"God is the most important person in the world, and your relationship with Godis the most important relationship in your life. Everything flows from this firstlove affair with God." - Rob Reimer - P126
Dear Lord, I praise You because, unlike human beings, You are not impressedby outward appearances. - P127
Sanctify my heart and anoint me with Your Spiritso that I may prove faithful to You and be of service to others. In Jesus‘ name,
amen. - P127
In our attempts to winpeople‘s attention, we risk giving them the power to shape and definewho we are. - P127
The unfortunate result of this is that we will lose the per-son that God intended us to be. The only approval and affirmationthat matter in this life are God‘s. - P127
When we live to please Him, we willbe shaped and defined by His desires-desires that are pure and goodand seek only the best for us. - P127
[NIV] 14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed fromSaul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. - P128
18 One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son ofJesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. Heis a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is afine-looking man. And the LORD is with him." - P128
22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow Davidto remain in my service, for I am pleased with him."
23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, Davidwould take up his lyre and play. Then relief would cometo Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit wouldleave him.
- P129
The Spirit of God departs from Saul and an evil spirit torments him. His ser-vants suggest he find someone who can play the lyre as this will make himfeel better. - P129
Saul sends for David son of Jesse, and he becomes one of Saul‘s armor-bearers. - P129
Whenever the evil spirit comes upon Saul, David plays the lyreand the evil spirit leaves him. - P129
Because of Saul‘s disobedience, God allows an evil spirit to tormenthim. His failure to obey the Lord‘s commands has cost him God‘sanointing, and the Spirit of the Lord has departed from him. - P130
This oncegreat man who was the king of Israel now spends his days suffering,
unable to find relief. - P130
This is a striking picture of what it looks like tolive apart from God. Although the salvation that Jesus won for us onthe cross can never be taken away, if we neglect God‘s commands, wewill find ourselves afflicted by sin‘s consequences. - P130
When we fall into sin,
let us not make excuses like Saul did but quickly repent so that we canreceive God‘s forgiveness and be restored. - P130
David‘s reputation for being a man of God is spreading and has reachedone of Saul‘s servants. - P130
When David is brought to Saul and begins playing his lyre,
there is an immediate change in the atmosphere, and Saulfinds relief. - P130
Although David‘s music is not expressly described as worship,
it is safe to assume that he played with a worshipful heart as itcauses the evil spirit to depart. - P130
When we worship, the words we singand the music we create have spiritual power. - P130
Worship that is directedtoward God in praise brings peace and refreshment, not only to ourown hearts but also to all who hear it. - P130
True worship that exalts Godcauses evil spirits to flee. - P130
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