Don't Forget To Do Church

# 131 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:13 “And when he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place. (1 Sam 10:13) Saul had just been given a whole new outlook on life. God had given him a new heart. From now on he would have the heart of a king. Then he has this incredible run in with the prophets. The Holy Spirit overtakes him and he joins in singing and speaking the praises of the Most High as the Spirit gave him utterance. Talk about a spiritual high! Please note the first thing he does when the spiritual high subsides. He goes to church. He goes to the “high place,” to express thanks to God for all that has just taken place. We could learn from that. I think sometimes we get caught in the trap of chasing spiritual highs and we neglect the necessary connection to the church of Jesus Christ. Sometimes the day to day and week to week activity of the church can seem mundane to us, especially after an exciting concert or a stadium event. But it's not. It is vital! Spiritual highs spring from the bedrock of the church! But the hard work of loving one another, (the work of the church) must go on. What is the work of the church? First and foremost it is the great commission. Everything we do as a body ought to be aiming toward this goal. And one of the key components of evangelism is love for one another. Jesus said in Joh 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." And the Holy Spirit reminds us in Heb 10:24, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Enjoy your spiritual highs! Thank God for them, but then dive back into church. Roll up your shirtsleeves and learn to love and forgive one another in the trenches of our day to day existence. Can you think of a better way to express your thanks to God?

Praise the Lord! Someone Noticed!

# 130 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:10-12, “When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, "What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" 12 Then a man from there answered and said, "But who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb: "Is Saul also among the prophets?" (1 Sam 10:10-12) It happened exactly as Samuel said it would happen. Saul runs into some prophet musicians who are bubbling over with the Holy Spirit, speaking and singing the praises of God, and the Holy Spirit overtakes Saul and he joins in. This absolutely blew the minds of those who knew Saul beforehand. One day, he is just the son of a prominent farmer engaged in the menial task of finding his father's donkeys, and the next he can't shut up about God. This is what happens when one is gripped by the Holy Spirit. You can't help it, you have to speak of God and His wonderful work of grace in your life. You just have to tell someone about His merciful act of forgiving your sins. You not only speak differently, but you act differently as you seek to live a Spirit controlled life, and your old acquaintances will note it. And these same acquaintances will greet this new you with skepticism. The question asked by those familiar with the old Saul, “Is Saul among the prophets?” smacks of doubt. Don't let it surprise you, they said the same thing about Jesus. Mt 13:55 "Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? Don't dread such skepticism, rather, revel in it! Someone noticed! God has touched you and changed your life, and as you continue in this new life, the same conclusion is reached by those around you. You too have become the son of the prophet's father. And who is the prophet's father? God Almighty!

An Attitude Adjustment

# 129 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:9, “So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.” (1 Sam 10:9) As Saul prepares to leave Samuel, God gives him a new heart. What does that look like? I think it is best understood that God gave Saul a new mindset, a new outlook. A new attitude. Saul is about to become king and he is going to have to look at things differently and do things differently. He didn't choose to become king, God chose him, God called him to the task, and this new mindset is the first step that would be necessary to get the job done. God calls no one to a task without equipping them, and it starts with a ready mind and willing heart. How does that look in our world today? Does God still give us new hearts, new mindsets to cope with the callings He places on our lives? Observe motherhood. It is a classic example. See how the mindset of a woman changes when she is with child. Since God is the one who opens the womb, (Gen 30:22) we can say that it is His calling on the mother and she is in need of an attitude adjustment. Her new heart becomes concerned about what she puts into her body. She stops consuming alcohol, she stops smoking, she moves into a “protection” mode for her baby. By the way, not all women embrace this new heart, this new mindset. Their flesh, being what it is, often resists, nonetheless the new heart is present. And for those who have sinned in this regard, remember, God forgives and heals. But it's not just motherhood. God calls us to different things in the seasons of our lives. It could be caring for an in-firmed parent or a spouse, or a change in your own physical status. These new circumstances often call for a new attitude, a new adjustment, a shifting of priorities. Take heart from this passage. God sees. He knows. He called you for such a time as this and He will give you the mindset, the new heart, that you will need to cope.

