I woke up today with a slightly sore throat. It felt like I was getting sick, so I immediately started dressing warmly and consuming vitamin C. Seems like it helped, because even now, at the end of the day, my symptoms have pretty much stayed the same. I haven't developed a runny nose or anything like that.

Aside from my single lecture at 3pm, I spent most of my time either in the library (before 3), or at home (after 4) studying and working on schoolwork. In the evening, sean, joseph and I walked over to Intermezzo and got dinner. Sean and I got salad and half a sandwich, while joseph got some chicken soup.

Joseph's gotten sick too.

The first two pictures were taken looking through a big, long cardboard tube.

Devotion time questions:

2 Samuel 21

Reflect on the consequences of Saul’s sin.

The punishment fell not only on his own household but on his descendants via death and all of Israel via the three year famine.

What can I learn about what God values from the fact that even though Gibeonites were Amorites and Saul tried to annihilate them out of his zeal for Judah and Israel, God holds Saul responsible for violating the oath the Israelites had sworn to spare them?

God doesn't value actions, but rather the heart and motivation for actions. Saul believed he was doing the right thing for God's kingdom, but in fact he was going against God's will.

What is beautiful about the picture of David bringing “the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed” and giving them a proper burial?

He showed respect to Saul, Jonathan, and their family by giving them a proper burial even though it was their household that pursued him and saught his life.

What is the significance of the statement “After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land?”

Once the injustice was address, God's relationship with his people was restored.

Reflect on the words “Once again there was a battle,” “there was another battle,” “In another battle,” “In still another battle.” What does this passage say regarding God’s promise and the need to claim his promises in my life?

Though there will always be battles, trials, hardships, and hurdles in life, we can trust in God and have faith that he will provide for us through all of them. Israel repeatedly went out into battle with courage because they believed that God would deliver success.