Topic: The Unmistakable Mark [DCLM Daily Manna 19 November 2020 Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: 1 Samuel 18:22-30 (KJV)
22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son in law.
23 And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired.
27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
Key Verse: “And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David…” – (1 Samuel 18:28).
MESSAGE:
In so many African countries, tribal marks were used to differentiate families and tribes from others. It was easy to tell a person’s origin merely by looking at his tribal mark. This practice is becoming extinct because the conditions that warranted it hardly still exist. In any case, there are more decent means of identity now.
Similar to the African tribal marks, believers have distinguishing marks that differentiate them from the people of the world. Grace, dignity, wisdom and divine presence are the marks. David possessed them. Saul, driven by envy stemming from the high esteem accorded David in Israel for his exploit in killing Goliath, was looking for an opportunity to eliminate him. But he could not because of the divine presence with him.
To ensnare David, Saul offered to give him his daughter, Michal, as wife, asking for no money but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines for dowry. He had hoped that David would die at the hands of the Philistines in the process of procuring the strange dowry. But the plot failed; David succeeded. Observe what the Bible says here: “And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David…”. If you are a child of God, that mark is there. Even your enemies will notice it and, like the case of Saul, will be afraid of you because they know that with the mark upon you, you are destined for a glorious end.
It is godliness and holiness experience through repentance and faith in Christ that brings the divine presence.
Thought For The Day: No holiness, no divine presence.
The Bible In One Year: Ezekiel 29-31
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