Civil Government Is A Tool

# 128 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:8 "You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do." (1 Sam 10:8) This is a pivotal portion of Scripture as it pertains to the reign of Saul. It was his mishandling of these instructions from Samuel that cost him the kingdom. Gilgal was a special place for the Israelites. It was where the people crossed the Jordan under the leadership of Joshua and they had set up twelve stones there as a reminder for each one of the tribes that God had dried up the river Jordan and allowed them to cross over into the promised land. Gilgal was to be a place where Saul could go for special events and during times of national crisis during his reign. It was where Saul was inaugurated as king, (1 Sam 11:14,15) and it was where he went when things heated up with the Philistines. (1Sa 13) It was at Gilgal that Samuel would continue to exercise his priestly duties of interceding on behalf of Saul and the people, and his instructions to Saul were clear. Go to Gilgal and wait for me to carry out my priestly duties. He said, “Surely I will come down to you,” and make the necessary offerings. AND SHOW YOU WHAT TO DO!” Well, if we read ahead in the story we see that Saul didn't wait for Samuel and offered the sacrifices himself. This was a very serious breach of the role of government and the role of the church. Church and civil government have clearly defined roles in Scripture, and we would do well to get a clearer understanding of them. (Read Romans 13) The government is a tool, that God uses for order and sometimes for judgment. But it is never to be used as a substitute for the church. It is the church, using the Word of God, that “shows us what to do.” And if the government ever tells us to do something contrary to God's word, Well, as Peter and the other apostles said in Ac 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men.”

It's Not Just the Title of a Beatles Song

# 127 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:7 "And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you. (1 Sam 10:7) “Let it be,” is not just the title of a Beatles song. Saul is encouraged here by Samuel to “allow” for a proper response to these signs or circumstances that will be coming his way. He need not fear or worry about his response beforehand, God is with him and will supply. This is very similar to the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in Mt 10:19 "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; Far too often, we work ourselves up into a tizzy as we worry about circumstances and occasions that we see on the horizon. Beloved, God is with you! Jesus promised His followers in Joh 14:18 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” and in Heb 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you." God is not surprised by any circumstances and occasions that may come your way. Please note what Samuel said here, “when these signs come to you,” That tells us that these occasions are heaven sent. So when God sends these occasions and circumstances into your life, trust Him for your response. Oh the needless worry we could be spared if we only believed this. Oh the anemic and often damaging attempts of manipulation we would forgo if we just trusted God and waited on Him to provide the occasions. No wonder Jesus said, Mt 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Today will have enough occasions for you. Occasions that will require a response from you. May I suggest that we all “pray up” before we head out the door. reminding ourselves that God is with us and will help us respond as the occasion demands.

The Suddenness of the New Birth

# 126 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:6 "Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. (1 Sam 10:6) When Saul bumps into the musicians who are bubbling over with the Spirit, this same Spirit will literally rush upon him, leap upon him, overpower his flesh and turn him into another man. Saul is about to be mugged by the Holy Spirit of God working through His Word. The striking part of this encounter is the suddenness of it all. One minute Saul is walking along, still trying to figure out what this being king is all about, and the next moment, BANG! A new man! He suddenly finds himself prophesying or bubbling over with the Holy Spirit just as these musicians were. I am reminded of that first Pentecost of the New Testament church. We read about it in Ac 2, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,” (v2) “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (v4) And what were they speaking? “ the wonderful works of God." (v11) And they were speaking of these works in a clearly understandable way to their audience. Oh the suddenness of it all. One moment the disciples cowering in fear in the upper room, the next moment boldly proclaiming the wonderful workings of God. One minute Saul the timid Benjamite, the next moment a changed man filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to serve as God's anointed King. How does this happen? It happens by God's grace! It is by His divine influence on the individual heart that brings about the new man. Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. God uses His Word to bring His saving grace to the unregenerated heart. 1Pe 1:23 says, “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,” Let those who have been born again, spill out His Word! Who knows how suddenly God will use that Word to make new men out of others?

Worship Leaders As Prophets

# 125 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:5b,6 "you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. 6 "Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 1 Sam 10:5b,6) Have you ever considered those who lead you in worship on Sunday mornings as prophets? These musicians and singers have been gifted by God to use music as a tool of prophecy. Remember, the word prophecy here means to bubble over, to pour forth utterances from the Spirit. This incident with Saul was not an isolated incident. We find mention of musically gifted prophets elsewhere in Scripture. 1Ch 25:1 says, “Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals.” These musical prophets have always been a vital part of the church. It could be the church organist providing accompaniment to some of the great bubbling over hymns of the past, a choir, a quartet, a soloist, or a praise and worship band. Whatever the style of worship at your church, it is vital that these musicians understand their role. Their role is to be yielded to God. Vessels emptied of self and filled with the Holy Spirit who will then spill out the praises of our King! But not only praises, also, thanksgiving and truth all wrapped up in music, that points to God and extols His virtues and gives Him glory. This is a serious charge to church musicians. God did, can, and will use music to convert souls to faith in Christ. And the gifted musician must always remember that they are but a tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit. A tool that becomes dull and useless at the first inkling of pride. It's never suppose to be entertainment, it's always meant to be ministry.

