Friday Thought -- September 30, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, ‘What have I done?  What is my crime?  How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?’  ‘Never!’  Jonathan replied. ‘You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me.  Why would he hide this from me?  It's not so!’  But David took an oath and said, ‘Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, “Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.”  Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.’  Jonathan said to David, ‘Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you.’" (1 Samuel 20:1-4)

Jonathan was Saul’s oldest son.  He was heir to the throne of Israel.  By all rights, when Saul died Jonathan would become king.  If anyone should have been threatened by David it was Jonathan.  But instead of being threatened by David’s popularity and the evidence of God’s hand upon him, Jonathan was drawn to David as his closest friend.  In this passage, Jonathan puts his friendship with David above his relationship with his father.  He promises David that he would protect him from his father and warn him about his father’s secret plans.  Jonathan was promising to betray his own father!

Family relationships are important to the Lord.  The honor and respect that a son is to give his father and mother is so important to God and so critical to a stable society that God included that instruction in His Ten Commandments, the basic law of the society of those who follow Him.  God commands that children honor their parents.

But doing what is right supersedes doing what parents want.  Jonathan knew that Saul’s plotting to kill David was wrong.  It would have been wrong for Jonathan to join in the conspiracy to destroy David’s life.  It would have been wrong for Jonathan to sit idly by and allow his father’s conspiracy to go forward without warning David and allowing him opportunity to protect himself.

It must have been a difficult choice for Jonathan, but he made the right choice.  He chose to do is right instead of what his father wanted him to do.

Our hope is never to be faced with that kind of choice.  Parents should be those who lead us toward God, not away from Him.  They should instruct us in what is right and discourage us from what is wrong.  But when parents lead their children toward wrong – the right choice is to say “no” to being involved in that.  Jonathan’s example is a very positive one in that regard.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- September 29, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him.  Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.  Word came to Saul:  ‘David is in Naioth at Ramah’; so he sent men to capture him.  But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied.  Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too.  Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied.” (1 Samuel 19:18-21)

Though David had done nothing to harm Saul and had remained loyal to him, Saul still sought to kill David.  David fled from the palace and made his way to Samuel to seek guidance from him.  When Saul found out where David was hiding he sent his men there with instructions to kill David.  Three times Saul sent men to where David was hiding and all three times the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul’s men and they were stopped from killing David.  After those three attempts to kill David had failed, Saul came to where David was himself and the same thing that had happened to his men happened also to Saul.  The Spirit of the Lord came even upon Saul and he began prophesying and was unable to kill David.

When he was afraid that he would be killed, David did not recruit an army to fight Saul in order to protect himself.  He could have done that.  He was the leader of Saul’s army and under David’s leadership the army had won great battles against the Philistines.  There would have been many men willing to follow David’s leadership against a king they knew was wrong.  But David did not seek protection in that way.

David did not flee to the enemies of Israel and become a traitor to Israel.  It would have been a great victory for the Philistines to have David come over to their side.  Although he had been their enemy, perhaps they would have allowed David to join them and participate in the fight to overthrow Saul.  But David did not seek protection among the enemies of the people of Israel.

David sought protection in a strange and unlikely place.  David sought protection from Samuel, the prophet of God.  Samuel was a not a great warrior with a large army to offer David protection.  The only protection Samuel had to offer to David was the Lord.  And it was the Lord who provided the protection that David needed.

Where do you turn in times of trouble in your own life?  Do you turn to places of human help or do you turn to the Lord?  David turned to the Lord and found there exactly what he needed.  So will we!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- September 28, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.  This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well.   When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes.  As they danced, they sang:  ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.’  Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him.  ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, ‘but me with only thousands.  What more can he get but the kingdom?’  And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.” (1 Samuel 18:5-9)

Saul gave in to the temptations to pride and jealousy and his sins led him down a path of self-destruction and the destruction of those around him.  Saul could have lived a life that would have been respected during his lifetime and honored after his death.  But Saul’s character was so marred by his own self-interest that he ended life as a psychotic man, both ridiculed and feared by the people he led.

