Crimson Seas

Recently we published a series of devotions on 1 Samuel. We hope you were blessed. But in looking over the notes from it I noticed something that made me sit back and take stock. David did lots wrong in 1 samuel. He often paid heavy consequences, and we see him, lie, steal and kill. But yet he was still called a man after God's own heart.... David had horrible circumstances come his way, he was on the run from death sentences, attacked by the King, sojourned in the wilderness for years and leader of run aways, yet he held tight to the promise of God that he would be king. David also had many a high moment, including the defeat of Goliath, the incredible friendship with Jonathan and the time Samuel anointed him as king of Israel. Yet even in the circumstances that David was dealt, the sins that David committed, and the incredible high points we see that God was faithful! I'm not sure what your 2021 has begun like, mine hasn't been that great, but can I remind you today, as I reminded myself that God is faithful and He will see you through. Whatever promises He made you He will keep. Whatever circumstance you face, He will stand with you. Whatever battle you endure, He will fight for you. Cling to the cross today, because our God does not change and the God in the wilderness is the God of today. You can trust Him! Devo by @michelle_treacy_ Photo by @tributarystudio.co

How many of us know when bad things happen it can turn our focus from earthly things to eternal. That's what we see with David. One minute he is lying and deceiving and the next we read: "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God" v6. There was two things that happened between chapter 29 and 30.... Firstly the Philistine rulers refused to let David fight alongside them, they did not want him in battle as they lacked trust for him. Secondly, David arrives back to find his whole village burned to the ground and everyone gone, an opportunistic blow by the Amalekites. This horrendous moment drove David to his knees. Of course Romans 8:28 was in play here, God was using this circumstance for good and to direct David's attention from where it was to where it should be. Soon David would be appointed King and David needed to be following God not his own feelings. As far as I see it David had three realisations. First, he gained perspective in realising the hand of God was in this circumstance. The Amalekites raided David's home of Ziklag. But had David gone to battle, his people would have been slaves by the time he returned months later. Is it a stretch to say 'But God'? God protected David from attacking his own community of people and gave him time to catch up with and redeem his lost property and family. Secondly, he found strength in realising the error of his way. It was speaking to himself that ended him in this mess, and he trailed the others with him. Now he needed to lean into God to be restored out of it. He began asking God what he should do next. Thirdly, he was strengthened by remembering that God was faithful and his word was sure. With that in mind David recalled the promise God had given him in the past, and he knew God would ensure it flourished. Friends, we too can find strength from God in our bad times by doing similar things. Watching for God's hand, leaning into Gods knowledge and trusting that Gods promises always flourish. Each of these acts will draw our attention closer to God and in turn while our position may not change our perspective surely will. Devo by @michelle_treacy_ Photo by Ben Wangenheim #lord #Jesus #jesuslover #jesuslovesyou #jesussaves #jesusislord #jesuschrist #jesuslives #jesuslovesme #jesusloves #jesusisgod #jesusfirst #jesusislove #Christians #prayer #prayerwarrior #prayers #prayers #prayerworks #prayerispowerful #prayerchangesthings #morningprayer #dailyprayer #prayersup #prayerwarriors #prayertime #prayerpower

Bad decisions with an unrepentant heart usually lead to a downward spiral of the soul. That is what we find here in Saul’s life. After he was anointed king, Saul was given two directives by God and neither did he follow. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul performs a sacrifice because of fear and impatience. In chapter 15 God asks Saul to destroy the Amalekites and he choses to save some of the best flock and the king lying to Samuel in the process. Years later, disobeying God was followed ...by selectively following his wishes, ignoring his kingdom, and pursuing Gods anointed with a credible death threat and we find Israel again threatened by the Philistines. Saul tries to speak to God, but it was too late. He could have easily repented and asked for forgiveness but instead he chose another bad choice. But in his final hours of life, fearful and uncertain he defies Gods Levitical law and goes to a medium. His plan was sure, or so he thought, ‘If I can just speak to Samuel’, but Gods decisions where final, and the sad ending is he finds out here that both he and his sons’ lives would end the following day. Friends, its easy to get caught in a similar spiral and maybe ours won’t end in death like Saul, but sin only leads one way and that is to the broad road. We are so blessed that we live in a post resurrection time, we can know the truth found in 1 John, God is faithful to forgive our sins if we confess them. So today on the start of this new year, why not join me in self-examination, evaluating our choices before God. Maybe we need to make room in our day for repentance and returning to God once more. I do hope this year you make choices that keep the alignment between your heart and Gods and you know the blessing of sins forgiven and the love of God deep in your soul. Devo by @michelle_treacy_ Photo by Rodrigo Kugnharski #lord #Jesus #jesuslover #jesuslovesyou #jesussaves #jesusislord #jesuschrist #jesuslives #jesuslovesme #jesusloves #jesusisgod #jesusfirst #jesusislove #Christians #prayer #prayerwarrior #prayers #prayers #prayerworks #prayerispowerful #prayerchangesthings #morningprayer #dailyprayer #prayersup #prayerwarriors #prayertime #prayerpower

