Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 97, 1 Samuel 23-24
Category: Faith
Fear God, Not Men – 1 Samuel 21-22 – 2025 Day 308
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 96, 1 Samuel 21-22
Samuel 21 begins with David running to Ahimelech, the priest. That’s a great place to start, but it goes downhill quickly as David tells one lie after another. Before fleeing to the Philistine city of Gath, Goliath’s hometown, David asked the priest for a spear or a sword because he’d “brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required taste” (1 Samuel 21:8). More lies.
What has happened to David’s faith?
What happened to the David who said, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with the javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts the god of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45)?!
What happened to David wanting all the earth to know that there is a God in Israel and all the Israelites to know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s?! (1 Samuel 17:46-47)
Friends, our flesh is so weak. Now is the time to prepare for that day when persecution comes, when someone is pursuing us. Are you prepared to stand?
Who do you fear more? God … Or man?
Today, November 2, 2025, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), is a great day to consider these questions.
Let me recommend the video series, PREPARE TO STAND, with Andrew Brunson who was imprisoned in Turkey for two years for his faith.
Heavenly Father, we lift up our persecuted brothers and sisters to You. Give them strength when they are weak. Protect them from the enemy’s schemes. Grow our faith, Father. Help us when our faith is weak. Help us to remember Your power and faithfulness. Let us not trust in any earthly weapon – not weapons of human intellect or power or violence – but let us trust in the sword of Your Spirit, Your Word, which is mightier than the mightiest human sword. Help us to hide it in our hearts and meditate on it night and day. In the matchless name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen
God is BIGGER than Goliath – 1 Samuel 17 – 2025 Day 306
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 94, 1 Samuel 17
Goliath was big. God is bigger.
Goliath’s armor was strong. God’s armor is stronger.
Goliath’s spear was mighty. God’s sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is mightier.
Just like we shouldn’t judge little David by external appearances, we shouldn’t judge our circumstances by external appearances. Put on your armor, take up your sword, and get in the battle! Quit standing on the sidelines. Remember what David said to Goliath, āYou come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” 1 Samuel 17:45 ESV
Heavenly Father, help me to look at life through the lens of Scripture and truth, to remember that You are on my side. Thank you for that mighty sword that I hold in my heart and in my right hand. Remind me to use it. Thank you for that armor that is mine and fits me like a glove. Remind me to put it on. Hide me behind the cross. Shelter me under Your wings. You are my mighty fortress. I have nothing to fear.
To Obey is Better than Sacrifice – 1 Samuel 15 – 2025 Day 304
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 92, 1 Samuel 15.
āHas the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
1 Samuel 15:22 ESV
Am I as faithful to obey God in the little things, as I am to obey Him in the “big ones”?
- I go to church every week without fail, but am I as faithful in reaching out to a hurting neighbor or stranger in need?
- I read my Bible every single day, but am I as diligent in being patient and kind to my husband and children day after day?
- I answer each and every question in my Bible study workbook, but am I as conscientious in sharing the gospel and making disciples of the lost.
- I try to take every opportunity I have to teach others about the goodness of God, but am I as careful on praying without ceasing and seeking the Lord’s guidance in my own daily life.
There are some areas of my life that I find easier to obey than others. How about you? What is easier for you to obey and where do you struggle?
I think some of the things that are easier for me to obey are because they are more enjoyable for me. I simply enjoy reading and singing and studying more than I enjoy serving and listening and being kind. But I’m afraid that some of the things are easier for me because they are more visible. Other people see me at church. Other people hear me teaching or participating in Bible study. Ouch š³
Oh, Father, help me to live for Your “well done.” Protect me from seeking man’s praise rather than Your praise. I want to live for an audience of One. You are my perfect judge. Your opinion is what matters. Help me to trust and obey. Day by day. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
More Encouraging Scripture:
Galatians 1:10 ESV ā For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Colossians 3:22 ESV ā Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
Matthew 6:1-34
Nothing Can Hinder God from Saving – 1 Samuel 13-14 – 2025 Day 303
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 91, 1 Samuel 13-14
Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, āCome, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.ā
1 Samuel 14:6 ESV
Sometimes we stand in our own way. We set up our own road blocks. We refuse to step out in faith simply because the bridge before us seems too difficult to cross.
