I have found David … a man after My own heart. ACTS 13:22 NKJV

Some of God’s promises are fulfilled quickly. But others, like one God gave to David telling him he’d be king, have to be fought for. The Jebusites controlled Jerusalem; they taunted David saying, “You will not get in here” (2Sa 5:6 NIV). And to make matters worse, Jerusalem was on an elevation hundreds of feet above David’s army. The only way up was through a water cistern where they had to wade and climb through pitch-black darkness. “Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion” (2Sa 5:7). Understand this: if He has to, God will bring you up through the gutter to get you to the throne! Notice two

words: “nevertheless” and “took.” When you’re up to your neck in problems and the enemy is saying, “You won’t make it,” stand on God’s Word and declare “nevertheless.” Rise up in faith and claim what God’s promised you. “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Da 11 :32 NKJV). God can show you how to exploit the situation for your good and His glory.

But don’t expect everybody to celebrate your success. “When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, [they] went up in search of David” (2Sa 5:17NKJV). You’ll have to fight to get to your destiny-and fight to hold on to it. You can’t “coast” on old victories. With each new battle you have to get fresh instructions. “David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines?’ … the Lord said … ‘Go up, for I will. .. deliver the Philistines into your hand'” (2Sa 5:19 NKJV). Today, go forward knowing God is with you!

Taken from the BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

There once was a powerful Japanese emperor who needed a new chief samurai. So he sent out a declaration throughout the entire known world that he was searching for a chief.

A year passed, and only three people applied for the very demanding position: a Japanese samurai, a Chinese samurai, and a Jewish samurai.

The emperor asked the Japanese samurai to come in and demonstrate why he should be the chief samurai. The Japanese samurai opened a matchbox, and out popped a bumblebee. Whoosh! went his sword. The bumblebee dropped dead, chopped in half. The emperor exclaimed, “That is very impressive!

“The emperor then issued the same challenge to the Chinese samurai, to come in and demonstrate why he should be chosen. The Chinese samurai also opened a matchbox and out buzzed a fly. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The fly dropped dead, chopped into four small pieces. The emperor exclaimed, “That is very impressive!”

Now the emperor turned to the Jewish samurai, and asked him to demonstrate why he should be the chief samurai. The Jewish Samurai opened a matchbox, and out flew a gnat. His flashing sword went Whoosh! But the gnat was still alive and flying around. The emperor, obviously disappointed, said, “Very ambitious, but why is that gnat not dead?”

The Jewish Samurai just smiled and said, “Circumcision is not meant to kill.”

I have found David … a man after My own heart. , ACTS 13:22 NKJIJ

David knew Samuel was coming to his house looking for a king, and that he wasn’t invited. That hurt. So how did he respond? By asking somebody to put his name in the hat? No! “Promotion comes from God” (See Ps 75:6-7). David knew that nobody could keep God from blessing him. Listen: “Then SamueL .. anointed him in the midst of his brothers” (lSa 16:13 NKJV). If you remain faithful, God will lift you up in the midst of those who overlooked and put you down. Notice, when the Spirit of God left King Saul he was tormented by evil spirits and ended up consulting a witch. No wonder David prayed, “Take not thy holy spirit from me ‘ (Ps 51: 11). If God has called you to do the job He will give you all the grace needed; but if He hasn’t called you to it, it’ll torment you day and night.

But be prepared for trouble! Like Joseph’s brothers, they’ll say of you, “Let us … kill him and cast him into some pit … (and] see what will become of his dreams” (Ge 37:20 NKJV). Why would those who are supposed to love you say such a thing? Because they don’t really know who you are, or recognize your God-given dream. Expect rejection in the early stages, especially when there’s no evidence to validate your God-given dream. When Da vid demonstrated the faith to take on Goliath, his oldest brother Eliab called him arrogant and resented him (See lSa 17:28). Why did God put such stories in the Bible? “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us” (1 Co 10: 11 NIV).

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

Three aspiring psychiatrists were attending their first class on emotional extremes. “Just to establish some parameters,” said the professor to the student from Arkansas, “What is the opposite of joy?” “Sadness,” said the student. And the opposite of depression?” he asked of the young lady from Oklahoma. “Elation,” said she. “And you sir,” he said to the young man from Texas, “how about the opposite of woe?” ​The Texan replied, “Sir, I believe that would be giddy-up.” …

I have found David … a man after My Own heart. ACTS 13:22 NKJV

Anytime God describes someone as “a man after my own heart” study them carefully. Let’s look at the life of David.

