The Seven Streams Method

Isaiah 65-Jeremiah We are bridging between two books in the Prophetic Stream today as we read from the International Standard Version this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams God, we pray that all of us would realize the gravity and seriousness of our callings the way Isaiah and Jeremiah did. There are nations yet to bring into Your Light - and you will use us to do that as we are willing and available.  Amen

Isaiah is offering parts of the vision of the new heavens and the new earth.  It is the answer to prayer for a longing earth and the people who have been hoping for God's Kingdom to come in full. Trademarks of this time are that new nations are "taken aboard", a new name is given to all, the atmosphere of God reigns, there is a new heaven and earth...because what has been hoped for has arrived at our current presence.  What was always thought of to be "up there" is now among us; that is a new heaven and earth. <----the fascinating concept could be discussed for 1,000 years! and it probably will still be a fascinating discussion 1,000 from now. The evil is separated and gone. Peter speaks of this in 2 Pt. 3:10ff, John speaks of this in its final state in Rev. 21-22.  Revelation especially expands on Isaiah's vision described.  Other aspects is that people will be living the length of years similar to lifespans before Noah's flood.

Isa. 65:20 asserts that those who die under 100 years of age will be accursed souls who died in their youth. Apparently a time is coming when we will be seeing Methuselah-types again.  Won't this be a wonder?  Plenty and prosperity and peace will be common. Tension and frustration will be unheard of. 66 - Isaiah talks clearly about those who are received of the Lord and those who are rejected.  There have been people who have lived by the rules of their own choosing and obeying which rules of God that suited them [vv. 3-4]. Obeying what we want to obey when we want to obey it - is not obeying. This great book of Isaiah then ends with comforting words akin to tender motherhood for his beloved followers and terrible reckoning for the disobedient.  There are several of Jesus' quotes that come from this portion of Isaiah.  And this ends the words of one of the greatest writers of all time.  For his powerful and poignant contribution to Israel's prophecy, Isaiah was executed by the diabolical king Manasseh; son of the righteous king Hezekiah.  Hebrews 11:37 talks of Isaiah's execution wherein he joined the other saints in glory. Jer. 1 - Jeremiah had the dismal task of warning Jerusalem of being over run by Babylon.  He is called to ministry and he is called to a ministry in a time when people don't want to hear it.  He ministered in Jerusalem during its final decades before Babylon stormed in  ... and there is no record of even one convert to encourage his work. Truth is he could have volunteered to go to Nineveh or Babylon and be among an elite writing team for a literary revival was in progress. But he followed his difficult call from God and he stuck to his post and henceforth his writing is still touching hearts nearly 2700 years later. This instead of having his work be celebrated, his life lived in luxury, only to have his writing become filler for an archaeological dig along with his own bones.   He was reluctant to accept his calling from God. He was about 20 years of age when his calling came. He was intimidated and felt he was too young to affect anything. But he was to tell them that an army was coming - they were as motivated and angry as a boiling pot ready to pour over the land. His calling is rich with imagery, ominous in its pulsing immensity and encouraging in that God would be present and walk him through his assignment step by step and word by word. Jeremiah is in for an intense "rest of his life"!

Psalm 34-37 We are in the Wisdom Stream reading the writing of King David. We are reading from the International Standard Version this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Thank you God for being our ever present help in times of trouble, our God in every circumstance, our God who there to comfort every pain and receive every praise.  Amen

David had just come through another vortex.  He's been on the run from Saul.  He seeks "refuge" among the Philistines - whatever that could end up meaning!  He pretended to be a nutcase so to project to the Philistine king that he was not a threat. He absolutely could NOT let the King of Gath know that he was perhaps the most brilliant battle tactician on earth at that time. But it is vital to understand David's mentality so to ingest this Psalm for all it's worth. David had no place to go to find safety.  God is training him that the only 'safe' place is with HIM; his God in heaven. One literal translation calls God "The LORD of heaven's armies" and it is a literal translation! David would, in time, be leading a vast army and God wanted David to be ingrained with a deep and unshakable trust in God. He couldn't have him get complacent due to so many battle victories that were coming for him. He couldn't have David become spiritually complacent once his power became among the greatest in history, or once wealth and status had accumulated.  These years were necessary for David to walk through. They were his own pilgrimage; it had to happen. The backdrop of Psalm 34 was I Samuel 21:10-15.  David survived this spooky incident and then wrote Ps. 34.

