Thoughts of Grace

California Poppies curl up to sleep after working hard all day spreading sunshine.

Good Morning

1 Samuel 17:32-37
And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

It is a source of inspiration and strength
to come in touch with the youthful David, trusting God.
Through faith in God he conquered a lion and a bear,
and after wards to overthrew the mighty Goliath.
When that lion came to despoil that flock,
it came as a wondrous opportunity to David.
If he had failed or faltered
he would have missed God’s opportunity for him
and probably would never have come to be God’s chosen king of Israel.
“And there came a lion.”

One would not think that a lion was a special blessing from God;
one would think that only an occasion of alarm.
The lion was God’s opportunity in disguise.
Every difficulty that presents itself to us,
If we receive it in the right way, is God’s opportunity .
Every temptation that comes is God’s opportunity.

When the “lion” comes,
recognize it as God’s opportunity
no mater how rough the exterior.
The very tabernacle of God was covered
with badgers’ skins and goats’ hair;
one would not think thee would be any glory there.
The Shekinah of God,
(the glory of divine presence,)
was manifest under that kind of covering.
May God open our eyes to see Him,
whether in temptations, trials, dangers, or misfortunes. —C.H.P.

With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie