Love As

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

LOVE AS

1 Samuel 20:5-17

5 So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6 If your father misses me at all, tell him, 'David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.' 7 If he says, 'Very well,' then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. 8 As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the LORD. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?" 9 "Never!" Jonathan said. "If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?" 10 David asked, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?" 11 "Come," Jonathan said, "let's go out into the field." So they went there together. 12 Then Jonathan said to David: "By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? 13 But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father. 14 But show me unfailing kindness like that of the LORD as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15 and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family — not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth." 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." 17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

NIV

This affirmation of their covenant reveals to us how life under God's power should be. We can see a life lesson in that one word of Jonathan's, “Never.” David asked Jonathan if he was guilty that, rather than Jonathan giving him up to his father, Saul, he should just kill him himself. That is when Jonathan voiced that, “Never,” because they were covenant brothers; in fact, Jonathan had David affirm his oath, out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself. That is the Old Testament truth of the New Testament. We noticed that God told Moses to tell the people many things, but one of them was to love their neighbor as themselves. Jesus told the rich young man who asked him what good thing must he do to have eternal life, and Jesus told him several of the commandments, but added, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Then the greatest moment of Jesus' teaching that truth was when one of the experts in the law tried to test Jesus, asking him which is the greatest commandment. Jesus responded, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and he said that was the first and greatest commandment.  Then Jesus added the second one, “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  Jesus told him that all the Law and all the Prophets hang on these two commandments. This is one of the major truths we must live by. Of course, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is the very first thing we can do in order to have eternal life, which means being born again, having that old nature die, and being born a new creation by the power of God. But then, we can start to get sidetracked by the law, or commandments, or even our rules and regulations, either set forth by a local church body, or a denominational statement of conduct. Yet, Jesus said all the law and all the prophets, whatever is taught in any of that is true, but all that truth hangs on one attitude, Love. First, we must have the attitude in our hearts to love the Lord of God with all, not part, or divided, all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds. That is all of us, every bit of us, without separating or dividing our love for God with any part of us. We cannot serve or love two masters. Sometimes this gets fuzzy because we live in this world and have so many distractions. We have to work, we need money to buy our needs, housing, transportation, food, clothing, the comfort things we want, and we might sort of separate our material life from our religious life. We use religious life because we might not actually have a spiritual life if we get too invested in material life. Yet, if we do love our Lord with our whole being, then everything in this life is from his hand. We see everything we have, everything we do comes from his hand upon us, and our spiritual life, our new life, our being born from above, from his hand, by the blood of Jesus, makes us this new creation. Because we love our Lord with our whole being, that turns our hearts, souls, and minds with love toward our neighbors. How can we have any attitude or behavior other than love toward others? Yet, that too seems difficult because we see some as not acting with kindness toward us, and that is not just in the world, but it is also in the church, yet we are supposed to love our neighbor just as we love ourselves. In other words, if we understand this correctly, it does not matter how we are treated; our response must always be love. 

The Bond

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

THE BOND

1 Samuel  20:1-4

20:1 Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?" 2 "Never!" Jonathan replied. "You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It's not so!" 3 But David took an oath and said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.' Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death." 4 Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you."

NIV

From what we know so far of the life of David, we would have to agree that he has done no wrong to Saul and has not committed a crime. However, we also know that David is just a man, and therefore does have sin in his life. Even the fact that the LORD was with him or the LORD was upon him, David was not a perfect being. Yet, we believe he did as much as he could to be right in the sight of God. He knew that under the power of the LORD, Samuel anointed him as king over all of Israel, and yet he continued to be in the service of Saul, whom the LORD rejected as king over all Israel. Saul has been vexed by an injurious spirit that came from the LORD, much like when God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The fact remains, if a man is against God, then God is against that man, and if a man’s heart is with God, then God is with that man. Sure, God loved the world and gave His only son so that whosoever, and that is the key, whosoever believes will not perish but have everlasting life. Each person has that choice to make, to be one of those whosoevers that believe or one who does not believe, rejecting the Son, therefore being against God and their destiny is to perish. Saul was not against the LORD, but disobeyed the LORD’s commands and had murder in his heart. Interestingly, Jesus correlated hatred with murder. Perhaps Saul’s heart first hated David because of jealousy. When the people sang about Saul killing thousands and David killing ten thousand, it infuriated Saul; his jealousy turned to hatred that led to wanting to kill David. That was a slippery slope anyone can slide down if they are not with the Lord, but against him. This covenant between David and Jonathan is strong. It had to be due to both having the LORD with them, for there was a deep bond of brotherly love between them. We believe there should be that kind of brotherly love between all believers in Jesus Christ. Because we are all in Christ and have this covenant with Jesus, it would make sense that we would all be under the same covenant and therefore are in covenant with each other. That should then do away with any of those feelings of jealousy, envy, pride, boastfulness, unkindness, rudeness, impatience, being self-seeking, or being easily angered. This covenant of love between believers should also serve to protect and trust each other, as Jonathan trusted and protected David. This bond is what caused Jonathan to say, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.” That is the kind of bond we should have with each other as we are in covenant with Jesus. 

By Inspiration

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

BY INSPIRATION

1 Samuel 19:8-24

8 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him. 9 But an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp, 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape. 11 Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed." 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. 14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, "He is ill." 15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, "Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him." 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair. 17 Saul said to Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?" Michal told him, "He said to me, 'Let me get away. Why should I kill you?'" 18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied. 21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said. 23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