35 - whereas David is rejoicing again about surviving in Ps.34, he is venting [his prayer] in Ps.35.  He just needs to pause and muse about all the people who were coming after him.  I guess he never calculated that dropping Goliath would fester such jealousy in so many.  Yet David's exasperation with those who hate him is not without the positive interruptions of vv. 9 and 18; "my soul will rejoice in the Lord. [and] I will give give thanks in the congregation." 36 and 37 Find us in the middle of David's 72 Psalms. They remind and urge us to TRUST in GOD.  People are wicked. God is merciful. Uh, ya, trusting in God is what we need to be doing and this trusting in God is our only hope of having an anchored soul. The contrast of the hearts of men all around us and the heart of God above is more stark than night and day. It is the most contrasting comparison that can be made under heaven.  So gaze upon God, praise Him and live in Him and the wickedness of others will become incidental.   37 feels like a continuation of the same Psalm/verse/song.  It has become one of the most endearing Psalms in the Bible. It is interesting that th Psalms are truly worth posting in places where we see them often; desk top, coffee station, on dashboard, etc. so that we see them, read them and dwell on these Psalms - especially 37.

II Samuel 1-5 We are in the Nation Stream. David is now official king of Israel as we read through the International Standard Version today. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Lord, these changes we see today were steps in the right direction. Yes, things were turbulent and messy but growth is rarely clean and neat and your hand was upon David in spite of all the intrigue and surprises that were not always pleasant. May our faith be equally as unshakable as we find David's to be - even when our days are stormy.  Amen The Book of II Samuel IS the reign of David

Saul is gone and what's worse for David is that his dear friend Jonathan is dead.  The opening of II Sam. is grief for David.  Yes, Saul spent much of his years on the throne trying to kill David. But David had a character rooted in his walk with God and Israel was God's land and Saul was Israel's King and David respected authority.  So he had respect for Saul - odd as it may seem. David's reaction to someone who had 'finished off' Saul is another testament to the depth of honor that David had for the Lord's anointed. It is in order to mention that II Sam. 1-6 and I Chron. 11-16 is a different perspective on the same time- period. The two portions are worth reading concurrently so to get the full picture.

He was now king of Israel, but needed to grieve a bit. His "farewell song" is a treasure. 2 - David was rightful king now but some of Saul's men just couldn't accept the transfer of power though the time had come and there was no other way to perceive this development. The battles and skirmishes are gruesome and unnecessary but Saul's "groupies" who couldn't see the bigger picture nor the changing times were ebullient and there were needless deaths because of it. It never is wise to be committed to a dead cause. Nevertheless those loyal to Saul had installed Saul's son; Ish-Bosheth as king over Israel.  The move was illicit but so it goes. He was there as "king" for two years while David was the rightful king installed at Hebron.  He was there for 7+1/2 years These years before he was moved up to Jerusalem there was warring between Saul's followers and David's.  During these years David had children with six different wives. That was one way to pass the time...  Though David's movement was growing and strengthening, Saul's was becoming weaker. 3 - Abner changes to become one of David's followers and supporters.  If he hadn't been so intense and spiteful prior to doing this, perhaps there would have been more credibility to his move toward David. But since he joined with David before convincing everyone of David's men, Abner was murdered. The intrigue and entanglement seemed to mark these years between the death of Saul and David being fully enthroned in Jerusalem. 4 - In another incident, there were two ruffians that went to the house of Saul's son Ish-bosheth and killed him and brought I-B's head to David thinking it would please David. David's reaction was opposite and David had these two men killed. These were wild times in Hebron! 5 - Finally all the tribes gathered at Hebron and David is anointed King.  He moves on Jerusalem even though the Jebusites living there vowed David would not come in. But David being valiant, he and his soldiers prevailed and Jerusalem became "the City of David".  King Hyram of Tyre soon heard of David's triumph in Jerusalem and sent gifts.  The Philistines too heard of David's ascension as King and they marched out twice to end this movement. David was victorious and decisively so. It's still "The City of David" almost 3030 years later!  

