Have you ever been in a tough situation with a leader in your life? Maybe a pastor, a boss, or even a spouse. It’s common for us to not agree, but the BIG question is, how do we respond during times of disagreement? This week we are going to look at the life of David and who he turned to for help.This week, our guest contributor is a mom, a grandma, and a wife who works beside her husband in ministry. Amie Hubbard will share with us that lessons that stood out to her this week as well as another story from the life of David when he DIDN’T respond in a Christ-like way.

Have you ever been in a tough situation with a leader in your life? Maybe a pastor, a boss, or even a spouse. It’s common for us to not agree, but the BIG question is, how do we respond during times of disagreement? This week we are going to look at the life of David and who he turned to for help.This week, our guest contributor is a mom, a grandma, and a wife who works beside her husband in ministry. Amie Hubbard will share with us that lessons that stood out to her this week as well as another story from the life of David when he DIDN’T respond in a Christ-like way.

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Starting with Jesus

Heather Bennett

Reflect and Renew January 2023

The Last Days of Saul

King at Last

How do we treat those around us? How do we treat the teachers of our children, those in authority, the police officers or even people at like the the customer service departments of stores? How do we respond to people when they don't treat us in the way that we think we should be treated, even if we're right? Welcome to Refresh and Renew. Hi, I'm Heather and I'm so glad that you'll be joining me today. We will be learning and growing together in our walk with Jesus. You will surely be encouraged and challenged as we study week by week and hear from the experiences of others. Have you had a chance to read the Renew starting with Jesus devotional this week? Starting with Jesus has a weekly devotional written by Merl Poer for Busy People, so we can find the time to study our lesson, to read it for yourself, go to our website starting with jesus.com/renew, or you can sign up for the devotional to be emailed to you. Just email us at renew starting with jesus.com and let us know that you want those devotionals sent to your inbox each week. That way you can read the devotional and then join me as we talk about the lesson. We will hear stories from others just like you and me, and we will be inspired as we hear how the lesson has impacted their lives. This week, we're going to delve deeper into the life of David and see what we can learn from his life. Our story today is found in the book of First Samuel. Let's look closer at some of the points that Merle brought out in her corresponding weekly devotional. By the way, I love the title of her devotional. It's called Renew, staying with Jesus. It's a great reminder for us that when we stay with Jesus, we are renewed. The devotional this week focuses on leadership comparing David's response in a crisis to Saul's response in a crisis. Here's what we find David did in a crisis and maybe we wanna think about how we respond in a crisis as well. David reached out for help. He reached out for help from God asking for guidance, and he reached out for help from Samuel the prophet, or in other cases, he turned to Jonathan, his friend and mentor. He even went for help to a Himalaya, the high priest, along with seeking help David pondered and meditated on God's goodness and how God had led him in the past. Remembering God's watch, care and guidance gave him hope and reassurance for the future. Now, let's take a look at Saul. Saul does not seek help from the high priests, but rather he slaughters them. Saul turns away from God and becomes so desperate that he turns to a spirit medium to seek counsel from a dead prophet who is actually an evil spirit. Saul did things his way and looked for help in all the wrong places. In fact, Saul, God's anointed, sure wasn't acting like the king that he was called to be. So what did David do? How did he respond to Saul? David shows us that it isn't up to us to fix the Lord's anointed. That job belongs to God because Saul was still God's anointed. Isn't that a good lesson for us? As we face conflict, who do we go to when we're in a crisis? Maybe it's a conflict with our spouse. Maybe it's a conflict with our boss or maybe a conflict in our church. Whatever the conflict, God is by our side willing to guide us through and give us his peace. Each week, we're going to hear from a guest who will share with us the lessons that stood out to them from the Renew Devotional. Remember, if you want to read the devotional for yourselves, go to starting with jesus.com/renew. Our guest contributor this week is a mother, grandmother, and wife who works beside her husband in ministry. Amy Hubbard shares the thoughts that impressed her as she read the devotional and Bible story. She also shares another story from the life of David when David didn't respond in a Christ-like way. First Samuel chapters 25 through 30 tell us the story of Saul's last days as King of Israel. In contrast to David, his trust in God's timing to fulfill his promises, it's an incredible story of faithfulness. Even though David was tempted, even though Saul deserved to be removed from office, even though it was clearly evident that God was not with Saul because Saul had rejected God, David would not take things into his own hands. He would not interfere in God's plan and God's timing. How is it for us? Do we trust the Lord to work everything out in his own perfect time? How do we treat those around us? How do we treat the teachers of our children or the Sabba school teachers? How do we treat the pastors or those in authority, the police officers or even people at like the the customer service departments of stores? How do we respond to people when they don't treat us in the way that we think we should be treated? Even if we're right? The story has just such incredible reminder to me to do the right thing because it's right and leave the consequences with God. As a pastor's wife, we pastored three churches in the upper peninsula. We also have pastored in smaller churches and in bigger churches, and many times we have experienced the grace and understanding and support of God's people. There have been also times when there have been misunderstandings and the way that we respond to those things can make all the difference. And Ecclesiastes 10 20, it says, do not curse the king even in your thought. Do not curse the rich even in your bedroom, for the bird of the air may carry your voice and a bird in flight may tell the matter, how do we treat those around us? What do we think of them? Do we reflect on their good qualities? What about in her spouse, our children, our teachers, our pastors, our coworkers? Do we express our appreciation for the dedication or hard work they may do or do we kill them with our thoughts, our words, our disappointments in little or big insufficiencies? They went over this devotional thought. It made me realize how important it is that we guard our thoughts. Ephesians 4 29 