NIV

There is a whole story about the attempt on David’s life and his escape with the help of his wife, who is the daughter of Saul. However, the real story here is about Samuel and David, who were filled with the Spirit and prophesied. Three times Saul sent men to find David, and when they came into the presence of the Spirit of God at work, they fell before him and prophesied. What we need to focus on is how the Spirit of the LORD worked through Samuel and David. But when Saul himself finally showed up, with that evil spirit haunting him, wanting to kill David, as he came in to the presence of the Spirit of God manifesting his gift of prophesy upon Samuel, David, and all the men Saul has sent to kill David, the Spirit of the LORD came upon him and he too prophesied. We cannot be certain what they said, but this Hebrew word, translated as prophecy, can mean to foretell the future; however, its simple meaning is to speak or sing by inspiration. That almost sounds like a form of worship. How can anyone not worship when the Spirit of the Lord is upon them? We wonder about how that looks when we gather in the Name of the Lord within His Sanctuary. We have seen scenes of believers all with their hands raised, praising as the musicians are playing and worshipping. We have seen scenes where many people are singing wonderfully about the King of kings, and Lord of lords, seemingly full of worship. We have seen scenes where believers gather together in the sanctuary of God and appear joyless, mouthing words from a hymnal. Many differences in the form of worship, yet if we are in the presence of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord is upon us, we cannot help but worship as our spirits are full of the Spirit, influencing our spirits, hearts, and minds, causing us to prophesy, or speak and sing by inspiration. When the people say Saul lay there day and night, prophesying caused them to think, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” We wonder if, when we have been in the presence of the Lord and speak and sing by inspiration in our Sunday worship, do people see that we have been among the prophets? That would mean that we have been in the presence of God, having His influence upon us, having the Spirit filling us to overflowing with the joy and peace of our Lord, as we speak and sing by inspiration. 

Living as One

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

LIVING AS ONE

1 Samuel 19:1-7

19:1 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David 2 and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out." 4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?" 6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death." 7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.

NIV

Evil is always at the door waiting to pounce upon the innocent. In the case of Saul, evil has won the victory and not only pounced but has taken up residence within his heart. It can only be an evil or wicked heart that would desire to kill an innocent one. However, David had a friend, a brother named Jonathan, with whom he made a covenant. He tried to persuade his father, Saul, not to do such a wrong thing. Saul made that oath that as surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death, but we will see that an oath spoken from an evil heart means nothing. Interestingly, Jonathan spoke of David as an innocent man, and at some time later, David would sit on the throne, fulfilling the prophecy that Jesus would be the King who would sit on the throne of David. Jesus came through the line of this innocent man, David. Jesus is the innocent man who, through evil, that invaded and persuaded the hearts of hypocritical religious men, wanted to kill him, just as it wanted to kill David. In this sense, David was a forerunner of Jesus. We should be able to identify with Jonathan in that he could serve as our forerunner. Jonathan was a covenant brother with David, and we are covenant brothers and sisters with Jesus. Jonathan’s heart was right with David, and he made every effort to defend him from the evil of Saul. Our hearts are, or should be, right with Jesus, and we should be making every effort to defend him, although he is the Almighty God who created all that is created and has all the power over all things and defends us against evil. We will see that Saul lied about not wanting to kill David, and he even invoked the LORD in his oath. We do not take any oath but simply make our yes mean yes and our no mean no. We say “Yes” to Jesus, making our heart one with He who gives us life, and “No” to evil, which wants to take our life. As Jonathan and David were friends, Jesus does not call us servants, but friends. That is why we can say we have a friend in Jesus. He loves us more than we can even imagine. Let our hearts not only be bent toward Jesus, but let our hearts be blended, melted together with the heart of Jesus. He has told us just as He and the Father are one, that we are one with Him. Let us live as one with Jesus. 

Who am I?

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

WHO AM I?

1 Samuel 18:17-30

17 Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD." For Saul said to himself, "I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!" 18 But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?" 19 So when the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. 20 Now Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21 "I will give her to him," he thought, "so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law." 22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: "Speak to David privately and say, 'Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.'" 23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known." 24 When Saul's servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, "Say to David, 'The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. 26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. 28 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. 30 The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known.

NIV

The whole idea of marriage in those days included the father of the groom paying a dowry to the bride’s father. When Saul offered his daughter in marriage to David, his response, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” can be seen in two ways. First, it might be the natural response, knowing his father could not pay the king enough for his daughter to marry David. The second possibility is that David is simply a humble man, aware of his place in the grand scheme of things and God's plan for his life. He had been anointed by Samuel as the new king over all Israel, so he knew who he was. Perhaps this Merab was not a particularly pleasing woman to look at, and David had no interest in marrying her. Of course, that is supposition, as we know nothing about Merab; yet David did marry the daughter who loved him. However, Saul made the payment easy for David. We do wonder if what David told Saul about who he was, and his family and clan, is truly how David felt compared to the lavish lifestyle of Saul as king of Israel. It is almost impossible to live comparing ourselves to anyone, for there is such a great diversity within our culture alone, without the rest of the world. We are far poorer and from the least of a family than many others in this country. Many have great wealth and position that we could not even consider being compared to. Then, we have the same diversity within the church, or the assembly of faith. Some are so superior in knowledge and have attained high positions in the governance and shepherding of the church. Who are we, who came from a poor family, with minimal knowledge, training, skills, or abilities, that we should lead anyone or guide anybody regarding the truths of God? Yet, with God, all things are possible. Then we take a look at the world stage and again, we see how small and underqualified we are to do anything of importance compared to others in the world. Yet, some would think we are rich and live far above their quality and position in life. So then, we are left with simply seeing ourselves as a child of God, and willing to do whatever our Father in Heaven wants for our lives. No matter who David’s father was, his household, family, or clan, the LORD was upon David, and he was successful or had wisdom in all he did. Let us realize the Lord is with us, within us, and he will empower us, giving us whatever we need to accomplish his purpose for our lives, yet remain humble, knowing who we are, asking, “Who am I?”

Wisdom

 DEVOTION

1^st SAMUEL

WISDOM

1 Samuel 18:10-16

10 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14 In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.

