A Work in Progress….

1 Samuel 17:28a When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked….
David was not thought of very highly in his family. In chapter 16, the only reason his father mentioned his existence is because Samuel asked if there were any more sons when God rejected all the sons present. Even then, Jesse didn’t call him by name. And the fact that he was tending the sheep, a servant’s job in most families of the time, is quite telling about where David stood in his family.
1 Samuel 17:28b … “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness?…”
Even after Samuel anointed him, even after Saul chose him to play the lyre to soothe Saul when the evil spirit tormented him, he returned to the fields when he wasn’t needed. And here he is, running an errand for his dad, asking questions about the battle, and his brother is tearing him down. Again. This could have been a turning point. David could have lit into Eliab, unleashing years of anger at the way he was treated, but he was a man after God’s own heart, which means he put aside his personal anger and focused on God’s will. 
1 Samuel 17:28c “…I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came only to watch the battle.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. It is so easy for me to get caught up in my own emotions—anger, bitterness, fear, jealousy. But when I do, I make life about me. I want to be a woman after Your own heart, Lord. Help me to stay focused on You—Your will, Your way, Your love. Help me to put You first, always. Amen.
1 Samuel 17:29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?”
Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 15:9 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….
Saul was given very specific directions from God through Samuel about what he was to do—utterly destroy the Amalekites, wipe out everyone and everything, but he was unwilling. He even went so far as to try to justify his disobedience as obedience, saying that what he spared was to sacrifice to the LORD.
1 Samuel 15:12 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….”
God knows our hearts. And Saul showed his true heart when he set up a monument in his own honor, when he tried to justify his disobedience, and when he tried to blame his disobedience on others when his justification failed. I stop short in my judgement of Saul when I realize I’ve done similar things myself to try and justify my own disobedience. Jesus, help me.
1 Samuel 15:13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for showing me not only my similarity to Saul (deliberate disobedience, justification and blame, building up my own honor) but also my differences (I see my disobedience. I want to turn away from my pride and realign myself fully with You). Help me, Lord. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 15:20 “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me….”
Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 14:6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf.  Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”
I am impressed here by Jonathan’s faith and willingness to be used by God. His father and all his men are seemingly lounging under the trees, while Jonathan is willing to move to see if God wants to use him. That’s the kind of bold faith in action that I want. Jonathan wasn’t seeking fame. He wasn’t even sure God would use him at that time, but he wanted to see if God would, and He did.
1 Samuel 14:10 “But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.”
So what does that kind of faith look like in my life? How can I go beyond just prayer to see if the LORD wants to use me in a particular place or situation? Goodness knows there’s plenty of unrest, plenty of strife in this world. How do I go from praying His will to actively seeking to be His hands and feet without trying to make things happen under my own power and not His?
1 Samuel 14:12 …So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for Jonathan’s powerful example of showing up so that You could use him if it were Your will. Help me to do this in my own life, Lord—praying Your will but also actively seeking to be Your hands and feet while allowing You to work through me instead of me imposing my own will for my purposes. Help me to keep my eyes on You always. Help me to seek You always. Not my will but Yours. Not my glory but Yours. Always. Amen.
1 Samuel 14:15 Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.
Have a blessed day

