Category: 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 8:9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 

Conformity exacts payment. Sometimes it’s pretty steep. Being like everyone else means denying the individual parts of yourself. Sometimes those who control “the group” expect the followers to openly shun those who can’t or don’t conform. Chances are good that those who are trying to conform are doing so to end or avoid shunning.

1 Samuel 8:10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 

Yet even with the warning, they still want to go the route of everybody else. “Give us a king! Give us a king!” And today’s verses are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to warnings. But isn’t that human nature? Even when we know the cost, we still pay the price. God wants to free us from that. He wants us to trust Him even when we are afraid.

1 Samuel 8:11a He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: 

Precious Savior, You know that trusting You when I am afraid is still so hard. Thank You for whispering to my heart again and again and again that You will never leave me nor forsake me, that I can trust You, always. Help me not to be afraid. Amen.

1 Samuel 8:11b …He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.  

Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 8:1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.  

My church is reading through 1 Samuel 8 this week and I am finding it really interesting. Samuel was a good leader. He raised two boys and appointed them leaders after him. Unfortunately, they were dishonest, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

1 Samuel 8:2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.

Today’s verses have me thinking about parenthood, about my own boys, who seem to be good boys, about how children are raised and how they become who they will become. The hubs and I have done our best to teach our children well. But when they leave our house and enter into the world fully on their own two feet, they will have a choice about whether they continue in the ways they were taught or whether they go the way of the world. I hope they choose well. I think they will.

1 Samuel 8:3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the gift of family, for the joy and sometimes heartbreak of raising children. Help us to shepherd them well. Once they stand on their own two feet, help them to make good choices. Amen.

1 Samuel 8:4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 31:2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.
The book of 1 Samuel ends spectacularly poorly for Saul. Samuel told Saul in the last chapter that Saul’s death was coming, yet Saul did nothing to get right with God, a definite and final missed opportunity for sure. He ends up dead, beheaded, stripped of his armor and fastened to the wall of Beth Shan. A horrible end, no doubt.
1 Samuel 31:3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
But I was struck by a line in commentary that posited: “Saul’s sin, hardened rebellion, and eventual ruin affected far more than himself and even his immediate family. It literally endangered the entire nation of Israel.” Saul’s disobedience and rebellion affected him, obviously, but the effects of his sin went so much farther than just himself. The reaches of the effects of his sin are incredibly sobering.
1 Samuel 31:8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the perspective that when we are disobedient to you, the consequences can affect those we love deeply. Help us to listen, to seek Your will, and to obey, not out of fear, but out of a deep love and respect for You and Your authority and out of a deep love for others. Draw us closer. Amen,
1 Samuel 31:9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news….
Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 30:3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
You may have heard the expression: “You know you’ve hit bottom when there is no where to go but up.” David is there. He conquered a giant, was anointed as (future) king, was relentlessly pursued by the current, crazed king who wanted to kill him, lost all hope and let despair whisper to his heart, defected to the enemy and served as a loyal servant for a year, was rejected by the rulers of the enemy as not being trustworthy because of the enemy status, was sent home, dejected, from the battlefront, and returned to said home only to find it had been burned to the ground and all his property and both his wives had been taken. That’s pretty far down. And then his men talk of stoning him because they blame him for their situation. Further down still.
1 Samuel 30:4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.
For some, this might have proved to be the final straw. For a lesser man, it might have pushed him over the edge. And David definitely feels despair at his present circumstances, but some how, some way, God uses all of this to bring David to the end of himself, his strength, and when David gets there, squarely at the end of his own resources, he finally turns back to God and finds strength where it’s always been—in God. When he returns to God’s strength, finally things start to look up for him.
1 Samuel 30:6a David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Being at the bottom of that pit of despair, staring at the ruins of your life is an incredibly difficult place to be. Thank You for Your loving compassion, which can take our ashes and turn them into Your beauty. Help us never forget that You are the source of our strength. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 30:6b …But David found strength in the LORD his God.
Have a blessed day

1 Samuel 29:6a So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army….”
When we first met David, he was getting ready to defeat Goliath, the Philistine, enemy of Israel. Now he has been loyal servant to the Philistines for a year. Let that sink in a minute. How did David go from champion of the Israelites to lackey of the enemy?
1 Samuel 29:6b “…From the day you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don’t approve of you.”
It would be pretty easy to pin it all on Saul, and Saul’s behavior definitely plays a role in the situation, but David is fully responsible for where he is right now. He took his eyes off of God. He told lies in his heart that led to despair, that led to his turning inward instead of to the LORD, that led him to flee, that led him to be a servant for the enemy. Now what?
1 Samuel 29:7 “Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for showing us how easily and quickly we can fall when we take our eyes off of You. Thank You for not giving up on David and not giving up on us. Help us to seek You, to trust You, to cling to You always. And when we do get distracted by the world and lose sight of You, bring us back to You quickly and safely. You are our refuge. Amen.
1 Samuel 29:8 “But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
Have a blessed day.