Dear Readers,

Congratulations at keeping up with your reading. It is hard to be consistent. Remember if you miss a day or so here and there it is okay. Pick up your Bible again and begin reading now. You can always go back another time and catch up.

There sure are a lot of lessons on character, integrity, having a responsive heart to God, and more found in the lives of Saul and David. Are you a bit surprised by their lives? I pray that as you read and grow in God he will say of you that you are a person after God's own heart.

Keep up the good work!

DAY ONE, APRIL 30 - I SAMUEL 20-21
Chapter 20
What does David feel Saul is trying to do?
What is Jonathan's response to David?
Have you ever felt like you had to choose between a friend and family?
How did you make the choice?
Why do you think Jonathan knows that God is with David and not his father?
Where do your loyalties lie?
What does Jonathan have to give up for God's plan to be fulfilled?
What are you willing to give up so that God's plan can be fulfilled in your life?
Chapter 21
Where did David go to get food and provisions for his men?
What did Ahimelech give David?
What did it represent?
How does God's presence go with you in you time of need?
Whose weapon did David get?
What did it probably remind David of?
How has God been your victor?
What was David's reputation and how did it make King Achish feel?
Do you have a reputation that comes through what God has done in your life?

DAY TWO, MAY 1 - I SAMUEL 22-23
Chapter 22
How many people were following David and what types of people were they?
What does Saul find out about David?
What lies does he add to the story?
Why do you think he does that?
Have you ever added to a story to stir up trouble, rationalize your behavior, or to get people to side with you?
What does Saul do?
Chapter 23
What does David do to protect the people of Keilah?
Who was on David's side?
What does Saul find out about David?
Why couldn't Saul find David?
Have you ever felt God's protection of you as if he was hiding you from evil?
While Saul left his country unprotected to hunt David, due to uncontrollable anger, what happened to the country?
Have you ever left yourself unprotected and in a tempting position because you where choosing sinful attitudes?

DAY THREE, MAY 2 - I SAMUEL 24-25
Chapter 24
What did David have the opportunity to do to Saul?
Why did he choose not to?
How must we show honor and respect to a person of authority whether we agree with them or not?
Does David take revenge when he had the opportunity?
Whose job is it to take revenge or "even the score?"
David was anointed king a long time ago. Why do you think he is waiting to claim that position and role?
What can we learn from that example?
Chapter 25
What was Nabal like?
Why should Nabal be nice to David and his men? Was he nice to them?
How would you describe Abigail?
What does Abigail do?
What does Abigail recognize in David, what warning does she give, and what prophecy does she give to David?
How does God deal with Nabal when David stepped out of the way?
What lesson can we learn from this?

DAY FOUR, MAY 3 - I SAMUEL 26-27
Chapter 26
What does David have the opportunity to do again?
What is the counsel of Abishai in this situation?
Does David listen to this counsel? Why or why not?
What type of advice do you listen to?B What does David say in verse 23?
Are you content with just God's rewards for doing the right thing or are you seeking to satisfy yourself and other people?
Chapter 27
Where did David and his men go?
Why do you think King Achish let him stay there?
What kind of life do you think David had?
Do you think this was the life David expected to have after being anointed king as a boy by Samuel?
Are you living the life that you expected to live?
Are you willing to wait for God's timing and plan to unfold?

DAY FIVE, MAY 4 - I SAMUEL 28-29
Chapter 28
Who is planning to go to war with Israel?
What does Saul want and how does he have to get it?
Thinking back to some of the earlier laws, what was said about consulting witches, mediums, or psychics?
How do you see Saul getting more and more sinful?
Chapter 29
What are David and his men willing to do?
How are David and his men saved from doing it?
What is the relationship like between David and King Achish?

DAY SIX, MAY 5 - I SAMUEL 30-31
Chapter 30
What happens to Ziklag and all the families of David's men?
What is the men's attitude toward David?
Have you ever felt like others were blaming you for things cause they just needed to blame someone?
After fighting the Amalekites, how was the attitude toward David?
How easily do you see people changing their attitudes due to outward circumstances?
What is David's attitude and words in verse 23-24?
What can we learn from this?
How do you share with others what God has given you?
Chapter 31
What happened to Saul and his sons?
What did the Philistines do?
What did the men of Jabesh-gilead do that showed honor to the royal family?

DAY SEVEN, MAY 6 - II SAMUEL 1-2
Chapter 1
How does David show respect for Saul when he hears the news of his death?
What does this say about David's heart?
Compare Saul and David. Why do you think Saul was a man after the heart of the people and David was a man after the heart of God?
Chapter 2
What does David ask of God?
Who do you go to first when you have a decision to make?
Where does David go and what happens to him there?
How does David honor the people of Jabesh-gilead and why?
Who becomes king and over which areas?
How difficult do you think it was for David to have to wait to become king over all of Israel?
What are you waiting to see come to full completion?
How patient are you as you wait for God's timing?

YOU CAN ALWAYS USE THESE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS FOR ANY BIBLE READING:

Always begin your time of God with prayer. Ask him for understanding and insights. You can pick out a verse, thought or feeling from the passage and think on it (mediate) on it all day. Meditating on God's word means to digest it, put it into your mind, think on it, and concentrate in different ways on the passage.

Some ways you can do this is:
1. Put yourself into the scene.
2. Emphasize different words in the verse.
3. Paraphrase the passage in your own words.
4. Pray the passage back to God if it is a prayer, song, poem, etc (personalize it).
5. Use SPACE PETS acrostic to ask some standard questions.
     S - Sins to confess? Do I need to make restitution?
     P - Promises to claim? Have I met the conditions(s)?
     A - Attitudes to change? Am I willing?
     C - Commands to obey? Even if I don't feel like it?
     E - Examples to follow? One to copy or avoid?
     P - Prayers to pray? Is there something I need to tell God?
     E - Errors to avoid?
     T - Truths about God or the Bible I need to believe?
Adapted from 12 Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Chapter 1) by Richard Warren and William A. Shell.