Jola Speaks

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 22:18-20 We go again, continuing from last week’s message, with emphasis on Doeg the Edomite, who followed Saul’s instructions to kill the priest of Nob. We see Doeg following blindly because he wanted to please Saul no matter what it took, without stopping to think for one second, “Am I doing the right thing?” It’s so easy to follow blindly; it may not be as gross as Doe...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 23:1-6 Prepared to battle with the Philistines in Kielah, David inquired of the Lord, Should I go and attack the Philistines? God said yes. But around David were men who were terrified for their lives. They said to David, Here in Judah, we are afraid. How much more then, if we go... Obviously, this brewed doubts, and David went to inquire of the Lord again! And God confir...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 23:14 NIV   David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day, Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands, no matter how Saul tried.    As believers in Christ, we are not void of challenges. There is this famous lie about how becoming a believer makes one void of challenges 😂. I used to believe it at a...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 23:13–19 David has been through a lot on the journey of running away from Saul. At this time, he was hiding in the wilderness of Ziph. Jonathan went to David with words of encouragement to strengthen him in this tough time. “And helped him find strength in God.”   Let us remember that Saul was also angry with Jonathan because he sided with David; the Bible says he hurled...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 23:1–14 While David was hiding from Saul, he went into battle with the philistines in Keilah. But before he went into battle, he asked God for leading and God told him to go into battle. From there, he heard that Saul was coming after him and also asked the Lord if he should flee or stay. Then God told him to flee. The character of David here was that he was a man after G...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 22:6–18   There are many reasons why Saul did all the terrible things he did and why he even went that far just to kill one man. One reason was that he separated himself from the right counsel. If you remember, for a moment, Jonathan was there, counselling him and giving him reasons not to harm David. Even the prophet Samuel was telling him to change his evil ways. He cou...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 22:9–18     Blindly following: without understanding, reservation, or objection; unthinkingly.   Source: Collins Dictionary  Upon hearing how Ahimelech had seen and helped David without letting Saul know, Saul ordered 85 of the priests, or Nob, including Ahimelech, to be killed. This order was carried out by Doeg the Edomite when Saul’s officials refused to do it.     Doe...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 22:20–23   To listen to full episode click link in bio    When Doeg the Edomite annihilated Nob, Abiathar, the son of Ahitub, was the only one who escaped and fled to David and told him about the event. David told him he is safe with him.    “Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, but you are safe with me.”” 1 Samuel 22:23 AMP   Remember...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 22:9–18    When Saul found out that David was helped by Ahimelech, the priest, he got so grieved that he ordered the priests to be killed. Doeg the Edomite went over and beyond and even killed their families—women, infants, animals, etc. I wondered, why? Ahimelech did not know that David was on the run as the king accused him, yet he was killed, and the whole land of Nob...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 22:1–5    David was on the run; at this point, his family and those connected to him had been in the cave of Adullam, hiding from Saul. Saul shortly after had ordered the killing of 85 priests of Nob because Ahmilech helped David. Looking at this, they were literally in the fire -  a life-or-death situation, and the pressure would have been insane! But you see, despite th...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 21:1–6, 8, 10–15 NIV   Looking at the text today, It was clear that David didn’t need to go into detail of his journey with Ahimelech. He didn’t need to explain to him that Saul was after his life - he needed to be discrete.  What is discretion? Discretion is the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid revealing confidential information. (Source: Google)...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 21:1–6, 10–13 NIV David was going through a tough season after being separated from the palace. In this season, among other things, God was correcting his character—deception. This started with God showing him who he was in situations.    We see from the scripture today that David deceived Ahimelech; he mentioned that the king had sent him on a confidential mission and al...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 21:1–6, 9–11 NIV As David fled Saul, God strategically placed different events around him while he was going through this very tough separation to remind him of who God had called him to be and an encouragement that God was with him in every step of the journey. These were simple but powerful reminders: the provision of food, Goliath’s sword, and the men of Gath reminding...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 21:8–9, 10–12 NIV The turning point for David was when he killed Goliath. That became an anchor testimony for him. In this instance, after he fled Saul and went to Ahimelech in Nob, He was pleasantly reminded of this same testimony when he asked for a weapon. The same weapon that killed Goliath was kept there, surprisingly. This reminded him of God's work and was ind...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 21:1-6 NIV; Matthew 12:1-7  Ahimelech offered David concentrated bread, which, ceremonially, was only meant for the priests to eat. By doing so, Ahmilech prioritised David’s need for survival over religious or ceremonial practices. In the Old Testament, following the law was key. There were so many religious laws to follow, which made God's people fearful of Him. So...

