Podcasts about ziglag

Daily Dose of Hope August 5, 2024 Day 2 of Week 19   Scripture:  I Samuel 28-29; I Chronicles 9; Acts 19   Happy Monday, everyone, and welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  My prayer this morning is that you have stayed safe in the storm.  If anyone needs help, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or any of the New Hope staff.   Let's start with I Samuel 28.  Saul has truly spiraled. In this chapter, we find him seeking out a medium for guidance, something that is totally forbidden in the Torah.  Then, less than twenty-four hours after he does so, he is dead.  So what happened?  Saul, expecting an attack by the Philistines, sought out a medium to contact Samuel from the dead.  He had previously sought out help from the Lord but didn't get any response because of his disobedience (not to mention he killed off the priests who might be his spiritual advisors).     The medium, upon Saul's request, brings up the spirit of Samuel, who has very harsh words for Saul.  Samuel reiterates the prophecy that the kingdom would be given to David. At this point, Saul knows this, he has heard it many times and in many ways, but he has refused to believe it.  But now, he seems to get it. He falls to the ground and is inconsolable.    Throughout the Bible, we read about God's prohibition of anything related to the occult–mediums, fortune-tellers, clairvoyants, etc.  While some people may dispute they have any power at all (and some are clearly frauds), God has definitely forbidden his people's interaction with them for a reason.  My impression is that some of these individuals definitely have power but it is NOT from God.  Saul should have stayed away and we need to stay away as well.  It's nothing to mess with.  Our direction and guidance should only come from Jesus Christ.   Let's move on to chapter 29.  David and his men had been living in Philistine territory for quite awhile and David had earned the trust of Achish, king of Gath.  Achish had asked David to go to battle with him to fight against Israel.  David agreed but we certainly didn't know what he had up his sleeve.  We know that David's ultimate authority was God and God alone.  While Achish trusted David, the other Philistine commanders did not.  In fact, they didn't want David on the battlefield with them, as they were worried that he would turn on them.  Probably fairly insightful on their part.  Thus, David and his men are sent back to the town of Ziglag, where they've been residing with the blessing of the Gath king. But the story continues tomorrow...   In I Chronicles chapter 9, we find a slightly different kind of list.  These were the people of Judah who came back to resettle Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.  It seems the author is jumping ahead here but he has a reason to do so.  All these genealogies seem to offer us a big overview of what is to happen next.  These are the names of those who are involved.  These are God's people, those before and now after the exile.  But just like in I Samuel, things are going to get more interesting tomorrow.   Acts 19 is a fascinating chapter.  Paul's extended time in Ephesus has obviously made a huge impact on the region.  Many people are coming to know Jesus, miracles are happening, and people are no longer participating in the local idol worship.  They aren't buying the trinkets!     Interestingly, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was considered, in its final form, to be one of the seven wonders of the world.  It was extraordinary feat of how human beings can create beautiful idols to try to replace the one true God.  If the worship of Artemis had been fulfilling and life-giving, then the Ephesian businessmen would have had nothing to worry about.  But the worship of idols, two thousand years ago and today, always leaves one feeling empty and wanting.   Paul preached the Word of God, taught about the salvation and abundant life that comes from walking with Jesus, and created a community of people who loved God and each other.  That was attractive to people who were desperate for something more.  I can't help but relate this same scenario to our society today.  What/Who are our modern Temples of Artemis?  Which idols have we sought after, leaving us feeling empty and wanting more from life?  Just a reminder: Jesus is still in the business of transforming hearts and lives!  Who in your life needs to know the abundant life that only comes from a living relationship with Jesus?  Who needs to experience a community of Christians who will love and accept them as they are?   Stay safe!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Sermon: When Ziglag is burnt to the Ground Pastor Chester Keathley www.wurtlandchurchofgod.com

Sermon: When Ziglag is burnt to the Ground Pastor Chester Keathley www.wurtlandchurchofgod.com

