Sreedhar's Journey

What is the most important task for you today, tomorrow, this week, this month, or this year? Do we have the right focus? Or, are we distracted. We sometimes get engaged in idleness that leads to time for actions or activities that should not be. David found himself in that situation. 2 Samuel 11:1, It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. David's past victories got to his head. For the first time he did not join his men for war. Instead he got caught up with fulfilling the desires of his flesh. This led to a child out of wedlock, a man dying, shame upon the household of David, and displeasure of God. 2 Samuel 11:27, And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

Have you been dragged into a conflict by someone who seems to have nothing else to do? They are itching for a fight. They are either drunk, stupid or have an evil agenda. Such was the case with the advisors of the new Ammonite King. This chapter tells us how battle lines were drawn and the actual fighting happened. No one seems to have been able to stand against David and his men. This shepherd boy who has killed the lion and the bear in the wilderness, and killed Goliath singlehandedly, gained great victory. This is only possible because God was with David. 2 Samuel 10:19, And when all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore. Is someone picking a fight with you? Make sure God's presence is with you. The enemies are scattered when God is in our midst. His Holy Spirit is ready to empower us for supernatural things. Father, I will tot

There are many in our life journey that we need to be thankful for. Some are still alive, others have left this earth. Growing up, there are many who helped shape my life. They are no more, but their descendents are around. I need to honor them like what David did with Jonathan's son. 2 Samuel 9:11, Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.” What an honor given to Mephibosheth. He was brought from his dwelling to be seated at the table of the king for the rest of his life. How can I do the same to honor those who have spoken into my life? I need to do something with them while they are still alive, or at least with their descendents. Father, grant me wisdom and favor for this.

Are you perfect? You may claim to be perfect, but if you will one day die, you cannot be perfect. Perfect people don't die. Sin came into this world through our forefathers. But God provided a way for us to be reconciled with Him through His son Jesus Christ. Now, we can have eternal life. David was preserved by God as he chose to do the Lord's work. 2 Samuel 8:14, He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went. David was not perfect, but yet God preserved him. David followed the Lord's instructions to subdue the nations around them. He saw great success as he stepped out in faith. God worked through his imperfections. Father, thank you for being able to work with imperfect me. I know you will preserve me.

Are leaders born or made? I will let you process this a little bit. My view is that you need both. A person must choose to build the attributes of a leader in his or life. There is no shortcut. However, opportunities to be a leader must be provided. Being in the right place and the right time, and being mentored and/or sponsored by the right people. David was chosen among the many shepherd boys. 2 Samuel 7:8, Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. David is recorded in this chapter as being very grateful to the Lord for the journey of faith that he went through. He proposed to build a house for God but God deferred it to his son. Are you feeling blessed? Or, perhaps you are still not content with where you are. God knows best. He knew the best for David and his descendents. He knew the best for me and my family. He knows the best for you. Fa

There are people that you come into the presence of who radiate a great and positive spirit. They make you glad and whatever troubles you have you forget during that moment. They are cheerful and ready to bless. The perfect company that you can have is with God. 2 Samuel 6:11, The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Obed-Edom never knew this was coming. David made a mistake with the transport of the ark. As a result, the presence of God followed the ark into Obed-Edom's household for 3 months and he was blessed. Truly, this is the best experience to be had. The next time I say I have no time to pray, I must remember this incident. Father, your presence is better than anything else in the world.

I am reading about leaders around the world that are caught up in sexual scandals. It is quite sickening. They have taken advantage of their position and role to dominate the female party concerned. These individuals are well recognized for their successes but yet they have a weakness. David was caught in the same position. 2 Samuel 5:3, Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel. David is finally anointed king over all of Israel, but he is shown to be a person who has an uncontrollable desire for women. 2 Samuel 5:13, And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David. Could David have been more successful and victorious if he did not yield to these temptations? I think so. Later we will read about how he went too far and got strongly chastised by God for it. Nevertheles

We are always looking for things to celebrate about. There is something about good news that helps the human soul get revitalized with hope and new vigor. Sometimes this comes at the expense of another party. David was very clear that no one has the right to touch or kill Saul or his family. 2 Samuel 4:11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?” David had two men killed because they killed the last remaining son of Saul. David did not take kindly to the way a righteous man was killed so that David could be avenged. It may have been good news, but at the expense of a life. Are you celebrating at the innocent expense of somebody? It is time to see how they can receive some consolation. Father, help me to make every situation a win win arrangement.