Exodus 12-14 We covering the 10th plague today in the World Stream. We are reading from the International Standard Version this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Holy Holy holy, Lord God Almighty - we just want to sing to you as you have done the mightiest of mighty deeds on behalf of your children. Thank you God for standing in defense of us too. Teach us to trust in you who fights for us. Take us to your place of rest.   Amen.

The tenth plague was coming and it required preparation for the Israelites.  Egypt would not recover from this plague.  It would break the Pharaoh and he would want Israel gone. They didn't know if 10 plagues was the end of it, or if more and more were coming - so they would finally resolve to have Moses go and take his people with him.  The firstborn from every Egyptian home were to die the night of Passover. The details are explained and the Israelis follow them "to a T". Compliance is deathly important here. Sacrificing a perfect lamb, putting blood over the doorposts and lintel of each home, the unleavened bread... this is all intriguing symbolism of a Savior who would be coming some 14 centuries later!

The LORD went through Egypt at midnight, struck all firstborn dead - including animals and the grief was unbearable. It had been roughly a year from the first plague of blood to this final one.  The Israelis were ordered, by a grieving and horrified Pharaoh, to go and do their worship as they please. The "parting gifts" sent them away with immense wealth.  It got the 'nation of Israel' off to a good financial start to say the least.  They left and the Exodus had begun. The Passover had been eternally instituted for the Jews, Egyptian slavery years were behind them. 430 years had passed since their arrival.  70 went down there and now millions were leaving! What a sight. The greatest event of the ancient world was in process. 13 - The Passover was then established for all time. The consecrating of the first born was ordered (a little easier to be on God's side and not have the death of the firstborn, isn't it?) The dedication of the firstborn would never change for them. The Festival of Unleavened Bread is established. All these matters are so they would REMEMBER what God has done.  We take communion as often as we do today, why? So we wouldremember Jesus' body given for us...the sacrificial Lamb. The march out of Egypt had begun and God guided them precisely where they needed to go. Joseph's bones were brought along with them as Joseph ordered in Genesis 50:25 "400 years" prior. 14 - God gave Moses some epochal advice that explains Moses calm and direct leadership during this hurricane-level-5-historical event. Pharaoh changes his tune again and the whole army launches to go after the Israelis and retrieve them. As they draw close, the fear in the hearts of the newly freed slaves is beyond frightening.  Moses' word at this juncture is the best of the best. "The Lord will fight for you while you keep still."  The cloud and the fire commence and would be their guides for 40 years.  The fire-defense of the Israeli's that God puts forth is awesome as He parts the waters of the Red Sea.  The Israelis pass through the Sea, the Egyptians drown. The Exodus is complete and a nation is bewildered and filled with tremendous respect for Moses and a holy fear of the LORD. Well, that's something y'don't see every day.