We need to remember that “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. God can do anything He pleases.
He has absolute authority over everything and everyone on earth. He can take down an army of thousands with two faithful men. He can slay a giant with one little stone. He can part the sea, and He can bring water out of a rock. He can bring manna out of the heavens, and He can make the fleece dry while the ground around it is wet.
Nothing is impossible with God.
He can save by angels. He can save by dreams. He can use ravens. He can use donkeys. He can send floods and earthquakes and hurricanes. He can work through the youngest of babies and the oldest of women.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Heavenly Father, give me the faith that I need to trust in You. Help me to get out of the boat and follow Your lead. Let me not put up road blocks by my unbelief. Make me like Abraham who was counted righteous because of his faith. May nothing cause me to doubt, for I know that You are able to save by many or by few. Indeed, nothing is impossible with You. In the Name of Jesus Christ who triumphed over sin, the devil, and the grave. Amen.
Luke 1:37 memory verse song
For the Sake of the Lord’s Great Name – 1 Samuel 12 – 2025 Day 302
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 90, 1 Samuel 12
A.W. Tozer’s book, “The Knowledge of the Holy,” published in 1961, is the only book I’ve read again and again, well, besides the Bible and C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series.
I’d love to just quote the whole first chapter entitled, “Why We Must Think Rightly About God” for you, but instead I’ll share a few sentences and urge you to get the book for yourself.
- “We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.”
- “Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence.”
- “All the problems of heaven and earth, though they were to confront us together and at once, would be nothing compared with the overwhelming problem of God: That He is; what He is like; and what we as mortal beings must do about Him.”
I was thinking about these ideas while reading 1 Samuel 12, especially this verse:
For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great nameās sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.
1 Samuel 12:22 ESV
We must ask ourselves questions like,
- Is there a God and what is He like?
- Does He exist for my pleasure or do I exist for His?
- Does He see me, know me, and care about me?
- Is He in charge or am I?
The answers to these questions are found, and must be found, in God’s Word rather than in our emotions, logical conclusions, or Google searches.
Heavenly Father, I believe that You are all-powerful and all-knowing and holy and righteous and good because Your Word and Your Creation confirm it. You have created me and redeemed me for Your pleasure, for Your Name’s sake. I want to live for Your glory. I want to glorify and magnify Your Name. Help me. Strengthen me. Enlighten me. Draw all men to Yourself that there would be a great cloud of witnesses praising You for all eternity. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Speak, Lord, for Your Servant Hears – 1 Samuel 3 – 2025 Day 296
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 84, 1 Samuel 3
Heavenly Father, You are the Lord, the only Lord, Supreme Ruler over heaven and earth, and I am Your servant. You created me. You redeemed me out of sin and out of the kingdom of the evil one. You bought me with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the unblemished, perfect Lamb of God. You own me. I am Yours.
Better is one day in Your presence than a thousand apart from You. I long to sit at Your feet. I long to hear from You. Speak to me, Lord. Speak truth into my soul. Speak peace into my mind. Speak life into my weary heart. Speak to me.
You have said that Your sheep hear Your voice, and they follow You. Make me an obedient, submissive, gentle sheep.
Help me to hear, to listen, to understand, to trust and obey. Keep my mind from distractions and confusion. Help me to be attentive to Your voice, especially when it is but a whisper while the world, my flesh, and the devil are shouting. Give me discernment to clearly recognize Your voice in the midst of the myriad of distractions, buried like land mines all around me.
Thank You for the pure milk, the pure light, the pure water, of Your Word. Fill me. Wash me. Guide me. For the glory of Your Name and the edification of Your body.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord, I pray. Amen.
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Blessings Hidden Just Around the Bend – Ruth 1 – 2025 Day 290
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 78, Ruth 1
[Naomi] said to [the women in Bethlehem], āDo not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?ā
Ruth 1:20-21 ESV
I wish I could tell Naomi not to lose hope, to trust that joy was just around the next bend.
I once heard God’s sovereignty compared to a stoplight which controls traffic in a construction zone. This light is provided to stop people from a head-on collision with oncoming traffic hidden by the bend in the road. Sometimes a person might be tempted to ignore this light, to just assume that no one is coming and give up waiting for the light to turn. As a loving God who knows the future, He asks us to wait on Him rather than barreling forward because of His great care for us.
