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Today is Saturday April 18, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of II Samuel. Please read chapters 17-18 in your Bible or you can Click Here to read them online. If the link does not work you can copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=II%20Samuel%2017-18&version=9

Today's Message: A True Friend
Grief and sorrow come to all of us sooner or later, but a true friend will stick closer than a brother. Christians who put their lives and their trust in Christ have a True Friend.

Absalom thought he had everything going for him, he forced his father out of Jerusalem and took control of the city and David's most trusted advisers Joab and Ahithophel joined him in the conspiracy. "And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." (II Samuel 15:31).

Ahithophel was far from being as godly as David had believed him to be. But it often takes a crisis to reveal who our true friends really are. "Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only: And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel." (II Samuel 17:1-4). When Ahithophel decided to desert David and join with Absalom, he revealed his true character, he was only looking out for, "me", "myself", and "I". The second things looked bleak for David he used that opportunity to deceive him. The words "me" and "I" were used five times in his statement. Our true character is always revealed when tragedy strikes.

At first, Absalom was please, but he and elders probably realized that, at best, they would be in a secondary position to Ahithophel. Remember, also that God did not forget David's prayer to turn Ahithophel counsel into follishness. So, Absalom went to Hushai for counsel. "Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith. And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou. And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time." (17:5-7). Little did Absalom know that David sent Hushai to join him. Undoubtedly, his coming appealed to Absalom's ego, for he now had gained his father's two top advisers.

As Absalom considered the possibility of losing his first battle, he realized that this might produce panic and the loss of his followers' loyalty. Hushai advised that all the forces of Israel be gathered and that Absalom, the commander-in-chief himself, be at the head of his great army. In this way, he would gain the prestige of being a conqueror and the rightful king of all Israel and feed his ego as well. "Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person. So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there. And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom." (17:11-14). This appealed to Absalom's ego and gave David and his men time to prepare for the battle that would lead to Absalom's defeat. Undoubtedly, Hushai's advice was an answer to David's prayer.

True friends will show mercy and compassion toward us regardless of any circumstances we face and will not try to use them for prosperity. "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24). While we are limited to the amount of friends that we have, there is one friend that we can always rely on and that is Jesus Christ. He walks with us and goes through exactly the same thing that we go through. Jesus said, "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." (John 6:56-57). What this means is that Jesus dwells in all who accept Him and feed on Him spiritually. Incidentally, given that Jesus dwells in us we need to think twice about some of the things we do.

Today's Psalm: 22:26
"The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
We bow in prayer before You today, and ask that You, in Your great glory give us the power to be strong inwardly through Your Spirit. We pray that Christ will live in our hearts by faith and that our lives will be strong in love and be built on love. And we pray that we will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love – how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. We pray for our loved ones who are struggling in their faith, that they would be able to experience Your inexhaustible love, that they might be filled with Your fullness, Father. With Your power working in and through us, You can do much, much more than anything we can ever ask or even imagine. So we thank You in advance for hearing our heart’s cry and for answered prayer. In Jesus' Name........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.
God Bless,
Christina

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