Romans 7-9 We are in the Church Stream today reading from the Good News Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis 7 - Why is there The Law? Whether nonChristian religions want to admit it or not, something is wrong.  It is not a perfect world and there is especially something wrong with us. The deficit created between what we are are and what we ought to be is not caused by diet, lack of inner essence-ness, poor wifi with our mobile device. And more/enough money isn't going to take our sin away. The world descended into sin since Genesis 3 occurred and a Savior is needed. We violated God's Law and only a solution from God will remedy the matter. Without Law humanity remains oblivious that a Savior is needed and that there is a vast gap between where we are spiritually and where we ought to be.   God doesn't want our reaction to a Savior to be, "Savior? I don't need a Savior. That merely proves human oblivion.  We are helpless to save ourselves and God's Law proves this to us. Paul uses an illustration of marriage for us to help start the realization process. The fact of Law and what it reveals about us proves that we as humans come up short regardless. Our nature is divided. What we know, what we wish we did, and what we do, fails to line up again and again. We embody the conflict. We live the conflict. The conflict lives in us. Except for Jesus, and haleluia, we have Jesus...provided we let Jesus have us. 8 - In Jesus, we have Life abundant, full and free, in the Holy Spirit. Condemnation is overwith.  This Holy Spirit lives in us.  The Holy Spirit enables us to do and be and become all that God designed us for in this life. Our obligation now is not to an exhausting Law but to the Holy Spirit - to remain in Him and yielded to Him; to be listening to His promptings and not selfishness anymore. And Jesus, through the Holy Spirit in us, allows this to happen in us. What we truly crave in our soul is for Christ to reign in our lives and all that is explained in this chapter allows this to happen. The suffering that creation is under is universal suffering, but this hope in Christ carries us through to attach to the ultimate freedom that is coming. The Spirit is praying for us. We need never be in dismay or defeated for God can be trusted.  We have Christ. We will always have Christ. Christ Himself will not allow something to come between us. We are never separated from Him. Romans 8 is magnificent and has given comfort to Believers in the most bleak of settings for 19+ centuries. 9 - Paul, not one to duck from issues, brings up the pain he has over the fact that many of the Jewish people, for whom the promises of God were first granted, are not in the Covenant - and it is their rejecting God [not the vice versa] that is the problem. God did not reject the Jews so to discard them. God used the occasion of their smugness to Him and the New Covenant in Christ's blood to open the invitation to the nations of the whole world. This all hinges on God's mercy and grace. Remember that every false religion errs in the realm of grace. They mess it up. They do not understand it. This chapter is an exposition of another factor of God's grace. He has opened the Kingdom of Himself to more people who do not deserve it.  He is just good.  That is the issue here.  It was foretold that the Kingdom of heaven and access to it would be opened to all people's and not just "a door held open" for one race of people for all time.

The motif that came forward day after day this week was, "God is Sovereign. Will we accept this and trust Him?"

Pharaoh's heart was hard as stone in the first 5 plagues.  God made sure Pharaoh remained so plagues 6ff. - so that all 10 plagues could be executed to testify to the world for all time.  God's sovereignty is the only explanation for this.   David is going through a cauldron of events and stresses that could have shook His faith and had him question his destiny. He knew God enough to trust Him through it all.  Psalms this week was an alpine journey through frantic cries, through turbulence, thanksgiving, trust, and forgiveness. Trust in His Sovereignty is what sustains David - AGAIN. Isaiah prophesies of astounding things that are going to happen in Israel in the future. It is talk like this that will sustain Israel as they are going to walk through some painful things brought on by their rebellion. Understanding sovereignty is what helps us rise to see the big picture.  We see sovereignty in Hosea's words, "I will abandon my people until they have suffered enough for their sins, and come looking for me ..." God isn't mean. He is sovereign and only He knows what is going to work.  We see God's sovereignty in Jesus showing Lordship over the Sabbath, and demons, and illness and nature.  Paul describes a part of God's sovereignty in His opening Himself to the world and the world to Him when, by default, Israel (especially leadership) rejects God.  This is enough different ways God has shown His graciousness and sovereignty for us to realize that His sovereignty will prove true in our lives as well.  For nothing can separate us from the love of God. Amen.

Mark 2:23-4:41 We are in the Christ Stream reading from the Good News Translation this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis.com | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Lord Jesus, you are Lord over the Sabbath, over nature, over diseases and Lord over the Law.  May you be The Lord in our lives too.  Amen.

The Sabbath Laws were so detailed and extreme that they were stifling for people. The trend went to these ends after the Babylon Captivity.  The leadership in Israel had been so wretched from ca. 920 - 722 A.D. that they figured that swinging to the other extreme of feigned obedience would be proper.  On the Sabbath no one could walk more than a few minutes. Food had to be prepared the day before and eaten cold. Even today there are some of this same brand of faith who will not flush their toilets on the Sabbath because pushing the handle down that painful one inch constitutes work (this is true!). Yes, Jesus used the occasion to highlight the sillyness of manmade rules.  He was also addressing the leaderships penchant for majoring on the minor and minoring on the major.  And for what it's worth, it was Jesus' teaching and His life lessons about the Sabbath that put the Sanhedrin, Pharisees and Scribes over the edge and their reaction steeled their resolve to eventually crucify him.