The point was then made that God is good to not reveal the future to us for if we knew about the tragedy that lies just around the bend we would spend our lives fretting, rather than living each day in itself.
While I do wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment, I canāt help but recognize our human propensity to dwell on the negative, on the coming trial, rather than the coming joy. Several years ago, the Holy Spirit convicted me that when I spend my time fretting about what the future might hold, I end up missing out on having HOPE, trusting in God’s sovereign goodness, waiting expectantly for what hidden joy might lie just around the bend.
Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, āNow hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.ā (Romans 8:24-25) Remember, āNow faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.ā (Hebrews 11:1) If we could see what was just around the bend, whether tomorrow or a hundred years from now, then we would have no need for HOPE, no need for FAITH. God grows our faith, our trust in Him, by having us wait upon Him.
So, the next time when things look bleak and hopeless and we’re tempted to despair that all hope is lost, let’s remember that God holds the future and that He is worthy of our trust. May we be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
āMay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.ā Romans 15:13
āThe Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.ā Psalm 28:7
āCommit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.ā Psalm 37:5
āI wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.ā Psalm 130:5-7
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We All Need to be Redeemed – Ruth 3-4 – 2025 Day 289
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 77, Ruth 3-4
In April 1994, I was having another discussion about religion with a young man I was interested in. For the dozenth time, I was arguing with him about my inability to believe in a God that I couldn’t see with my eyes or touch with my hands. Suddenly, in a brief moment of humility, I asked a simple question, “What do you mean when you say, ‘saved’?” To me, “save” was a word associated with money and stray puppies, not college valedictorians. And for the first time I heard clearly explained the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Reading through the book of Ruth, I noticed the words redeem and redeemer over and over again. Do we as 21st-century adults understand what ‘redeemed’ means?
- Do we see our own lostness and wretchedness, our need for a counselor and guide to show us where to go and lead us by the hand to get there? Or do we think we already know all the answers, have already arrived, and don’t need anything beyond what hard work, Google, and the government can provide?
- Do we see ourselves as hopeless, helpless beggars, searching for a morsel of bread? Or do we see ourselves as wealthy, capable, able-bodied men and women in need of nothing and noone?
- Do we see our sinful nature and recognize our need for forgiveness and rebirth? Or do we think we’re good, decent people who’ve never killed anybody or done anything all that bad, especially compared to all the good things we’ve done?
Naomi, a Jew, and Ruth, a Moabite, both needed to be redeemed, and so do you and I.
Naomi and Ruth’s earthly lives were redeemed by their kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, but their eternal souls were redeemed by looking forward in faith to that sinless Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for their sins with His own sinless blood, something much more precious than all the gold and silver all the world over.
Have you been redeemed? Have you been washed in the blood of that Lamb?
Have your sins been fully paid for by Jesus, that spotless Lamb, when He was nailed to the cross 2,000 years ago?
Forgive me, God. I have sinned against You. I have broken Your commands more times than I can count. I knew I was wrong and I did it anyway. Wash me clean in the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please, I want to be made new. I need You, Heavenly Father, to make me new. Give me a new heart and new desires and new strength. Fill me with Your Spirit that I might live for You all the days of my life for Your glory and for my good. Amen.
Read more about redemption at Blue Letter Bible.
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Using God … Or Worshipping God? – Judges 17-18 – 2025 Day 282
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 70, Judges 17-18
It seems that Micah is about using God rather than serving Him. He wants a priest and an ephod and carved images, not so he can rightly know and love God, but so that he can get them to do what he wants.
God isn’t a genie in a lamp that we can rub when we want our wishes granted. God doesn’t live to do our bidding. We need to know God rightly, so we can worship Him rightly. Wrong beliefs lead to wrong actions. Every. Time.
Quit following your heart and start leading your heart to follow God. His ways are right. His ways are better. Every. Time.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your immense mercy and grace. You didn’t have to love me. You didn’t have to save me. But You did. Thank You. I want to serve You for You are worthy. Give me discernment to recognize what is good and what is evil, and give me the power to choose good. For the Glory of Your Name and Your Kingdom. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
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