Bubbling Over

# 124 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:5b,6 "you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. 6 "Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 1 Sam 10:5b,6) Prophets? Sounds more like our modern day contemporary worship bands. These guys are coming down from the mountaintop on a spiritual high. Their very tongues have been actuated by a divine Spirit. This is the definition of the Hebrew word used here for “prophet.” As they move down the mountain, playing their musical instruments they are “prophesying.” The idea of the word “prophesying” here is that the divine Spirit, (the Holy Spirit) was causing them to bubble up, to pour forth words, in this case in song. I remember a time when a neighbor friend of mine and I attended a Sunday night prayer gathering at our church. We would pray, sing, and discuss the Word of God at these weekly meetings. Once after we had attended one of these meetings, we returned home and were chatting outside our houses and a neighbor approached us. Later on he would tell us that he was drawn toward us because of a visible glow around us. Shortly after this incident this neighbor gave His life to Christ. To my knowledge, this never happened again to me or my neighbor, but my unbelieving neighbors' encounter with two guys who were bubbling over with the Holy Spirit changed his life, much as Saul's life was changed by his encounter with these bubbling over prophets. This bubbling over is not something you or I can manufacture on our own, but it doesn't hurt to put ourselves in a position to receive it. Maybe we should consider meeting together with God more often than Sunday mornings. Just saying.

Three Things To Remember

# 123 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:5,6 "After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. 6 "Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 1 Sam 10:5,6) The third stop on Saul's scavenger hunt is enemy territory. But even before Saul arrives he will receive his third and final sign. He will be met by a group of prophets returning from worship, and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon Saul. This sign serves as a reminder to Saul and us, that we need the help of the Spirit of God before we can engage the enemy. I am reminded of Jesus at His baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and then drove Him into enemy territory. Empowered by the Spirit of God, Jesus in His human nature withstands the temptations of the devil. Saul must understand this before he becomes king. As we read in Zec 4:6, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. Let these three signs given to Saul be reminders for all of us: #1, Should the Lord tarry the grave awaits all of us. “The sting of death is sin.” (1 Cor 15:56) #2. God has provided a way to have victory over sin through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, and died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin, rising on the third day to assure us of that victory. “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor 15:54) #3. Along the way, there will be battles with the enemy. These battles must be fought in the strength of God's Holy Spirit. Rely on Him! 1Jo 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. We would do well to begin every day of our lives remembering these things, and thanking God for His salvation.

More Reminders

# 122 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:3 "Then you shall go on forward from there and come to the terebinth tree of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4 "And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hands. The scavenger hunt continues for Saul. Having been REMINDED of his mortality at the grave of Rachael, God now takes him to the hallowed ground of Bethel. It was at Bethel that Jacob had his dream of angels ascending and descending on a ladder from heaven to earth. This vision granted to Jacob would forever serve as a REMINDER of God's desire to be in fellowship with His people. The ladder being a picture of Jesus Christ who bridges the gap between holy heaven and unholy earth. The sinless Son of God making a way for sinful man to have restored fellowship with God for eternity. Man's mortality is swallowed up in immortality by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. At this point, Saul could've said, “Oh Rachael's grave, where is your victory?” 1Co 15:55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" It was also at Bethel that Jacob asked the Lord to provide bread and clothing for his life's journey and vowed to give back to the Lord in the form of a tithe. Saul is given two loaves of bread to remind him of the Lord's provision for him as he serves as king. And so Saul is reminded of his mortality, and REMINDED anew of the way to immortality, and REMINDED of the One who will provide for his every need along the way, and REMINDED that in thanksgiving, he should return a portion of God's provision. May we, like Saul daily remember our own mortality and look to Jesus for our immortality, then, live in grateful response for all of God's provision.

