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Christian Devotional – August 26, 2020
Always Second – #11 The covenant. Jonathan and David make a covenant to one another. As they are continuing this discussion, it becomes evident to both of them that they may never see each other again after this situation sorts itself out. So they make a vow to one another. Read 1 Samuel 20:12-23. Then Jonathan said to David, “The Lord , the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you? If it please my father to…
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Christian Devotional – August 21, 2020
Always Second – #7 Jonathan changes his allegiance. Up to this point, Jonathan has been following his father’s leadership, even when he disagreed with it. Now, he makes a change. Read 1 Samuel 18:1-4. Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including…
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Christian Devotional – August 18, 2020
Always Second – #4 Even with all the news that we read about in the last chapter, Jonathan continues to give his very best. Today, we see as Jonathan experiences and amazing victory. Read 1 Samuel 14:1-15. Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, and Ahijah,…
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Christian Devotional – August 14, 2020
Double Portion – #35 Elisha has died and was buried. And now, just to confirm where his power came from, God does one more miracle through Elisha. Read it 2 Kings 13:20-21. Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.2 Kings 13:20-21 NASBhttps://bible.com/bible/100/2ki.13.20-21.NASB A man who was dead was thrown into the grave of Elisha, then he…
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Christian Devotional – August 13, 2020
Double Portion – #34 We’re nearing the end of Elisha’s life. Several kings have changed and still God was in control. Now it is time for Elisha to go to be with the Lord. Read 2 Kings 13:14-19. When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put…
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Christian Devotional – August 11, 2020
Double Portion – #33 God fulfills his word. As we saw yesterday, God had Elisha give an unusual order. Today, we see that order fulfilled and all the ramifications of it. Because of the length, I’m not going to copy the entire passage here, but it’s well worth reading. Read 2 Kings 9:4-37. We’re going to focus on verse 13. Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”2 Kings 9:13 NASBhttps://bible.com/bible/100/2ki.9.13.NASB After the servant did what Elisha commanded him, all the people followed Jehu. They recognized the authority of God and the…
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Christian Devotional – August 10, 2020
Double Portion – #32 Odd instructions. Or at least, we would have thought them odd. Read 2 Kings 9:1-3. Now Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive there, search out Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and bid him arise from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the Lord , “I have anointed you king over…
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Christian Devotional – August 9, 2020
Double Portion – #31 The King of Aram is sick and sends his servant to Elisha to find out if he will die. That doesn’t exactly go the way the king expects. Read 2 Kings 8:7-15. Then Elisha came to Damascus. Now Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.” The king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?'” So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind…
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Christian Devotional – August 8, 2020
Double Portion – #30 God keeps track of all the details and the timing. Read 2 Kings 8:1-6. Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will even come on the land for seven years.” So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and…
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Christian Devotional – August 6, 2020
The rest of the story. Yesterday we saw Elisha sharing the message to the king. Today we read the full story of how God brought this about. Read 2 Kings 7:3-20. Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill…