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Kids Bible Blog: David
Trouble
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 3:1-8
TO CHEW ON: "Many are saying of me, 'God will not deliver him.' But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Psalm 3:2,3
Have you ever been in big trouble? Maybe some bullies at school are picking on you, or someone in your family is deathly sick, or your house was wrecked in a storm or fire – or some other thing. What do you do when big trouble comes?
When David wrote Psalm 3, he had a big problem. By now he had been king for many years. He also had many children. One of his sons, Absalom, was ambitious. He wanted to become king instead of David.
Secretly Absalom won the hearts of the people. He did this by talking to each person who came with a problem for the king to judge. He said things like, “Isn’t it a shame the king is too busy to hear you? Now if only I were the king, things would be different.”
After acting like this for four years, he made his move. Without his father knowing it Absalom went to Hebron. Then he sent secret messengers through the land. They told...
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Safe
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 91:1-16
TO CHEW ON: "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'” Psalm 91:2
What things frighten you?
Do you know one person who isn’t afraid of something?
Even courageous David, when he was hiding from Saul, was probably afraid. He was scared of being found by Saul. He was afraid of being killed....
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Tags: Saul Psalms promises God’s presence God’s care fear David
Recipe for Success
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 28:4-12
TO CHEW ON: “And you my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9
David was an old man. He had been king for forty years, but he knew he would soon die. One day he crowned his young son Solomon to rule after him. Then he called the people together to introduce them to their new king.
In front of everyone he challenged Solomon to be a good king and serve God for his whole life. His speech told Solomon how to do that. It went something like this:
“Solomon, be sure you search out all of God’s commands and obey them. Get to know God. Worship Him with a clean heart. Serve Him with a willing mind. Don’t think you can fool Him with pretending. Not only can He see what you do, He also knows your thoughts. Search for Him and He will show Himself to you.
“But if you...
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Tags: worship Solomon respect parents obedience discussion David 1 Chronicles
Praise!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 150:1-6
TO CHEW ON: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6
To help the people celebrate, David and other song writers wrote praise psalms. One of them is Psalm 150. We learn many things about praising God from this psalm.
We learn that praise can sound from many places. It can come from a sanctuary or a church. It can also come from nature, like the “mighty heavens,” those beautiful stars, planets, the sun and the moon that God made. Can you think of more places?
The planets Saturn and Jupiter
We learn that we praise God for many reasons. We may praise God for His “acts of power.” These could be miracles that God has done.
People in Bible times would think of things like how God sent plagues on the Egyptians so the Israelites could go free, or dried up the Jordan River so they could cross.
We can praise God for these things too. But we can also praise God for the mighty acts that God has done for people in our time. Perhaps you’ve heard stories of how God has healed people, or helped them escape from dangerous situations, or sent someone to rescue...
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Peacemaker
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 25:14-20; 32-35
TO CHEW ON: "David said to Abigail, 'Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgement and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.'” 1 Samuel 25: 32,33
Many people loyal to David began to join him in the cave where he was hiding. Eventually David and his men moved from caves to the desert. While they were there, some shepherds, the servants of a man named Nabal, were herding sheep nearby. David and his men made friends with the shepherds. They protected their flocks from wild animals and bandits.
After the shepherds had taken the sheep home, David heard that Nabal was going to throw a party for his servants. This would be a good time to get a meal from Nabal in payment for protecting him, David thought. He sent one of his men to Nabal with a polite note, asking if he and his men could come to the party.
Nabal, who was very rich, but also very selfish, answered David’s servant roughly. “Why should I take the food I make...
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Mind Matter
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 1:1-6
CHEW ON: "But they (people who try to please God) take joy in doing all God wants them to. They think about God’s laws day and night. They think about ways to follow him more closely." Psalm 1:2 (The [Simplified] Living Bible)
Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible © American Bible Society 1976, 1992
Saul tried to kill David because he was jealous. He kept his envious thoughts growing by going back to them again and again. He imagined how the people were saying David should be king instead of him. He wished David weren’t around. Maybe if he killed David, the people would admire him the most again …
Our minds are always busy, thinking about something. But we don't have to let our minds go wherever they choose. We can control what we think about. If we find ourselves thinking jealous, hateful, revengeful thoughts, we can stop. We can turn our minds to other things – and think thoughts that are good, loving, wholesome and kind.
What are your favorite things to think about? What are some things you try NOT to think about?
Read Philippians 4:8, then make a list of good things to think about.
When...