A Mortality Reminder

# 121 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:2 "When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, 'The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"' (1 Sam 10:2) I'm not into visiting graves, how about you? My parents, on the other hand visited the graves of their family members often. Their fascination with, and concern over a proper resting place for family members has always intrigued me. Some of this concern was likely linked to the fact that they miss their loved ones, and visiting the grave allows for a time of reflection of the times spent with them on earth. This can be very therapeutic. I guess I've always been content with knowing that they are no longer in the grave, they are but ashes and dust, and their souls have already moved on to their final destination. Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, But, upon further review, I believe I have overlooked something about the value of visiting a grave site, and in this reading from Samuel, we see that the very first sign that Saul would find on his little scavenger hunt would be given to him at Rachael's tomb. Saul, a Benjamite, must go to the grave of the mother of Benjamin before he takes on the responsibility of ruling. This visit should remind him of his God-blessed roots, and also serve as a reminder of his own mortality. Of course God provides us with many other reminders of our mortality in nature and in everyday occurrences, but it really hits home at the grave of an ancestor or at the tomb of someone whom we loved and interacted with on a personal level. A proper understanding of our own mortality can prepare us for that time when God will call us home, and help us to redeem our own days wisely.

Feared and Revered

# 120 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:2 "When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, 'The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"' (1 Sam 10:2) Isn't it interesting that Samuel sends Saul off on a kind of royal scavenger hunt. This scavenger hunt includes a total of three stops, and each one of these stops is to be considered a sign. These signs were an acid test of prophecy. If just one of them would not occur as Samuel stated, it would've nullified anything else said and put him in the company of false prophets. De 18:22 says, "when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” On the other hand, if these things DO come to pass, then Samuel is verified as a true prophet and Saul ought to be afraid of him, that is, he ought to revere him as someone who speaks as if God were speaking Himself! Jesus warned us about false prophets in these last days. In Mr 13:22, He said, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” So what do we do? How do we guard against false prophets? We do not need to go on scavenger hunts or wild goose chases! We have the Bible, the Word of God, which contains all the confirmed signs we shall ever need. 2Pe 1:19-21 reminds us that, in the Scriptures, “we have the prophetic word confirmed,” and, “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Bible speaks as if God were speaking. It's words are to be feared and revered.

You Have Been Anointed

# 119 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: "Is it not because the LORD has anointed you commander over His inheritance? (1 Sam 10:1) The servant having been sent ahead, Samuel and Saul are alone, and Samuel begins to speak the Word of God to Saul as it pertains to him. This “word” must be clearly understood by Saul, and Samuel begins the process by anointing Saul with oil. As he anoints him, he makes it clear what the act is all about. “I'm doing this to you because God has set you apart from other men to be the leader of His people.” Anointing with oil is a physical picture of a spiritual reality. In this instance the spiritual reality is that God has chosen Saul to be separated for service unto Him. This anointing was and is closely related to the Holy Spirit's presence in the particular circumstances where the oil is applied. His presence is absolutely necessary for sanctification, (that is, setting apart for service to the Lord.) In the Old Testament the anointing was meant to point to the perfectly Anointed One, the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God who would be perfectly filled with the Holy Spirit and perfectly set aside for service to the Father. In the New Testament the “anointing” refers to the individual believer who has received the Holy Spirit directly from God as it is stated in 2Co 1:21,22, “ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. And also stated in 1Jo 2:27 “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you,” As a believer, you have been anointed with God's Holy Spirit, set aside for service to Him, just as sure as Saul was set aside. He is God's Helper, given to you to help you in carrying out kingdom work. May we all learn to more fully yield to Him, that we may be about our Father's business.

Shut Your Pie-Hole

# 118 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us." And he went on. "But you stand here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God." (1 Sam 9:27) The King James puts it this way, “Stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God.” The servant goes on ahead, and now it is just Samuel and Saul. Remember, Samuel is serving as a type of Christ here, and so this serves as a great picture for all believers. It is a picture of what we have come to call our “quiet time” with the Lord. The Bible refers to believers as a “royal priesthood,” (1 Pet 2:9) so we are like Saul in this picture. Royal children of God, little kings, who need to be still before the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to “show us the Word of God.” To “stand still” is to stand dumb before the Lord, and to be “shown the word of God,” is to hear it with understanding. Samuel, is telling Saul to keep his yapper shut, and to listen keenly to what he is about to tell him. Is this your daily practice? Do you spend time quietly listening to the voice of God as the Holy Spirit speaks to you through the Bible? Or is your idea of a quiet time to simply rattle off your long list of prayer requests. Stand still before the Lord! Daily! Let the very sun stand still, give no thought to time until God assures you of His victory over sin. Jos 10:13 says, “So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Ps 4:4 reminds us to: “Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah and Ps 46:10 says “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Let these truths and any others that God needs to speak to you in His word sink in on a daily basis. But give the Holy Spirit the necessary time to break through! Be still! How long will that take? According to this passage in Samuel, “awhile.”

