Title: The Living and Speaking God
Contents
▒▒▒▒ 1 Samuel 23:1~14
Before Joshua took the land of Gibeon, he was preparing in Gilgal. At that time, strangers in shabby clothes came to Joshua in Gilgal and said, “I want to serve Jehovah God in this land with you.” Joshua accepts them and allows them to live in the land. But it turned out that they were the Gibeonites who came in hiding under the guise of loving God. About this, God speaks to Joshua and the people of Israel. “You did not pray to me.”
News came to Saul that David was in Keilah. When Saul heard the news, he thought it was a rat with a single eye. And he rejoices that God has given him David. But, is this the opportunity God has given him? It is King Saul's duty to deliver Israel from the Philistines. However, he is plotting to kill David, considering his will as an opportunity given by God rather than trying to figure out the will of God given to him and doing it. This is the same as Jesus saying in Matthew's Gospel, "Lord, not everyone who says, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father will enter."
When Saul hears that David is in Keilah, he sets out to Keilah. Before that, David prays to God. “God, is it true that Saul is bringing an army to kill me?” And he said, “I have rescued the people of Keilah from the hand of the Philistines. Will they also protect me from the hand of Saul?” Then God said, “When Saul attacks, the people of Keilah will hand you over to Saul. So you leave Keilah.” Says. So David left Keilah and fled to a wasteland called Sib. When Saul came to Keilah with an army to arrest David, David had already left. God protected David, who prayed every day. On the other hand, he was not like Saul, who did not pray, considering his will as God's.
Ladies and gentlemen, if we don't pray every day, we can call on God's name even as we go astray. Jesus said to us, “Lord, not everyone who says “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. In Acts 16, the way the apostle Paul went to preach the gospel was blocked. The apostle Paul was frustrated. Paul sees a vision while praying to God. A Macedonian appears and begs for help. After seeing the vision, Paul changed his mind. Breaking the frame of thinking that we should preach the gospel on the Asian continent, we boarded a ship and headed for Europe as the Macedonians had instructed us. Then he went to Philippi through Neabpolis, preached the gospel and established a church. That church became the first church to be established in Europe, and it became an important opportunity for the gospel to pass from Asia to Europe.
Everyone, everyone says that 2009 is difficult. But please pray to God every day, every time. Then God will show you a special way.
2009-03-28 09:53:59