3 - Imagine these jokers being so cold that a man getting his hand healed [on THEIR wrong day!] angers them. What a sorry bunch.  He is healing and cleansing people of evil spirits and a stampede to Galilee had erupted from even neighboring lands. It be difficult to film such a scene for it requires tens of thousands of people to film it accurately so we've not really seen this scene duplicated for what it really was.  The crowds could have easily exceeded 100,000.  The biggest of sporting or music events worldwide rarely reach this size. Jesus is creating a rage of this size in a country outpost!  He tells the demons that he is expelling to keep quiet for he was trying to delay the people rising up to make him King/Messiah of Israel.  He was able to delay it until Palm Sunday a couple years later. Next Jesus is calling the 12 Disciples. This is also in Mt. 10:2ff, Lk 6:12ff, and Acts 1:13. The order of these vary per list but it's the same men - that's a discussion for another day. Jesus is being accused of having an evil spirit by the teachers of the Law. They were angry that there was so much attention shifting away from them and going to Jesus. It was jeopardizing their income. Jesus warned that calling his work to be of the Devil was a dangerous deed that would not be forgiven. We need to hear this today. Too much of this happens now anytime someone has a ministry style that seems "out there" to us. I've heard people call a minister a demon or some such label. Take it easy, that puts US in dangerous territory. We don't know and need to watch our words here. Jesus responding that whoever obeys him is His family; his mother and brothers. Some branches of Christendom bristle at Jesus saying this for Jesus' mother is so revered in some churches. But Jesus said what He said.  We need to make sure WE are in Jesus family through obeying Him and leave complex theologizing alone. 4 - The Parable of he Sower is a clear memo to us.  We are to be fruitful soil. We are not to be paper thin characters, or distracted by thorny concerns, or lacking substance like rocky soil. We are called to be rich in Him - like nutrients; growing and helping others grow. And we are to be productive. We are to draw others to God like a lamp in the dark. Too many hide their faith. Today people all over the world are being told to put their Crosses away. NEVER. Broadcast the Faith in Our Jesus that saves. Our faith is a growing enterprise. It engulfs more of humanity than any creed or business or movement ever has. It was small once - 12 guys; rather ruffian in nature, and billions have joined since. We can learn from the mustard seed, can we not?  We've been living it for near 2000 years.  And one last lesson about nature - when he orders a storm to be calmed: He has control over nature.

Hosea 5:1-6:10 We are in the Exile Stream today reading from the Good News Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Lord, we find ourselves in a world today that is increasingly ungodly; ungodly just like the people we hear people Hosea addressing.  Teach us how to reach out to a population that is encouraged to go bad.  Let us be Light in the darkness and live effectively to see people come to you.  Amen.

5 - The people of Israel; the northern kingdom are intent on doing wrong all of them top to bottom Priests, the king, the population and I mean ALL the people are in sin.  The leaders are particularly culpable for leading the nation into idolatrous rebellion and God is going to punish the whole lot of them. They're so ill-bent on doing wrong God talks that He doesn't even want them to come and worship in the state they are in.  They are in such a bad way they are unable to repent.  This is bad; really bad. God has had enough of these people.  God is also disturbed how Israel and Judah have turned on one another. God is about to abandon them and let them suffer for awhile.  Maybe they will "listen" to the suffering and repent ....?

6 - The people are utterly dark and seem to have no idea how far they have fallen, nor how idolatrous they are, nor how disobedient they are.  They have been aggressively idolatrous for about two centuries and they think that acting religious and making sacrifices is going to cover for all the wretchedness and murder and their national commitment to stay this way; phony, double-minded and sinful.  Think of this: these people are more interested in managing [and feeding] their sin than finding their God and walking with him.  It's astonishing.