Soak Him All In

# 117 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:25 When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the top of the house. 26 They arose early; and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, "Get up, that I may send you on your way." And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel. 27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us." And he went on. "But you stand here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God." (1 Sam 9:25) Imagine telling a visitor to your house, “Hey, let's go out on the roof and chat awhile.” The pitch on the roofs of most of our houses would not be conducive to casual conversation. But flat roofs with railings were the norm in biblical times. De 22:8 "When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet (railing) for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your household if anyone falls from it. These flat roofs were ideal places for communing with each other, and communing with God. They offered a little bit of privacy from the hub bub of the house, and, well, there's something about being outside directly under the firmament that fosters closeness with our Creator. Isa 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. I can't help but think of Peter who evidently regularly practiced rooftop communion with God: Ac 10:9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. I don't recommend crawling out on your roof to pray, but I highly recommend that you periodically find a place in God's great Creation to commune with Him. A place where you can lift up your eyes on high and revel in the One who created all that surrounds you.

Giving Honor and Respect To Authorities

# 116 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:22-24, “Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, 'Set it apart.'" 24 So the cook took up the thigh with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Here it is, what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat; for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day. (1 Sam 9:22-24) Saul is given the highest place of prominence at this feast. The meal is quite ordinary except for one thing. The cook brings out the choicest cut of meat and puts it on Saul's plate. Saul gets the thigh and the shoulder. This portion of meat was usually reserved for the priest and his family as it says in Le 10:14 "The breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you shall eat in a clean place, you, your sons, and your daughters with you; for they are your due and your sons' due, which are given from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. This giving of this portion to Saul, who represents government, from Samuel, who represents Christ serves as a reminder to all of the two kingdoms. The kingdom of God, represented by Samuel, and the temporal kingdom of God-ordained authority represented by Saul. In this act of Samuel, God gives honor to authority in the eyes of men, and demands that we respect and honor the authorities He has placed over us, remembering that Saul would have no such honor, (no thigh, no shoulder) unless it was given to Him by Samuel. The authority of government is subservient to the authority of God and flows from Him. It is why Peter told the council in Acts 4:19, that they must obey God rather than men, and it's why Jesus said to Pilate in Joh 19:11"You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.” Honor and respect authority, it is the will of God.

Want God To Start Something In You?

# 115 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:20 "But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house?" 21 And Saul answered and said, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?" (1 Sam 9:20,21) How in the world did Samuel know that Saul had spent the last three days looking for those doggone donkeys? This information, given to Samuel by God, confirms to Saul that Samuel is indeed a prophet, and gives credence to his next bombshell, “Saul, you have been chosen by God to be the king!” And Saul replies, “What are you talking about Samuel? Hello! Don't you know that I am a Benjamite? A member of the tribe of Israelites that was almost wiped out by the other 11 tribes? “ Time does not permit me to go into all the details of this civil war, but you can read the horrific details in Judges 19-21. Saul, was simply stating the obvious here, why would God choose someone from the smallest tribe in Israel, and on top of that, one of the least important families in that tribe to be king? The answer is simple. It's the way God operates. 1Co 1:27 says, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” Humility has always been the starting point and calling card of God's chosen. From Gideon, to the humble shepherd boy David, to Solomon's humble plea for wisdom, to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who was born in the little town of Bethlehem to parents of little means. God treasures humility, and these incidents in Scripture are persistent reminders that he wants us to get it! Get what? God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) Want God to start something in your life? The only thing holding Him back is your pride.

Do Not Be Anxious

# 114 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 "But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house?" (1 Sam 9:19,20) Saul and Samuel meet up and Samuel invites Saul to the feast. Remember at this time Saul has no clue that God has selected him to be the king. Oh bother, he wanted to get going back home to his father! Saul was apparently a little impatient. Did you catch Samuel's drift when he said, “tomorrow I will let you go?” That statement tells us that Saul was staying for the feast against his will. He just wanted to find out if the seer knew where his donkeys were, and yes or no, he wanted to go home now! Samuel, knew these concerns of Saul, he knew Saul's heart, and so he seeks to comfort him with the news about the donkeys. Then he drops the bombshell on Saul. He says, don't be anxious about the donkeys Saul, you are going to have much bigger things on your plate as the one whom God has chosen to be king! We are so much like Saul aren't we? Anxiety seemingly comes upon as at every turn. If it's not lost donkeys, it's concerns about our health, our children, our finances, our relationships. We fret about what we will wear, and what we will eat. Hear the words of Samuel (a type of Christ) who speaks peace to Saul when he says, “do not be anxious for your donkeys,” It's the same words that Jesus wants us to hear and believe. Mt 6:31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

