First Samuel Twenty-Three - God Strengthens

"So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, 'Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.' So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house," 1 Samuel 23:15-18, NKJV. #GodStrengthens

As with the natural body, our spiritual being grows tired, weary and weak if it is not properly nourished and exercised; but God strengthens His people through His word, through the encouragement and uplifting of others, and, it is even possible to strengthen yourself in the Lord.

Deuteronomy 3:28, Job 16:4-5 and 1 Peter 5:8-11.

First Samuel Twenty-Two - Killing Priests

"And the king said, 'You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!' Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, 'Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.' But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord. And the king said to Doeg, 'You turn and kill the priests!' So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod," 1 Samuel 22:16-18, NKJV. #KillingPriests 

The division of power between priests and prophets in the house of God and national governmental administrations and kingdoms, is an ancient rift; in the scriptures, the slaughter of priests and prophets almost always came by the hand of the ruling authorities.

1 Kings 18:2-4, Luke 13:34-35 and Acts 7:51-60.

First Samuel Twenty-One - Troublesome Times

"Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, 'Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?'" 1 Samuel 21:12-15, NKJV. #TroublesomeTimes

There are moments in the life of the believer when even though we earnestly seek God and direction from Him, in His all-knowing sovereignty, He allows us to experience a taste of hopeless and helplessness; these troublesome times invoke our sincere faith and total trust in Him, no matter how low we may think we sink or how far outside the protection of the Lord we may seem to be.

Genesis 12:10-16, Jeremiah 38:1-5 and Matthew 8:23-27.

First Samuel Twenty - Split Loyalties

"Then Jonathan said to David: 'The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, may the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father,'" 1 Samuel 20:12-13. #SplitLoyalties

The word of Lord is not for private interpretation; oftentimes conflict arises between opposing believers, splitting loyalties between families and friends under God, as efforts are made to determine what exactly His will might be.

Genesis 13:8-12, Job 15:8-9 and Acts 21:10-14.

First Samuel Nineteen - Seeking Confirmation

"So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. Now it was told Saul, saying, 'Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!' Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also," 1 Samuel 19:18-21, NKJV. #SeekingConfirmation

In the scriptures, both the people of God and those who seem to be outside seek confirmation about what it is that the Lord is doing in the earth; some inquire once or twice, while others ask multiple times.

Numbers 23:1-30, 2 Kings 1:3-16, Matthew 11:2-6.

First Samuel Eighteen - Thorough Threshing

"Then Saul said, 'Thus you shall say to David: "The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies."' But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the days had not expired; therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife," 1 Samuel 18:25-27, NKJV. #ThoroughThreshing

There are times when the Lord performs a work gradually, and other instances when He completes it hastily; whichever the case, His work is like a thorough threshing, done completely, precisely and exact, as with all the miraculous wonders of Jesus Christ.

Exodus 9:6, 1 Kings 18:25-40 and John 6:4-12. 

First Samuel Seventeen - Arena Victories

"This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands," 1 Samuel 17:46-47, NKJV. #ArenaVictories

While the Lord does some things in secret, like giving messages through His angels or speaking to an individual through dreams and visions, there are times when He openly announces His presence by giving victory on the battlefield or miraculously winning the faith of many in a crowd; in the scriptures, the supernatural works of God have happened before large gatherings, royal assemblies or even in open arenas and theaters.

Exodus 7:8-13, Mark 2:3-12 and Acts 14:1-13.