He had a humble start but a great finish. David began as a shepherd and ended up as a king. The chances of that happening were slim to none. In those days shepherds were so low on the totem pole they couldn’t testify in a court of law; their word wasn’t considered reliable. Yet David ended up writing

the most widely read and loved psalms of all time. When you invite God into your life He cancels the liabilities of your past and rewrites your future. But you must choose what He has chosen for you. There’s an interesting contrast between Paul and David. Paul “sowed his wild oats” before he met Christ,

then went on to live an exemplary life. David became king at thirty; yet during his forty years in leadership he experienced devastating failure. There are two lessons here: (1) Don’t rush to judgment. It’s not over until God says it’s over. David’s story is a warning to the transgressor, a rebuke to the self-righteous, a testimony to the justice of God that won’t allow us to escape our consequences, and to His love that will never let go of us. (2) God can bring good out of it. He can take every experience you’ve been through, both positive and negative, and make it work for good, either your good or the good of others. When you seek to fulfill God’s purposes in spite of your flaws, He makes “all things work together for good” (Ro 8:28).

Taken from the BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

A fellow was very much in love with a beautiful girl.

One day she told him that the next day was her birthday. He told her he would send her a bouquet of roses… one for each year of her life.

That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning.

As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet.

​The fellow never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.

I have found David … a man after My Own heart. ACTS 13:22 NKJV

Anytime God describes someone as “a man after my own heart” study them carefully. Let’s look at the life of David.

He had a humble start but a great finish. David began as a shepherd and ended up as a king. The chances of that happening were slim to none. In those days shepherds were so low on the totem pole they couldn’t testify in a court of law; their word wasn’t considered reliable. Yet David ended up writing

the most widely read and loved psalms of all time. When you invite God into your life He cancels the liabilities of your past and rewrites your future. But you must choose what He has chosen for you. There’s an interesting contrast between Paul and David. Paul “sowed his wild oats” before he met Christ,

then went on to live an exemplary life. David became king at thirty; yet during his forty years in leadership he experienced devastating failure. There are two lessons here: (1) Don’t rush to judgment. It’s not over until God says it’s over. David’s story is a warning to the transgressor, a rebuke to the self-righteous, a testimony to the justice of God that won’t allow us to escape our consequences, and to His love that will never let go of us. (2) God can bring good out of it. He can take every experience you’ve been through, both positive and negative, and make it work for good, either your good or the good of others. When you seek to fulfill God’s purposes in spite of your flaws, He makes “all things work together for good” (Ro 8:28).

Taken from the BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

A fellow was very much in love with a beautiful girl.

One day she told him that the next day was her birthday. He told her he would send her a bouquet of roses… one for each year of her life.

That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning.

As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet.

​The fellow never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.

MARCH 16

I have found David … a man after My own heart. ACTS 13 :22 NKJV

The life of David could be captioned in these words: “I love God supremely, and there’s nothing He asks of me that I won’t do.” Can you say that?

Everybody dies, but not everybody fully lives. The Bible says, “These are the last words of David” (2Sa 23:1 NLT). A man’s last words are considered to be some of his most important words. During his lifetime David’s son raped his sister, one son killed another, his wife turned her back on him, his best friend betrayed him, they took his kingdom, his mentor tried to kill him, his family rejected him and he spent a lot of time hiding in caves. Now he’s going to speak to us one last time. What will he talk about? Goliath, Saul, Bathsheba? No, listen: “David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue. The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: ‘The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without doubt, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.’ Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he had made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success” (2Sa 23:1-5 NLT). These words were recorded in Scripture for those of us who are less than perfect, but whose hearts never cease to hunger for God.

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

Tom: What do you get when you cross a four-leaf clover with poison ivy?

Pee Wee: I don’t know.

Tom: A rash of good luck on St. Patrick’s Day.

Seth: What do you call a fake Irish stone?

Spencer: What?

Seth: A shamrock!

Ian: Where do leprechauns buy their groceries?

Colin: I don’t know.

Ian: Rainbow Foods!

MARCH 6

Take up the whole armor of God. EPHESIANS 6:12 NKJV

In spite of a great spiritual awakening in Samaria, Simon the Sorcerer was still in business. The people “heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time” (Ac 8 :9-11 NKJV). So, how do the apostles handle this situation? Sidestep it? Coexist peacefully with evil? No, they confronted him with the claims of Christ, saying: “Repent … [that] your heart may be forgiven” (Ac 8:22 NKJV). And Simon did. A good doctor identifies the problem then treats it. The forces of evil around us are real, and we must know how to deal with them. Remember the tortured man living in the tombs of Cadara whom Christ healed? The spirits within him did two things worthy of note. First, they introduced themselves as

“Legion .. .for we are many” (Mk 5:9 NIV). A legion was a well-trained, fully-equipped division of the Roman army that took orders from Caesar. Second, they “begged Jesus … not to send them out of the area” (Mk 5:10 NIV). That’s because they’d established a stronghold there. Can you see a spiritual

parallel here? You can’t fight spiritual battles with carnal weapons and hope to win. Blaming Satan for all your problems is a cop-out, but failing to see him at work in your situation renders you powerless.