Isaiah 60-64 We are in the Prophetic Stream today getting close to the end of the book of Isaiah. We are using the Good News Translation this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis The section today bursts forth as a song of the Messianic Age.  The Lord is here and in full and good news is spreading over all the earth and the illustration spills right into being the glory of heaven. 60 - Isaiah is one of the greatest writers that ever lived and this is certainly among Isaiah's sections. It's even among the most wonder-filled chapters in the whole Bible.  It talks of a grand gathering, people and wealth are coming to Jerusalem, the testifying, the sacrifices, it's the homecoming of history and "the LORD will make His Temple more glorious than ever " v. 7. There will be great service in Jerusalem. When the chapter morphs into talk that can only be interpreted as paradise itself with unimpeded access to God it is altogether a marvel. 61 - What we read in the first three verses of 61 is Isaiah talking of Jesus.  Jesus knows it is Him and quotes this when He is speaking in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:18f).  This is prophecy fulfilled 700 years later.  This is a time of great restoration.  The Messianic theme that actually started in Isaiah 59:20 is still proceeding.  Israel will have servants, and wealth, and joy.  The praises to the LORD will be coming from all nations - the testimony of what God has done in this one nation will amaze the whole earth that much. 62 - The splendor here is the imagery of a wedding.  It is enchanting as a wedding also. The symbolism is matched in ways by John's writing at the end of Revelation when "the New Jerusalem" is coming down like a bride preparing to meet her husband. The surprises and excitement of a reunion also come into play too. There is food; bread and wine in abundance and phenomenal worship.  Is it fine to call this a dinner/theater gone into a colossal mode?!  And most of all the LORD is coming to save. 63 - there is a peculiar insertion here - a mentioning of Edom; it could be a reference to all the enemies of God and Jerusalem who will be trampled and defeated permanently. It is certainly a break in the literature to interrupt all the glory and worship and celebration to put this in such a run of wonderful things.  However it is part of celebrating to defeat an enemy, and revel with our victorious LORD.  Isaiah resumes abruptly; talking of the goodness and love of the LORD and his precise care and provision. The chapter ends with a prayer for mercy; beseeching God to treat them according to God's goodness v.s. their character and lack thereof. This is a theme we have seen before in Isaiah. 64 - and Shazzam, 64 arrives and we are not looking way forward to glorious things and themes and events. Isaiah just wants God to show and make himself known.  Things are difficult; attitudes across the nation are crass, the city is in ruins, beautiful places have been deserted and Isaiah is pleading for the LORD to come to them.

Psalm 28-33 We are in the Wisdom Stream reading through the psalms. We are using the Good News Translation this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis |#7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis 28 - "give praise to the Lord for he has heard my cry for help." is the core of this Psalm.  It is a prayer. It is thanksgiving for God answering prayer. David is urging people to be grateful and devoted to God. God saves and protects and David is blessed by this. 29 - is a very audio centered Psalm, it is filled with reminders of the sounds that God makes through what He has created: seas, thundering, echoes, lightning, trees in the wind.  Many are not drawn to God by such things, perhaps.  But David is so focused on God that any sound has David pause to reflect, "wow, listen to what God is doing now!" He has a childlike faith and wonder about him that shows up all the time in David's life and pilgrimage. 30 - David has come through so much turmoil and brushes with death and battles and chaos and treachery.  And it all comes back to him as he has just taken Jerusalem and made it the capitol.  His palace will be there in Jerusalem.  This event happens early in II Samuel.  But the decision to settle and make this the center of the young nation - that and the dedication of David's palace was the occasion of Psalm 30 being written. [Don't confuse this with the Temple - his son Solomon did that a few decades later] 31 - This issue here is prayer, trust and looking to God for protection.  It has been said of David, and for many reasons, that he learned better than probably anyone that he knew best that when God was all you had, you then realized that God is all you need. God was David's Savior, defense, refuge, and shelter. David turned to God in the midst of any and every event or emotion he was going through.  He saw God as his caregiver.  None of the "if it's to be, it's up to me" touting.  David's hymn was "I did it Thy Way" v.s. the American tune that was popular in the 1900's.  The Lord is faithful and deserves our response of love for Him. 32 - David's sin with Bathsheba and the full realization of the gravity that David had descended to is what prompted him to write Psalm 51.  David going through the confession process and finding restoration and relief and healing prompted him to write this one; Psalm 32.  David's remorse had run its course and David realized the full depth and height of God's forgiveness by now.  His joy in the Lord was returning. 33 - This is a song of joy and praise and thanksgiving that seems to ring clear up to heaven.  The joy of walking with God makes each step a wonder.  The joy of the Lord spreads to everything everywhere.  All nature and the sky too brings out the praise.  God is such a marvel! Lord God of Heaven, you truly are good to us. You give us your righteousness and you strengthen us to live in joy and with that strength we can praise you more and more and praising you gives us joy to praise you yet more.  You a our marvelous God.  Amen.

