DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE CARNAL AND THE SPIRITUAL

 THE CARNAL AND THE SPIRITUAL
Genesis 37:9a, 10a, 11
 
"Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers....So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him .... And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind."
 
Joseph was a God-conscious boy who had God-given dreams that predicted that his family would some day bow before him. His brothers were carnal and had no spiritual understanding, so they hated and envied him, and Joseph became separated and isolated from his brothers. Even his father had trouble accepting the spiritual significance of Joseph's dreams. Jacob had this conflict of the carnal and the spiritual in his own mind. As carnal Jacob, he rebuked his son; but as spiritual Israel, he pondered the meaning of these dreams. I wonder if Jesus experienced this separation and isolation in his earthly family as a child.  For sure, his brothers thought he was crazy.  The person who lives in the spiritual realm will always be in conflict with the carnal people around him and will end up separated and isolated and even hated by the world. The Apostle Paul wrote of this when he said, "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I Corinthians 2:14). So I should not think it strange when my spiritual views are in conflict with the carnal thoughts of the world, and even in my own family.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: There will always be conflict between the carnal and the spiritual.
 
[end]
 
Have a "spiritually minded" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A PERSONAL REVELATION

 A PERSONAL REVELATION
Genesis 37:5
 
"Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more."
 
God revealed truth to Joseph in a dream, but he was not wise to tell his brothers. They were not ready to hear Joseph's dream, and it only caused them to despise him more than ever. Not every revelation is for public consumption. There are things that God speaks to me personally that should be kept in my own heart between God and I, because not everyone can receive, understand, appreciate, or believe. I once earnestly shared how God had worked in my life with a gentleman who patiently listened, but he ended our conversation by saying, "That's good for you, but it means nothing to me." Even Jesus recognized this truth. He spoke in parables to the multitudes, but he explained them clearly only to his disciples because most people did not have ears to hear (Matthew 13:34-35; Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9-10). There was a woman who had a personal revelation which she tried to share with other people in the congregation, but they did not receive it. Her wise pastor counseled her to be like the mother of Jesus who "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). At the very least, I need to be perceptive and discriminating with whom I share my personal revelations.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Some spiritual truths are personal and should not be shared with others.
 
[end]
 
Have a discerning day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MOST FAVORED SON

 MOST FAVORED SON
Genesis 37:3-4
 
"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that he loved him ore than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him."
 
We have already seen the result of jealousy between Jacob's wives, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah. Now we see it in their sons. When the ten brothers saw that Joseph received preferential treatment from their father Jacob (Israel), they hated him. Jealousy and hard feelings are natural reactions to the feeling of being unloved, slighted, and left out of the loop. Even the disciples of Jesus showed traces of this jealousy against Peter, James, and John because Jesus seemed to favor them and give them special treatment. They were in the inner circle which left the others outside (See Mark 10:35-45.) Christians today are not immune to this disease. People get jealous when it seems that God blesses someone else more. Just because jealousy is natural does not make it right. What is the antidote to this problem? I think that having a servant-spirit is the answer. The servant has no expectations, so he cannot be angry because he does not receive what others get. If the Master wants to bless another servant more, that is His business. Lord, help me to have a servant's heart.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The answer to jealousy is servanthood.
 
[end]
 
Have a serving day.   Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TO TELL THE TRUTH

 TO TELL THE TRUTH
Genesis 37:2
 
"This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father."
 
The story of Joseph skips to his teenage years. He was working in the family business of raising sheep, along with some of his step-brothers. Two of these brothers, Dan and Naphtali, were sons of Rachel's maid, Bilhah. The other two, Gad and Asher, were sons of Leah's maid, Zilpah. These brothers were the result of the jealousy between Rachel and Leah (see Genesis 30:1-13 and 35:25-26). So there was some bad blood in the family and it affected the children. Apparently, the step-brothers were not doing a very good job at tending the flock, and Joseph told his father, Jacob. Scripture does not tell us of Joseph's motives, whether it was from spite because they were mistreating him, or if it was his sense of integrity that could not abide sloppy work. In any case, it did not help his relationship with his brothers. It is an age-old job-related question: Do I rat on my fellow-workers who are slack in the fulfillment of their duties? Or do I just swallow it in order to keep peace? There is no easy answer, but one thing is sure: the motive must be right. If I do report to the boss a co-worker's lack of diligence, I need to be prepared for the fall-out. WWJD?
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Integrity sometimes necessitates a bad report of co-workers, but it requires wisdom.
 