The form of governments in ancient times were primarily autocratic until the days of the Romans and the Greeks. It was quite violent as kings would establish their powers through war campaigns and elimination of their internal enemies by death. Having the favor of the king could mean just being alive. King David was also establishing himself. 2 Samuel 3:1, Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. The chapter highlights the ugliness of man. From personal lust for women, to power, to revenge. It was not pretty. It plays out a typical movie that helps us see the poor condition of man. God must have had great patience watching all this unfold. He does not step in, and allows the consequences of poor decisions to impact the people concerned, including David. Father, help me keep praying for my leaders so that they will make God fearing decisions for both their personal li

If you have a question you should ask it? Otherwise, you may be making a decision or taking an action that did not benefit from full information. The greatest holder of information and knowledge is God. David made sure he asked God before he made the next steps after Saul was killed. 2 Samuel 2:1, ​It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.” David was careful to inquire of the Lord for this important next step. He was going to be anointed king a second time. However, as the situation unfolded the kingdom became divided for a season due to Saul's son being made king over Israel. I wonder if David was in a hurry to unite everyone. Nevertheless, the rest of the chapter shows great tragedy of lives. Could it be avoided? Yes, if everyone sought God's advice. Father, help me to always check with you for the right deci

Running a news programme or website is not easy. You are always needing to watch the accuracy of the facts and verify the sources. When email systems were available, much news with poor accuracy and without verification were circulated very quickly. It became easier and faster with newer technologies from sms to mobile instant messaging systems like whatsapp. In David's days he got the message only on the third day. 2 Samuel 1:4, Then David said to him, “How did the matter go? Please tell me.” And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.” This messenger thought he was being kind to David by bringing the news of Saul and Jonathan's death, but he got killed. Killed not for the message, but for saying he killed Saul. The story does not agree with how the last chapter of 1 Samuel concluded, however the messenger chose to deliver a different message and got killed for it. I am always r

Do you like a happy ending? I do. I am not sure if you liked the ending of the latest Avenger movie. I did not. In fact, I may never watch another Avenger movie. But of course the story does not end there. There is another movie coming. We are at the end of 1 Samuel and it did not end pretty. The chapter is very graphic about the death of Saul and his sons, including Jonathan, David's best friend. 1 Samuel 31:1, Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. When you look around the world today you see strife and war. Surabaya just had a series of suicide bombings killing innocent people going to church. And probably celebrating Mother's Day. This chapter of the earth's history seems to be taking a long time to end. We know that Satan has plans for a new future. It does not look good based on how the chapter is developing. God however has intervened and has the perfect plan. Father, I am

Yesterday I wrote about being in a corner. Today, let me reflect on the stress, or perhaps distress, that you would experience when you are in a corner. Again, I am sure everyone has experienced this. But through the years I have been impressed by God that He will take care of it. So was the case with David when he was facing 600 grieving and angry men. 1 Samuel 30:6, Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. In this chapter David goes on and seeks direction from God as to what he should do. God says to pursue the Amalekites. Part way through, 200 of the 600 men become too weary to continue the pursuit. With 400 men David defeats the Amalekites but distributes the spoils to everyone, including the 200 left behind. This is his explanation. 1 Samuel 30:23, But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what t

Have you ever found yourself in a corner? I am sure you know what I mean. Yes, this term comes from war campaigns, and widely used chess games. You pray that you are able to get out of it. David was also in a corner. He was about to go to war with his own people with the Philistines, but God provided a way out. 1 Samuel 29:9, Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ He is given favor to live among the Philistines, but in this major campaign against Saul and his army, David's loyalty was not tested. God orchestrated a way out for David. Yes, God made a way when there is no way. Father, I will always look to you for your directions in everything that I do.

