Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Friday, January 24, 2014

QT 9 Jan 14, When God is involved, the equation is completely different

2 Sam 10:15-19 (ESV) But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates. They came to Helam, with Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.


NOTE: Twice now the Syrians are defeated by Israel, first when they supported the Ammonites, and again when they combined all their forces against Israel. They probably realized that they had outnumbered Israel before and thought that with an even larger army, they could surely defeat Israel. But, when it comes to things that involve a spiritual dimension, what is seen is no guarantee of what will be. Even the large Army of the Syrians is defeated by Israel, with David at the lead. The result is fear. Why? I don't think it is the power of a small nation like Israel, but rather the amazing way that God gave Israel victory, even when it should not be possible. I don't know what the next ten years hold, but I do know that when God is involved, it is not what I see, but what God wants to do with my life. He has led me this far, and he will continue to lead in ways that will surprise me.

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