Scripture:
1 Samuel 25:2-3, 36-38
Wed, 13 October 2021

The Timely Providence of God (1)

Observation:

What is the significance of the narrator telling the story of 1 Samuel 25 by beginning with Nabal (vv.2-3) and ending with Nabal (vv.36-38)?

Deeper Reflection
1 SAMUEL 25 is a long narrative “with little explanation by the narrator himself”28. The narrative is dominated by human speeches (27 verses out of 44) and human actions. A theocentric reading of the narrative would ask, “Where is God in the story?” God is mentioned 14 times, primarily as “the LORD”, of which 13 times are in the speeches of Abigail and David. But it does not necessarily mean that whenever God is mentioned in a human speech, God is rightly presented and truly represented. An example is, when Saul saw an opportunity to kill David at Keilah, he interpreted it as “God has delivered him into my hand” (1 Sam 23:7). We need to be careful that our presentation of God in our speech and our interpretation of God in events are true and right. The story of 1 Samuel 25 is told around a problem created by a problematic person: Nabal. But the dominant note of 1 Samuel 25 is the timely providence of God. 1 Samuel 25 begins with the introduction of the “very rich” but “harsh and evil” Nabal (vv.2-3), and ends with “the LORD struck Nabal” (v.38) – the only time that God is mentioned in a divine act, by which the narrator tells us that God is behind the whole story. In 1 Samuel 25, God in His providence intervened to rescue David from a problem that he was about to create for himself: hasty vengeance and bloodshed (1 Sam 25:13).
28 Dale Ralph Davis, 257
Application:

How do I go about presenting or representing God rightly and truly in my speech?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise:
  • Pray for leaders:
  • Pray for married couples: To communicate with each other in godly ways
  • Pray for those in need:
  • Pray for self:

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 10: 4-19
Sat, 30 September 2023

Strengthened by the Divine Touch

Observation:

What is the significance of the repetition of the terms “strength” and
“strengthen” in Daniel’s encounter with God (vv.8, 16, 17, 18, 19)?

Deeper Reflection
When God sent His Word to Daniel in a vision, it was he “alone saw” the “great vision” (vv.7-8). It was a special privilege of divine sovereign grace. The vision was also a vision of God’s holiness and glory manifested in the awesome appearance of a heavenly being (vv.5-6). Daniel was so utterly overwhelmed by the divine vision, that “no strength was left in me” (v.8). The description, “no strength”, is emphatically repeated four times in Daniel’s encounter with God (vv.8, 16, 17). We may not experience such an utterly overwhelming encounter with God like Daniel’s, but we do experience “no strength was left in me” in utterly overwhelming adversities like being “afflicted in every way” (2 Cor 1:8; 4:8-9).When we have “no strength”, we need the divine touch. God responded to Daniel’s fourfold “no strength” with a threefold divine touch (vv.10, 16, 18): He “touched me again and strengthened me”. When we are so greatly afflicted, that we feel no strength is left in us, and yet we persevere in faithfulness, it is because we are being “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of great endurance and patience” (Col 1:11). Note the intensity and immensity of this divine power at work in us! This is the divine touch of “the surpassing greatness of power” from God (2 Cor 4:7-9). But we feel the physical and emotional pains more than the Spiritual power. The greater is our suffering, the greater will be the strength from God in us, and the greater will be our steadfastness in God.
Application:

What is my experience of the Word of God and spiritual warfare like in my
discipleship journey?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for Church Board: To know God’s power that is perfected in weaknesses
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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