Saul’s jealousy of David led him to distrust the man who would have been his most loyal follower.  David proved himself over and over in Saul’s service, and his payment from Saul was distrust and disregard.  Later in this chapter, Saul would attempt to personally kill David, a goal he continued to pursue for many years.  Yet, Saul was never able to accomplish that goal because the Lord protected David.

Saul’s jealousy was not only harmful to his reign, his reputation, and those around him, it was also harmful to Saul’s own emotional health.  He lived in fear of David. (1 Samuel 18:12)  He was constantly afraid that David would be able to wrest the kingdom from him.  That was an unfounded fear.  Although Samuel had already anointed David as the next king, David never sought to overthrow Saul’s reign.  Saul’s emotional distress was all in his head, not based in a real threat from David.

Saul’s experience has been mirrored by millions of others through the years.  Their jealousy and pride has marred their accomplishments, destroyed their emotional health, and left them without respect from those around them.

Say “no” to pride and jealousy.  Say “yes” to trusting the Lord.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- September 27, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

It was war between the Israelites and the Philistines and the battle lines were drawn – one army on each side of the valley of Elah.  On the first morning, a champion from among the Philistines marched down into the valley to challenge Israel, his name was Goliath.  "Why do you come out and line up for battle?  Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul?  Choose a man and have him come down to me.  If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." (1 Samuel 17:8-9)  It was a simple challenge.  Why should whole armies fight and many die, let the matter be settled with just a man to man fight between the best of each army.

But no one from Israel would go down to face Goliath, not even King Saul who stood a head taller than any of the rest of the Israelites.  “Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.” (1 Samuel 17:11)

Then a young man came into the camp, not as a soldier, but as a delivery boy.  David came bringing food for his three older brothers who were soldiers in Saul’s army.  When he arrived at the battle line to greet his brothers, he heard the challenge Goliath gave that morning, the same challenge he offered every morning.  When David heard the challenge, and the unwillingness of any Israelite to face Goliath, David offered to be the one to fight.  With no one else willing to be sent, Saul agreed to have the boy David represent Israel.

When Goliath saw David coming toward him, he mocked him because he was such a youth.  Goliath was convinced that David would be a quick victim to his superior strength.  But David’s confidence did not waver, because his confidence was not in his own strength or experience, but in the power of the Lord his God.

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head.  Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands.’" (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

And the battle was the Lord’s.  With a sling and a small stone, David killed the giant.  Israel triumphed that day because of a boy sent by the king into battle against a giant.  Not because the boy was a superhero, a military prodigy, but because the boy trusted the Lord and the Lord delivered him.

The story of David and Goliath is a story of faith.  It’s a story of trusting God rather than our own intelligence, experience, and strength, even for our most difficult challenges.

I know that you’ve never faced a giant and neither have I, but we have all faced challenges.  Do we face them with faith?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- September 26, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

Saul and his family had been rejected as king and now God sent Samuel to anoint the man who would become king upon Saul’s death.  God instructed Samuel to go to Bethlehem, to the family of a man named Jesse and anoint one of his sons as king.  God told Samuel to go without further instructions promising, “I will show you what to do.” (1 Samuel 16:3)

When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem and found Jesse and his sons he was immediately impressed with Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab.  He said, “Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord."   And the Lord replied to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:6-7)

God and man have different ideas about what to consider impressive!  Consider what kind of men and women the world admires.  The men are impressive in outward appearance:  they carry themselves with confidence, they exude leadership, they have style, they are handsome.  And outward appearance is even more the defining feature of women who are admired by the world.  It is the beauty of a woman that usually attracts the world.  But God is much less concerned about what a person looks like, about his or her outward characteristics, and much more interested in what it going on inside the person’s heart.  Character matters most to God!

The seven oldest sons of Jesse went by Samuel and not a single one was chosen by God to be anointed as king.  When Samuel asked if there was another, Jesse indicated that only one remained, the youngest.  He was out in the fields taking care of his father’s sheep.  When young David arrived before Samuel, the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” (1 Samuel 16:12)  And when Samuel had anointed David, the scripture says, “And from that day the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.” (1 Samuel 16:13)

God had identified the next king.  Not a tall, powerful, man of impressive physical features, but one whose heart was right before Him.  That’s the kind of person God calls to leadership in His work.  That’s the kind of person we should seek when we look for leaders to follow.  Outward appearances can be deceiving, it’s the heart that matters – it matters to God and it should matter to us, too.  Character counts most!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- September 23, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

What God promises He will fulfill!