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Tags: thoughts Psalms prayer God’s help drawing David choices
Insults = Blessings?
TODAY’S SPECIAL: I Peter 4:12-19
TO CHEW ON: "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." I Peter 4:14
Which of these things has happened to you because you are a Christian?- called names- left out- teased- made fun of
It’s not fun going through things like that. But it shouldn’t surprise us. People in the past were insulted and persecuted because they trusted in God:
"Goliath" - Artist unknown
David’s older brother made fun of him when David came to the battlefield and started asking questions about why no one was challenging Goliath when he insulted God. (1 Samuel 17:28)
"David" - Artist Unknown
Nehemiah was teased by Sanballat and Tobiah when he began rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. They made fun of his work, joking, “..if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones.” (Nehemiah 2:19; 4:3).
Jesus said that his followers would be arrested, persecuted, even killed (John 15:20)....
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Tags: write true/false persecution Nehemiah Jesus friendship David 1 Peter
I’m Sorry
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 51:1-19
TO CHEW ON: "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise." Psalm 51:17
After Nathan had talked to David, he felt terrible. Now he knew how seriously God took what he had done. It wasn’t just some little "mistake." It was sin – adultery, lying, murder. He felt guilty. He felt dirty. He felt sad. He felt afraid that God wouldn’t be his friend any more. He was very sorry.
David wrote his thoughts and feelings in Psalm 51.
1. Even though David had killed Uriah, whom had he sinned against the most? ____ (Psalm 51:4)...
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Tags: sin Psalms obedience disobedience David consequences confession
Handsome Inside
TODAY’S SPECIAL:1 Samuel 16:1-13
TO CHEW ON: "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people looks at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'” 1 Samuel 16:7
For a long time Samuel felt sad about Saul and way he had turned out as king. One day God said to him, “Stop feeling bad about Saul. Today I want you to anoint a new king.” Then God told him where to go (Bethlehem) and which family the new king would come from (Jesse’s).
When he got to Bethlehem, he invited Jesse and his sons to join him and other people in offering a sacrifice to God. Then he asked Jesse to introduce him to his sons.
The first son, Eliab, was tall and handsome – just like a king. But God said, “Don’t judge by his height and good looks. I see his heart, and I have rejected him.”
The same thing happened when Jesse’s second son met Samuel, and the third, and the fourth, all the way to number seven....
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Hands Off!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 26:1-12
TO CHEW ON: "But David said to Abishai, 'Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?'” 1 Samuel 26:9
Messengers came running to Saul. “We’ve seen David,” they said. “We can tell you where he is!” So Saul took three thousand soldiers and went to the place the messengers had said.
David had his own spies. They knew exactly when Saul arrived and where his army was camped. One day David went to the hill overlooking Saul’s camp. As he peered down, he saw Saul asleep in the middle of all the soldiers. Even his bodyguard, Abner, was asleep.
After dark, David and his friend Abishai crept down the hill and into the camp. They tiptoed right past all the sleeping soldier to the place where Saul lay.
“Here’s your chance,” whispered Abishai. “God is giving Saul into your hands. Let me kill him for you.”
“No!” David said. “He’s the king that God chose. It’s up to God whether he lives or dies. I won’t lay a hand on him.” But David took Saul’s spear and the water jug that was close to his head. Then they left the camp as quietly as...
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Green-eyed Monster
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 18:1-16
TO CHEW ON: "Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. 'They have credited David with tens of thousands,' he thought, 'but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?' And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David." 1 Samuel 18: 8.9
David’s victory over Goliath sparked a big celebration. All the women in towns along the road from the battlefield to the palace came out to cheer. They had tambourines and lutes and sang a song:
“Saul has slain his thousandand David his ten thousands.”
When Saul heard this, he grew very jealous. They were praising David more than him. Next they’d want to crown David king.
Because David was now a famous warrior, Saul invited him to stay at the palace. David had actually been at the palace before, to play the harp for Saul. He did this to calm Saul when an evil spirit bothered him.
The day after they got back, the evil spirit came to Saul again and he asked David to play his calming music. This time, though, Saul’s jealousy was too strong. As David was playing, Saul took up a spear and threw it at...
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God Save the (New) King
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 11:1-9
TO CHEW ON: "And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord Almighty was with him." 1 Chronicles 11:9
Now that Saul was dead, the people of Israel needed a new king. They gathered in the city of Hebron where David was staying. David had proved himself a natural leader and a fearless warrior. They knew that God had already chosen him to be king. Now they wanted to make it official and crown him king. They did this at Hebron.