says, let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good and necessary for the edification that it may impart grace to the hearers and Samuel, it was talking about David's interaction with Abigail. Remember the story? David's men, he sent his men to go to Naval and ask for some provisions. He had protected his flock and had made life easy for his servants, and it was the custom that they would help those who had helped with their livelihood in these times of the fall like this, but naval was selfish and he didn't want to send anything to David. Who is David? He said, well, David's response was not good. Right? He was ready to go and take the life of that man who was willing to say that, and so David finds himself and kind of a tricky situation. He's headed down there to take revenge on naval, but on his way, he meets someone. Word had come to Abigail of what had happened, and she came prepared to intervene and to make a difference in the life of her family and of her household. I love the words that she uses. I pray these. She said, forgive the trespass. I'm handmade for the Lord will certainly make my Lord a sure house because my Lord fight at the battles of the Lord. An evil has not been found in the Allie days. Abigail presented by implication the course that David ought to pursue. He should fight the battles of the Lord. He was not to seek revenge for personal wrongs, even though persecuted as a traitor and she continued though man may be risen up to pursue the and to seek thy soul. Yet the soul of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God, and it shall come to pass when the Lord shall have done to my Lord, according to all the good that he has spoken concerning me and shall have appointed the prince over Israel, that this grief shall be no grief under the nor offense under the heart of my Lord. Either the thou has shed blood causeless or that my Lord has avenge himself and when the Lord shoved, dwell well with my Lord, then remember thym handmade one Samuel 25 verse 29 through 31, patriarchs and prophets says it this way. These words could have only come from the lips of one who had partaken of wisdom from above the piety of Abigail, like the fragrance of a flower breathed out all unconsciously and face and word and action. The spirit of the Son of God was abiding in her soul. Her speech seasoned with grace, full of kindness and peace, shut a heavenly influence. Better impulses came to David and he trembled as he thought what might have been the consequences of his rash purpose. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Jesus told us in Matthew five, nine would that there were more women like this woman of Israel who would soothe the irritated feelings, prevent rash impulses and quell great evil by words of calm and well-directed wisdom. A concert Christian life is ever shedding light and comfort and peace. Isn't that what you want? It's what I want. I want a consecrated Christian life that is ever shedding comfort and light and peace. It is characterized by purity, tact, simplicity, and usefulness. It is controlled by that unselfish love that sanctifies the influence. It is full of Christ and leaves a track of light wherever its possessors may go. Abigail was a wise rep, approver, and counselor. David's passion died away under the power of her influence and reasoning. He was convinced that he had taken an unwise course and lost control of his own spirit, patriarchs and prophets. Page 6 67, oh, to have that spirit, I want that spirit in my life. I want to have that selflessness. I want to allow Jesus to help me see in others what he sees in them. How many times I've been so thankful that others have been so gracious to me, have been understanding, have been compassionate, have recognized that maybe things were stressful. Do we extend the same grace to others? Are we willing to look up for their positive qualities? I just want so much to be that light. Ephesians 4 31 and 32 says, let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you. We need to think kind, generous thoughts of others. We need to think the best of our spouse, think the best of our children. I love the story that Jesus told in Luke 6 43 and 45, where he reminds us that a good tree bears good fruit and a good man out of good treasure of his heart brings forth good, but there's this reminder for out of the abundance of the heart. His mouth speaks for out of the abundance of the heart. His mouth speaks. What kind of man or woman are you? What kind of woman am I? Do remember that every person has infinite value in the sight of God. Who is willing to give everything for each one? How do we treat our children? What is our response at home to a misunderstanding or a harsh word or maybe a stressful situation? Are we gonna be like Abigail and be willing to spread peace and light and joy, or are we gonna be personally offended? I love this story. David reminds us, let's not be offended. God is the one who's in control. He sets up kings. He removes kings. He will give us wisdom and discernment. He will help us to speak those words of light and love, that we can spread a good news to those around us, that we would be faithful servants of his. That's the prayer of my heart. Something to think about, right? How do we respond when we feel like people are treating us wrong? Are we quick to take offense or do we go to God in prayer and ask for wisdom? In handling those touchy situations, do we seek unity? What about the leaders in our lives? Do we encourage them? Do we help to support them? Each week, Merle Courrier is going to offer us a challenge to put into practice what we have learned from the devotional. Here is our challenge. For this week, try to take time to write a letter, send an email or a text to your pastor. Send them a meaningful Bible text, and remember to include words of encouragement and appreciation, and most of all, let them know that you are praying for them. Now, if you have a story to share about this lesson, we would love to hear from you. Just email us at renew starting with jesus.com, and remember to let us know if you want that weekly devotional sent right to your inbox. Thank you for joining me today. As we studied the life of David. I'm looking forward to the year ahead where we will dig deeper into God's word. We will be challenged together and find new ways to apply the lessons that we have learned from our weekly stories. Before we go, let's close with prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for everything that you've taught us in this lesson today. Now, I ask that we could be a blessing to the leaders in our lives. Please impress our hearts with ways that we can encourage our leadership and lighten their burdens. We pray this in your name, amen. This podcast is sponsored by starting with Jesus. To find out more about other programs or to find out the links that were shared in this podcast, just check out the description box below.

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Reflect and Renew January 2023

The Last Days of Saul

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The Last Days of Saul

King at Last

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