Friday March 21st, 2025
« Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain »
5 So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him.
6 Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?”And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him.
8 Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”
9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?”
10 David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.
11 The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.”
12 So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.
13 Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them.
14 And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you, calling out to the king?”
15 So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.
16 This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.”
« I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me »
Psalm 3:5NLT
The Bible passage above says that you sleep and wake up because God sustains you.
No matter how strong you are, if your enemies cannot defeat you when you are awake, they can defeat you when you are asleep.
You may say, ‘Oh, I have bodyguards watching over me 24/7’.
There are enemies that bodyguards cannot even see, not to talk of fight.
Could your bodyguards have protected you from Coronavirus?
In any case, even the best bodyguards sleep too.
In our Bible reading for today, King Saul was sleeping and Abner – a warrior so mighty that even David respected him, was supposed to be guarding the king, but he fell asleep also.
David came and on seeing them both sleeping, took the king’s spear and water bottle away.
In the morning, he cried to the king and showed him that even with the best of bodyguards, he could have lost his life the previous night.
No matter how many people you have guarding you, without God, you are not safe.
A few years ago, we had just finished the convention on a Sunday and that night, around 2 a.m., I went out, walking through the camp and thanking the Almighty God for what He had done. For a long while, I didn’t see a single guard. Finally I saw one sprawled on a chair, fast asleep. He had another chair beside him so I sat on it. In his effort to drive mosquitoes away while still sleeping, he nearly slapped me, so I got up and left. The second guard I saw was not even pretending – he spread out four chairs, removed his shoes and lay down.
Now, even if they were are in awake, could they really prevent any evil from happening unless the Lord helps them?
Indeed, except the Lord keeps a city, those who watch over it do so in vain, Psalm 127:1.
Thank God that we have a Father who never sleeps.
He is the only One who can really protect you and yours.
Prayer focus – Father, I put my life, loved ones and property in Your hands. Please keep us all safe, in Jesus’ name.
Author – Bishop Enoch Adejare Adeboye; General Overseer of the RCCG
Posted by Naomie Joseph
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