NIV

Strangely, this translation uses the word 'evil spirit' that came upon Saul forcefully from God. Does God send evil? The Hebrew word “Ra” is primarily used in the sense of something bad, injurious, or adverse, rather than something pleasurable, and is sometimes associated with evil. This word is translated as non-pleasure, sorrow, mischief, harm and evil, so we can be sure that God caused Saul to prophesy and that could not be evil, or wicked, yet God was not with Saul, so then we would have to believe that God was against Saul, as he was against Pharoah when his heart was hardened. Saul became so jealous of David, he attempted to kill him with a spear, but because the LORD was with David, no harm befell him. Certainly, we would have to believe we could be in that same situation as David from time to time. That is, there could be some injurious spirit trying to pin us to the wall, but because the Lord is with us, we can elude those spears, or flaming arrows, for we have His shield of faith, and His helmet of salvation protecting our hearts and minds. Saul became afraid of David and sent him away, and gave him command over a thousand men. We also know that because the Lord is with us, we can send any evil spirit away from us and give them a command to leave, in the name of Jesus. As David obeyed Saul’s command, so those injurious spirits must obey our commands because we invoke the name of Jesus. We are not in charge of an army, but we are in the army of God, and we fight against the forces of evil in this dark world, and we can have great success, because the Lord is with us. There is another Hebrew word that is translated as success or successful, that a more direct meaning is to be wise, prudent, circumspect. That may apply to being successful, but with the Lord being with David, as He is with us, David handled the battles with prudence and wisdom. This should mean we, too, should be able to handle situations with prudence or wisdom. Unfortunately, it seems we handle too many situations in life with our emotions rather than with wisdom, and we would have to admit we are not very successful or wise. Perhaps, when that happens we are not paying any attention to the fact, the lord is with us, or we simply ignore him because we want to react according to our emotions, either feeling hurt, striking out, or jealous, prideful, boastful, or some other emotional response, instead of hearing that still small voice within, guiding us with wisdom. Let us be slow to speak, until we hear the Lord, who is with us, speak into our hearts and minds. Certainly, as we do that in any campaign against evil, we will win, and they will be afraid of us. When it comes to our experiences with people, if we act or respond with wisdom, maybe some people would love us.  

Being Sent

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

BEING SENT

1 Samuel 18:1-9

18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 5 Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well. 6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. 7 As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." 8 Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" 9 And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

NIV

We are now introduced to Jonathan, the eldest son of Saul. According to their culture and customs, Jonathan would inherit everything from his father. As seen in the royal families of England, the crown is passed down through the generations within one family. We wonder if that was to be Saul's plan, to pass his crown to Jonathan, before God took the crown from him and gave it to David. However, here, Jonathan makes a covenant with David and becomes his friend and ally. The LORD was with David, as whatever Saul asked David to do, he did it successfully, and was awarded a high rank in the army. Here is one lesson about being sent out to do something by the king, although we are sent by the King of kings, and because He is with us, dwelling within us, we can be assured that whatever he sends us to do, we will succeed. We would think, because of the song of the people that Saul had killed thousands and David tens of thousands, that Saul waged war on other nations, or peoples who occupied land in Israel, and  David became a great warrior. This is another lesson, but first let us focus on being sent by the Lord. We wonder how he decides who to send to do what, and if he needs people with certain skills, talents, education, personality type, or some other qualifications, before he sends them. Perhaps none of those qualities matter as long as we have faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. David was selected by God, yet David was the youngest and just a shepherd, with no qualifications to be a king over all Israel, except for one. God saw his heart and testified that He had found a man after his own heart and would do whatever he asked him to do. That is the only qualification we need to be successful at whatever we are sent to do: have a heart for God, and do whatever he sends us to do. The second lesson is about the jealousy of Saul, and we know that it will drive him against David, to the point of wanting to kill David. Jealousy is a killer, but it does not kill the one who they are jealous of; it destroys the jealous one from within. It eats them up, killing their faith, their relationship with the Lord, and their own peace of mind. Saul almost went crazy because of his jealousy of David and we cannot afford to let that happen in our lives, as the Lord is with all of us, dwelling in each of us, blessing each of us and sending us within his kingdom to do what he has decided for us to do, whatever that is, he will empower us to be successful. Our part in all this is to be the person who has a heart for him, who wants to do whatever he has sent us to do.

Who Are You?

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

WHO ARE YOU?

1 Samuel 17:51-58

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. 54 David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent. 55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, O king, I don't know." 56 The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is." 57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head. 58 "Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him. David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

NIV

This is the end of this story about David and Goliath, but this is only the beginning of the story of David. After seeing this youth, although we are not certain of David’s age at this time in his life, slay this giant of a man, Goliath, with one sling and one stone, Saul wanted to know who David's father was. Of course, we first have the whole of Israel rushing forward against the Philistines, defeating them, chasing them, killing many along the roads, and then plundering their camp. We do wonder why Saul did not know who David’s father was, as David was already in the service of Saul. We know that David played music for Saul whenever he was tormented by an evil spirit and was comforted. We know he sent a message to David’s father asking if David could remain in his service. So then why did he ask who David’s father was? Strangely, the scholars of old are challenged by these verses. After examining some of the original texts, the Vatican and Alexandrian Codices, they believe much of the story in the previous verse was interpolated, added, or inserted later for clarification. Yet, they are in the scripture, and we have to believe God has ordained them to be there just as they are. When we question the authenticity, we lose truth, saying that we know better, our educational examinations prove our theories are greater than God's authority over keeping the story perfectly as it happened, for God was there the whole time, and those scholars were not. Hence, we take the word of God at its present state as perfect and correct by faith. Nevertheless, any giant we face in our world, whatever it is, has been defeated and lies dead at our feet, and we can cut its head off. The truth still remains that the LORD was upon David, and the Lord has sent us the Spirit to be upon, or within us, with the power to behead any giant, any adversity that comes against us. And, when something comes against us, tainting us, challenging us, even our faith, we can stand firm, take our stand, stand our ground, and swing our sword, the word of God, and strike that adversity to the ground and cut its head off. If someone asks who are father is, the answer is simple: we are the son or daughter of the Living God. Our Father is the Lord Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, the master of everything that is and will forever be. So when they ask, “Who are you?” we answer, “I am the son of the Living God”. 

