19 May 2025

Daily Devotions
每日學

D A V E S T R E H L E R
Monday
11 Samuel 30:1-3, 16-25

The raid

One day, when David and his men got back to the town where they
were staying, they found that the Amalekites had attacked the town,
burned everything, and taken the women and children. David prayed
and asked the Lord, “Shall we go after the raiders and will we catch
them?” The Lord answered and told David to go after them.
So David and his men set out to find the Amalekites, but along the way,
some of David’s men were too exhausted to carry on and stayed
behind. The others went on and attacked the raiders, taking all their
possessions. They also rescued their wives and children.
When those who had gone out to fight got back, they didn’t want to
share what they had brought back with those who had stayed behind.
But David said, “Everyone must get the same; those who guarded the
supplies must get the same as those who went into battle.”

Is everyone’s work for the Lord equally important?

One would think that David’s defeat of the Amalekites was far more
important than looking after sheep? Surely, a shepherd’s task of
guarding sheep is not as important as defending people against their
enemies. Yet to God the most important thing is not the size of the
task, but whether we are obedient and faithful. God was just as pleased
with David while he was a shepherd as when he was out fighting
Israel’s enemies.
Each of us has been given a task in God’s kingdom. When we do it well,
God trusts us with another, maybe bigger and more difficult task.
When David had proved his faithfulness and courage by looking after
his father’s sheep, the Lord knew that he was ready for another task—
looking after His people.

Verse for today

The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and
each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 1 Corinthians 3:8
Tuesday
12 Samuel 1:1-12

Tragedy strikes

When David came back from his battle with the Amalekites, a young
man arrived with bad news.
The Philistines had attacked Saul’s army on the mountain of Gilboa.
The fighting was fierce and in the chaos of battle, an arrow hit and
wounded Saul. Saul killed himself by falling on his own sword. Jonathan
and his brothers also died in the battle, together with those who had
not fled.
When David heard about the death of Saul and Jonathan, he tore his
clothes and cried bitterly until evening.

How can I comfort a friend when someone has died?

You would probably feel a little uneasy talking to a friend who has lost
someone through death. It would seem out of place to talk about
everyday things, and yet it may feel awkward to talk about death.
When you meet your friend, you need not try to look or feel as sad as
she does, but rather show your genuine care.
Sometimes it is best not to say too much, but just to sit quietly with
your friend. She will feel your love even though you don’t say much. If
your friend would like to talk, ask her what she admires most about the
person who died, or ask her to tell you about the fun times that she
remembers having together.
Tell your friend how it makes you feel to see her so sad. You can tell
her that God loves her very much and feels sad with her. Encourage
her to tell God how she feels. If your friend doesn’t feel like praying,
you could ask if it would be okay to say a prayer for her. Pray that God
will help her to feel His great love, and thank Him for the hope we have
of being together one day in Heaven.

Verse for today

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort
me. Psalm 23:4
Wednesday
12 Samuel 5:1-7, 9-10

David becomes king

David was thirty years old when the leaders of the tribes of Israel came
to him and said; “You are one of us. Even when Saul was our king, you
led the people of Israel into battle, and the Lord also promised that you
would rule His people.”
Then they anointed David as their king and he ruled Israel for forty
years. David captured the walled city of Jerusalem and ruled from
there. The city became known as The City of David.

How can I let Jesus be King of my life?

Would you like to have a real king in your life and become part of his
kingdom? You can! You can let the King of the whole universe rule in
your life from this moment on. He is the best King you could ever have
—a King who loves you, who is powerful, who is completely fair—and a
king who lives forever.
The King wants you to:
obey Him (John 14:23)
serve him (John 15:16)
be loyal to Him (Luke 16:13)
The King will:
keep you safe (John 10:28)
let you live in peace (John 14:27)
give you what belongs to Him (Romans 8:17)
give you a new life that never ends (John 3:16)
All you need to do is tell Jesus that you want Him to be your King. By
doing that you become part of God’s Kingdom and receive a big gift!
You receive ETERNAL LIFE. When you ask Jesus to become King of
your life and you allow Him to rule in your heart, His Spirit comes to
live in you. From that moment on, He will never leave you: He will
always be there to guide you and help you do what is right.

Verse for today

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and
ever. Psalm 145:1
Thursday
12 Samuel 6:1-11

The Covenant Box comes back

Now that David was king at last, his first thought was to bring the
Covenant Box back to where it could be kept safe. It was still at
Abinadab’s home. David’s men took it and placed it on a cart drawn by
oxen. Everyone was dancing and making a joyful noise.
As they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and
Uzzah reached out to take hold the Covenant Box. The Lord God was
angry with Uzzah for touching the box, and Uzzah died there next to it.
David was angry because the Lord had punished Uzzah; but he was also
afraid, so he took the box to the house of Obed-Edom.

Could the Word of God ever disappear?

Do you remember what Moses put inside the Covenant Box? Look up 1
Kings 8:9 to see what it was—and if it was still there? Yes, after all this
time the commandments were still in the box because the Lord was very
strict about anyone touching it. Only the priests, whose special job it
was to carry the Ark of the Covenant, were allowed to touch it.
The commandments were more than just a set of rules. God had made a
promise (covenant) that those who keep His rules will be His people, and
that He will love them and care for them (Psalm 103:17-18).
God has given us the Bible with commands and promises: commands we
must obey, and promises that God will keep. He has also given a strict
warning to anyone who tries to change a single word in the Bible
(Revelation 22:18-19). That is why we can trust what God has told us in
the Bible and be assured that His Word will never disappear.