Then the Israelites went with David to the city of Jerusalem. David wanted Jerusalem to be the place from which he ruled.
Rebels who didn’t like David lived there. “You’ll never get in here!” the people of Jerusalem shouted at David from behind thick walls....
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Giant Problem
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 17:38-50
TO CHEW ON: "All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:47
Though Samuel had anointed David as Israel’s next king, Saul continued to rule. And Israel was still fighting their old enemy the Philistines. At one time instead of fighting with their whole army, the Philistines picked a nine-foot giant named Goliath to challenge Saul’s soldiers. “Pick one man to fight me,” he shouted. “If he wins, we’ll be your slaves. But if he loses, you’ll be our slaves.”
For forty days Goliath came out and challenged the army like this. Of course no one volunteered. Instead, each day the men grew more afraid and intimidated.
Meanwhile, David was still looking after sheep. One day his dad asked him to check on his brothers at the battlefront and take them some food. He went and had just found his brothers when Goliath came out to shout his daily challenge. “Pick a man to fight me,” he bellowed. “Why aren’t you coming? Are you chicken?”
David heard him and was shocked. “Why...
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Tags: trust Saul God’s help faith discussion David courage 1 Samuel
David’s Secret
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 12:1-10
TO CHEW ON: “Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His sight?” 2 Samuel 12:9
David was now a successful and loved king. One day when he was relaxing on the palace roof, he caught sight of a beautiful woman taking a bath. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. So he told his servant to bring her to the palace.
She came and David found out her name was Bathsheba. She was married to Uriah, one of David’s soldiers. But that didn’t stop David from taking her to his room and making love to her. Then he sent her back home. A short time later, Bathsheba sent word to David that she was pregnant.
Now this was a problem, because her husband wasn’t home. He was on the battlefield. People would ask, “Who is the father of this baby?” Maybe David would be found out. So David sent for Uriah to come back from the war. David thought Uriah would welcome the chance to be with his wife. Then he would think the baby was his.
But when Uriah came home, he refused to go home to Bathsheba. “Why should...
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Tags: thoughts temptation sin David consequences choices 2 Samuel
Celebrate!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 15:25-16:3
TO CHEW ON: "So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps." 1 Chronicles 15:28
For three months the ark was in the home of Obed-Edom. In that time, everyone noticed how God was blessing him. One day David decided to try to bring the ark back to Jerusalem again.
He arrived at the house of Obed-Edom with a great crowd of people. There were Levites, priests, singers and musicians dressed in beautiful robes of fine linen. There were army commanders. And there were many ordinary people.
This time the Levites lifted the ark onto their shoulders and carried it the way God had told them. As they began their walk to Jerusalem, the priests sacrificed to God. Then the singers sang and the instruments played.
The closer they got to the city, the more people joined the happy parade. Finally a great throng of happy, singing, celebrating people entered Jerusalem. But no one celebrated harder than David. He danced and leaped and spun in joy and praise to God that the ark was finally returning...
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Tags: worship thankfulness joy discussion David 1 Chronicles
Caught
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 18:1-14
TO CHEW ON: "Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair while the mule he was riding kept on going." 2 Samuel 18:9
David was on the run from his son Absalom. David thought of all the things Absalom had on his side – the army, many of the people, even the wisest counselor Ahithophel. “God, please spoil Ahithophel’s advice,” David prayed.
Down the road David met his friend Hushai. He was also known as a wise man. “I’m coming with you,” Hushai told David.
But seeing Hushai gave David an idea. “Why don’t you help me another way?” he said. “I’d really like it if you went to Absalom and pretended you were going to be on his side. Then when Ahithophel tells Absalom what to do, you can suggest something that isn’t as wise.”
Hushai did as David asked. When Ahithophel told Absalom he should go after David right away, Hushai said, “No, that’s not a good idea.” Then he suggested they wait till his army gathered.
When Absalom...
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Breaking the Rules
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 13:1-14
TO CHEW ON: "They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it." 1 Chronicles 13:7
One day, sometime after he had become king, David thought of the ark. For many years this special gold box had been sitting in Abinadab’s house in Kiriath Jearim.* Now David wanted to bring it back to the tabernacle in Jerusalem.
He went with a crowd to Kiriath Jearim to move the ark. They put the ark on a new cart. Then he and the people celebrated with singing and playing harps, lyres, tambourines, trumpets and cymbals. Behind them came the lumbering oxen pulling the precious load.