In the Name of the Lord

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

1 Sam 17:41-51

41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" 45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

NIV

Now we are at the great scene all these previous verses led up to, the non-battle between David and Goliath. We see that this was a non-battle because the Goliath never drew his sword or had any chance to strike at David, nor did he have an opportunity to throw his spear or javelin at David. All that Goliath was able to do was voice a threat of what he was going to do. However, David told Goliath that he did not stand a chance of success because David was coming against him in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel. The battle is the LORD’s. Here is the truth that stands out for us. Although David slung that sling and struck the Philistine straight in the forehead and killed him instantly, it was the LORD who saved, for anything that comes against us, the battle is the LORD’s. We know it is not by a spear or sword that we gain any victory. These two weapons stand for any kind of effect we make; all the attempts we strive to be a “Good Christian” will not save us. Any energy we put into overcoming difficulties, whatever strikes out at us, we cannot win the battle by our own abilities, skills, education, or wealth, or any other human effort, but when we face anything that tries to strike out against us, our Lord will win the victory for us. John tells us in one of his letters that the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith, and then he repeats the same idea, asking Who is it that overcomes the world? It is only those of us who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That was the faith of David in the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel. Faith is our greatest weapon in the arsenal of the armor of God. Although we have the rest of the armor and it all serves to protect us from all attacks, we can take our stand behind our shield of faith, building a wall against anything or anyone that strikes out against us. If we do not have faith, unswerving, unwavering, doubtless, steadfast faith, we cannot overcome anything in this world. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. It is this faith in the name of Jesus that gives us hope for eternal life, but also gives us the hope of being that overcomer, by the power of God at work in us. The Spirit of the LORD was upon David, and he overcame Goliath. We have the Spirit of the Lord dwelling within with power, giving us the victory. We do not win or overcome, but it is the Lord’s battle and He does all the work in us, for us, and through us, so we will overcome. It is by faith we are saved, faith in the name of the Lord. 

As He Was

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

AS HE WAS

1 Samuel 17:28-40

28 When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." 29 "Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." 33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you." 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

NIV

The boastfulness of that big brother, thinking David was only worthy of tending sheep. Eliab was rejected by Samuel, even though he was a strong fighting man, and anointed David, the tender of the sheep, as king over all Israel. He must have been infuriated as well as the other brothers who were rejected to be the king who would replace Saul. Now three of them are fighting in the army of Saul against the Philistines. But day after day, they run in fear of this Goliath, with no one able to take up the challenge to face him one-on-one. Eliab hears David talking to other soldiers about the reward for killing Goliath. But David goes back to asking once more as to the reward. Someone told Saul about what David said about this uncircumcised Philistine, and now we are at the point in the story where Saul wants David to wear armor, thinking that would make him capable of warfare against the enemy. But David tried, and as he was not used to it, he only wanted his sling and some smooth stones. This points lead us to an important truth. David had to be who he was and face Goliath with his familiar method of striking the lion and the bear to protect his father’s sheep. We cannot be anyone other than who we are. That sounds so simple, as of course, we are only who we are, but do we look at others who might be bigger, stronger, more spiritual, more knowledgeable, more successful, both by the world’s standards, and within the church, and think we should be more like them? They may be exactly how God designed them, and that is alright, but if we think we should emulate their ways, that we might be better than we are, we are wrong. The fact is God designed us just as we are, even if we are weak, uneducated, unsuccessful as others, both in the world and in the church. What matters is that the Lord is with us. David knew he could face Goliath because the Lord had anointed him and was with him, as well as had prompted him with the reward so that he would do what he was meant to do: defeat Goliath and win the victory for Israel. We have to be who we are and face whatever task the Lord has prompted us to do, head-on, without fear, for we know the Lord is with us, and he will make sure we win the battle. However, instead of a sling, we do have a sword, the word of God, and he has given us the power of the Spirit who dwells within to wheel that sword, defeating the forces of evil that stand against us. David did not wait for the Philistine, but he approached him. David took the fight straight on because he knew the Lord was with him, and that he would fight just as he was, a shepherd defending the sheep, and the name of the Living God. Let us always take our stand and stand firm, just as we are. 

The Reward

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

THE REWARD

1 Samuel 17:12-27

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years. 13 Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. 17 Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines." 20 Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. 25 Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel." 26 David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."

NIV

We all know this story of David and Goliath. There have been flannel board figures for children’s Sunday school since flannel was invented. The older ones, us adults, have heard it over and over, read it a number of times in our schedules of reading through the bible in a year. It’s usually all about David making that profound statement, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”, and then going out to slay him with his sling and a smooth stone. But that is not the whole story yet when we get to that portion, there is a lesson for us; however, we first need to see this first lesson from this narrative. We noticed that the first time David heard Goliath was when he brought those peanut butter sandwiches to his brothers. He went out to the front line to see them, and that is when he heard Goliath, but the scripture tells us all of Israel ran from him in great fear, which had to include David. It was not until he found out what the reward was and had it repeated that he made that statement. God prompted David to be the man he was supposed to be, the slayer of Goliath, which would set David on the kingly path in front of all Israel. Sometimes we might need to be prompted to do what God has planned out for us. We could get distracted from the plan of God for our lives by attempting our own plans, even plans to serve him. We could get distracted by our earthly plans in our labors or earnings, so we can live as comfortably as we can, accumulating as many material goods and financial security as we can. Yet, God may have a different plan for us, and he may need to prompt us with that “carrot on the stick” concept he used on David. What did David know about being a king? After all, he was simply a shepherd; in fact, when his father sent him with food for his brothers, David, the one Samuel anointed as king of Israel, was tending his father’s sheep. That certainly could be a lesson in itself. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?”, and when Peter said, “Yes”, Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep”. Those who have been called like Peter to feed the Lord’s sheep should feed them with the word of God. But our lesson is for all of us, that we need to be aware when God prompts us, even with a reward besides eternal life, which is a great reward. Yet, there may be times when God uses some material reward to prompt us to do something he has planned for us, and laid out the path we are to walk because we, like David, have not yet seen that path. David was moved to be the slayer of Goliath because the king would give him great wealth, marry the king’s daughter, and his father’s household would be tax-free in Israel. Quite a material reward for doing the LORD’s will. Let us know our Lord has a plan and will do what he needs, even to motivate or prompt us with a reward to walk that path.

