From the Kitchen Table

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 80

But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
⁴ Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

1 Samuel 20:3-4

Don’t bind yourself to emotional decisions.  It seems funny that we would be talking about this as believers, but the enemy’s favorite tool is our flesh.  We can’t afford to let our lives become captive to emotional decisions.  Emotions of feelings are God given and powerful for letting us know what we’re touching or what’s touching us, but they can’t be trusted in the final decision.  Johnathon was emotionally attached to his friend and his father.  That’s nice, but David’s future hung in the balance.  This decision had to be evidential, not emotional.  Destiny was at stake.  It usually is.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 79

Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?” t lo

1 Samuel 20:1

The first step to solving a problem is to clarify the problem.  God has created us to solve problems.  It’s all part of ruling and reigning with Christ on this earth and bringing heaven’s will here.  It’s difficult because we must confront issues and individuals in the process.  Failure to confront issues will lead to paranoia surrounding problems.  Because of God’s love, we know there is a solution to all our problems.  But love operates in truth, and we must be willing to deal with the truth, or we won’t come up with any saving solutions. 

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 78

Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. ¹⁹ It was told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”

 1 Samuel 19:18-19

Who ya gonna call?  Reach up, not down.  We reach down when we want sympathy.  We reach up when we want success. Saul never reached up, but David always reached up.  Go to someone more mature, more successful, more challenging, and look for someone who is more spiritual in all those areas.  Read this story in 1 Samuel 19:18-24; it’s an amazing story.  God has His own way of solving problems and they are bigger and better thoughts than you have.  Reach up, not down.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 76

¹¹ Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.”

 1 Samuel 19:11

There’s a Proverb that says, Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, 25 Or you will learn his ways
And find a snare for yourself. (Proverbs 22:24-25)   Never take anger and resentment for granted.  Unless these things are surrendered to God, they will escalate, and you could find yourself in the crosshairs.  Don’t accept that way of life as normal.  What is accepted as normal becomes adopted as natural.  Anger, hate, and shame will never bring rest to our souls.  Only faith in the love of God can do that.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 75

When there was war again, David went out and fought with the Philistines and defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled before him. ⁹ Now there was an evil spirit from the LORD on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing the harp with his hand. ¹⁰ Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.                                      1 Samuel 19:8-10

Never forget that dealing with a person and dealing with a spirit are two different things.  You can deal with a person, but you can’t deal with a spirit.  Spirits, created by God but departed from God, can never be trusted.  People who have them can’t be trusted either.  Where there is agreement, there is authority, and the person with an evil spirit has come into agreement to cohabitate with that spirit or spirits.  The best way to stay away from their influence is to not give yourself away to them.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 74

Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death.” ⁷ Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as formerly.

 1 Samuel 19:6-7

A true friend is the voice of reason and responsibility.  A friend you can trust is someone who can read the room, is self-aware, and can be the voice of reason.  That sort of friend requires a certain amount of maturity. Not only was Jonathan a friend, but David was also a friend, and he too, could read the room, know who his real friends were, and trust the right people.  Selfish people never really get to this stage because they are only aware of their wants, needs, and fears.  If God is your friend, He will make you a friend of good friends.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 73

Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you

1 Samuel 19:4

Friendship is measured by faithfulness.  Faithfulness is one of the most precious gifts you will ever get.  Of course, to enjoy true friendship, one must be a true friend.  Faithfulness is one of the most precious gifts you’ll ever give.  A true friend speaks up, shows up, and stands up for the other.  Jesus called His disciples friends in John 15. It’s that friendship that propelled the gospel around the world.  Churches don’t need the fog & lights but rather friends and love to make a difference in this life and world.   

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 70

Then the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.

1 Samuel 18:30

It’s difficult for this universe to deal with people like David, who went in and out wisely.  He wasn’t moved by the emotions, thoughts, or demands of the flesh; he was moved by God and His love.  Once you begin to understand the love of God, you will begin walking in the wisdom of God.  There’s always a win in the wisdom of God.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 69

When Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, ²⁹ then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David’s enemy continually.

1 Samuel 18:28-29

Living in the favor of the Lord rather than owing favors to man threatens this world order.  You can’t manipulate God, and you can’t manipulate people who live in the favor of God.  In fact, it’s easy to love those who live in the love of God.  And in the kingdom of God there is always so much favor that there is always so much to share with others.  There’s even more to come, but don’t let anyone cause you to owe them a favor; rather, live in the favor of God and share His favor with them.

The Kitchen Table Devotions

David Day 68

When his servants told David these words, it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the days had expired ²⁷ David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife

1 Samuel 18:26-27

There are opportunities and there are offers.  Be ready for opportunity but be wary of offers.  Saul offered David the privilege of being his son-in-law.  David would have been indebted to Saul.  David wanted the opportunity to prove himself, earn his way, and have the freedom to live life on God’s terms in God’s favor with God’s freedom.  The devil loves deals, but God’s people love discernment because they would rather live free rather than owe favors.