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/23/2-samuel-1-commentary/ Second Samuel 1 Commentary www.lovingscripture.com Saul is dead. Jonathan and Saul's other two sons are also dead. The sad news is communicated to David at Ziglag. It shouldn't be true but it is. He is devastated. He mourns, weeps, and fasts for Saul, for the army, and for Israel. David returns to music to express his heart. When we read the psalms of David, we know we are getting into the heart of David. These songs were never produced for commercial purposes in the manner of much of today's music. The reader is encouraged to pay attention. The context is important but there is much more. The young David had reacted in holy anger when he heard Goliath insult the living God. The reaction is the same here. David knows the LORD God Almighty is lord over Israel. The death of Saul and his sons, and the heavy losses suffered by the army were an insult to Israel's status as the nation of the living God. In those days, the strength of the army was measured by the power and standing of a nation's god. There is something wrong here. David knows it. The young Amalekite man who delivered the news is believed as for siding with the enemy, or is the enemy himself, or aiding the enemy, and being happy that Israel is destroyed. How can David be happy about this? He is struck down and dies. David is a shepherd at heart. The LORD deposited this quality in his heart. His concern is for the sheep of the LORD, Israel. He glosses over the fact that Saul had tried to kill him several times. Instead, he focuses on the good of the man and the role he played as Israel's leader. Things shouldn't end this way for Israel. The heart of the song finds its place towards the end of the lyrics. “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me.” As is often the case, the LORD may allow those very dear to us to depart in death. David and Jonathan were one in heart and ambition. David would have to forge ahead without the company of the love, encouragement, protection, and support of his best friend. You may find yourself in this situation. You have to move on. Yes, move on in the absence of the best gifts that the LORD once placed in your hands. More resources visit www.lovingscripture.com

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/21/1-samuel-30-commentary/ First Samuel 30 Commentary www.lovingscripture.com Understanding your wife's shopping lingo is important in avoiding a budget overrun. She might find a good dress and then ask if you also like it. The question is a budget approval request and not just a mere opinion poll. “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” It's not a plain information extraction exercise. David is asking the LORD to intervene. The events in this chapter appear quite natural given the nature of the times we are reading about. But the more we think about these events, the more we become suspicious. The LORD appears to have allowed the Amalekites free passage into Ziglag but ensured they never destroyed any life. The four hundred exhausted men defeated the Amalekites and recovered everything. The four hundred young Amalekite men who escaped were actually good enough to resist David's four hundred exhausted men. This is a miracle. Could this be a sign that David's absence from Israel means disaster back home in Israel? Is the complete recovery signaling a need to restore Israel's fortunes by the new king? Whether by inference or not, we know this recovery was important in David's mind as he prepared to establish his throne. This chapter is highlighted by three acts of generosity by David. The Egyptian slave is saved. The soldiers that had remained behind due to exhaustion are treated fairly. The elders of Judah receive gifts from David. The last one resembles today's politics but it still reflects the heart of David. It is the grateful Egyptian slave who leads David on his way to victory. The soldiers appreciate David's sense of justice. The troops can trust a leader who rules with authority and justice. The elders of Judah would be the first to install David as King over the tribe of Judah. The LORD has appointed generosity to advance man's cause. Men who seek goodness rather than greatness end up with greatness in the process. This chapter and the three acts of kindness show us how the LORD may lead one to his destiny. An act of kindness may lie in a critical path to one's destiny. The recovery mission was okayed by the word of the LORD via the Urim and Thummim. The LORD spoke again by directing David to the raiding party. But the second message was wrapped and hidden. It needed an act of kindness to unlock it. Attending to a nearly dead Egyptian man might be considered time-wasting when there is an urgent rescue operation. In the economy of the LORD, generosity can be a huge and indispensable capital. More resources visit www.lovingscripture.com

