Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“I have sinned against the Lord.” –2 Samuel 12:13 King David’s public life was magnificent. He dealt shrewdly with troops, subjects, and with other powerful nations. God blessed him with great victories and peace from enemies. He was a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22). David composed beautiful songs to give praise to God. He restored the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and his encouragement led the people of Israel into a time of prosperity as a nation. Unfortunately, David’s private life was a shambles. In yesterday’s reading, David’s troops were engaged in battle. Kings of other...

“The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. In it he directed: ‘Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.’ ” –2 Samuel 11:14-15 Satan is “the father of lies” (Jn 8:44) and the master of deception, seduction, and temptation. For example, he got David to murder some of his own soldiers who were risking their lives for David and his kingdom. The soldiers were killed as part of the plot to set up Uriah to be killed in battle (2 Sm...

“By Your blessing the house of Your servant shall be blessed forever.” –2 Samuel 7:29 Even more than God blessed David’s house, the Lord wants to bless Christian families and communities, for their members have been baptized into Christ (Gal 3:27), the Son of David and the Son of God. For our families or communities to receive the Lord’s unfathomable blessings, we should pray — not only individually but together as families or communities. The Lord promises to those who pray communally: “Again I tell you, if two of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever,...

“Saul, my brother, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus Who appeared to you on the way here, to help you recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” –Acts 9:17 On the way to Damascus, Saul saw a light flash around him. He fell to the ground, heard Jesus’ voice, and was struck blind (Acts 9:3, 4, 8). People have similar experiences every day. We may not realize this because we haven’t been at the right place at the right time due to our disobedience. The Lord is constantly shaking people up. This doesn’t necessarily convert...

“David was told, ‘You cannot enter here.’ ” –2 Samuel 5:6 Two days ago was the 49th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abortion. This precipitated the development in the USA of what Pope St. John Paul II called the “culture of death.” We are so entrenched in this culture of death, violence, and the degradation of the human person that it seems impossible to change the situation. We have been told we cannot stop Planned Parenthood, cannot change the “politically correct” to the “God-correct,” cannot expect people to be pure, and cannot stop our government from financing...