1 Samuel 13:12 “I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
Here we see Saul’s impatience, his desire to be seen in a certain light by the people, his going through the motions when it comes to God. But God doesn’t destroy him utterly. He doesn’t even remove Saul from the throne on which He placed him. Saul reigns for 20 more years, and in that time, had Saul become a man after God’s own heart, I feel certain God would have blessed him.
1 Samuel 13:13a “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you…”
One thing that I am learning in my journey through the Bible is that God isn’t looking for human perfection. He knows that’s impossible. God’s looking for people who pursue Him, who praise Him, who seek Him, who repent and realign when they mess up. That’s doable and brings me great hope.
1 Samuel 13:13b “…if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for showing me that You aren’t looking for the strongest, mightiest, most intelligent, or attractive. You are looking for us to seek You first and always, to put You above ourselves, to serve and not be served, to love and not judge. You aren’t asking us to be perfect. You are asking us to be imperfectly Yours, even when we stumble, even when we fail. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
1 Samuel 13:14 “But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 12:20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.”
I am immediately struck by the hope in Samuel’s words. The Israelites have sinned and turned from God time and time again. But Samuel tells them not to be afraid, not to turn from the LORD, not to dwell on all their bad choices, but right now, right this moment (and the next and the next and the next), choose God, serve God, and God will bless them.
1 Samuel 12:22 “For the sake of His great name the LORD will not reject His people, because the LORD was pleased to make you His own.”
Commentary contained a very interesting thought: “We can’t do anything about yesterday, and at the present moment we can’t serve God tomorrow.” God has been working on me about this. I am the world’s worst about beating myself up for my mistakes. But Samuel’s words for the Israelites apply to me, too: in every moment, no matter what I have done, I can still choose to love and serve the LORD. The devil doesn’t want me to realize that. He wants me mired in my mistakes. God wants me free in Him.
1 Samuel 12:24 “But be sure to fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You that You don’t want me chained to my mistakes and foolishness. Thank You for the reminder to choose You, to focus on You, to serve You moment by moment. Give me strength. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 12:25 “Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”
Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 11:6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger.
Again I find myself reading this chapter with a healthy dose of “Wait. What?” This Saul is humble. He is powerfully filled with the Spirit of God. He is decisive and skillful both in galvanizing Israel and in battle. From the looks of it, he could be a good king, a Godly king. So what happens to him?
1 Samuel 11:7 He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out together as one.
Again commentary gives me insight. “…inwardly Saul defeated the strong and subtle temptations to pride, insecurity, and revenge. But he must continue to fight and win the inward battle….” Saul’s downfall will end up being an inward-fall. He will eventually take his eyes off of God, move his heart away from the One who placed him on the throne. And things will go very, very badly.
1 Samuel 11:12 The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for Your ability to make Saul a good king, as long as he keeps You at his center. Help me not to lose sight of the lesson here—You can redeem any situation, as long as we keep our eyes and hearts focused on You. Help me to focus, Lord. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 11:13 But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this day the LORD has rescued Israel.”
Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 10:6 The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.
I must admit that I read this chapter with just a bit of confusion. If chapters 9 and 10 were all I knew of the situation and Saul, I wouldn’t be very skeptical about his abilities and call as king. He seems kind and respectful. He’s physically tall and handsome. In this chapter Saul is anointed by God and the power of God’s Spirit comes upon him. He is a changed man. All that sounds great, so what’s the catch?
1 Samuel 10:7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.
The catch is that God’s will isn’t a king for Israel (yet). The events unfolding here represent the will of the people. And even though Saul is a changed man, anointed by God, he is still a man—human, fleshly, fallible. As commentary puts it, Saul has to “choose to walk in the advantages God gave him and choose not to go his own way.” There is hope, even now, IF Saul will put God first.
1 Samuel 10:9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for Your willingness to bring hope from our pigheadedness. If we choose Your way and not our own, You can use us powerfully. Help me to put You first always. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 10:24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 9:2 Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
Chapter 9 gives us a good look at Saul, tall and handsome, from a respected family with at least some wealth. He seems to be respectful of his father. (He goes after the missing donkeys and doesn’t want to be gone so long his father starts to worry about his safety.) He understands the function of the man of God, also called a seer, and the custom of bringing something to the seer when seeking information. On the surface, he seems a wonderful candidate for king.
1 Samuel 9:3 Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys.”
But nowhere in this chapter is there any mention of Saul’s heart or his relationship with God. He seems as far away from God as the Israelites who continue to cry out for their will instead of God’s. And as much as I want to stand in judgement of the easily mislead Israelites who have gotten caught up in appearances instead of God, I realize how easily it happens, I recognize how often I have been similarly sidetracked in my own life.
1 Samuel 9:7 Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for reminding me that the world places importance on appearance but that You are concerned about the heart. Help me to avoid worldly snares by drawing closer to You. Always. Amen.
1 Samuel 9:17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”
Have a blessed day.

1 Samuel 8:5 “…now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
Chapter 8 of 1 Samuel seems to be the epitome of: Either we say to God, “Thy will be done,” or God says to us, “Thy will be done.” The Israelites wanted an earthly king just like everyone else. They were so focused on all the benefits they thought would come from what they wanted that even when Samuel told them specifically what it would cost them, their desire to have their way, to be like everyone else, eclipsed everything—Even reason. Even God. So God gave them what they wanted, to their own detriment.
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.”
It is shockingly easy for me to sit in judgement of the Israelites and their ridiculous choices, but if I’m honest, I’ve done the same thing myself, more than once. And in the same breath that I think, “God, how could you put up with their continued disobedience?” I also think, “Thank You for not writing me off when I make bad choices.” Humans haven’t changed much. Thankfully, God hasn’t either.
1 Samuel 8:19-20 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No! … We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your steadfast love and compassion. Thank You for showing us the right way and using our bullheadedness to bring us closer to You, even through the pain of our bad choices. Thank You for Your love, grace, and mercy. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 8:22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them what they want.”
Have a blessed day.