Samuel reminded Saul, “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." (1 Samuel 15:29)

In this situation these were not words that Saul wanted to hear.  Samuel had just rebuked Saul for disobeying the Lord and informed Saul that because of his disobedience God was removing the kingship from Saul and his family.  Samuel declared to Saul, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors – to one better than you.” (1 Samuel 15:28)

Saul seemed to repent, but God’s mind would not be changed.  In his repentance you can see that Saul doesn’t really get it.  Listen to what he says:  "I have sinned.  I violated the Lord's command and your instructions.  I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.  Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord." (1 Samuel 15:24-25)

Even in his repentance, Saul continued to justify his sin, to lay the blame at the feet of others.  He told Samuel that he had sinned because of his fear of the people.  He gave in to them, that was the reason for his sin.  Saul admitted that he had been wrong, but he wanted to believe that the people had been more wrong than he was.   They were the impatient ones.

And God’s mind was set and would not be changed.  Through Samuel, God made a declaration to Saul – the kingdom would be removed from him and his family.  Another man would be declared king and it would be his family through which the true kings of Israel would come.  That was a declaration that you could count on – it came from God.

Think of other declarations that God has made about your life.  Here are just a handful that He has made to those in Christ:

“I will come again.”

“I have prepared a place for you.”

“You will be with me forever.”

“Your sins are forgiven.”

“I declare you my child.”

Every one can be counted on – and many more!  God has declared them, and He does not lie or change His mind!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- September 22, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

Samuel gave clear instructions from the Lord to Saul.  “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.  Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.’” (1 Samuel 15:2-3)

Saul went out to do battle against the Amalekites and God gave him a great victory.  But Saul was unwilling to completely follow God’s instructions.  “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, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.” (1 Samuel 15:9)

When confronted by Samuel, Saul had an answer for his disobedience to the instructions.  “Saul answered, ‘The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.’"  (1 Samuel 15:15)

Saul had two excuses for his disobedience:

1. It wasn’t his fault, it was the soldiers who kept the sheep and cattle.

2. It was for a good reason, not to keep, but to make a great sacrifice to the Lord.

“But Samuel replied:  ‘Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.’” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

Samuel’s word for Saul was simple:  God desires obedience more than ritual and ceremony.  He still does!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- September 21, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

Saul and the army of Israel were camped, waiting to do battle with the Philistines.  But the Philistine army was so much larger than the army of Israel and so much better armed.  There seemed no way that the army of Israel could prevail.  Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, took matters into his own hands, secretly climbing the cliff up to the Philistine camp with just his armor-bearer with him.  When they arrived at the top of the cliff, God did a miracle.  Using just Jonathan and his armor-bearer, God sent panic among the Philistine army and they turned on each other and a rout was begun.

Saul saw the Philistine army in a rout and called his men to pursue them and destroy them.  God gave Israel a great victory that day, not because of their superior strength, but because of His awesome presence among them.  But in the midst of the battle, Saul did something foolish.  He made a vow to the Lord, saying “Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies.” (1 Samuel 14:24)

As the day progressed, the men of the army of Israel grew weak with hunger.  They were fighting a fierce battle and moving at great speed to pursue the Philistines.  They needed the strength that food would have provided them.  But they were faithful to Saul’s vow, all except Jonathan.  Jonathan was away from the camp when his father had made the vow and Jonathan had not been told of it.  Seeing honey on the ground, Jonathan ate of it.

When evening came, Saul wanted to continue to pursue the Philistines.  Before moving against them, he asked the priest to inquire of the Lord about whether it was right to continue the battle into the night.  But God would not answer the inquiry.  God had gone silent because the vow had been broken.  When Saul discovered it was Jonathan who had broken the vow, he was ready to kill Jonathan.  Only the intervention of the men of Israel saved Jonathan’s life that night.