 

The Giant

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

THE GIANT

1 Sam 17:1-16

17:1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. 4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. 8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." 10 Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." 11 On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years. 13 Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

NIV

We know how this story ends, we have read it,  we have conversed about it, and we have heard sermons about David and Goliath. However, we are not yet at the arrival of David on the scene, and at this point, all of Israel is terrified at the sight of this nine-foot giant of a man, a warrior that not a single Israelite in their right mind would even attempt to battle him one-on-one. Before we get too deep into the narrative, we should consider the metaphorical Goliaths that we could face. There may be things in life we have to go through that could be Goliaths.  There are larger-than-life events which could be terrifying, but we can face them because of our faith in God. Goliath came out day after day and taunted the Israelites. How could they not be afraid of this giant, whose armor weighed over a hundred and twenty-five pounds, and with a sword that was 15 pounds? Jesus said that if we say to this mountain, this giant in our life, go and throw yourselves into the sea, it will be done. We do not need to live in fear of anything in this world, or even of the evil in the spiritual realm, for we stand clothed in the armor of God, which far outweighs any other armor in any realm. We know David just used his sling, and one smooth stone, but we have no sling and no stones, but we do have God's armor and no matter how large of a giant in life we should face, we can take our stand and stand firm in the faith we have in Jesus, for he has already won the victory. We may have to battle some diseases, or ailments,  some long-term, and even age itself, with the weakening of our bodies. But we can still take our stand, for we have been clothed in God’s armor, which we have uncovered; each piece describes Jesus; therefore, we are clothed in Jesus, and nothing can stand in our way or overcome us. We, with Jesus, can face the giant. 

The Spirit

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

THE SPIRIT

1 Samuel  16:14-23

14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. 15 Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better." 17 So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me." 18 One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him." 19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." 20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. 21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him." 23 Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

NIV

It must be a horrible experience to have the Spirit of the Lord depart from someone, and in some sense, we feel sorry or pity for Saul, for now he is exposed to the torment of an injurious or bad, unkind, evil spirit. This does give us a clue that there would be a difference between being possessed by an evil spirit and merely being tormented by one. We know that as long as we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we can never be tormented by any evil spirit. When Saul brought David into his service, it was good for him because the Spirit of the LORD was upon David. This gives us another clue to the life of someone who has the Spirit of the Lord upon them, or in our case, dwelling within us. Whenever Saul was troubled in his spirit or tormented by an evil spirit, David’s music would bring Saul comfort and relief, and the evil spirit would depart. We wonder if it was because Saul was already depressed, because the Spirit of the LORD had left him, and his feelings were running rampant regarding his sad estate, thus, it left him vulnerable to evil. Is it possible that when we overfocus on our feelings or become too self-centered, even with the Spirit within us, we become vulnerable to the temptations of the flesh? There must be a difference between the Spirit of the LORD being upon David and the Spirit of God dwelling within us. Could we quench or extinguish the Spirit’s fire even though we were told not to? Is it possible that if we do hold back the fire of the Spirit, we then put ourselves in jeopardy of being tormented by some evil spirit? We know the Spirit would never allow us to be possessed, but would he force his fire, his power, against some evil spirit if we are holding him back, or putting a damper on his fire? We must live in the fullest of our faith and give way completely our will to the Lord, allowing the Spirit full access to bring fire and power into and through us, so that we can live to the fullest and bring comfort to all around us. It is when we demand our way, surrender to our feelings, we put that blanket over the Spirit, keeping his fire under wraps, and trouble finds its way in. Let us throw off everything that could quench him and allow him to fill us to overflowing with fire and power. 

Living in the "wow"

 DEVOTION

1^st SAMUEL

LIVING IN THE ‘WOW’

1 Samuel 16:8-13

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." 12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

NIV

“He is the One” are the words of the LORD regarding David, the one whom the LORD found to be after His own heart. Of course, at this time in David's life, his role in Israel is just beginning. Samuel was a man of God; he followed the directions of the LORD. The Spirit was upon him, and he heard from the LORD and did whatever the LORD told him. He anointed a shepherd boy to be the king of Israel. We know that David will become a mighty warrior and leader of his army against enemies of Israel, but at the time Samuel anointed him, he was simply a shepherd boy, the youngest son of Jesse. However, the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Something changed within him, and he was no longer the same. Here is where we enter the story. First, we were just a simple person, nothing impressive, although we were younger, in fact, the youngest in the family, and not thought of as a warrior, or a man’s man, but just a boy. Yet, at some point in life, the Lord found us and anointed us to be one of his own. The Spirit of the Lord came upon us, and we began a journey of a lifetime. There are certain things in life we get to experience that are those ‘Wows’, a once-in-a-lifetime event that rocks our world. But this journey with the Lord is a lifetime of “wows”. Although David had the Spirit of the LORD upon him in power, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us all the days of our lives, with power. We know that David did mighty things in his life, even being an imperfect man. Because we have the Spirit of the Lord upon, or within, we are the one the Lord has anointed. Are we to do great things for the Lord, for his kingdom? It would seem that because the Spirit is within us with power, we have the ability we never had before the Spirit came upon us with power. We were changed, never to be the same, never to walk in weakness again, never to be a simple shepherd boy, but we are now a mighty warrior of God, clothed in his armor and able to take our stand against the forces of evil in this world and in the spiritual realm. David was going to be living in the “wow” as king, and we can live in the “wow” all the days of our lives, because the Spirit of the Lord is within us. 