To fight and win you must know what you are up against. You must be able to look beyond the obvious and see the actual! You are dealing with “principalities … powers … the rulers of the darkness … spiritual hosts of wickedness … Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day” (Eph 6:12-13 NKJV).

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

Mike: What does a leprechaun say when you tell him Bono is his favorite singer?

Misty: Tell me.

Mike: You too?

Evan: What’s Irish and stays out all night?

Steffan: What?

Evan: Paddy O’Furniture.

Will: What’s big and purple and lies next to Ireland?

Cody: No clue.

Will: Grape Britain!

MARCH 5

Let your light shine before men. MATTHEW 5:16 NIV

A man is being tailgated by a woman who’s in a hurry. He comes to an intersection and when the light turns yellow he hits the brakes. The woman behind him goes ballistic. She honks her horn, yells profanities and gestures with her finger. As she’s ranting and raving someone taps on her window. To

her horror she looks up and sees a policeman. He invites her out of her car and takes her to the station where she’s searched, fingerprinted and put in a cell, After a couple of hours she’s released and the arresting officer gives her her personal effects and says, “I’m very sorry for the mistake, ma’am. I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn and using ugly gestures and foul language. I noticed the ‘What would Jesus do?’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘Follow me to Sunday School’ window sign and the peace emblem on your trunk, so I naturally assumed you had stolen the car.” Obviously he was following a Christian who wasn’t doing a very good job at following Christ.

The world gets turned off by people who have Christian bumper stickers on their cars, Christian peace signs on their trunks, Christian books on their shelves, Christian stations on their radios and TVs, Christian jewelry around their necks, Christian videos for their kids, Christian magazines for their coffee tables, but who don’t have the life of Jesus in their bones or the love of Jesus in their hearts. What’s the answer? “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

Steph: Why do people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day?

Jak: Why?

Steph: ‘Cause real rocks are too heavy!

Alexis: What do you call Dwayne Johnson’s stunt double?

Zack: What?

Alexis: The Sham-Rock!

Ella: What did Saint Patrick say when he drove all the snakes out of Ireland?

Bella: I don’t know.

Ella: “Everyone got seat belts on back there?”

When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. MARK 4:34 NKJV

A recent survey confirms what most of us suspect: stress is increasing as work encroaches more and more on our personal time. The electronic age hasn’t slowed the onslaught of mail, memos, books and periodicals we must read just to keep up. A PR consultant who fields four hundred emails, a hundred

phone calls and twenty text messages every day says, “I used to stop working when it got too late to make calls, Now I’m never finished.” Now she lives in the country behind a mountain because there’s no phone signal there, and if they ever erect a cell tower she says she’ll move!

It’s critical to schedule one-on-one time with God, otherwise it won’t happen. Mark says, “When they were alone, [Jesus] explained all things to His disciples.” There are things the Lord will reveal to you only when you “Meditate within your heart … and be still” (Ps 4:4 NKJV). In High Call, High Privilege Gail MacDonald writes: “The ancient Desert Fathers used to commit themselves to a disciplinary creed: silence, solitude and inner peace. Only after adequate amounts of time listening, did they consider themselves ready to speak … Among many Christian[s] today there’s a strange .. .logic [suggesting]

that spiritual resource and renewal are found in constantly seeking new voices, attending more meetings, listening to incessant musk, and gathering to exchange half-thought-out opinions. How often do we fall into the trap of believing that God’s most pleased when we’ve maximized our information, our schedules, and our relationships? Disengagement means silence before God … a time of heavenly discussion during which we listen more than we speak. And silence demands solitude.” Bottom line: You need one-on-one time with God!

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

What is a gust of winds favorite color?

Blew.

Where does a gust of wind go on vacation?

Chicago.

Do you like renewable energy?

Actually I’m a big fan.

MARCH 2

The Lord has taken away your sin. 2 SAMUEL 12:13 NIV

There’s no point asking God for other things when you , haven’t made things right with those you need to forgive, or ask forgiveness from. Jesus said, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift Settle matters quickly with your adversary” (Mt 5:23-25 NIV). Don’t be led by your wounded ego, be led by God’s Word.