No Need To Wait For A Deliverer

# 113 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:16 "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me." 17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, "There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people." 18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Please tell me, where is the seer's house?" 19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. (1 Sam 9:16-19) Where have we heard of this crying out by the people before? It was a constant theme in the Book of Judges. The people would chase after other gods, God would judge them by giving them up to their folly, and when the oppression got to be too much, the people would cry out to God and he would raise up a leader, (a type of Christ) to deliver them. Same thing in Egypt as we read in Ex 3:9,10, "Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." The Egyptians, Pharaoh, and the Philistines are all types of the mortal enemy of our soul, the devil and all his servants, (demons, the world, and our flesh) If we persist on giving in to them, God will also give us up to our folly. We reap what we sow. Ga 6:7,8 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. There is one major difference between the cry of the Israelites and our cry today. The Israelites had to wait for God to raise up a deliverer, but our Deliverer has arrived and is only a humble prayer away. Jesus has defeated the devil through His perfect obedience, suffering, death, and resurrection. You don't have to live in bondage to the devil. Call on Jesus and be delivered!

Anointed and Appointed

# 112 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:16a "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; " (1 Sam 9:16) The word “anoint” here brings God into the picture in a way that most Christians don't like to dwell on. We would much rather curse our rulers than acknowledge that God appoints and anoints. This “anointing” signified that “the appointed individual was separated for God's service and chosen by Him. It was a very serious responsibility, and God was the authorizing agent.” (Zodhiates Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible) David knew this. Right or wrong Saul was God's appointed ruler, and even as he sought to kill David, the shepherd boy never trash talked him. He never spoke evil of him, and he never did evil to him, even though he had ample opportunity. I guarantee you that if Facebook and Twitter would've been around in David's day, he never would've posted a disparaging remark about our president. In fact listen to what David said and did to the one who slew Saul. 2Sa 1:14, “ So David said to him, "How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and execute him!" And he struck him so that he died. All authorities are appointed and therefore anointed by God. Ro 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Think about these things the next time you are tempted to pass along a disparaging remark about God's commander in chief, whether he or she be democrat or republican, or anything else. And may I ask, how are any of these disparaging remarks related to the command we have to “pray for “kings and for all that are in authority”? (1 Tim 2:2)

God Is A Sender

# 111 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:14-16a, “So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward them on his way up to the high place. 15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, 16 "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; (1 Sam 9:14-16a) What a coincidence! Saul bumping into Samuel just before the sacrifice. And what's this? God had already been talking to Samuel about this encounter. God told Samuel the day before that “He would send,” this man to him. He told Samuel that the man would be a Benjamite, and He even told Samuel about what time of day to expect him! Let me tell you something about the Lord that you may or may not know. He is a sender! Have you realized this truth yet in your life? God sends His grace to us from heaven for all of our needs. Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When Adam needed a mate, God brought (sent) Eve. He also SENT His Son at the “just right” time as we read in Ga 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, God's timing is impeccable! He sends forth! There is no need for us to scurry about looking for what we think we need. Samuel did not have to spend time and energy looking for Saul. He simply carried on with his life and duties as a child of God, trusting God to deliver the goods....and He did. Friend, are you waiting for something in your life? A job? A mate? A child? Direction? Believe this truth! Believe that God is a perfectly on time sender . Come boldly to the throne of grace with your requests, then wait. But don't just twiddle your thumbs, serve Him where He has placed you as Samuel did, confident that He will send your answer in His perfect timing.

