Day 141- 1 Samuel 14; 2 Timothy 1; Psalm 125

"But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord will lead them away with the doors of iniquity."  We should all pray that we are able to maintain a straight way on the path.  We should know that it is not easy,  but that does not excuse any diversion.

Henry introduces 1 Samuel 14,

"We left the host of Israel in a very ill posture, in the close of the foregoing chapter; we saw in them no wisdom, nor strength, nor goodness, to give us ground to expect any other than that they should all be cut off by the army of the Philistines; yet here we find that infinite power which works without means, and that infinite goodness which gives without merit, glorified in a happy turn to their affairs, that still Samuel’s words may be made good: "The Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake,"

And then he notes,

Note, When God denies our prayers it concerns us to enquire what the sin is that has provoked him to do so.

And then he points out in 2 Timothy 1,


"Observe, Whatever good we do, and whatever good office we perform for our friends, God must have the glory of it, and we must give him thanks. It is he who puts it into our hearts to remember such and such in our prayers."