[end]
 
Have a discerning day. Love you.

THE FRUIT OF FAVORITISM

 THE FRUIT OF FAVORITISM
Genesis 33:1-2
 
"Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last."
 
Joseph was a young child when his father, Jacob, decided to return to his homeland after all the years in exile on the farm of his uncle, Laban. As he was traveling, he was met by his brother, Esau, who had vowed to kill him. Naturally, Jacob was afraid when he discovered that Esau had four hundred men with him because he was no match for such an army. So he arranged his family with the servant-wives and their children first, so that if there was any trouble, they would get the first assault. Next came Leah and her children, and lastly Rachel and Joseph. It is apparent that Rachel and Joseph were his most dearly beloved and he wanted to protect them. Joseph is the only child mentioned by name. I believe that this favoritism was not unknown by the rest of the family, and it marked the relationship of Joseph to his brothers for the rest of their lives. Jacob's favoritism toward Joseph is understandable because he loved Rachel more than the other women and their children, but that does not diminish the relational conflict and the bad fruit that resulted.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Familial favoritism yields bad fruit.
 
[end]
 
Have an "equal opportunity" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CHILDREN: OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

 CHILDREN: OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Genesis 29:22-24
 
"Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, 'God has taken away my reproach.' So she called his name Joseph, and said, 'The LORD shall add to me another son.' "
 
As we consider the life of Joseph, we need to remember his beginnings. Joseph was born into a rather dysfunctional family. His father, Jacob, was a deceiving, duplicitous, disingenuous liar, who nevertheless had a heart for God. His mother, Rachel, was Jacob's  second wife who was loved by Jacob but was an unhappy,  jealous, frustrated, nagging wife. Even after Joseph was born, she was not satisfied and wanted another son. As for birth order, Joseph had ten older step-brothers (and sisters) born to three other women. So he was an outsider at bottom of the pecking order. But God's purposes and callings do not depend family or birth situations. When a baby is born, we do not know how that child will be used of God to save a family or a nation from extinction. Every child brings the potential and the hope for the future. Who knows but that the next child born into our family will be God's prophet to our nation.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The birth of every child brings hope for the future.
 
[end]
 
Have a hopeful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- NOT INDISPENSABLE

 NOT INDISPENSABLE
I Kings 11:42-43
 
"And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead."
 
So we come to the end of our journey in the study of the life of King David. David died, and although Solomon had a long reign, no one lives forever. His death was the occasion of the breaking up of the nation that David and Solomon had built. Solomon's son, Rehoboam, became king. But there was another man, Jeroboam, who had rebelled against Solomon and eventually became ruler over ten tribes of Israel, leaving Rehoboam with the remnant (see I Kings 11:37-38). The fact is that I will die someday, and any kingdom that I have built will be distributed to others, whether to my children or someone else. I am not indispensable. The things that have marked my existence will disintegrate and disappear, leaving little trace. It is like the old illustration: if you drop a rock into a bucket of water, there may be a ripple for a few seconds, but the hole disappears. Life goes on and others will carry on without me, for good or ill. That's why it is so important to lay up treasures in Christ's kingdom instead of on this earth. His kingdom will last forever.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: No one is indispensable; life goes on.
 
[end]
 
Have a "dispensable" day.   Love  you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TRUE WISDOM

TRUE WISDOM
I Kings 2:12, 3:5, 9-12
 
"Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established .... At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, 'Ask! What shall I give you?' .... [Solomon answered,] "Give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil.' .... The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him. 'Because you have asked for this thing [wisdom] ... behold I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart.' "
 
Solomon was known far and wide for his wisdom. Even Jesus affirmed Solomon's wisdom (Matthew 12:42, Luke 11:31). His wise sayings are recorded in the book of Proverbs. But Solomon also wrote Ecclesiastes, which is a record of his sojourn into humanism – emptiness, emptiness, all is emptiness! So something went wrong, and his personal life did not exemplify wisdom. Wisdom is more than having knowledge of what is right. It is also living according to what is right, and that is a matter of choice. Solomon did not choose to live according to wisdom. He loved and married foreign wives who turned his heart after other gods, "and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God" (I Kings 11:1-8). Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it (Luke 11:28). It is not enough to know what is right; knowledge has to be demonstrated by doing. True wisdom is doing what I know is right. It is a matter of choice.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Wisdom is useless unless it results in wise living.
 
