Scripture:
1 Samuel 24:1-7
Tue, 5 October 2021

What Is the Lord Saying (2)?

Observation:

What can we learn about hearing God speaking to us?

Deeper Reflection
SAUL WAS RELIEVING himself in the “cave” where David and his men were (v.3). Both David and his men recognised the hand of Divine Providence in this seeming coincidence. God speaks through His providence. But what was the divine providence saying to David? David’s men claimed to have heard God speaking: “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you” (v.4). And furthermore, they claimed to have heard God speaking very specifically: “Behold, I am about to give your enemy into your hand and you shall do to him as it seems good to you” (v.4) – that is, God had given David a golden opportunity to rid Saul once and for all.12 If one claims to have heard God speaking with such specificity, it would be assumed that that person has heard God’s voice very clearly. David took it from his men that God had indeed spoken. He sneaked forward stealthily, but somehow, he “cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly”, instead of killing him (v.4). Certainly, there was the unseen divine restraint on David, for David’s “conscience bothered him because he cut off the edge of Saul’s robe” (v.5). No audible divine voice, but David heard clearly God speaking: “You shall not kill Saul” (v.6). What David heard rightly from God was directly opposite to what his men claimed to have heard. The certainty and confidence that we have in hearing God’s voice may in reality be just self-confident presumptuousness. Let us be humbly careful in this matter.
12 Ronald F. Youngblood, 746
Application:

How can I hear God speaking to me with certainty and confidence?

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 pastors and staff: To hear God speaking in His way and in His time
  • Pray for significant people:
  • Pray for those in need:
  • Pray for self:

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 10:11-12, 14-19
Tue, 26 September 2023

A Man of High Esteem

Observation:

What significant observations can you make about Daniel being called “man of high esteem” (vv.11, 19)?

Deeper Reflection
One of the heavenly beings called Daniel “man of high esteem” (v.11). This honour was bestowed on Daniel emphatically, in that it was repeated twice (v.19). This “high esteem” did not come from man, but from God Himself. God gave this honour to Daniel toward the end of his life when God called him to “enter into rest” (Dan 12:13). As a youth, Daniel “made up his mind not to defile himself with the king’s choice food” (Dan 1:8), and as an old man, he was faithful to God in spending time with Him in his “three times a day” devotion, even if it means to be thrown into the lions’ den (Dan 6:10). Daniel was finishing well in his life with “humbling yourself before your God” (v.12). When we think of finishing well in terms of successful accomplishments, we must be careful that we are not exalting ourselves.It is not for us to see ourselves in any way as a person of high esteem before God. It is for God to say that to us (2 Cor 10:17-18). Daniel never saw himself as a “man of high esteem”. A key emphasis in Daniel 10 is Daniel being greatly overwhelmed by the holiness and glory of God represented by the heavenly being with an awesome appearance (Dan 10:5-10, 15-18). And it was in this encounter with God when he was called “man of high esteem” that Daniel said, “How can such a servant of my Lord talk with such as my Lord?”50 (v.17). The man highly esteemed by God saw his unworthiness before God.
50 I have theologically translated “my lord” to “my Lord”, since the heavenly being is a representation of God.
Application:

What does being highly esteemed by God mean to me?

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 pastors and staff: To be able to see oneself as God sees
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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