Verse for today

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Matthew 24:35
Friday
12 Samuel 6:12-19

Dancing with joy

The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and his family while the Covenant Box
was at his house. After a few months, when David heard how the Lord
had blessed him, he went out with some of his men to fetch it.
Then David and the Israelites took the Covenant Box to Jerusalem with
shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets. As the box was brought into
Jerusalem, David danced and jumped around with joy. Afterwards, he
gave everyone bread, meat and raisins to celebrate the happy occasion.

How can I show my joy in worship?

What do sports fans do when their team wins a nail-biting match?

What do you do when you get really excited? Do you feel like jumping
up and down, or shouting out aloud?
If you get excited about praising God, you might find it difficult to sit
completely still and not even tap your foot. That is how David felt
when the Covenant Box came home. He was overjoyed and so was
everyone else. The people were shouting with joy and blowing
trumpets.
God loves it when we get excited about Him, just as He gets excited
about us (Zephaniah 3:17). When you worship God, you can clap (Psalm
47:1); you can sing and shout (Psalm 108:1); and you can make music and
dance (Psalm 149:3). You should remember, though, that your worship
should be honoring to the Lord. You should never become
disrespectful by the way you show your enthusiasm.
David’s wife, who was watching him as he entered the city, was not
happy with the way he danced in front of everyone. But David did not
mind about what she thought, and he was not embarrassed by what he
did, because he was dancing to honor the King of kings.

Verse for today

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and
make music in your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19
Saturday
2 Samuel 7:1-7, 12-13

A palace and a tent

Things started to settle down in the palace. The Lord had kept David
safe from his enemies, and now he was king of Israel. However, David
started feeling a little uneasy in his heart. He called the prophet
Nathan and said, “Here I am, living in a beautiful palace while God’s
Covenant Box is being kept in a tent.”
Nathan replied, “Do whatever you are thinking because the Lord is
with you.”
But that night the Lord said to Nathan, “Tell David that he is not the
one to build the Temple for Me to live in. I will make one of his sons
king and he will build the Temple for Me.”

Is a church building important?

If God is everywhere, why was it so important for David to build a

Temple for the Lord to live in?
If we can pray to the Lord and read our Bibles wherever we like, why is
it important to go to a church building?
The Bible tells us that all those who believe in Jesus are a part of His
body, the Church. That means every believer fits into a special place
like a living stone in His Temple. (1 Peter 2:4-5).
But if we, as living stones, are scattered all over the place and never
get together, no one would even know that we are part of one big
Church. If we only watched a preacher on TV or listened to a sermon
on the radio, it just wouldn’t be the same as going to worship the Lord
together with other believers.
Although a building is not important, the fact that we should get
together is important—whether it is under a tree, in a tent, or in a
beautiful stone building. When we get together, God is there!

Verse for today

I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the
LORD." Psalm 122:1
Sunday
2 Samuel 7:18-22, 25-29

David’s prayer

After Nathan told David that the Lord wanted one of his sons to build
the Temple, David was very happy. He went to the Tent of the Lord
and prayed.
David said to the Lord; “I am not worthy of what You have done for me.
Now You are doing even more by making this promise about my son.
You have done these things to teach me. How great you are Sovereign
Lord. There is none like You! And now Sovereign Lord, do what You
have promised.”

Can a king have a king?

Is there anyone greater than a king? Would you dare to go tell a king
that he is actually not the greatest? Probably he would not be very
happy to find out that he is not the greatest after all.
David realized that there is someone much greater. Even though he
was the king of a great nation, he knew that God had put him there and
that God could replace him.
David learned that joy and peace come from knowing that there is
someone higher and more powerful than him. The joy he had felt as a
shepherd was still in his heart, and even now that he was king, he still
relied on God. David said, “Listen to my cry for help, my King and my
God, for to you I pray” Psalm 5:2.
When David was a shepherd he thought like a shepherd and prayed to
God as being His Shepherd (Psalm 23).
Now that David was a king, he thought like a king and spoke to God as
His Sovereign Lord (verse 27). By calling God Sovereign, he was saying
that God is his King, and because David himself was a king, it makes
God the King of kings.

Verse for today

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:16
Sunday
1 Samuel 17:34-35

A fearless shepherd

One day, while David was taking care of his father’s sheep, a lion carried
off one of the lambs. When David struck the lion, it turned on him, so he
grabbed it by the throat and beat it to death, saving the little lamb.
At another time a bear came to take one of the lambs. David went after
the bear and attacked it, rescuing the helpless lamb.

Why would a shepherd risk his life for a silly sheep?

If you were a sheep, would you feel safe having a shepherd like David?
David did not only care about his sheep; he was brave and strong
enough to protect them!
A shepherd’s job is to look after a flock of sheep. However, not all
shepherds are the same: there is a good shepherd who will do anything
to keep his sheep safe, and one who looks after sheep only because he
needs money. Someone who is paid to look after sheep does not care
when a wolf comes to snatch away one of the sheep. Even if the sheep
scatter, he will not risk his life to bring them back.
Jesus said, "I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Because His sheep belong to Him and are
precious to Him, Jesus not only risked His life, He gave His life!
Jesus is the only Shepherd who knows every one of His sheep by name
(John 10:3-4). When He calls us, we recognize His voice because we have
learned to trust Him.
Jesus is also the Gate (John 10:9). Every sheep that goes through the gate
is kept safe because thieves cannot come and steal them. But there are
other dangers too: the devil prowls around like a roaring lion. Yet, all
those who have entered through Jesus the Gate are part of His flock and
are perfectly safe!

Verse for today

Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are
his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3