Have you ever gone to see a medium? I have. When I was young my mother would frequently go to see a medium to deal with issues that she was facing. She would take me along. After I followed Jesus at the age of 14 we did not go to the medium until the following year just before an important public exam. At that time I kept my faith in Jesus Christ a secret. When it was our turn to see the lady medium, the medium who was speaking with a man's voice came back to her natural voice and simply said obey your parents and let us go. It is only years later I understood what may have happened. The spirit(s) that were in the medium could not face the Holy Spirit in me. The medium could not bless my exams. Instead, the medium simply said to obey my parents who were Hindu at that time. However, even without that blessing, I came out one of the top students in the school to the surprise of many of my teachers and classmates. Saul also sought a medium for his trouble. 1 Samuel 28:8, So Saul dis

I may have said this popular quote before, insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If our plan is for better success then the approach needs to be changed. Or perhaps unconventional. The old ways cannot remain. David did the unthinkable. 1 Samuel 27:1, And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.” Desperate times called for desperate measures. He ran from Saul's persistent need to kill him by moving to enemy territory. While there he had good war campaigns and duped the Philistines into thinking that he was against the people of Israel. God is ready to give us new approaches for spiritual warfare for souls. Are we ready for unconventional methods and approaches? The challenge for us is tha

Have you committed to doing something lately and not done it? We are constantly in the habit of making commitments that we cannot fulfill. We want to make people around us happy. And so we say yes, when we should say NO. David said NO. 1 Samuel 26:12, So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them. David was clear headed and walking in obedience to the Lord. It was so obvious that he had complete ability to kill Saul. God prepared the way for him and it may have seemed to David that God wants him to kill Saul. This was also encouraged by those close to him. But David listened to God. He said he cannot kill the Lord's anointed. He had a responsibility to God, and he fulfilled it. Father, I cannot listen to man when you have given clear instructions. Help me to obey you.

Our eyes need to be watched. Especially men. Many things happen when we see something. If it is a beautiful car, we immediately have an interest to be associated with it to identify with the status symbol it offers. If it is a beautiful woman, we take a second look (or maybe one long extended look) and start imagining the worst that can come from the sex crazed flesh inside. David, in spite of his walk with God, was similarly tempted and fell. 1 Samuel 25:43, David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and so both of them were his wives. David was about to kill Nabal and all males in his household. In the process he meets a quick thinking woman who saves the innocent by meeting David with a gift. In the end she became part of the gift. Perhaps she should have been his only wife since Ahinoam came later. It is not clear. This issue of relationships may very likely have started with his parents and, as we know, was passed down to the next generation. Reflecting on this, it is important that w

Are kings and rulers human? Of course they are. They need food and drink. They need to relief themselves. They are susceptible to sickness. They get tired and need rest. So did King Saul. 1 Samuel 24:3, So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) When I used to be in senior corporate positions I met many senior business, government and political leaders of my country. The most senior person was the king of the country. Did I honor and respect them? Yes, I did. But I did not fear them. I only fear God. Not meaning to sound arrogant, only a loving and close relationship with God can allow someone to have this position. In this chapter David seems to have the final breakthrough with Saul so that he stops pursuing David. David felt guilty about cutting the corner of Saul's robe, but it was orchestrated by God to allow this final restoration of an important rel

Yesterday I wrote about being safe. However, when your enemy keeps finding your hiding places you have no choice but to keep moving. David kept moving. 1 Samuel 23:15, So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. David kept moving from wilderness to wilderness. It is almost like what the people of Israel experienced when they were wandering in the desert for 40 years under the leadership of Moses. It may appear like a bad thing, but I believe that it is part of the preparation for David. The biggest one is learning to wholly depend on God. In this chapter David inquires of God twice. He builds his reputation as a man of God. Father, prepare me for the work ahead.

As a leader you may need to be ready to have many surrounding you with needs. You can choose to ignore them or to make every effort to meet their needs. I believe that God brought them into a relationship with you for a purpose. Be a channel of blessing for them. This is what happened to David. 1 Samuel 22:2, And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. David was in distress and running from Saul, but at the same time he was given a band of people in need as well. I wonder if his stress level went up. Mine would. But I am reminded that in my weakness I am made strong by God. I would be failing God if I do not step out in faith and depend on His strength and power to be a blessing. Too many times I depend on my own strength and shortchange God's plan to exhibit His power. All the priests are killed as instructed by Saul, but one escapes