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/20/1-samuel-29-commentary/ First Samuel 29 Commentary www.lovingscripture.com This is Saul's last battle. While Saul lies prostrate on the floor, in a medium's house at Endor, the Philistines' battle preps are well advanced. Among the Philistine army is one named David who should have been on the other side. It is a fact that the Philistine commanders quickly spot out. They immediately dispatch the wrong soldier back to Ziglag. From what we know about David, we can easily tell he meant business when he planned to go into battle against his own kinsmen. God forbid! It is always amazing when you sit down and see what the LORD does to help us out of our wrong decisions. David is disappointed and he returns home. It was for his good. The contrast is telling its own story. At Endor, the risen Samuel, albeit temporal resurrection, is telling the world that the LORD had given the kingdom to David. At the opposite end of the conflict, at the Philistines' camp, David is negotiating a role in the assault against the people that he should be presiding over. These are times when we fail to understand the compassions of the LORD. Where are you on the day of your inauguration? We owe it to the endless mercies of the LORD! David is ejected from the Philistine camp; this is the doing of the LORD. Loss of employment for some can be the doing of the LORD. Missing out on some opportunity may be the doing of the LORD. Some kings are scrapping for a living here and there, or begging for a piece of bread, or running away from oppression, or are actually on the other side of the fence. How and why the LORD does what He does is a function of grace. You understand when you read the psalms of David. More resources visit www.lovingscripture.com

What is Ziglag? It's a place of feeling overwhelmed and surrounded. Want to get free? Listen and find out how. Pastor Kim Snyder preaches a powerful message at AFA Church.

How should we deal with loss or sudden adversity if we are to maintain a life of honor? What should happen when that loss occurs because we did what we thought was right, but in the end it is obvious that we were not? And here’s a big question ... What is the difference in being confident that you are right and being arrogant? We get to all these questions and more in the service today

How should we deal with loss or sudden adversity if we are to maintain a life of honor? What should happen when that loss occurs because we did what we thought was right, but in the end it is obvious that we were not? And here’s a big question ... What is the difference in being confident that you are right and being arrogant? We get to all these questions and more in the service today

1 Samuel 30:1-19 - Don Paul Gray - Resurrection Campmeeting Services 2021 - Thursday 2:00pm Service - Sonlife Broadcasting Network - 04/01/21. Please visit www.jsm.org for more information. Episode Length 43:08

"Small changes + consistency + time = big changes." Kicking off our new series "From A to Ziglag", Pastor Alex teaches a practical message on how making small changes in our everyday has the power to make big changes overtime if we simply don't give up.

David spares Saul again; David flees to Ziglag; Saul visits a medium; Philistines reject David; David retrieves stolen plunder; Saul and sons die

Life is a battle (physical or spiritual) and warfare. This message explains some mysteries and strategies adopted by King David to recover all the Amalekites had carried away from Ziglag including his two wives.

Ps Mark hosts this week and opens with a very enthusiastic welcome to and blessing over every suburb in the Bundaberg region. He also profusely thanks us for continuing with all the tithes and offerings throughout the lockdown period. Then we meet Pastor Hugh with a very important aspect for all of our lives ..... Have you ever had one of those deep, dark places that you can't escape from? Dying of cancer? Been made redundant? Been divorced? Had a car crash? ..... And focusing on that dark place prevents you from seeing the good? I think we have all had either a little or a lot of that at sometime in our lives. Ps Hugh gives us the key out of these dark places, beginning with Romans 9:23 ..... We can know God's Glory. Ps Hugh lists a number of things that are not necessarily important to the running of our day to day lives. They are extras! But they are extras that God created specifically so that we can enjoy our lives and also enjoy Him more. During difficult times these extras don't disappear - they are always present. Our souls might be undergoing a tribulation but our mind knows that, all the way through that, God is still Good Reading from 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, we get the encouraging story of David and Ziglag. Well, it doesn't seem encouraging at first but God shows us that it is. Then 1 Samuel 30:6 & 8; Romans 8:38-39, and John 3:16. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! ========================================== What did you receive from today's message? Is there a 'takeway', 'nugget of gold' or revelation you can share with us? How can you apply today's message to your life this week? ==========================================

David found himself in great distress because the Amelekites had attacked Ziglag, burned it and took captive all the Women and Children. David's men wanted to stone him but David sought the LORD and He was strengthened in the LORD. No matter what you face, seek the LORD first and He will strengthen you.