What Does He See

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

WHAT DOES HE SEE

1 Samuel 16:1-7

6:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." 2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." 4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?" 5 Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

NIV

It is now time for the selection of David, but we must make a few stops along the way because we see truths we must ponder. The LORD sent Samuel to Bethlehem, the city that will forever be called the city of David. First, we notice the LORD tells Samuel it is long enough to mourn over Saul, it is time to move on, and to anoint the new king of Israel. As he encounters Jesse, Samuel sees this son of Jesse, a hunk of a man, tall, muscular, one who would demand respect. But the LORD told Samuel not to look at the outward appearance, for the LORD does not look at the outward appearance, but he looks at the heart. Here is where we need to ponder. We know everything is about the condition of our heart. We would think that all our actions, our behavior, and our speech are all influenced by our thinking, which should be controlled by our heart. But we wonder if that is always true, for we know we do things, behave, and say things that are not from a heart dedicated to God, from a heart bent toward self. Simply put, we fail; our heart fails. Yet, at the same time, we want to serve our Lord, we want to do his will, we want to follow the path he has laid out for us. He knows our heart, he knows we desire to do his will, and he knows we are weak, as we live in this frail flesh with all its faults. However, our flesh is still formed by our creator; in fact, he knew us before we were in our mother’s womb. He knows the very fabric of our hearts, and he loves us. He saw fit to make sure we heard the good news about the kingdom of God, Jesus. He made sure we would know he is the Lord, showing his mighty power, overshadowing everything we thought was true, proving he is the Lord, the master of the Universe. Why would our hearts not always be bent toward him? Of course, we do things, we perform works of service, or good deeds, and we gather to worship, and although all that might be good. God really looks right into our hearts to see who we truly are on the inside. He looks at our hearts. What does he see? 

The Mission

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

THE MISSION  

1 Samuel 15:24-35

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. 25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD." 26 But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!" 27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors — to one better than you. 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." 30 Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God." 31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. 32 Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him confidently, thinking, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." 33 But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women." And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

NIV

What kind of king would be afraid of his people, unless he did not behave like a king that had been anointed by Samuel under the direction of the LORD? Sure, now Saul wants to ask forgiveness after Samuel told him that he had rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD has rejected him as king. “Please forgive me, I gave in to the people,” But we notice he still had not accomplished the mission the LORD sent him on. Agag, the king of the Amalekites, was still alive. Samual took care of that and put Agag to death. Our lesson today has two points. First, we noticed that although the LORD rejected Saul as king and Saul was no longer pleasing in the sight of the LORD, until the day that Samuel died, he mourned for Saul. Perhaps it would be good for us to mourn over those who are not pleasing in the sight of the Lord. Although in this age of grace, all can come to him and he will not reject them. Because of Jesus, none will be rejected who repent and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Then, if we mourn for them, it would be for those who have not come to Jesus but reject him. If we are mourning for them, we would then not judge them, or condemn them in any way; in fact, we are told to love them. Maybe, just maybe, our love will show them Jesus, even without words. The second lesson is about the fact that the LORD was grieved that he made Saul king over Israel. We know we are in Christ and he is in us, and we have the Spirit dwelling in us, as we have been born again and promised eternal life. But we also know that the Lord our God has sent us on a mission. Of course, it is not to destroy anyone, but our mission is to follow him, whatever that means individually. We all have the mission to bring the truth of God to the world, to share about Jesus everywhere we can. But each of us has been given a personal mission in life that we need to accomplish, or at least diligently work toward all the days of our lives. Each of our missions could be many things, such as the mission to help others, to encourage others, to pray for others, to serve others, as well as so many more. It would take a book to fully explore the many missions of God. We certainly do not want to think the Lord would be grieved because we failed and did nothing to get that mission accomplished, or did it halfway, or half-heartedly, or even became afraid of the people. What would they think about us? How would we look to them? Would they think we were foolish, trusting that much in the Lord that we diligently employed ourselves to our mission in life? We might have some fellow believers think we are so heavenly minded, we are no earthly good. Why would we want to be earthly good when the unbelievers are so earthly good that they are not heavenly-minded at all? It does not matter what mission we have been sent on; we should be on that mission plan, striving for that mission all the days of our lives. How can we even think the Lord would tell us we no longer have any mission and we should just sit and wait to die, so we can live? That would be a sad life, never to have a mission, but to be useless. Let us remember to mourn for the lost, yet diligently labor on the mission the Lord has given us.

 

How Much

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

HOW MUCH

1 Sam 15:16-23

16 "Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied. 17 Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' 19 Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?" 20 "But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." 22 But Samuel replied:

"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."

NIV

Did Saul really blame the soldiers for bringing back the plunder, thinking he obeyed the LORD, but they didn’t? Even in his arrogance of saying that he went on the mission the LORD assigned him, which was to destroy every living creature, men, women, children, donkeys, sheep, cattle, and whatever else had the breath of life in it, yet he brought the king of the Amalekites back alive. Then Saul calls the LORD the God of Samuel. Did Saul think he was not his God? It is just strange. However, our lesson is in the response of Samuel regarding what the LORD delights in. It is not a burnt offering. He does not delight in sacrifices, but he does delight in being obeyed. Because Saul did not obey, even if he thought he did, his disobedience was considered a rejection of the LORD. We understand that we live in the age of grace, that we have been accepted by God because we are in Jesus. Even though that sounds a little Christianese, we are not actually in Jesus, for he is in heaven, and we are not yet there. However, the point is that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, which means we have been forgiven and will not receive any condemnation from God. Yet, we still are expected to obey rather than just think we obey, then go about doing what we think is best. The question is just how far do we take this, obeying the Lord? Does that mean just regarding religious matters, or church activities? They may be or may not be spiritual, or in obedience to the Lord. How do we do in obeying the Lord in our normal day-to-day living? Do we get too invested in our own feelings, emotions, thoughts, that we lose track of the word of God and the fact that he delights when we obey? We wonder how many choices we have made in life based on our wants or needs, and have not listened to the counsel of the Lord? What about this arrogance, like the evil of idolatry? Have we created or taken on any form of something like an idol? What would that be in our culture or society? We need to examine ourselves regarding what could be an idol in our lives, even idolizing something or a way of life. Do we think more about doing anything based on our thinking, or wait upon the Lord and follow his thinking? How much do we obey the Lord?

 

Building Monuments

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

BUILDING MONUMENTS

1 Samuel 15:12-16

12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal." 13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions." 14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" 15 Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest." 16 "Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night."