A Foreshadowing of the Lord's Supper

# 110 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:11-13, “As they went up the hill to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, "Is the seer here?" 12 And they answered them and said, "Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he came to this city, because there is a sacrifice of the people today on the high place. 13 "As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this time you will find him." (1 Sam 9:11-13) What a coincidence. Saul and his servant bump into a couple of ladies who knew Samuel, and they weren't that far behind Samuel who was walking ahead of them. They urge the two of them to hurry up and catch him before he gets busy with the duties of the sacrifice and feast. The sacrifice could not take place until the man of God blessed it. Please note that the women said, “he MUST bless the sacrifice. Samuel, a type of Christ, must “consecrate the elements” of the sacrificial meal. This was the duty of the Old Testament priests as they foreshadowed what Jesus did on the night in which He was betrayed. (Jesus took bread and BLESSED it” ( Mt 26:26) “And He took the cup, and gave thanks,” (Mt 26:27) The sacrifices and feasts of the Old Testament forever replaced by what we call the eucharist, communion, or the Lord's Supper, in which he commanded us to “do in remembrance of Him,” ( Luke 22:19) This foreshadowing of the Lord's Supper was vital. It must be done by the OT priests, because the ultimate peace offering could only be accomplished by the One they foreshadowed, namely Jesus. Saul should've paid closer attention to the words of the maidens because, later on, his disregard for their statement, “he MUST bless the meal,” cost him the kingdom. (See 1 Sam 13:14) Friend, don't lose the kingdom. It is Jesus alone who remits sin. Joh 14:6 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Those Doggone Donkeys

# 109 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:7-10, “Then Saul said to his servant, "But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?" 8 And the servant answered Saul again and said, "Look, I have here at hand one fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way." 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: "Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) 10 Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was. ( 1 Sam 9:7-10) Those doggone donkeys! Saul and his servant have been searching for days and no sign of them anywhere. Saul was ready to give up the search, but his servant shows some persistence as he suggests that they look up Samuel. What a blessed servant! Loyal to his master, and loyal to his God. He seemed to be more up on current events in Israel than Saul. He knew of Samuel. He knew he was a “man of God, and he knew where he lived. Further, look who ponied up for the seer fee! The servant had a quarter of a shekel with him, and was willing to give it to his master so they might honor the man of God, as was the custom of the day. He was willing to part with some of his hard-earned servant wages in order to make his master look good in the eyes of the seer, and hopefully find those doggone donkeys for his master as well. His faith in God was such that he wasn't afraid to ask for help in finding a lost item. Let us learn from this servant, as we seek to serve our Master, Jesus. Let us learn to serve Jesus in a way that casts positive light on Him. Let us be ready to honor our Lord with our treasure, and let us turn to Him in faith even for the little things in our life, like those times when we can't find our doggone car keys. Remember, Samuel is a type of Christ, and we can rest assured that we aren't “bothering Jesus” when we come to Him with our prayers. He is the only one to turn to, even in the little things. 1Ti 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,”

It Just So Happened

# 108 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:3-6 “Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, "Please, take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys." 4 So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them. 5 When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, let us return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us." 6 And he said to him, "Look now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go." (1 Sam 9:3-6) The “land of Zuph,” was Samuel's stomping grounds, please note how God got their paths to cross at just the right time. It just so happened that Kish's donkeys decide to take off, and it just so happened that Saul and the servant search high and low for the donkey's to no avail. And it just so happened that they ended their search in Samuel's neck of the woods. And it just so happened that this meeting occurred on a day when Samuel was carrying out a sacrifice to the Lord. What luck huh? This whole episode and others like it, where God uses animals to assist Him in carrying out His business should be well noted by us even today. God's timing in the affairs of men is never thwarted. His will on earth is always carried out as spoken in heaven. This is called God's Providence. His Providence is beautifully illustrated in Rev 4:6,7 by the four living creatures who are in the midst of and around His throne. They are “full of eyes front and back” and they are God's agents, who see all that needs to be seen, and dispatch whatever is needed in God's creation to carry out His will according to His perfect timing. Nothing “just so happens,” when it comes to the unfolding of God's will on earth. May this knowledge and illustration as found in this account of Saul and the donkey's serve as a reminder to us today, and may it strengthen our faith, during those times of waiting and frustrating delays in our own lives.

Just Getting What We Ask For

# 107 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:1,2, “There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 1 Sam 9:1,2) Israel has asked for a king “like the other nations,” and the gist of their request is they wanted to “look good” in the eyes of the world. They felt this was lacking in their current system. So God sets out to oblige them, and here we are introduced the the man who would become their king. His father was a “mighty man of power,” Not only physically powerful, but also a man of wealthy influence. His son would likely know how to carry himself as royalty. Saul himself is described as “choice, handsome, and very tall. He would be the answer that the people were looking for. A king who looked good to themselves and to others. Please note that there is nothing mentioned about his character. You see, God is going to give them what they want rather than what they need. It's one of the ways that God uses to judge His people. Remember the quail incident? The people were complaining about a lack of meat as if God's provision wasn't enough for them, and so he sent them quail until it was coming out of their nostrils. We read about it in Nu 11:20 'but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?"'" This method of judgment delivered by God, is very important for the church to note today. Abortion, sexual deviancy, divorce, same-sex marriage, and other ills of our society can often be traced to our own desire to have it our way rather than God's way. Sometimes we are simply getting what we asked for.

