1 Samuel 15 - Removed from Service

God is over all, He sees all and He alone can raise up or remove people in authority. Saul as King over Israel had received a word from God to utterly destroy the enemy. Saul did most of what God commanded, but failed to destroy the enemy King and the choice animals of the flocks. God is grieved that He allowed Saul to become king, since he has twisted God's commands for his own pleasure. Furthermore Saul set up a monument not for God's glory, but for his own. 

God has all authority to raise up whom He deems fit for service and to remove authority from those who do not honor God. As I look at world leaders today, there are few anyone could call great. Leaders who look to God and who stand for right in a fallen world. But each of those leaders received their authority from God to rule their lands. God looks for them to govern justly and to bless their people. When they fail, God, the righteous judge, may remove them or He may reserve His judgement for a later date. In any case, we can be assured that God sees all. 

For as long as we have kings, presidents and rulers in our land, flawed people will hold positions of authority. As our world slides more and more to degradation, the leaders follow that same course until the day of the Lord's return. God's judgment is upon them. 

There is another lesson we can apply to our own lives. 90% obedience is the same as disobedience. We have to decide in our own minds that we will follow God full on. There should be no shadow of doubt or wavering. Yet we do waver and fall. God has provided us a means of forgiveness and restitution in our Savior Jesus Christ. This is not a license to sin, but a remedy should we  fail in our obedience. 

Our leaders come from sinful stock as do the people they lead. Our only hope is found in Christ. In the case of Saul the Lord appointed a new leader and returned Saul to his humble beginnings. 

When we acknowledge that God is the source of our position, our wealth and our power, we have a different perspective about how each should be used. God looks for our gratitude and obedience. Let's commit to live full on for the Lord and thank Him for His generous provision. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

1 Samuel 14 - Following the Master

This chapter details an interesting battle where Jonathan, Sauls son gains victory (with God's favor) over the Philistines and ends up out if favor with his father, King Saul. This chapter is a wonderful depiction of a man who seeks and follows the Lord even though he stands alone. Jonathan and his armor bearer scouted out the enemy and determined they would follow the signs to determine if they should engage in battle. His father Saul continued sitting in his position of safety. The sign was given by God to Jonathan and there was a great victory as he killed 20 Philistines. God killed even more as confusion descended on the camp and the Philistines slaughtered each other. 

Saul after learning of the battle seeks direction of God through the priest. He surely knew that he should engage the enemy, and take the land. God had done the fighting for him. Saul then declares a fast among his army to the point they were faint from hunger. Jonathan didn't know of the fast and ate honey along the way. 

After Saul builds an altar and inquires of God what to do next, he gets no reply from God. He assumes it is because someone broke the command of the  King. Upon learning it was Jonathan who broke the command he was willing to slay his own son except that the army stepped in to save Jonathan. 

Jonathan stepped out in faith and won a victory in God's power for the nation that was feeling defeated indeed.  Saul was the King but used his power to his own advantage rather than seeking the good of his people. Saul was a powerful man, but a coward. Jonathan became a hero though it meant standing in opposition to his father. 

I am so glad that the Lord records these stories of overcoming impossible situations and operating in faith. When we look at our own circumstances we may see conflict and opposition, but we can trust that we serve the God of Jonathan who is able to overcome. Note that in the operation of faith, he was not exempt from battle or conflict, but IN the conflict, God intervened to give a victory. 

Where is your conflict today?  Is it a need for finances, health, success, or unity?  God is able to supply our needs according to His riches in glory.  We must be careful to place our trust in Him and not in our own devices. We also must be careful to use our devices for God's glory as Jonathan did. We may see conflict arise because we have not gone the way of the masses. We may even see earthly leadership opposition. We don't seek out the opposition, but with the armor God provides we stand in the midst of conflict allowing God to get the glory. 

Jonathan gave a model we can follow. Seek God's plan, act on it, and stand firm. God gets they glory and we see God's  hand at work for His people.

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

1 Samuel 13 - Fatal Error of the King

As we are positioned to choose our next president in 2016, I am reminded by this chapter that the Lord sets people in positions of power, but if they will not honor Him from that position, God may remove them and place another in that role. Our own places have been given to us by God and if we will honor Him, He will remember us as well. 

Let's take a moment to consider Saul's situation. He was confident on his ability to go to war with the Philistines - didn't ask for the Lord's help in battle there. But when he saw the size of the Philistine army coming against them, his men fled and hid themselves for safety. They were quaking in fear. It was then that it seemed right to offer a burnt offering asking for the Lord's favor. 