Because of a foolish vow:  the battle did not go as well as it could have because the army grew weak; the Lord went silent and did not answer the inquiry of the priest; Jonathan nearly lost his life.  All because of a foolish vow.

God does take vows seriously.  The book of Ecclesiastes says, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it.  He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.  It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6)

Let Saul’s example be a reminder to you:  do not make foolish vows!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- September 20, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.  He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter.  So he said, ‘Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.’  And Saul offered up the burnt offering.  Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.” (1 Samuel 13:7-10)

Saul was preparing for battle against the Philistines.  The army of Israel had been assembled.  The Philistines were gathered, ready to attack.  And Saul waited at Gilgal.  He waited because before he went into battle he wanted to seek God’s favor by sacrificing and praying to Him.  Samuel had instructed Saul to wait for him at Gilgal and he would come to offer the sacrifice on behalf of the army of Israel.  But Samuel was delayed in coming and Saul grew impatient.  Saul was afraid the Philistines would attack before Samuel came.  Saul was afraid that the battle would begin before they had sought the favor of the Lord.  So Saul took matters into his own hands.  He disregarded Samuel’s instruction to wait for him and made the sacrifice to the Lord himself.

It seemed like the right thing to do.  Saul was afraid.  He wanted God’s favor.  He knew he needed God’s favor to do battle against the Philistines.  The Philistine army was larger and much better armed than the army of Israel.  If Israel hoped to have victory, it would only come from the Lord.  But even though it seemed right and Saul was acting out of a desire to receive God’s favor, he was disobedient to God’s instructions.  He acted out of fear and not out of faith.  In acting out of fear, he disobeyed the Lord.

When Saul told Samuel what he had done Samuel responded:  "You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.  But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command." (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

It was fearful.  It was foolish.  It was disobedient.  And because of his unwillingness to obey the Lord, to respect God’s commands, Saul’s family would be removed from the kingship of Israel.

It’s an illustration of how important faith, respect, and obedience are to the Lord.  Say “no” to fear, to doing what you want, to disobedience.  Say “yes” to faith, to respecting God’s instructions, to obedience.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- September 19, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.  And I will teach you the way that is good and right.” (1 Samuel 12:23)

Samuel was disappointed with the people of Israel.  They had asked for a king, instead of being content to continue just to follow the Lord.  Samuel had advised against it and told the people the danger of having a king.  Still the people did not change their minds and continued to ask for a king.  God had Samuel give in to this request of the people and anoint Saul as king of Israel.  Now Samuel stands before the people again to warn them of the danger of a king and the danger of turning away from the Lord.

Samuel opens up his life to the people of Israel and invites them to bring witness against him for anything wrong he has done among them.  They offer no testimony of Samuel’s sins, instead they affirm that he has led them and served them in righteousness.

Now at the end of this speech, his farewell speech to the nation, the people ask Samuel to serve them by praying for them.  Samuel answers with the above response – he would not sin against the Lord by failing to pray for them.

He was disappointed with them.  He was worried for them.  But he would not turn his back on them.  He loved them and despite their problems, he wanted to see God’s best for them.

Samuel was a good man and provides a good example for us.  People around us, our family and friends, will disappoint us.  We’ll see evidence in their lives at times of directions they are heading that are dangerous and despite our warnings they will continue down that path.  How will we respond?  Will we stand idly by waiting to be able to say “I told you so!”?  Will we be pleased to see them reap the harvest they deserve by going down a dangerous path?  Or, like Samuel, will we stand by supporting them in prayer, asking for God’s grace, mercy and tender care for them?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- September 16, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

"After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the LORD for help, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.   But they forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.  They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths.  But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.'  Then the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely.” (1 Samuel 12:8-11)

Samuel stood before the people of Israel and gave them a brief history lesson.  He recounted for them just a few of the times that God had come to their rescue.  Starting with Moses in Egypt and also mentioning several of the men God had raised up after they took possession of Canaan to lead them in defeating their enemies.  Samuel’s history lesson was a reminder to Israel of the work of the Lord among them.  When they cried out to God, He came to rescue them.  As long as they followed the Lord, they lived in peace and security in their land.