[end]
 
Have a wise day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE EULOGY

 THE EULOGY
I Kings 2:10
 
"So David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David."
 
It is David's funeral and time for the eulogy ("good word," from the Greek eu, good, and logos, word). I imagine all the great accomplishments of David were rehearsed – his boyhood exploits of killing a lion and a bear; his victory over Goliath; the achievements as king over Israel; or his legacy as a musician and song writer. I doubt that much was said of his failures. I've only been to one honest funeral where the family members spoke of what a rotten father the man was. So I don't suppose that much mention was made about David's moral debacle with Bathsheba, or his failure to discipline his sons, or other lapses during his lifetime. That's probably a good thing. But Scripture does not paint David as a paragon of sainthood, and gloss over his struggles. This is a real encouragement to me, because I am like David with some victories and some failures. God's eulogy called David "a man after My own heart" (Acts 13:22) in spite of his failures because of his love for God. Maybe there's hope for me. May my epitaph read, "He loved Jesus."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The most important remembrance of a person's life is his love for God.
 
[end]
 
Have a "loving Jesus" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A REAL MAN'S MAN

 A REAL MAN'S MAN
I Kings 2:1-4
 
"Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 'I go the way of all earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statues, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.' "
 
Now that Solomon was enthroned to take his place, David had a final charge to his son: "Be strong, and prove yourself a man." But what makes a man a real man? The world's image of manhood is athletic prowess, being in charge, being in control of his emotions ("real men don't cry"), and other external demonstrations of strength. In contrast, God's definition of a real man is one who walks in God's way with internal strength and integrity. The proof of his manhood is that he lives with strong godly convictions and self-discipline. He will be successful where it really counts – in God's eyes. That's what I wish for myself and for my children.
 
TODAY'S CONVICTION: A real man lives with inner strength rather than with external macho.
 
[end]
 
Have a "God's man (or woman)" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HERE WE GO AGAIN

 HERE WE GO AGAIN!
II Kings, 1:5-6
 
"Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, 'I will be king."; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, 'Why have you do so?' He was also very good looking. His brother had borne him after Absalom.)"
 
Deja Vu. We've been down this road before. Adonijah followed his brother Absalom's footsteps. Like Absalom, he was handsome, outgoing, persuasive; and he was proud, arrogant, and undisciplined by his father David. He was also presumptuous, ignoring all of David's other sons and especially Solomon, who was David's choice. By making himself king, he appropriated for himself a position that had not been granted to him. So he got others to follow himself, even though he was not David's choice nor God's choice. People tend to follow someone like Adonijah who is charismatic, good looking, and self-assured. But remember what God said when David was chosen by Samuel to be king – man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart (I Samuel 16:7). It is wise to beware of people who promote themselves, even if they seem to have great leadership qualities.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God's choice is not always man's choice.
 
[end]
 
Have a discerning day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OLD AGE

 OLD AGE
I Kings 1:1
 
"Now David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm."
 
David was experiencing the sunset years. The margin says he was 70 years of age. Old age has its positives and negatives. On the plus side, I get senior discounts, a slower life-style, no pressures at work, and I can blame all my foibles on my "advanced age." It also brings impaired mental and physical abilities as my body declines. David apparently had some circulatory problems that made him feel cold. His body was slowing down. I recognize that I can't do things I could do as a young person. But all things considered, I am enjoying my old-age. I live in the present with the days God has given me, and am looking forward to permanent "retirement" in heaven.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Old age brings perks and problems, but it just means that one is that much closer to heaven.
 