Since Samuel the priest wasn't there, Saul decided to take matters into his own hands. Just as the offering was made, Samuel arrived. Saul's excuses held no weight with Samuel or with God. Saul's days were up as King and God would replace him. Sails army was down to 600 men and the Philistines had military and economic victory over Israel. 

Today our own nation stands in great jeopardy with threats internal and external. We have turned away from marriage, discarded our unborn, disenfranchised fathers, attacked our own people for their philosophies, their skin, and their jobs. We have embraced lawlessness and turned from God's call to obedience. We have external threats from terrorists and from enemy nations. We are in grave danger. We need a leader who is a man after God's own heart. If one is not elected we can be sure that God himself will call that leader to task for this nation just as He will the other nations of the world. 

We ourselves need to be pledging our alliegience to God and recognizing that we have sinned and are in great need of the salvation only God can provide. As for us individually we need to be seeking God in prayer and yielding to His direction for our lives. We have no other hope. The moral compass has gone from our nation and we are utterly devastated by the sins we have committed. May God intervene and quick. 

This chapter ends on a sad note with the nation disarmed and vulnerable, yet God still had a future plan for Israel, and He has a plan for you too if you will turn to Hom and make God your passion. Consider 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) 14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

1 Samuel 12 - Worthless Idols

Samuel in his parting word to the nation of Israel reminds them of how the Lord has preserved the nation time after time in spite of its failures. He reminds the nation that even now, they have chosen a king like the nations around them instead of being content to have God Himself as their King. He pleads with them to serve the Lord and not follow after idols as the other nations do. 

God has chosen his people and will guard them. But when the people turn away from God and follow after pagan pleasures and worship idols with no power, then the Lord must also turn away from the country. Samuel warns that if the nation persists in doing evil then both they and their king will be swept away. 

Open the pages of any newspaper and you see how evil is all around in our own nation. Much of it brought about by the rejection of God and the pursuit of selfish pleasure. Our nation has been sliding away from God and He has allowed the evil we have pursued to run its course. The enemy cheers when the nation runs amok. 

One compromise after another. Each going deeper than the last until we are so enveloped in empty pursuits there is no hope left. Our idolatry can take a number of forms. It may be idle time spent in from of television or Internet. I may be games, vacations, pursuit of riches or fame. It may be drink or entertainment, but all lead to the same end if we allow these pursuits to replace our passion for God. They are empty and worthless. 

It is wise to consider our passions and be careful to serve the Lord. Our passions which being temporary pleasure can be the very things that bind us and enslave if we do not guard our hearts. I would venture that many of the wicked players of our day began with a single compromise - a choice they believed was just momentary. Before long one choice leads to another. Wrong thinking begets more wrong thinking. Bad acting leads to even more. 

As stewards of the resources entrusted by God, we should be careful to not waste them on our temporary pleasure but to use them for our needs and to build a strong testimony for the Lord. We live in days that are evil. God would be right to sweep away the people and the king, but so far he has not. The Christians of this land stand in the gap pleading with the nation to return to God and find redemption. 

Let's not confuse temporary pleasure with eternal purpose. God has placed you where you are to serve Him and to encourage others to place their trust in Him. As the days grow darker, Christ's people shine brighter. Shine for the Lord and stand out so that people may turn from evil and find the Lord and enjoy forgiveness. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

1 Samuel 11 - Save Us!

After living in compromise for years the people of Jabesh Gilead find themselves overpowered by a ruthless enemy. In an effort to negotiate with the enemy they offer a treaty to become slaves, but the enemy requires their bodies to be mutilated. The men from Jabesh-Gilead ask for 7 days to consider the terms of surrender. 

If ever there was a people in need of a savior, it was them.  Nahash is a picture of our own enemy, sin. Far too often we compromise and allow sin to coexist in our lives and don't stand against it. The Israelites were willing to become slaves to Nahash and serve him all their days. But Nahash, like sin, takes them a little deeper than they ever wanted to go. He wanted to maim them and leave a visible testimony of his mastery over them. 

The people send word to Saul who gathers forces and delivers the people. He was overcome by the Spirit of God and anger for the enemy and the humiliation of his brothers burned in him. He must go save them. 

Saul is a picture of Christ for us. When we were mired down deep in sin and had no hope of deliverance, Jesus came and stood in the gap. He did battle with Satan and paid a ransom for us with his own blood. He deserves our loyalty and our worship. It is God's power at work that gives us a hope of eternity in Heaven and allows us to stand against sin here. 