For Books order click the link below: https://www.onefridayinjerusalem.com/shop   For donations click the link below: https://www.twinstours.org/becomeapartner     Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: http://twitter.com/twinstours Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/andre.moubarak Instagram: http://instagram.com/twinstours https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/jkvpmw/Session_1__Geography_of_the_Land_of_the_Bible.pdf The Geographical division of the Land (Based on Deuteronomy 1:6-8)  The plain of Asher, western Galilee, Phoenician coast. Extends from Rosh Hanikra in the North to Mt. Carmel in the south. Size 5 X 20 miles. Two Rivers: Naaman River (Nahar Haman) South of Acco Kishon River. Divided Between Two Tribes. Asher Part of the ninth Solomonic District – 1 Kings 4:16. Given to Phoenicia by Solomon – 1 kings 9:10 – 14.   The Plain of Sharon, Ugarit God of Forest, full of trees bushes and Kurkar Stone. Extends from Mt. Carmel in the North to the Yarkon River in the South – 60 miles. Samaria on the east and Mediterranean sea on the west. Rivers: Crocodile (Nahal Taninim ) – From Dothan and Carmel between Dor and Caesarea. Dead – From Dothan to south of Caesarea. Salt – South Natanya. Auja – Yarkon Noted for Two Harbors: Dor and Joppa. In New Testament times a third Harbor was added. It Had a tendency to swamp, causing the via maris to move from the coastland to inland to Aphek, currency waves brought sand from the delta and deposited it in the eastern coast. In Egyptian records it is mentioned by Thutmse III, Amenhotep II, Shishak and the Amarna Letters. In Assyrian records it is mentioned by Esarhaddon and Tiglath Pileser III. Mentioned by Eshmenzer of Sidon. The King was Killed by Joshua – Joshua 12:18. Given to the tribe of Manasseh – Jousha 17:7-10 In David's time, he had herds in Sharon – I Chronicles 27:29. Part of the Third Solomonic District – I Kings 4:10 -11 The inhabitants in this area began to turn to God under the preaching of Peter – Acts 9:35. Famous Flower: The Rose of Sharon (an autumn crocus) – Song of Solomon 2:1. The Prophets: Isaiah 33:9, 35:2, 65:10 in this century the soil was discovered to be exellent for citrus tees and the Sharon plain has become the major base for israel's citrus industry.     The Philistine Plain, Extends from the Yarkon River in the North to Raphia in the south, to wadi elarish ( Gaza ). West medeteranian sea east Shfelah. Rivers: Rubin Sukerir Wadi el-hesi Wadi Chazzem Wadi Sheriah. Settled by the Philistines in the 12th century BC who came from Caphtor ( Crete) – Amos 9:7 The Philistines established the five cities of the Pentapolis – Joshua 13:3, Judges 3:3, I Samuel 6:16,18. The Coastline. (1) Ashdod (2) Ashkelon (3) Gaza Inland (1) Ekron (2) Gath Abraham journeyed through the land of the Philisines – Genesis 21:32-34 Moses did not choose to go that way – Exodus 13:17 Philistines control retained- Joshua 13:2-3. The Ark of the Covenant spent seven months in the Philistine Plain – I Samuel 5:1-6. David Lived in the Land of the Philistine – I Samuel 27:1-11, 29:11 in Ziglag. The Head of Saul and his Armour were carried into the Land of the Philistines – I Samuel 31:9, I Chronicles 10:9. Mentioned in Daviss Lamentation – II Samuel 1:20 Subdued by David – I Chronicles 20:4-8 Marked the border of Solomon Kingdom – II chronicles 9:26 This is where the Shunammite fled to because of the Famine – II Kings 8:2-3 The Prphets: Jeremiah 25:20, 47:1-7, Ezejiel 16:27, 57, Joel 3:4, Amos 1:6-8, 9:7, Obadiah 19, Zephaniah 2:4-7 , Zechariah 9:6.