NIV

We will get to what the LORD said to Samuel that night before he found Saul, but there are two nuggets of truth within this first exchange of words between Saul and Samuel. The first is when Saul went to Carmel and set up a monument in his own honor. How arrogant to build a monument in honor of oneself. Did Saul think he was that great of a king that he needed a monument? This takes us directly to how we are not to live. If we are living humbly before our God and people, we certainly should not do anything that would resemble a monument. Of course, we would never build a statue or other form of monument, even a plaque to hang in our honor. However, we wonder if there are times we might get puffed up a bit and want some honor because of all our “Good works”. In that case, our deeds would resemble a monument that we have set up for ourselves. Self-edification can come in several forms other than works. We can become prideful, or boastful about how much education we have, or how well we have done investing in the world’s financial markets. We can desire honor because of the position we hold, first in the world, second in the church. We need to be careful about those monuments in our honor. The second nugget of truth is when Samual simply said, “Stop”. Saul was lying through his teeth, to coin a phrase. He was instructed to destroy everything of the Amalekites, to completely wipe them and all their possessions from the face of the earth. Saul failed, but then began to make some excuses, or simply lies about why he did what he did, then to top that failure off, he built that monument in honor of himself. Now he will be known as one who lies. But Samel wanted no more of those lies, so he told Saul, “Stop, let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night”. This should give us several clues for life. First, we must ask ourselves if we have lied to make ourselves look good, or give an excuse for our behavior? Second, it is appropriate at times to tell someone, “Stop”, as when we hear them begin to gossip, criticize someone, or voice some condemnation or judgment about someone’s behavior, actions, or words. It might be appropriate to tell a fellow believer, “Stop” when they begin to boast about themselves or endeavor to build a monument in their honor. Of course, we should also make sure the log is not in our eyes, as we try to look for that speck. Still, Samuel shows us it is right to say, “Stop” when needed. Let us live with no excuses or build any monuments. 

Trust and Obey

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

TRUST AND OBEY

1 Samuel 15:1-11

15:1 Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" 4 So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim — two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. 6 Then he said to the Kenites, "Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. 7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs — everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. 10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.

NIV

When God gives instructions, they are to be fulfilled right down to his every word. Saul failed to follow the LORD’s command. Samuel told Saul to listen to the message from the LORD. Because Saul did not follow the message and did not destroy every living person and everything in possession of the Amalekites, he either was not listening, or he had his own agenda that he had purposed in his heart to take some plunder. When he destroyed all that was despised and weak and kept everything that was good, it showed he was not a man after God’s own heart, but a man after his own heart. When Saul failed to follow the LORD’s message, the LORD grieved that He had made Saul king. It is strange to see the LORD say he was grieved, or as the Hebrew word means, regret, to be sorry, to repent. Because the LORD is all-knowing and lives outside the constraints of time, we must believe the LORD already knew Saul would not do what he was supposed to do. How can the Lord God, who knows everything, our thoughts before we think them, our words before we speak them, our actions before we act, regret making Saul king? Was not this the plan of God all along, so that David would ascend to the throne? However, the LORD wanted Samuel to know that Saul was on his way out, and Samuel's response was to be troubled and cry out to the LORD all night. We will see later in this chapter, Samuel telling Saul the LORD has rejected him as king; however, we still have a truth here we need to consider as a lesson. When we are given instructions from the Lord, we are to follow them to the fullest. Saul received his instruction from the LORD through the prophet Samuel. We do not have someone like Samuel to speak the word of the Lord to us, but we have the word of God in printed form, which contains his instructions. We also have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us who illuminates the Lord’s word, revealing the truth to us. It is also possible that God can speak directly into our hearts, or even into our ears. We have already considered and taken to heart the fact that we cannot put God in a box with our own ideas of how God should speak. However, if he never speaks directly to us either through a prophet, the Spirit, or verbally, he speaks to us through his word, which we call the bible. The problem is whether we follow those instructions to the tee, or do we ignore some. How much latitude does the Lord give us before he rejects us as his sons? We have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, as we have been born again, or born from above. Jesus said, "Unless we are born again, we will not see the kingdom of heaven." But what about all the rest of the commands of the Lord? What about the beatitudes, or two commands Jesus said all the law and the prophets are fulfilled when we love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves? Do we at least follow those two to the fullest? Then there are those words he speaks to us personally. His call upon our lives, where he sends us, or what place in the body we are supposed to be, those are personal messages from the Lord. Do we follow his path for our lives completely, or do we slip in a little of our own hearts’ desires? We need to be careful making sure we stay in his plan, and as Jesus said many times, “Follow me”, we must follow him fully.  Saul did not trust or obey the LORD. We have been called to trust and obey. How are we doing? 

Always Love

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

ALWAYS LOVE

1 Samuel 14:36-46

36 Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." "Do whatever seems best to you," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here." 37 So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day. 38 Saul therefore said, "Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. 39 As surely as the LORD who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." But not one of the men said a word. 40 Saul then said to all the Israelites, "You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here." "Do what seems best to you," the men replied. 41 Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Give me the right answer." And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. 42 Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him, "I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?" 44 Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." 45 But the men said to Saul, "Should Jonathan die — he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death. 46 Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.