I Samuel 26-31 We are in The Nation Stream today finishing the book of I Samuel. We are reading from the Good News Translation this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams David is such a man of upstanding character.  His years of solitude with God when he was young reflect in his behavior again and again. He is a skilled musician, a worshipper, a warrior who kills lions and bears and giants, he leads and rallies and inspires, he has cunning logic and people skills, and when he has a chance at killing someone who hates him with a vengeance ... he doesn't kill him!  Twice he opts not to kill his would-if he-could executioner. The fact that such a fighter is so gracious  and statesman-like is astonishing to anyone who understands human nature. 26 - Again, David is peering over a sleeping Saul and, with weapon in hand, he just walks away with the spear as evidence.  This is scarier than one might think.  David and friends have snuck in at night and walked through a filled camp. One man waking and shouting would have David killed without question. 'Guts and daring' could be added to the list of superlative traits that can be attached to David. The results following the revelation are similar. Saul talks admiringly and penitent as possible amid the embarrassment. Saul is such an obviously hollow soul. And there he is talking solicitous - surrounded by the soldiers he roused to help him go and kill a young man who could have killed him but didn't. The difference between Israel's current king that they chose, and the future one that God directed Samuel to anoint are as different as night and day to put it lightly. 27 - David was never again pursued by Saul after Saul was humiliated by David's kindness a second time.  But he doesn't know that Saul will never seek him again. Any time that Saul had ever been kind to David, it was a total lie. Saul was plotting. David, not knowing that Saul had resigned to leave David be, thought there was still a threat and he left for Philistia. He remained in that region until Saul was gone and he was enthroned king. During his years there he was a raider. Perhaps this was practice for when it was his assignment to expand the borders of Israel to the largest they would ever be. The Philistine king ended up trusting David. This is strange stuff but it is what is going on at this time. 28 - Meanwhile Saul makes his final pathetic error and it turns out to be what seals his doom. He goes to see a witch. He is terrified because warriors of Philistia have gathered against him. Samuel is gone, God isn't answering and he is wondering what is next. He knew witchcraft was wrong and had expelled them from the country. Yet Saul himself goes to see one. It's a fatal transgression and he will end up being killed in a day for his disobedience.  Saul never was one to obey the Lord. 29 - And back among the Philistines, David is endeared to Achish the Philistine king by now. Achish wants David to go with him to the next battle. He practically sees David as a token of good fortune and could use him. This is all convenient in Achish's mind, but the other Philistine Kings don't really know David except that he is an Israelite in hiding and therefore they don't trust him. The issue of loyalty is an undying matter for all time isn't it? David and Achish talk and realize it's the better part of wisdom for David to return back to the coast of Philistia and sit this one out. 30 - David returned home after his conversation two days prior with Achish and his refuge town of Ziklag had been razed to the ground. Everything was stolen, all people had been kidnapped, possessions gone, anything left was burned. There was panic and grief among his 600 men who were planning to kill him.  It was the worst day of David's life and y'might want to read the book by this similar title. David went straight to God as he had spent his whole life training himself to do and v. 6 says, "...but the Lord his God gave him great courage."  David acts properly and quickly and recovers everything.  He again is humble and gracious amid great victory - and he shares all that is recovered from the Amalekites who had plundered his residence of Ziklag.  Keep in mind these are the Amalekites of whom Saul was ordered to rid from the earth - but as has been well established, Saul just can't seem to obey. 31 - Saul is drawn into his final battle. Think: Who killed Saul? God? Philistines? The Philistines did wound him physically to the point of no return. But it was Saul's disobedience and refusal to be anchored in God his savior - that's what wounded him. And it was only a matter of time to where Saul killed himself. God brought him up and provided for him over and over. God spared him via David's graciousness. Saul just outright could not do what he was told to do. He would not stand in for God and be a responsible King. Saul only looked out for himself and sought legitimacy through man's approval.  We need to come to the end of observing Saul's life and ask, "where does disobedience take us." Dear Holy Spirit, may we be shepherded by you and be found with a soul that is yielded and listening to you for our next step and our every move.  Amen.