Problem solving is no problem...   when the situation is clear cut and dry. But most problems come will a cloud of fog  that seems to envelope the whole situation. So how do you navigate through difficult situations when you can't see clearly?    When my coffee was ready I headed for the back porch with my cup. I was excited to drink in all the Fall color beauty, but I couldn't see anything. A bank of fog covered everything. I expected the fog to lift at any moment so I had my devotions on the porch; it didn't lift.   I went inside to start my work, peeking outside every half hour or so, but the fog didn't lift at all that day. In fact it got worse before it got better. That cloud of dewy wetness covered my porch leaving the cushions too moist to use.   As I strained my eyes to see I thought about times I've had to navigate through problems that I couldn't see what my next step should be. Some of those times I have been  more successful than other times.   As I stared at that fog I was reminded of 3 words that can help us be better problem solvers when we can't see clearly.     When it's foggy you can access   1. Hindsight 2. Insight 3. His Sight   Hindsight Remember what you already know.   That's important because our mind goes to go ballistic on us! It wants to go off on the deep end, what if such and such happens? That feeds fear and fear makes our thinking foggy.    When I look out from my porch at the fog I remind myself, it's really beautiful out there. I can't see it, but I know there's incredible beauty hiding inside this bank of clouds.     We are so quick to forget. So do what David did in the Bible at Ziglag. He encouraged himself. He rehearsed what God had done in the past.   Rehearse your victories.   What has God done for you in the past?   If you're a new believer or having trouble remembering then go to Scripture and use some of those accounts.    Remind yourself how good God is. Remind yourself and begin to praise God for His great goodness, power and mercy. The God that delivered 3 men from a fiery furnace is still working miracles today!   If you don't have a list of victories you should get you a notebook or file on your computer and start writing them down right now.   Lamentations 3:21-23   21Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.   Jeremiah was intentional. Intentionally feed your spirit. Remind yourself, so you don't lose hope, so you don't lose your way!   Insight   Insight helps us answer the question, "What is really going on here?" Most folks want to deal with the fruit and not the root. That only perpetuates the situation. Insight comes from wisdom and understanding.   Ask for wisdom about your situation. Ask for understanding, so you can approach the situation appropriately. A person without understanding uses a hammer to kill a fly. Don't do that. Seek wisdom. Seek understanding.    Psalm 119:99 NIV I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.   Proverbs 5:1 NIV My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight,   Ask for wisdom.    James 1:5 NLT If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.   I know you know to do this, but the power of the verse is not just knowing you need to ask, but in actually asking God for wisdom. Then take the time to listen. It's just rude to ask a question and then not take the time to listen.   His Sight   We totally understand that when we stand on the top of a mountain we can get a better viewpoint. From that viewpoint we may need binoculars to see the redbird in the tree or details below, but that viewpoint gives us a broader perspective.    Oh dear friend, I want to remind you that God sees it all. His viewpoint is wide and deep. It  is  both immeasurable and microscopic. God says my thoughts (Isaiah 55:9) are higher than your thoughts. His viewpoint is from a perspective that allows him to see the situation as it really is. The exciting part of this is that He wants to share His perspective with you.    Psalms 32:8 NKJV  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.   Seek His will.   NLT Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.   NIV in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.   Don't forget. He is with you in every situation. Good and bad.  He knows the best path for you to take. He will show you even when everywhere you look is foggy!   God bless you. Remember I'm praying for you. God has a good plan for your life. You are an overcomer.   If you were encouraged please share this podcast with a friend and/or rate my podcast.   For more information you can go to my website. patriciaholland.org.                          