NIV

Once again, Saul makes a decision even though the LORD did not answer him. The men of Israel even told him to do what he thought best. What is wrong with these people? Do they not know the Lord is the Almighty God, the creator of the whole universe, although it is doubtful they are aware of anything other than the earth, sun, and moon? Even though they did not fully grasp a round Earth that circles the sun yet, they make their choices as if they are in charge of their lives, but acknowledge the existence of a God they don’t really know. Saul makes this charge that someone sinned because the LORD did not answer him that day. Then how rash can Saul be to ask the LORD to give him the right answer? But the Lord did set Saul and Jonathan apart, clearing all the leaders of Israel from being guilty of sin, and then the lot fell to Jonathan. Was that really the choosing of the LORD? Yet, the men of Israel defended Jonathan because what he did was a righteous act for the benefit of Israel, and it was Saul who treated Israel wrongly with that oath of fasting until night, which allowed the men of Israel to become faint. We continue to see poor leadership from Saul, plus acting as he saw fit. We constantly see this same lesson about not moving forward until the Lord gives the command, and then advancing forward with great gusto when the Lord tells us to move. However, we also see another truth when the men of Israel defended Jonathan against the will of Saul. They built up Jonathan as the one who brought about the great deliverance in Israel. That was true, but the point is that it is always right to build others up, not tear them down. Saul was thinking he had the right to kill the man who sinned, not against the LORD, but against his command regarding his unwise oath. We do not have the right under any circumstances to judge another’s sin, or the consequence they should pay. All judgment is reserved only for the Lord, and for those who have accepted the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and the work of God, raising him from the tomb, will not be judged guilty of sin. Jesus paid it all. We are free of accusation, free from any penalty, because of Jesus. Of course, we are not to continue to freely or willingly sin, so that God’s grace may abound. However, when we do fail perfection and sin, which is inevitable as long as we live in this flesh, he does not condemn, but forgives. Saul did not want to forgive, but the men of Israel forced his hand, as they stood by Jonathan, building him up, loving him.  We are always supposed to forgive any offense against us or the Lord. First, because the Lord said that as we forgive those who trespass against us, he forgives us. But if we do not forgive, he will not forgive us. Second, how do we pick the speck from our brother’s eye when we have a log in our eyes? Are we not all sinners saved by grace? God is the only one who can judge, and we have already been judged as holy and pleasing in his sight, because we are in Jesus and He is in us. Still, we are supposed to build each other, as we are commanded to love one another, and love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Saul failed to love others, but only himself. Let us always protect each other, always trust one another, always hope in each other, and persevere with each other. We must always love. 

Dull or Bright

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

DULL OR BRIGHT

1 Samuel 14:24-35

24 Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food. 25 The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out, yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.   28 Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." 29 Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?" 31 That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. 32 They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. 33 Then someone said to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that has blood in it." "You have broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over here at once." 34 Then he said, "Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with blood still in it.'" So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. 35 Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had done this.

NIV

Why would a leader make his people swear the oath he made? His oath was to avenge his enemy, and that should mean he would want his people, his army, to be at their full strength. He would want to build their strength, not weaken them by fasting all day, only to have to fight the battle against their enemy. A leader would not take his people to the point of exhaustion, and perhaps this is why the LORD had taken his kingship from Saul, as he found David, a man after his own heart, who will do whatever the LORD  tells him. The army was so distressed that after they took plunder from the Philistines, they slaughtered animals and ate them raw with the blood still in them, which was against the command of God. Here's the thing: it was not the fault of the people, but squarely on the shoulders of their leader, Saul, because of his oath. The fact is the Lord has said not to make an oath, or swear by his name falsely. Saul made a bad choice because he did not inquire of the LORD, having the priest hold back his hand, or stop asking the LORD. A leader needs to feed his people, to build up their strength so they can stand their ground, taking the sword of truth and cut right into the lies of the enemy of their souls. In fact, we all are to build each other up, strengthen each other, as the Hebrew says, brighten their eyes. Metaphorically, it is meant to strengthen, as when Jonathan ate, he was strengthened, or his eyes were brightened, which implies he was able to see the truth. Then a leader, as well as all of us, should feed each other the truth, which, when we eat the truth, our eyes will be brightened to see more truth, and as we feed on the truth of the word of God, our faith is strengthened. We can see some leaders not feeding their people, but sucking the very strength out of them to serve their own benefit. These are not leaders, but leeches, much like Saul when he drained the strength of his men for his own purpose. Lord, let us lead each other to the truth, feeding each other, brightening our eyes so they can see the truth of God and our faith be strengthened. Let us not have dull eyes, but bright eyes. 

Be Still and know He is God

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

BE STILL AND KNOW HE IS GOD

1 Sam 14:16-23

16 Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. 17 Then Saul said to the men who were with him, "Muster the forces and see who has left us." When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there. 18 Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." (At that time it was with the Israelites.)   19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." 20 Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. 21 Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. 23 So the LORD rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.

NIV

There is much more to the story about the battle between Israel and the Philistines, but at this point, we are told that it was the LORD who rescued Israel that day. However, we are also seeing a mistake that Saul made concerning his inquiry of the LORD. He had Ahijah, the priest, bring the ark so that he could ask the LORD about what he was to do, but Saul could not wait for an answer from the LORD. He saw the total confusion within the Philistine camp and waited to take advantage, thus winning the battle. Perhaps he wanted the glory of the victory, but it was the LORD who won the victory, even with the impatience of Saul. The problem was that he wanted the priest to withdraw his hand, to stop seeking the counsel of the LORD. This is Saul’s downfall, for he does not wait for the LORD. We wonder how much we wait for the Lord? How much do we advance our position in life based on our own desires and use our abilities in an attempt to gain what we want? It would behoove us to be still and know that He is God. That being still implies that we do not advance without first seeking the guidance of the Lord. It also means that we wait until he gives us what direction we are to take. If we say that He is our Lord, then we are confessing he has absolute authority over us, which means we cannot do anything without his approval, and we should only do what he commands or directs us to do. This may not apply to the mundane things of life, as going to the store to buy food, getting gas in our car, or deciding which clothes we should buy, or any other of those daily chores of life. However, when it comes to our life paths, as to any career path, or job, where we live, what city, even the house, and where we attend worship, in other words, all the major decisions of life, we need to inquire of the Lord. Then, as we seek his direction, we need to stand still until we hear from the Lord. We have heard Christians say they assume they have a green light until God gives them a red light. That was the mistake of Saul, and we cannot afford that same error in judgment. At the same time, when the Lord speaks, however he speaks, we need to move according to his plan. He may speak to us through the Spirit who dwells within, he may speak in an audible voice, even appear to us in a vision, or he can speak to us through his divine word, impressing upon us the way we should go. We might have some success, in the view of the world, acting upon our own desires, but does that give us eternal success? Because Saul moved on his own counsel, God removed his kingship, anointing David as king, as God testified that David was a man after his own heart, and that he would do everything God told him. This has to be our story. We must stay the course the Lord has placed us on, not our own course. We know that whatever the Lord directs us, he will also empower us to walk accordingly. He will also provide all we need to walk the path he has laid out before us. The key is to be still and know that he is God.