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faithmore precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by firemay be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1st Peter 1:6-7 I don't know about you, but 2020 was a challenging year. It really tested all the faith I had. Looking back, I am grateful for that! Through that time, I hav...e come to ask God many questions I am sure we have all asked at one point or another. The first question I want to address is this; If God exists, why is there suffering? Beloved, we have all suffered in some way or another, not necessarily in 2020, but this year was undoubtedly the most prominent. Maybe we lost friends or family, suffered through depression, perhaps the loss of relationships. I know for me, this year, I have struggled with depression and fear. Lossing my grandmother in March, struggling with my mental health as I continued to take care of those around me that needed to be loved and looked after. I have been persecuted for my faith more than I have ever been. I know you're tempted to write God off this coming year. Lose faith in the Most high and mighty God. But please don't go there, don't give in, don't give up. Read John 16, verse 33 says this. I know it's tempting to blame God for our suffering, but we should rejoice in it. We should Praise him because the suffering refines us. That is why we suffer. Not because God is Evil. On the contrary, God is all good, but God wants to mold us in his image. Focus on the cross and look forward to when we can embrace Christ. Devo by @letourneau_s Photo by Cristina Anne Costello #lord #Jesus #jesuslover #jesuslovesyou #jesussaves #jesusislord #jesuschrist #jesuslives #jesuslovesme #jesusloves #jesusisgod #jesusfirst #jesusislove #Christians #prayer #prayerwarrior #prayers #prayers #prayerworks #prayerispowerful #prayerchangesthings #morningprayer #dailyprayer #prayersup #prayerwarriors #prayertime #prayerpower

It's's easy to fall into a power trip when given a position by someone, even easier when that position is from God. But it is Holier to remain humble. That is what we see here in chapter 26 with David. He knew one day he would be king of Israel, God had said so, and nothing God says ever falls short or returns void (Is55). But David knew a vital life lesson that Saul seemed to forget: The Lord lifts the humble and he casts the wicked to the ground (Ps146).... The New Testament also makes mention of such an ideology in 1 Peter 5 where we read: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you. David knew Saul was sowing sin after sin, and in verse 10 he reveals his perception of Saul’s future: the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish, But the Lord forbid that I lay a hand on him. David is revealing that it is not David’s fight to ensure his promotion to the Palace, all he had to do was follow God and God would get him there, because it was Gods battle. 1 Peter 5 goes on to tell us how to live this kind of life, one that trusts God fully and is humble before Him. It says we do so by casting all anxieties on him, by being sober minded, watchful, resisting the devil, by being firm in your faith and trusting that God will Himself, restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. I believe that this is the kind of mentality David held onto and got him through some of the wilderness experience. He counted the joy set before him in the promises that God had made to him. If you’re struggling today, and many of us are, can I encourage you to set your eyes on the Father, the Author and Finisher, the First and the Last, the Sovereign and Holy One, who will not only care for you in these days of trial but will also lift you up in the days to come. Devo by @michelle_treacy_ Photo by Ben White #lord #Jesus #jesuslover #jesuslovesyou #jesussaves #jesusislord #jesuschrist #jesuslives #jesuslovesme #jesusloves #jesusisgod #jesusfirst #jesusislove #Christians #prayer #prayerwarrior #prayers #prayers #prayerworks #prayerispowerful #prayerchangesthings