We too are that representation of Chrits on the world. There are people all around bound in sin and are crying out for hope. We have the power within us to come to their aid if only we would have that same hatred of the enemy that Saul did in this passage. We can bring that message of salvation. Our neighbors, relatives and friends can have the hope that Jesus blood is all sufficient to cover their sins too. 

Don't compromise with sin, but put on the full armor of God that you may stand against the enemy's tactics. While you are at it, protect your lost loved ones and encourage them to trust Jesus for themselves. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

1 Samuel 10 - Selected, Changed, Honored and Despised.

Saul is appointed King over the Lord's inheritance to lead the nation of Israel. Saul was revealed to Samuel as God's appointed man. He certainly looked the part; he was strong and tall, yet he was still ill-equipped for the job of King. God delights in calling the unlikely candidates to service and then by His power changing them so that they can fulfill their appointment. 

Saul is changed in his heart as he leaves this meeting with Saul. (1 Samuel 10:9) God may select someone while they are in the midst of their own weakness and failure, but He doesn't leave anyone unchanged. If you belong to the Lord, He  has changed you. He has given you a new heart to love Him and to follow in His ways.  But WAIT there's more!  Salvation is just the very beginning; that is your appointment as a child of God. God then will continue to grow and transform you into the character of Jesus using conflict and blessing together to mold you. This transformation is ongoing. 

Finally, as we go out into the world to join with God in service, we will find there are two different kinds of people we encounter. There are those who have been touched by God (our fellow Christians) who will work together with us to achieve God's purposes and there are troublemakers  who do nothing to help and despise us.   

We live in a world that is hostile toward God. The world promotes sin and calls it "normal".  Peter calls these "terrible times" (2 Peter 3:1-9). We who live in these last days should not be surprised by the headlines around us - they were foretold. But note Saul's response. he did not retaliate as he surely could have being King; but he kept silent. When the world comes against us can we commit justice to God and not take vengeance ourselves?  God is more than able to defend and care for us. Trust Him with your situation today. 

As with Saul, so we go out into the world  having been appointed, changed and knowing we will find fellowship among believers and opposition in the world. As we go into last days, it seems that we need to spend time seeking God and fellowship ping with our fellow believers drawing strength for the purpose God has called us to. We have a job to do that God is equipping and changing us for. Let's seek God and join together with him in His work here. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

1 Samuel 9 - God's Appointment

When we go through the everyday frustrations of life whether they be traffic, conflict at work or home or the stresses of stretching a dollar to fund your life we can be sure that God can use each situation for His purposes. Only God knows the plans He has for you. Take for example Saul in the 9th chapter of 1 Samuel; he began his day in search of lost donkeys and found himself in the presence of Samuel the judge who would appoint him king over Israel. 

Saul was from a very small tribe of Israel, from a family without prominence, yet he was tall and strong. Saul was a formidable man. He didn't have a lot, but by the next day, Saul would have power and fame unequalled. He would be Israel's first king and forever people would study his life for principles of leadership. 

How did Samuel select him?  Well Samuel didn't, God did. In 1 Sam 9:16, God tells Samuel that a Benjamites would come and he should anoint him leader over God's people. There were no elections...just God giving the people what they demanded; a king like the rest of the nations. Saul didn't have the preparation to be king, yet God drew Saul to Samuel for this appointment. 

Saul thought he was searching for donkeys, but in reality God was guiding his steps to accomplish his purposes. It reminds me that even in the busyness of our day God is at work and we do need His wisdom to carry out our daily tasks for what I may believe is my intended goal may be dramatically different from God's plan. I should never be too busy to take time to seek God's will for my day. Fellowship with the Lord will help me to rest in the assurance that my day is on His hands. 

Furthermore, we need the assurance that our position wherever we are is appointed.  If we have menial jobs, they are appointed by God. If we are promoted it is from God's hand and not our own. We are far too quick to blame unpleasant tasks on some external power; a boss or perhaps even the devil himself. We are also far too quick to inflate our own egos when we have a promotion or special blessing. We convince ourselves that it is deserved and right. In both cases, God uses our station in life to place us right where He needs us to serve. As with Saul, if God chose to promote us He certainly could through no doing of our own. 

As we go about our day today, can we find God's purpose in our tasks or at least trust God for the purpose and know that our days are in His hands?  With our live hidden in God there is no telling what He might do with them. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him.