[end]
 
Have a "today" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CHINTZY WITH GOD

 CHINTZY WITH GOD
II Samuel 24:18, 22-23a, 24
 
"And Gad came that day to David and said to him, 'Go up, erect and altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite' .... Now Araunah said to David, 'Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems to good to him. Look, here are the oxen for burnt sacrifices and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.' .... Then the king said to Araunah, 'No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which costs me nothing.' So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."
 
Araunah had a good heart, but David knew that he needed to make a personal sacrifice to the LORD. He would not give to the LORD something that did not cost him anything. The temptation is always there to get chintzy with God – looking for the good deal, the easy way out, giving the least I that can, doing the minimum to still be a Christian. Jesus did not give us that option. He said I must sacrifice all to follow Him. "Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:33). He calls for whole-hearted devotion. I cannot cut corners and offer just enough of myself to get by and expect His blessing. Lord, help me to have a liberal heart.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Serving God requires sacrifice.
 
[end]
 
Have a sacrifical day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE SINS OF THE SHEPHERD

 THE SINS OF THE SHEPHERD
II Samuel 24:17
 
"Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, 'Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father's house.' "
 
How sad that the flock suffers because of the bad choices of the shepherd. My own heart is grieved when I think of the pain that I, as a shepherd of my family and the sheep of Christ's Church, have brought upon those under my care. O great Shepherd of the flock, have mercy on the innocent who have borne the consequences of my sin.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The sheep are affected by the indiscretions of the shepherd.
 
[end]
 
Have a mercy-filled day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

 UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
II Samuel 24:11
 
"Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's ser, saying, 'Go and tell David, "Thus says the LORD: 'I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.' " ' "
 
This is a strange story and I don't pretend to understand it all. David sinned, and God said he could choose the punishment for himself (note "yourself" and "you" in the verse). He chose three days of plague rather than seven years of famine or three months of war. I don't think that David intended for 70,000 innocent people to die for his sin (vs. 13). That is more than double the population of Sun City West, Arizona. And more would have died had not God in His mercy relented (vs. 16). All of that for a sin that seems innocuous to the human mind. But it was grievous to God. It is sad that innocent people pay the price for one man's sin. Leaders, especially,  must understand that their actions affect many innocent people under their rule. Sin does not affect only the perpetrator, but many other people. And sometimes those "other people" pay a great price. We don't often think about how our actions affect our neighbors.   No man lives to himself; his life – for good or bad – brings consequences on those around him. I know that God is merciful and forgives sin, but that does not always stop the unintended consequences that affect other people.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Sin brings consequences, and sometimes those consequences affect many innocent people.
 
[end]
 
Have a thoughtful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE TENDER HEART

 THE TENDER HEART
II Samuel 24:10
 
"And David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done foolishly.' "
 
It doesn't seem to me that taking a census of the people was such a big deal. After all, there was no explicit commandment prohibiting it. Yet David had a tender conscience and knew that he had offended God, and he knew the only way to free his conscience was repentance. Even if sin does not seem very great to the outside observer, a tender heart knows when it has offended God. "If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God" (I John 3:20-21). I know the feeling of a smitten conscience. How often I carry a guilty conscience when I could just take it to Jesus, get forgiveness, and restore my confidence toward God. There may be consequences for the sin, but having a clean conscience is more important. O Lord Jesus, keep my heart tender.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Even if other people do not call it sin, a tender conscience will know when
it has offended God.
 
[end]
 
Have a tender day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TRUSTING GOD

 TRUSTING GOD
II Samuel 24:1, 3
 
"Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, 'Go number Israel and Judah.' .... And Joab said to the king, ... 'Why does my lord the king desire this thing?' "
 
This is a good question. Why did David need to number the people? Joab had his faults, but he correctly zeroed in on the motive behind David's decree. There was no need for the census other than pride in the nation's strength and ability to defend themselves against the other nations instead of trusting God. I have the same problem. It is easy to take inventory of my own abilities, strengths, and resources and trust them instead of relying on God. There is a place for prudent assessment of my own state. Even Jesus said that if you are going to build a house, you need to make sure you have the resources to finish it. Or if you go to war, you need to make sure of your ability to win (see Luke 14:28-32). The problem is trusting my own abilities and resources rather than trusting God. If my confidence is in my retirement investments, it is misplaced trust because they can easily disappear. God is my source and I trust Him. After all, His strength is made perfect in my weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). He is more dependable than my own limited resources.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God wants us to trust Him rather than our own abilities.
 