You say, “But the person I had the issue with is no longer around. I can’t get a hearing, yet in my heart I’m still troubled about it.” In this case the Bible says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another; that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”

(Ias 5:16). Share your feelings with someone worthy of your trust. Pray with them, openly confessing your wrongs and the guilt you feel. You’ll be surprised how prayer and the presence of an affirming friend can provide you with the peace of mind you seek.

A her Da vid murdered Uriah, his lover’s husband, his guilt was overwhelming. It just about wiped him out. When he could take it no more, he broke his silence and sought God’s forgiveness. But Uriah wasn’t around to hear his confession; he’d been dead almost a year. So he turned to Nathan the prophet and

poured out his heart saying, “1 have sinned.” Nathan listened patiently, then said, “The Lord has taken away your sin.’; Follow David’s example, and then move forward with confidence.

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

One fine day in ancient Rome, Julius Caesar turned his attention to a problem plaguing his mighty empire: laundry. Getting all those white togas clean was a constant pain. He also had some weird ideas that if he could get the togas stiff enough, they would be like a light coat of armor… not enough to last through a sustained battle, but enough to ward off an assassin’s arrow.

He figured the easiest way to get this done on a large scale would be to dump a bunch of detergent into a tidal pool, and dump the togas in afterwards. (This was two thousand years ago… the environmental movement was restricted to a few druids here and there). The gentle motion of the tides would wash the dirt out. Afterwards, all that would have to be done would be to throw some starch in, and then pull the togas out to dry.

He assigned this task to some of his scientists and engineers. They started executing his plan, and all was going well until they threw in the starch. The goddess of nature, angered at the environmental destruction, caused a huge tidal wave to spring up and wash over the assembled workers. A stiff breeze afterwards dried them off so quickly they were all frozen into place.

After a little while, Caesar began to wonder about the progress of the enterprise, so he decided to visit the site with some of his advisors. Arriving at the tidal pool, he was unable to make heads or tails of the sight of his workers stuck standing there.

Until of course, one of his advisors whispered to him: “Beware, the tides of starch.”

MARCH 2

The Lord has taken away your sin. 2 SAMUEL 12:13 NIV

There’s no point asking God for other things when you , haven’t made things right with those you need to forgive, or ask forgiveness from. Jesus said, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift Settle matters quickly with your adversary” (Mt 5:23-25 NIV). Don’t be led by your wounded ego, be led by God’s Word.

You say, “But the person I had the issue with is no longer around. I can’t get a hearing, yet in my heart I’m still troubled about it.” In this case the Bible says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another; that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”

(Ias 5:16). Share your feelings with someone worthy of your trust. Pray with them, openly confessing your wrongs and the guilt you feel. You’ll be surprised how prayer and the presence of an affirming friend can provide you with the peace of mind you seek.

A her Da vid murdered Uriah, his lover’s husband, his guilt was overwhelming. It just about wiped him out. When he could take it no more, he broke his silence and sought God’s forgiveness. But Uriah wasn’t around to hear his confession; he’d been dead almost a year. So he turned to Nathan the prophet and

poured out his heart saying, “1 have sinned.” Nathan listened patiently, then said, “The Lord has taken away your sin.’; Follow David’s example, and then move forward with confidence.

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

One fine day in ancient Rome, Julius Caesar turned his attention to a problem plaguing his mighty empire: laundry. Getting all those white togas clean was a constant pain. He also had some weird ideas that if he could get the togas stiff enough, they would be like a light coat of armor… not enough to last through a sustained battle, but enough to ward off an assassin’s arrow.

He figured the easiest way to get this done on a large scale would be to dump a bunch of detergent into a tidal pool, and dump the togas in afterwards. (This was two thousand years ago… the environmental movement was restricted to a few druids here and there). The gentle motion of the tides would wash the dirt out. Afterwards, all that would have to be done would be to throw some starch in, and then pull the togas out to dry.

He assigned this task to some of his scientists and engineers. They started executing his plan, and all was going well until they threw in the starch. The goddess of nature, angered at the environmental destruction, caused a huge tidal wave to spring up and wash over the assembled workers. A stiff breeze afterwards dried them off so quickly they were all frozen into place.

After a little while, Caesar began to wonder about the progress of the enterprise, so he decided to visit the site with some of his advisors. Arriving at the tidal pool, he was unable to make heads or tails of the sight of his workers stuck standing there.

Until of course, one of his advisors whispered to him: “Beware, the tides of starch.”