Send us Fan Mail To listen to the full episode, click the link in bio    When David left Saul, he left everything behind. He didn’t even have food or a weapon for protection. But we see that God had already made provision for the journey.    We start to look at David’s encounter with Ahimelech, the priest; everything David asked for was given to him. The two key urgent needs were solved. David was...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 20:1-14, 24-33 NIV   In this message, we see Jonathan standing in as a destiny helper for David. It was very inconvenient because of all that was going on, even to the point that Saul hurled a spear at Jonathan (his son) because he was helping David.    Destiny-helping may not be smooth or easy. Especially when God is sending us to people we do not want to help, don’t lik...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 20:22, 41–42 NIV    When I read the story of David separating from Saul and leaving the palace, I thought it was a detour because David was moving away from the throne he was anointed for as Saul was determined to kill him. But no! It was not a detour, as this was aligning him with the process and God's plan for him as he prepared him to be King of Israel. Saul was a...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 21:1-6 NIV Click the podcast link in bio to listen to the full episode.   When God separated David from Saul and sent him away, he went to Nob ( land of the priests) and saw Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech was afraid when he saw David, likely because he recognised David’s authority. As such, unusually, even when David asked for bread, he offered him the concentrated bread...

Send us Fan Mail To listen to the full episode, click JolaSpeaks podcast link in bio.   1 Samuel 21:1-3 NIV   Continuing from last week’s message, we start this week with David’s separation journey.   David had to run from Saul, as he was determined to kill him. But even though it seemed like a detour to spare his life. This journey was indeed orchestrated by God as part of his learning process. I...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 20:18–23, 35 NIV   God had anointed David to be king, so he knew that one day he would be king of Israel. In preparation for the position, David has served Sail diligently. He had done every task Saul had given him, more successfully than expected. He always showed up. He was combining fighting battles with playing the lyre! He did everything! But with all he did, Saul wa...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 19:18–24 NIV Interesting story in today’s reading. Saul’s intention was to kill David. When David was pursued by Saul, he ran to meet Samuel at Naioth in Ramah. Even at that, Saul still sent men after him. But interestingly, the three camps of men he sent to capture David began to prophesy as they came across the prophets there. And when Saul went there himself, the spiri...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 20:5, 24-27 AMP We should constantly have a heart of gratitude.    Looking at David, he was going through a tough time with Saul. But the scripture highlights how he led the Israelite army to war, was successful, killed Goliath, and dined with royalty and the king of Israel. David was somewhere he probably wouldn’t have dreamed of a few years before he was anointed. This...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 20:1–3 AMP David had a purpose to fulfil as the next King of Isreal; in the process, he had many assignments: shepherd, played the lyre, killed Goliath, led the Isreal army, and won several battles as the Spirit of God was on him. All he was doing was geared towards shining his light and fulfilling his purpose, but there was a huge distraction—Saul! David was running for...

Send us Fan Mail 1 Samuel 20:1–3 NIV In David’s struggles with Saul, he went to Jonathan to pour out his heart. He said, “What wrong have I done to your father that makes him desire to kill me?” He was able to have a heart conversation with Jonathan, and around the same time, he wrote Psalm 143, pouring out his heart before God. This is someone who was considered strong and mighty—he killed Goliat...