22 Aug – The Peanut Gallery

Praying the Psalms

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
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Morning Reading: Psalm 46 (NLT)

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.

Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: you are our fortress; your strength and power sustain us –

+ We rely on your help in times of trouble; with you at our side we are fearless…
+ We rely on your comfort in times of trouble; your spirit fill us with joy…
+ We rely on your deliverance in times of trouble; we trust you and wait patiently, knowing that victory is assured…

O Lord our God: marshal heaven’s armies in our defense, and move among us with great power and authority, that we may rest quietly in you, our fortress, to the honor and glory of your name. Amen.
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“Psalm 46 (Lord of Hosts)” – Shane and Shane

O come behold the works of God | The nations at His feet
He breaks the bow and bends the spear | And tells the wars to cease
O Mighty One of Israel | You are on our side
We walk by faith in God who burns the chariots with fire

Lord of Hosts, You’re with us | With us in the fire
With us as a shelter | With us in the storm
You will lead us |Through the fiercest battle
Oh where else would we go | But with the Lord of Hosts

O God of Jacob, fierce and great |You lift Your voice to speak
The earth it bows and all | The mountains move into the sea
O Lord You know the hearts of men | And still you let them live
O God, who makes the mountains melt | Come wrestle us and win
O God who makes the mountains melt | Come wrestle us and win

Lord of Hosts, You’re with us | With us in the fire
With us as a shelter | With us in the storm
You will lead us |Through the fiercest battle
Oh where else would we go | But with the Lord of Hosts

Though oceans roar, You are the Lord of all
The one who calms the wind and waves and makes my heart be still
Though the earth gives way, the mountains move into the sea
The nations rage, I know my God is in control
Though oceans roar, You are the Lord of all
The one who calms the wind and waves and makes my heart be still
Though the earth gives way, the mountains move into the sea
The nations rage, I know my God is in control

Lord of Hosts, You’re with us | With us in the fire
With us as a shelter |With us in the storm
You will lead us | Through the fiercest battle
Oh where else would we go | But with the Lord of Hosts
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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Reading, Reflection & Prayer

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening – (Northumbria Community)

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Please Read: 1 Chronicles 10-14 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

1 Chronicles 10-14New Living Translation (NLT)

The Death of King Saul

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (NLT) – So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

David Becomes King of All Israel

1 Chronicles 11:1-3 (NLT) – Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord your God told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel.’”

So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

David Captures Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 11:4-5, 7-9 (NLT) – Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living. The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.
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David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David. He extended the city from the supporting terraces[b] to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

David Attempts to Move the Ark

1 Chronicles 13:1-14 (NLT) – David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army. Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: “If you approve and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us. It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.”

The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do. So David summoned all Israel, from the Shihor Brook of Egypt in the south all the way to the town of Lebo-hamath in the north, to join in bringing the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. Then David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (also called Kiriath-jearim) to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord who is enthroned between the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.

David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.

David was now afraid of God, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of God back into my care?” So David did not move the Ark into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. The Ark of God remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he owned.

David’s Palace

1 Chronicles 14:1-2 (NLT) – Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber, and stonemasons and carpenters to build him a palace. And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had greatly blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

David Conquers the Philistines

1 Chronicles 14:8-17 (NLT) – When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he marched out to meet them. The Philistines arrived and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. So David asked God, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord replied, “Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you.”

So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “God did it!” David exclaimed. “He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So they named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, so David gave orders to burn them.

But after a while the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. And once again David asked God what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” God replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” So David did what God commanded, and they struck down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

So David’s fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear David.
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And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Mark 10:46-47 (NLT)

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Jesus Messiah, Son of David, have mercy on me.

+ You are the long-awaited Deliverer; God’s promise fulfilled, God’s hope revealed.

+ You are the Lord, in You resides all dominion and power; I put my trust in You.

Give me eyes to see Your presence and power at work around me; heal the sick, give sight to the blind, set the captives free, usher in the Year of the Lord’s favor – that all will confess You as Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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“Son of David” – Dustin Kensrue