Overview of: 1 SamuelToday's Reading:
1 Sam. 15:1 - 16:23
"Saul's Downfall"
Focus Verses: 1 Samuel 15:10-12
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. 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."
Insight:
Saul was anointed and empowered by God to serve Israel as their king. At first, Saul was humble and reluctant to enter into this role. He understood that he was utterly dependent upon God. But once Saul became king, experienced military successes, and surrounded himself with strong and brave men, he began to trust in himself. He stopped listening to Samuel. He erected monuments for his own glory. Instead of honoring God through acts of worship, he began using religious rituals as a way to bolster his own authority and importance. Saul's failure to seek God with his whole heart resulted in his failure as king.
Response and Action:
I must be devoted to God and remember that the strength and guidance I need come from him. My calling and purpose in life come from God; it is, therefore, essential that I draw near to God, be attentive to his leading, and love him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Instead of trying to succeed by pushing my own agenda, promoting myself, polishing my image, and manipulating situations for my own gain, I will trust in God and seek him first.
O God, be my strength and my guide. Save me from the deception of self-reliance. Help me seek you with all my heart, to walk in your ways, and to trust in your power to provide, protect, and bless. Make me quick to obey and ready to praise you. Help me to stand on the solid ground of faith in you instead of building on the shifting sand of me. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.
New Testament for Today: 1 Corinthians 1:28-31
28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
In Context: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Proverb for Today: Prov. 20:27
"The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being."
Recommended Reading:
Courage & Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential
by Gordon T. Smith
