

Prayer: Lord, when I disagree, help me to do so with grace: be quick to listen, slow to anger, cautious with any words. Amen.

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THUR 26 JUNE

AN OLD GRUDGE

David is confident that when he talks to God – the Lord hears him and answers. ‘I call out to the Lord. He answers me from His holy mountain’ (Psa 3:4). Sadly, David was at a stage in his life when the words he spoke to men went unheeded – his orders no longer carried weight. The Bible is at pains to let us know that David’s orders were very clear and heard by all. Despite that, Joab cut down Absalom like a dog. Joab treated the outcast king like he was non-existent; there’s little dignity here, as David is ignored.

As the hapless Absalom dangled from a tree, Joab’s three javelins and then his ten armour-bearers finished him off. They beat him to death, and then threw his body into a makeshift, unmarked grave.

READ 2 Samuel 18:1-33 Psalm 3:4

FOCUS The king gave an order to Joab, Abishai and Ittai.

He commanded them, ‘Be gentle with the young man Absalom. Do it for me.’

2 Samuel 18:5

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This was not the first time Joab had done things behind David’s back. He and his brother Abishai, out of personal vendetta, had murdered Abner, Saul’s general, without David’s knowledge or permission (2 Sam. 3:30). But Joab also had a grudge to settle with Absalom, who, upon his return from exile in Geshur, had set Joab’s fields on fire (2 Sam. 14:30). Joab was the type who did dirty things for David but also dirty things to him. The sight of David, hoping against hope that his son would be spared, and speculating desperately that the messengers from the battlefield are bringing him good news, is poignant. But his hopes would be dashed by the vengeful Joab.

Bitterness is a terrible blight. Let’s not let it get into our souls.

Prayer: Uproot any root of bitterness that is in me, God. Save me from the rage that bitterness creates. Amen.

FRI 27 JUNE

CHALLENGED BUT CALM

READ 2 Samuel 19:1-43 Psalm 3:5-8 FOCUS Say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my own flesh and blood? From now on you will be the commander of my army in place of Joab.’

2 Samuel 19:13

GOING DEEPER

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When David speaks about tens of thousands drawn up against him, he wasn’t exaggerating.

Even as his homecoming is about to take place, he will yet face more revolts and treachery. And he is also overwhelmed with grief for Absalom. As our time considering his life begins to draw to a close, we don’t see a man living in a peaceful dotage. His problems were many. But he recovers some dignity, and we see him acting with great wisdom.

He consolidates and honours his long-term friendships, with people like Zadok and Abiathar, who were loyal servants to David.

They were the ones who wanted to stay with him when he was forced to leave the city of Jerusalem during Absalom’s revolt, but were sent back to become David’s informants.

David is still politically astute. He promises his nephew Amasa that he will replace Joab – a shrewd move, which punished Joab and helped to unite the kingdom under David’s rule. Amasa had been commander of Absalom’s army; so by making Amasa his commander, David would secure the allegiance of his enemy, his deceased rebel son’s army. David was magnanimous too – to Shimei, son of Gera – who had pelted him with stones and insults.

The landscape for David was far from peaceful, and yet he once again begins to rule wisely and well. Sometimes, when we’re surrounded by problems, we don’t pay attention to details and excuse sloppy behaviour because we’re overwhelmed. Let’s take a leaf out of David’s book.

Prayer: Lord, help me to think clearly, choose wisely, and live faithfully even when I feel challenged on every side. Amen.

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WEEKEND 28 - 29 JUNE

SUSTAINED

READ Psalm 63:1-11 2 Timothy 4:1-8

Before we conclude, let’s review a little. Even in power, David suffered. Absalom’s treachery forced him to run for his life, a fugitive in the Judean wilderness. While we can’t be sure, some commentators believe this was another psalm that came out of that terrible season.

We recall that decades earlier, David was forced into a fugitive’s life, constantly on the run from the mad Saul. Although he had refused to kill the crazed king, and lamented Saul’s death along with the death of Jonathan, David must have felt relief when those days ended. But then in his later years, the same pattern was repeated – although this must have been worse. Saul was not immediate blood family, but Absalom was his son. And then, in the early days, David had been a shepherd boy, used to a basic lifestyle and certainly spending a lot of time outdoors.

Now he has been used to living in palatial surroundings, endowed with great authority.

All of that was stripped away as he was forced to live a nomadic life, often an object of derision (2 Sam. 16:5-14). David must have thought he was free from such danger – and then he was once again having to escape.

Some readers are dealing with pain that has spanned decades. There seems to be no end to the uphill climb that you endure, and you do so with a determination to trust God and continue, like David, to look for him like a thirsty man in the desert. Your faith is great.

Thank you for trusting in God for the long haul.

To ponder: Think of one lesson that God taught you in the ‘wilderness’ seasons of your life.

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MON 30 JUNE

LAST WORDS

READ 2 Samuel 23:1-7 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

FOCUS ‘I am David, the son of Jesse...

The Most High God has greatly honoured me.

The God of Jacob anointed me as king.’

2 Samuel 23:1

As we come to David’s final words, we look beyond the psalms. In reflecting on this passage, I’ve wondered – what might I want my final words on this earth to be? Apparently, Leonardo da Vinci was overly modest, saying, ‘I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.’ I think anyone who has viewed his work would disagree.

David, looking back over a turbulent life, identifies himself as the son of Jesse. At his ending, his beginning is remembered. And perhaps that’s not a bad principle for us to embrace – to never forget what we were and where we came from before we met Jesus.

David’s humble lineage is recalled, and the truth that he was anointed by God for his calling is celebrated – but despite his humble beginnings, he became the hero of Israel, and all because of God’s help. And notice too that Jacob is mentioned here. Just as Jacob was raised up by God to birth a nation, so David was called to be the best king that nation ever had.

We are not what we are because of our breeding or circumstances of our birth; instead we are shaped by the purposes of God for our lives. And just as David was used as a conduit for the Spirit of God to speak through, so we are called not to just do our best for God, but to allow God to do His work through us. Let’s never forget where we came from, and never forget who walks with us and lives in us.

As always, thank you for journeying with me.

Prayer: Thank You for taking me from my past, and making me what I am, and will become, Lord. Amen.

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NEXT TIME: REDISCOVERING JESUS Here’s a challenging statement: not one of us has a complete picture of who Jesus is. While we have clear revelation of Him in scripture, our perception of Him is a patchwork quilt made up of our life experiences, sermons we’ve heard, conversations we’ve had, worship songs we’ve sung. Every single one of us needs to ask for a fresh revelation of the real Jesus.

Join Jeff next time as we look at portraits of Him in Matthew’s gospel, and pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to discover His beauty afresh!

Sometimes the challenges of life render us speechless.

We just don’t know how to pray. In this edition of Life with Lucas, we consider some of the songs correlate with the trials and tribulations of the fragile Old Testament hero, David. Let’s find strength and encouragement when we encounter this truth - that life is what we get when we expected something else...

Life with Lucas is written by Jeff Lucas, an international author, speaker, broadcaster and coach. Married to Kay, his passion is to equip the Church with biblical, practical Bible teaching, marked by vulnerability and humour.

Jeff is a best-selling author of 34 books, and broadcasts weekly on Premier Christian Radio.

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