A Decisive Woman
Read: 1 Samuel 25:14-22 Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master [Nabal] and against all his house. (v. 17) Who would you include in a list of biblical heroes who showed great courage and faith? No doubt the list would include Gideon, who attacked thousands of […]
A Bad-Tempered Man
Read: 1 Samuel 25:1-13 Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?” (v. 10) On the very first page of Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol, Dickens describes Ebenezer Scrooge as “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!” Dickens knew that if his story was going to engage his […]
An Embittered Woman
Read: 2 Samuel 6:12-23 [Michal] saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart. (v. 16) The book of Hebrews has good advice for Michal: “See to it that . . . no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Heb. 12:15). During a time […]
A Political Pawn
Read: 2 Samuel 3:12-21 One thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come. (v. 13) It’s easy for us to feel sympathy for Michal. She was used as a political pawn by her father, to be a “snare” for David (see […]
A Resourceful Wife
Read: 1 Samuel 19:4-18 Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” (v. 11) The ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu is credited with saying, “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.” Unfortunately for David, both his friends and his enemy were from the same […]
What is Martyrs’ Day in Uganda?
In the country of Uganda, June 3 is celebrated as Martyrs’ Day. You may not have heard of this day, but it will help you pray for the church in Uganda, and for the persecuted church around the world. What is Martyrs’ Day in Uganda? At Namugongo, just outside of Kampala, stands a memorial to […]
A Secret Enemy
Read: 1 Samuel 18:22-30 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually. (v. 29) To pretend to be someone’s friend even as you plan to betray them seems like the worst form of deception and treachery. Jesus knew this kind of betrayal himself. Judas Iscariot—his friend and disciple—kissed Jesus while revealing […]
June 2024 Prayer Guide
BHUTAN — A young mother from an indigenous tribe began sending one of her children to Words of Hope’s after school tutoring center in the area. She was delighted with the progress her child made academically and behaviorally as a result of attending the center. Staff at the center had the opportunity to share the […]
A Jealous King
Read: 1 Samuel 18:12-21 Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. (v. 12) In the classic children’s tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, we see an evil queen plotting against her stepdaughter—an innocent girl who has never harmed her in any way. The reason for the […]