Suddenly one of the oxen stumbled. Uzzah, who was guiding the animals, saw that the ark was starting to slip. He reached out to steady it. The minute he touched it he fell down – dead!...
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Tags: rules obedience God’s plan God’s holiness disobedience David 1 Chronicles
Best Friends
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 20:32-42
TO CHEW ON: "Jonathan said to David, 'Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord saying, "The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever."'” 1 Samuel 20:42
King Saul’s jealousy meant that the palace was no longer a safe place for David. Saul even told his servants and his son Jonathan to kill David if they got the chance. So David left to live somewhere else. This made Jonathan sad. He liked David a lot. In fact, you could say they were best friends.
One day Prince Jonathan asked his father, “Why are you trying to kill David? He doesn’t mean you any harm.”
“You’re probably right,” King Saul answered. He promised to stop trying to kill David. Then Jonathan convinced David to come back and live in the palace again. But no sooner had he moved back when again Saul tried to kill him and David had to run for his life....
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Tags: Saul love friendship David 1 Samuel
All-seeing Eyes
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 139:1-16
TO CHEW ON: "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." Psalm 139:2,3
David couldn’t sleep in his own bed any more, or eat at his own table, or be close to the people he loved. That would make it too easy for Saul to find and kill. Instead, he had to run away. He ran from city to city. But as soon as someone recognized him he had to leave because it was no longer safe.
Finally David found a good place to hide in some caves. Saul couldn’t find him there. David’s own family didn’t know where he was. But Someone did. God never lost sight of David all the time he was hiding.
In Psalm 139 David writes about God’s all-seeing eyes. Pick out every statement below, that tell where God sees us and what He knows about us. (Psalm 139:1-16)
1. God sees where we sit in school.2. God sees us when we get up in the morning.3. God knows what we will say this evening.
4. God sees us when we’re in a space...
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Tags: Saul research Psalms God’s omniscience David
A Kept Promise
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 9:1-12
TO CHEW ON: “'Don’t be afraid,' David said to him, 'for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.'” 2 Samuel 9:7
One day after David had been king for some years, he remembered a promise he had made. Years earlier he had promised his friend Jonathan that he would save and protect his family. Now he wanted to keep that promise – but how?
He asked around and discovered that Ziba, a former servant of Saul, was still alive. David called Ziba to the palace. “Do you know if any of Saul’s family is still alive?” David asked.
“There is Mephibosheth,” Ziba replied. “He is the son of Jonathan and is crippled in both feet.”
Immediately David called Mephibosheth to the palace.
Mephibosheth was frightened when he heard King David wanted to see him. It was the custom in those times that a new king would kill the whole family and all the servants loyal to the old king. In fact it was the day that Saul’s family ran from the palace after...
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A Book Like No Other
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 19:1-14
TO CHEW ON: "By them your servant is warned and in keeping them there is great reward." Psalm 19:11
What is your favorite book? Why do you like it?
If we could have asked David what his favorite book was, I’m sure he would have said, “God’s Word” – even though books in those days were rolled up strips of parchment or animal skin called scrolls, and even though God’s Word wasn’t the Bible we now have.
When David lived, God’s Word was made up mainly of the writings of Moses. They are our books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
1. David called God’s Word by many different names. What names does he call it in Psalm 19?
2. What words does David use in Psalm 19 to describe and praise God’s Word?
After David tried to bring the ark to Jerusalem and Uzzah was killed, he could go back to God’s Word. There he could read how the ark was supposed to be carried. If he took God’s warnings seriously, he could grow wise and avoid making the same mistake again....
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Tags: wisdom Psalms obedience God’s word David
A Bible Journal
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 23:1-6
TO CHEW ON: "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6
Do you keep a journal or diary? Have you ever read someone else’s, like The Diary of Anne Frank? You can tell a lot of things about someone by reading their journal. You can tell whether they’re mainly a happy or sad person. You can tell how they feel about others like family members and friends. And you can tell the things that make them scared, excited, discouraged or hopeful.
David, the boy Saul anointed king, kept a kind of journal. We still have it today. His journal was made up of poetry or songs called psalms. Many of David’s writings are found in our Bible book of Psalms (though not all the psalms in it are written by David). Since we know that David was someone who pleased God, it’s a great thing to have these personal writings of his.
Like most journal writers, David wrote about everyday things familiar to him. He was a shepherd and knew about sheep and looking after them. In Psalm 23 he wrote...
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