The mighty Colorado river, known historically for its disastrous Spring time floods, zigzags from the gleaming snowcapped mountains of Colorado southward all the way to Mexico. There, it finally empties into the Gulf of California. The lofty dreams of actually wrangling and harvesting the flood waters that would produce power and reclaim the bleak wastelands of the dessert began with the construction of a railroad that would carry essential supplies to the site of what would later be called the Hoover Dam. The angry claws of the Great Depression left people jobless and desperate. Unemployed Americans rushed to the bleak wilderness to claim jobs that would employ 21,000 people to build the “world’s largest dam”. It was a whopping 60 stories tall and at the time it was finished the highest dam in the world! The base of the dam was as thick as two football fields. Can you imagine that? But the dam had to be huge in order to withstand the pressure of all that water. It was an unbelievable feat of engineering!! It stretched the minds and skills of the brilliant team of engineers and workmen. Construction began in 1931 and ended in 1935. 96 men lost their lives in the construction of this arduous task. Yet they accomplished their goal… they harnessed the power of the mighty Colorado River which protected Arizona from the disastrous floods. The water was reclaimed to irrigate fields, provide drinking water and power… incredible POWER to whole cities. The Hoover Dam is capable of producing 4.5 billion kilowatt hours yearly. But the Hoover Dam accomplished something else. Even before it was completed people began to travel long, difficult miles through a bleak dessert to see the dam. This technological wonder during a terrible depression seemed to be a door of hope. Which reminds me of Ziglag… David’s place of overwhelming despair that became a door of hope. But let me back up… running from King Saul had taken its toll on David. 1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. 2So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. 3David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him. 5Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” 6So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. 7David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months. In chapter 29 we observe a challenging confrontation between David and the Philistines. Although, Achish trusts David the Philistine do NOT. Achish sent David and his men home. What a divine intervention this event was for David, but I’m not sure whether he saw it that way or not. He had managed to manhandle the situation successfully. 1 Samuel 30  paints broad, dark strokes with only a few details to describe what has happened. After 3 days of travel, the men arrive in Ziglag. I can imagine that before their eyes saw anything, they smelled smoke. It wasn’t the welcoming smell of meat roasting, you know the kind makes you salivate. Instead, it was the stench of destruction. When they got closer they could see Ziklag was burned and everyone…their wives, their children…everyone was gone. No one was killed…but they were all gone. They were devastated. They began to weep and sobbed... the ugly kind, right out loud. the gut wrenching kind. They wept until they were exhausted. Then they were angry— at David. They blamed him and talked about stoning him. Here’s David, hurting just as bad as everyone else in the group and they want to blame him for the situation. What a nightmare!!! I don’t know what you see…but I see a man folded in half near the smoldering remains of what had been his home… crying… pain so deep… he can’t even speak. But what he did next would change his valley of disaster into a door of hope— for him his wives and their children the men that followed him… his men their families and even a sick slave boy that the enemy army, the Amalekites, had thrown away.   What did He do that changed this horrible valley of disaster into their door of hope? “David found strength in the Lord his God.” Out of 601 men… one man… one man… found strength in God. Can we pause here…this is important... this band of men were strong, valiant warriors, unafraid, bold, risk takers, skilled, brave,  that had come to the end of their strength. Yet David found strength in God. Look back with me at the Colorado River. Every member of the Reclamation Bureau understood the latent potential within the raging waters of the Colorado River. Seeing the potential wasn’t enough. They needed a plan, tools, workers, money, railroad, tunnels, a dam, spillways a power plant and more stuff that neither of us want to list.  They used their God given brains and found a way…a plan and then worked the plan. A plan that included moving the river! That’s insane! When they worked the plan they accessed the power. How did David access God’s strength? If we look at events from previous victories we see both a relationship and a pattern or process. (God is using the word "process" in my life everywhere I turn.) David's relationship with God led him into worship. David was a worshipper. Look at what God says about David. Acts 13:22 ESV And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ He rehearsed His victories. I think it’s safe to say that he probably repeated that same pattern in this situation. Both of these things will redirect your eyes off the problem to see a solution. If you keep your eyes are your problem it will stay "your" problem. When you get your eyes on THE answer, you’ll find your answer. 1 Samuel 30:8 shows another way David accessed God’s strength. and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” He needed to know what to do! So he asked God. He had an idea that seemed logical, but logical wasn’t enough. Do you need to ask God what to do? After you ask…listen… not just for the few seconds that your impatience dictates…but lean in to really listen. Keep reminding God that you are listening and then listen. Look for solutions. Sort your thoughts in God’s presence.   God had a divine setup waiting for them, which probably didn’t feel divine at all to the sick, slave boy that got left to die in the middle of nowhere without any food or water. After giving the boy something to drink and eat, David discovered the boy was an Egyptian who had been the slave of  an Amalekite. When the boy got sick, his master left him to die. The boy named the cities and places where the Amalekite Army had been plundering; Ziglag was on that list. David asked the boy if he knew where the Amalekites were going. In exchange for his guaranteed safety, the boy was willing to take them right to the men David was looking for…now only God could do that! Only God!!! 1 Samuel 30:16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. 18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.” Hosea 2: 15 ESV And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. Tucked in that verse is a phrase you need to believe... "and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope." Achor means trouble. God's Word Translation uses the word "disaster." I believe God can make your valley of trouble...even your valley of disaster a door of hope. What really matters to you is what you believe... Do you believe that God will make your valley of trouble a door of hope? Let's pray. Father, I pray for my dear friend. I thank you that you are with them. That you love them and you have a good plan for their life. Help them to be rooted and grounded in your love. Help them to know the truth, because truth brings freedom. Help them to know what their next right step is and then have the courage to obey you. Guide them. Father, turn their valley of trouble into a door of hope. Thank you, Father. Amen.   Thank you for listening or reading this post. God bless you.  Don't miss a single podcast or blog. Subscribe right now. You can unsubscribe at any time.      