Rehearse Your Prayers

# 106 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. 22 So the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city." (1 Sam 8:21,22) Samuel repeats the demands of the people in the “hearing of the Lord.” In other words, he takes the matter to the Lord in prayer. The repeating of the demands was not for God's benefit, it was for Samuel's. God already knew of their demands. The word “repeat” here is interesting. The King James says, “he rehearsed.” The Hebrew word means he “arranged his words.” This was not some spontaneous prayer that Samuel blurted out. He rehearsed what he was going to ask of the Lord! This is a very wise practice for us to follow even to this day. When time is not of the essence, I highly recommend this procedure of patiently organizing your words, write them down in a journal, fine tune them, and when you are at peace with them, bring your requests before the Lord. Did you ever hear someone say this about prayer? “Be careful, you might get what you asked for?” That's what happened here, and if the people would've patiently followed Samuel's method of rehearsing their prayer, this whole fiasco may have been avoided. It's easy to miss the tone of God's reply to Samuel's prayer. Make no mistake about it, God was not happy with the people's request. We read about it in Ho 13:11a “I gave you a king in My anger,” Is this the kind of response we want stir up in the heart of God with our requests and petitions? Have you ever had someone give in to a request of yours in anger? Did you enjoy it? One way to avoid this is to “rehearse” our prayers. See how they fit in with God's Word, remembering the words of Lu 12:32b “it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Take the time to ask aright. Rehearse your prayers!

Obsessed With Looking Good

# 105 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." (1 Sam 8:19,29) In spite of the warnings from God about the oppression that will come with the rule of kings, and in spite of the warning that He will not listen to their pleas for help when they find themselves suffering through this oppression, they insist on having a king. Their reasoning? First of all, they wanted to be like the world. Kings traveled in majesty, they rode horses, there was much pomp. Israel's rulers generally got around by walking or riding donkeys. They wanted pride over humility. Secondly they wanted a government that would settle their disputes, rather than taking it to a judge who followed God's guidelines and turned to God seeking His wisdom, they wanted to rely on a king and his earthly wisdom. I am reminded of Paul's admonition to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 6, he called it an “utter failure” on the part of the church when they went to “law against one another” to settle disputes that could and should be handled by the church. Finally, they wanted a king that would lead them into battle forgetting completely the history of God's victories over their enemies. “Oh if we only had a king, then we would” We would what? Look good in defeat? Yeah, that's a real good reason. Isn't that the bottom line in all this? The people just wanted to look good in accordance with the standards of the world. I wonder how much we are driven to do the same in our world today? We want ourselves and our churches to look good to the world and so we sacrifice God's truth. We go soft on sin. We have thrown church discipline out the window because it might make us look bad, and when we do that, we invite the world rather than God to determine what is right and what is wrong.

You WILL Cry Out

# 104 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:18 "And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day." 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us, The people have been ruled by a heavenly King who is characterized by giving, and and now they want an earthly king who will be characterized by taking. God lovingly takes the time to explain to them what hardship their wish will bring upon them. Then He follows His warning with a statement that should really get their attention. “You WILL cry out.” The time will come when the oppression of their kings will be so bad, that they will cry out to God for relief, but He will not listen to their pleas. What is He saying? He is saying “if this is the bed you choose, then you will lie in it.” Chilling thought. Maybe one we should consider before we embark down a path of willful disobedience. How many times are we like the Israelites? Hellbent on ignoring God's Word and yielding to the desires of our flesh. Then when the consequences of yielding to our flesh bring pain into our lives we cry out to God for relief. When it is not forthcoming, we curse Him, blaming Him for our self-inflicted and forewarned of woes. What part of “the Lord will not hear you on that day” do we fail to understand? The good news is that the phrase “on that day” holds out hope for relief in the future. But make no mistake about it, our willful sin will bring consequence that a loving Father will allow us to go through. His relief will come if and when He sees fit and not before. No wonder the psalmist prayed, Ps 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.