Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional 30 September 2026 By Dr. D.K. Olukoya – David: The Census
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TOPIC – David: The Census (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Devotional 30 September 2026)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 65, Isaiah 66, John 7, John 8.
FIRE SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 24:1-17 (KJV)
1 And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.
8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10 And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,
12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
15 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.
MEMORY VERSE: And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. – 2 Samuel 24:10 (KJV)
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES: Every time you do something for your own selfish pleasure, you most likely fall into error.
PRAISE AND WORSHIP: Take praise and worship songs as led by the Holy Spirit.
PROPHETIC WORD FOR TODAY: May you not fall into any error that will turn the Lord against you, in the Name of Jesus.
MFM Devotional For Today 2026 MESSAGE:
Today, we look at another error David made conducting a census. On the surface level, it doesn’t look like a very bad thing to conduct a census. So, why did the Bible describe it as a sin?
The first thing to note is that the Lord was angry with Israel, and He allowed the devil to push David to do this. God did not instruct David to number the people; even Joab, his army general, was strongly against the idea, but David insisted.
Also Read: MFM Devotional 29 September 2026 – David: Absalom’s Revolt
This sin may be rooted in pride. David wanted to know the size of his army so he could boast in his own strength. Exodus 30:11-16 outlines the conditions for a census. Everyone who was numbered had to pay half a shekel as ransom for their souls. Most likely, this condition was not met, hence, the plague among the people that led to the death of seventy thousand. After carrying out the census, David knew he had committed a sin. He asked for the Lord’s mercy in taking away his sin. In response, God gave him three options for punishment. He chose to fall into the hand of the Lord, knowing that He is merciful.
According to God’s instruction through Gad the seer, David offered a sacrifice for atonement on the threshing floor of Araunah and the plague stopped. He refused to offer a sacrifice that did not cost him anything; he insisted on buying the land and all the instruments of the sacrifice from Araunah. This showed the level of reverence he had for God.
Beloved, we behave many times like David; doing things impulsively simply because they please us, whether or not God approves. God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us avoid falling into errors like this. The problem arises when we begin to think we know better and we go against what God has approved for us. The results of going ahead of God are always disastrous. We need the mercy of God for every step of our journey; the earlier we realise this, the better our lives become.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
- O Lord, my Father, make me totally dependent on You, in the name of Jesus.
- O Lord, by Your Holy Spirit, keep me from falling into error, in the name of Jesus.
- O Lord, let Your words light up my path, in the name of Jesus.
EVENING
- I refuse to succumb to every temptation to trust in myself, in the name of Jesus.
- I submit my thoughts and imaginations to the lordship of Christ, in the name of Jesus.
- Blood of Jesus, purge my heart of every thought of pride , in the name of Jesus.
- O Lord, deliver me from falling; keep me standing till the very end, in the name of Jesus.
MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)
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