[end]
 
Have a trusting day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MIGHTY MEN

 VALIANT WARRIORS
II Samuel 23:8, 39b
 
"These are the names of the mighty men whom David had ..... thirty seven in all."
 
Here is a listing of David's valiant soldiers who had proven themselves in battle. They were noted for their brave deeds. They were honored because they were faithful to their calling and did not run in the face of the enemy. Like Eleazer, who, when everyone else was retreating, arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand got so tired it stuck to his sword (vss. 9-10). Or Shammah, who stood in the middle of the field and fought when everyone else was fleeing (vss. 11-12). Or even Uriah the Hittite (vs. 39) who did not run but died in battle (remember Bathsheba's husband ?). I will never be famous or be on the short list of God's mighty, valiant warriors. But I do want to be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord (II Corinthians 15:58), even if everyone else around me retreats and runs, and even if it means death. God, help me to be a faithful soldier of the Cross.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Steadfastness in the face of the enemy while everyone else is retreating is the key to being a mighty man of God.
 
[end]
 
Have a faithful day. Love you.

HAPPY EASTER

 JESUS IS ALIVE!!!
 
The Bible proclaims it.

History confirms it.

Millions of lives validate it.
 
The Resurrection of Jesus is
    something to celebrate!

DAD'S RAMBLING -- FAMOUS LAST WORDS

 FAMOUS LAST WORDS
II Samuel 23:1
 
"Now these are the last words of David."
 
When I read David's last words, I sense some sorrow and a tinge of bitterness that his kingship wasn't as good as he might have wished. First he gave the way it should have been (vss. 3-4). Then he acknowledged, "My house is not so with God" (vs. 5) and he spoke of the rebellions (vss. 6-7). I don't know what my last words will be, and I doubt that they will be remembered or recorded for posterity. I cannot script them now because I don't know the circumstances of my demise. I can only hope that my last utterances will be blessing and praise, and not filled with regret and bitterness. Stephen, in his death, gave a model: "I see the heavens open and I see Jesus .... Lord Jesus, receive my spirit .... Lord, forgive them" (Acts 7:56-60). When my turn comes to die, may my last words be praise to Jesus and blessing on people.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Last words reflect the true faith of the deceased.
 
[end]
 
Have a blessed day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SING!

 SING!
II Samuel 22:1-2a
 
"Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said, 'The LORD is my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust....' "
 
David sang!  This song is included in the Book of Psalms (Psalm 18), but there it begins with an introduction: "I will love You, O LORD, my strength." Songs express so many emotions. David sang love songs to the LORD. He sang in times of victory. He sang when he was discouraged. He sang in times of sorrow for sin. He sang prayers. So also, we are encouraged to sing "psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19). Whether I am happy or sad, I can sing to the Lord.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Songs and singing can express the deepest feelings of the heart to the Lord.
 
[end]
 
Have a singing day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AGAIN!

 AGAIN!
II Samuel 21:15-17, 22
 
"When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint. Then Ishi-Benob who was one of the sons of the giant ... thought he could kill David. But Abishai the son of Zuruiah came to his aid, and stuck the Philistine and killed him....These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants."
 
Just when you think you have won defeated the enemy, you find yourself battling him again. It may be a different issue, but it is the same enemy. David had defeated Goliath in his youth. But Goliath had relatives, and they came back to attack again (vs. 15), and again (vs. 18), and again (vs. 19), and again (vs. 20). The war is not over just because you have a great victory. David grew weary in the battle, so God provided a younger generation to take up arms and defeat the relatives of Goliath. Perhaps John understood this principle when he wrote his letter: "I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you. And you have overcome the wicked one" (I John 2:14b). Because old men become sometimes grow faint, God raises up a new generation to take up the war. Praise God for young Christians who are strong and by the word of God overcome the enemy. We are not alone in the conflict.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Even though a person gains victory over the enemy, the enemy does not quit, so
God provides younger people to continue the battle.
 
[end]
 
Have a victorious day. Love you.