Zoe Dallas

Palm Sunday and the triumphal entry teach us about receiving Jesus as the rightful king. Being a Christian means dying to ourselves, welcoming the reign of Jesus over us, and honoring Christ as the most important person in our lives.

We all are counselors. Whenever we speak, we have an opportunity and responsibility with our words: do they corrupt or do they build up? The word of God trains us and equips us to be good counselors.

The books of Samuel conclude with a time where David trusted in himself rather than God. As with every sin, there is a great cost for David's self-sufficiency and pride. But while David's story is over, God's story isn't: the Lord will provide Jesus, the King of kings, to save us from our sins, revealing his mercy and grace beyond what we deserve.

Do names really matter? As we continue to consider David's kingdom, we find that the name that David made for himself as king is one that is marked by power and strength, loyalty and love, but also sin and scandal.

The biblical picture of the church is the members of the body using their unique gifts to meet the needs of others, serving one another and ultimately serve Christ to the glory of God. Rather than being motivated primarily by needs or gifting, we first must look to Christ as our example of the ultimate servant leader.

In David’s final words, he imparts to us the wisdom from his life experience: what truly matters is knowing God, fearing him, obeying him, and trusting him to fulfill all his promises in the end.

David celebrates God's deliverance with a psalm. When we dig deeper, we find that it reveals the very things in which God's heart delights: God is pleased and glorified when he is our refuge, when we obey him in faith, when we rely on his power, and when he proves his might to save mankind.

After David nearly dies in battle, God delivers him and the people of Israel in a series of four incredible victories against Philistine giants. Through these feats, we see that the weakness of man does not hinder God’s covenant faithfulness to his people as their true deliverer.

As King David is forced to face a difficult situation brought about by his predecessor, Saul, we see that God is the faithful One who always keeps his promises. Those who break covenant with God are deserving of his just wrath, which is why we all need the eternally faithful King.

What are we supposed to do when things don’t go the way we expect? Do we rebel against God or try to take control ourselves? Or do we respond wisely, seeking and submitting to the will of the Lord? Remember that God is always at work, even and especially in the unexpected.