FMF Summer 2026

Aug 14 Disruptions and Detours

Each event significantly disrupted David's planned pattern for his life. Each was a major detour, filled with disruptive events that David had to learn from, repent, and find his way back to God. 

For the first twenty years, David served as a shepherd, learning to protect the flock against predators. He learned to fight. Spending hours alone, he learned to play the lyre and sing. A skill he would use all his life. Then, Samuel heard a word from God. 

First Detour: David Anointed King

David was also anointed by Samuel. God called him to be Israel's next king. 
Because of his musical abilities, David was sent to the king's palace to soothe Saul's troubled spirit. As David's presence in the palace grew, so did Saul’s jealousy.
David proved himself a warrior for God when he killed Goliath, just as he had defended his flock from wild animals. This victory brought him recognition from the people, and Saul's anger and suspicion only increased.
During this turbulent time, David formed a strong friendship with Jonathan and learned the value of loyalty. A lesson that would echo throughout his life, even in his later failures.

Second Detour: The Fugitive Years are filled with one disruptive event after another. 
Saul becomes jealous of David's success and tries to kill him. 
His friendship with Jonathan and a loyal band of outlaws sustained him in these difficult years. But David is on the run for ten years, facing hunger, threats to his life and his men, and doubt. 
David spared Saul's life. But doubt and depression lead him to the enemy's camp. 

Third Detour: God called David back. 

David was crowned King of Judah when Saul and Jonathan died, but it took seven more years before all of Israel was united. 
David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.
 Family trouble grows within the walls; war is ever present, and a new kingdom is established under David's rule. He makes mistakes. 
David's sin with Bathsheba, confronted by the prophet Nathan, followed by David's deep repentance.
David remembers his heart for God. 

Fourth Detour: Family Turmoil, David declares Solomon as king
Absalom's rebellion and David's disobedience of God and taking the census stirred discord and confusion over succession. 

David officially declared Solomon King, unifying the nation under his rule. 

What lessons and skills do we carry forward in our lives that keep us relying on God? 

Aug 7 Shift

Generational shifts used to unfold gradually, but now they strike with the sudden force of a tornado, compressing decades of change into moments. Though the hours in a day remain the same, events rush past so quickly it’s easy to overlook how quickly society is changing. These rapid tremors often leave families struggling to find their footing in the aftermath.

At the same time, the mysteries God revealed through Daniel and Revelation are coming alive before our eyes. God’s Word is not just ancient wisdom, but a living guide being unveiled in our present moment. What we once saw as static truth is now revealed as dynamic, shaping and vital for our walk with God. I find myself asking, Can I keep up? No, I cannot, but I recognize that today’s events, often cloaked in cultural confusion, mark a significant turning point on the Father’s timeline.

July 31 Afford 

What could Abigail afford to do when confronted with the devastating reality of her husband's wicked actions?  Maybe it is the age I grew up in, but I never thought of her defying her husband as a lack of submission; that is what it was.  She actively defied her husband, going behind his back to save him and her household from Nabal's own greed.

Nabal refused the customary hospitality required of the day, as David and his men had protected his property and family. For the insult, David was going to wipe out his family. 

Abigail knew the difference between blind obedience and true submission to God first. She was Nabal's perfect helper. She was a woman who possessed the wisdom that Nabal lacked. She preserved her husband even in the face of his own greed and arrogance. David's men had earned his favor, but Nabal chose not to support them.

Abigail acted; she prepared a feast, took it to David's men, and saved Nabal's life. Abigail knew the difference between blind obedience and true submission to God first. God honored that.

July 24 Phrase

Phases of life differ dramatically in length, intensity, and value. Caring for infants and toddlers has a daily intensity that seems long until you look back.

It’s like a newborn stage that is so short that you almost miss it as rapidly as your kids grow into adulthood. The fun years of helping to wash dishes, wanting to learn something new every day, followed by the outward-focused teenager.

Life’s movements and rhythms seem to flow at different speeds, and as you look back, your perspective changes and you understand why family life is important. God established the family long before the church.

The family is where God’s love is rooted and carried forward, passed on and lived out daily.