The enemy’s work is described in the Word as “to steal, kill, and destroy.” If what God has given us to draw from for ministry to others or for strength for ourselves is taken or neutralized, it will not be able to do the work God intended. How do we protect what we have and even gain more? We look to an event in the life of David for answers.

The enemy’s work is described in the Word as “to steal, kill, and destroy.” If what God has given us to draw from for ministry to others or for strength for ourselves is taken or neutralized, it will not be able to do the work God intended. How do we protect what we have and even gain more? We look to an event in the life of David for answers.

Ziglag Series Pt. III

Ziglag is Gone Series PT. II

After returning to their temporary, Philistine wilderness home in Ziglag, David and his army of 600 men were confronted with a horrific and shocking tragedy. Their village had been razed to the ground and their wives and children kidnapped by the Amalekites. In a fit of frustration and anger David's men were about to turn on him. How did David respond and what can we learn from this 3,000 year old story about navigating a crisis in our own wilderness experiences? What promises of God remain for those who must go through similar experiences in our own time? Join Pastor Jim for this hopeful story of God's amazing grace and glorious redemption at work in our lives.

David and his men suffered a terrible loss at Ziglag. The instructed David to "pursue and recover all."  If you have suffered loss the Lord can empower you to "pursue and recover all."

"From Trouble To Triumph" Pastor Paul Thompson 1 Samuel 30:1-20

Initial Sermon of Min. Donta Williams - From Pain to Payback - 05182014

You can not go forward into joy until God heals you or restores you. When you cry and there are no tears you are in ziglag. Ziglag means setup for restoration. Do not allow bitterness from the past to enter into your life to ruin the joy. Discouragement will cause you to lose perception and joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

You can not go forward into joy until God heals you or restores you. When you cry and there are no tears you are in ziglag. Ziglag means setup for restoration. Do not allow bitterness from the past to enter into your life to ruin the joy. Discouragement will cause you to lose perception and joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

You can not go forward into joy until God heals you or restores you. When you cry and there are no tears you are in ziglag. Ziglag means setup for restoration. Do not allow bitterness from the past to enter into your life to ruin the joy. Discouragement will cause you to lose perception and joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength.