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<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">“<b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Tel:
<a href="tel:253-517-9195" target="_blank">253-517-9195</a> - Email:
<a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com" target="_blank">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/" target="_blank">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">September 28, 2012</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
<br></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
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</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b> 1 SAMUEL 21-26 - DAVID: FLEES FROM SAUL TO WILDERNESS</b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>1.
21:11 (21, ESV) DAVID: FLEES TO GATH. <font size="3">And the
servants of Achish said to him, ‘Is not this David the king of the
land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, “Saul has
struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands”’? </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">Fear
struck David’s heart because of this statement, and he fled again.
What evil days You permitted to come upon David, Father! But </span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">this</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
is Your method of maturing a leader! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Hallowed
be your :name!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">2.
22:2 (22:1-5) DAVID: THE BEGINNING OF HIS ARMY. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“And
everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and
everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became
captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.”
</span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">This
is not a very auspicious beginning: a straggly rag-tag remnant of
malcontents! But </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">You</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
were leading, Father! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Your
:kingdom come!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">3.
22:23 (22:6-23) DAVID: OCCASIONS DEATH OF 85 PRIESTS. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“Stay
with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life.
With me you shall be in safekeeping.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Often
when we serve You Father, and obey Your leading; we occasion trouble
for others. But </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">still</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
Romans 8:28 is in the Bible! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Your
:will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">4.
23:4 (23) DAVID: PERSECUTION BY SAUL INTENSIFIED. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">Then
David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, ‘Arise,
go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.’”
</span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Urim
and Thummim in the Ephod provided for Your guidance to David, Father!
His trust was in </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">You
first</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">,
not like Saul who seldom consulted you! O forgive us that we are too
much like Saul and too little like David! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Our
:daily :bread Give us this day.</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">5.
24:6 (24) DAVID: SPARES SAUL THE FIRST TIME. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“He
said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my
lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing
he is the LORD’s anointed.’” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Did
David have provocation to take vengeance into his own hand? Yes. But
he was a man after Your own heart Father, and restrained himself. O
strengthen us also in the day of temptation, that we will yield only
to </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">Your</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
will! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And
forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">6.
25:32-33 (25) DAVID: STORY OF NABAL AND ABIGAIL. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">And
David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who
sent you this day to meet me! </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">33
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">Blessed
be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day
from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand!” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Why
do we have so much trouble in the fleshly heat of taking vengeance
into our own hands, Father? And so often we self-righteously justify
such carnal action! O deliver us from the evil one who tempts us to
take vengeance out of </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">Your</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
hands! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And
bring us not into temptation!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>7.
26:10-11a (26) DAVID: SPARES SAUL A SECOND TIME. <font size="3">And
David said, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his
day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. </font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1">11
</font><font size="3">The LORD forbid that I should put out my hand
against the LORD’s anointed.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">David
consistently left vengeance in </span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">Your</span></u><span style="font-weight:normal">
hands, Father. He did </span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">not</span></u><span style="font-weight:normal">
fight Your battles at his own discretion. What a difficult lesson for
the flesh to learn, that Vengeance is </span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">Yours</span></u><span style="font-weight:normal">:
</span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">You</span></u><span style="font-weight:normal">
will repay, says Jehovah! </span><b><i>But deliver us from the evil
</i>one!</b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><u><b>NOTE</b></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>:
23:6 (23) DAVID: RECEIVES THE EPHOD OF THE HIGH PRIEST. </b></span><b><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“When
Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had
come down with an ephod in his hand.” </span></font></b><u><span style="font-weight:normal">Here</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
was Your provision for David, Father: the Urim and Thummim in the
ephod for guidance (Proverbs 6:20-22). </span></span></font></font>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">What
lessons and applications can you find here in the life of David that
</span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">you</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
can emulate? I can find a number for myself.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">David
was not so proud that he could not associate with men of problems -
to form his first army. I pray daily - Father, set me </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">where</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
You will, and </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">link
me with whom You will</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">!
Would I personally link myself with some with whom </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">He</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
links me? No, I must confess I would not! But His wisdom is so much
greater than mine - that I like David, receive all with whom He would
link me! Then looking back - I can see His great wisdom!</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2">Note
too - that when we obey God - others associated with us often suffer
temporarily. This is a great difficulty. David found it so! 85
priests died because he, David, did what was right and necessary in
God’s sight! But out of that - one priest who fled to David for
safety, brought with him the High Priest’s Ephod, which contained
the Urim and Thummim. Read Proverbs 6:20-22 to see the 3-fold
blessing David obtained from the Ephod. Note in the future history of
David how consistently he called upon Abiathar to receive guidance
from the LORD!</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Then
note how David spared the life of Saul his enemy on 2 occasions -
because </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">he</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
was the LORD’s anointed! So we as children should honor our
parents, even when at times they do us harm as Saul did to David!</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2">Ponder
these and other truths you find in this lesson! – Jim Watt</font></font></p>
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<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Our
Psalm for the day: </span></span><b><span style="text-decoration:none">147:19-20
</span><span style="text-decoration:none">HE HEALS THE
BROKENHEARTED. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“He
declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">20
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">He has
not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules.
Praise the LORD!” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Here
is a picture of Your nature, Father! We marvel at Your character,
Your pleasure in creation and Your people! We marvel at Who and What
You are! You are altogether wonderful! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Hallowed
be Your :Name!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
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