The reason Samuel recounted this history for Israel was that Israel’s memory was so short.  They easily and often forgot how God had worked among them and so turned their backs on God or ignored Him.  The story of Israel is the story of a people who forgot God.  When they were in great distress they would remember Him again and cry to Him for help and He would respond with the help they needed.  Yet, soon they forgot Him again.  It seemed that they were not capable of keeping their eyes on the Lord when they were living in peace and security.  Trouble was required for them to turn to the Lord.

There is a history from your life, too, of God working in your life.  God has demonstrated His compassion and His power in your life multiple times through the years.  He has in the lives of each of us.  It is good to remember how God has acted in the past days of your life so that you do not forget Him in the present!

Is the history of your life similar to Israel’s history?  Are you guilty of forgetting the Lord in times of peace and security and crying out to Him only in times of distress?

Remember the Lord – in times of distress and in times of peace and security.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- September 15, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

Israel wanted a king like the nations around them.  And God granted their desire and chose a king for them.  He chose for king a man who would be what they thought a king should be, impressive to look upon and from a respected family.  “There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.  He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites-a head taller than any of the others.” (1 Samuel 9:1-2)

But Saul had other characteristics that fitted him more fully to be king than his impressive stature or his respected family.  Saul was a humble young man.  When told that all the desire of Israel is turned to him Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?  Why do you say such a thing to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21)  Saul did not consider himself to be king material, he did not consider himself, his family, or his tribe worthy of that kind of honor.  He did not expect to be chosen for such a task.

Although surely Saul knew that Israel was asking for a king, he was not seeking to be chosen for the position.  In fact, Samuel had to convince Saul that God had chosen him through signs.  As Saul left Samuel, the prophet predicted three specific things that would happen as Saul traveled back toward his home.  The Bible records, “and all these signs were fulfilled that day.” (1 Samuel 9:9)

Still Saul was hesitant to accept the position he was being called into.  When the ceremony to select a king was held at Mizpah and all Israel had gathered there, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen, then Saul’s clan was chosen from among the tribe, and finally Saul was chosen from among his clan.  But when they sought Saul he could not be found until Samuel told them, “He has hidden himself among the baggage.” (1 Samuel 9:22)

Humble and hesitant, yet Saul was finally willing to accept what God had chosen and he was anointed king that day.  The people rejoiced, “Long live the king!”  (1 Samuel 9:24)  He was the kind of king they desired.

Saul would have great difficulty as king.  Though he started humble, he would grow arrogant as king.  Though he began with hesitancy, he would cling tenaciously to his crown.  He started well, but he would forget that it was God’s choice that made him king, not his worthiness.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- September 14, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.  They said to him, ‘You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’  But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.  And the LORD told him:  ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.  As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.  Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.’"  (1 Samuel 8:4-9)

The nations around Israel each had a king to lead them.  But Israel was different.  They relied upon a judge for leadership, a judge appointed by God to lead them.  Now that Samuel was growing old and would soon be replaced by his sons, Israel grew tired of the kind of leadership they had.  They wanted to be like the nations around them.  They, too, wanted a king.

One of the reasons they wanted a king was because Samuel’s sons were not honest men who served out of a desire to help the people.  They served for what they could get out of it, not what they could give.  Israel didn’t want Samuel’s sons as judges over them.  But it really wasn’t about Samuel’s sons.  It was about Israel’s unwillingness to trust the Lord.  They did not trust the Lord to deal with Samuel’s sons.  They did not trust the Lord to raise other leadership, new leaders who would follow Him and lead as Samuel had led.

God understood what was at the heart of Israel’s request for a king.  He understood that they were turning their backs on Him.

Sometimes the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.  It did for Israel.  They thought the leadership of the nations around them looked better than the leadership God provided for them.  They wanted what the other nations had.  And God granted their request.  What Israel didn’t realize was the price they would pay for a king!  There was a high price that would be paid by them for not following the Lord.

The same choice is always set before us.  We can follow the Lord, trusting His will and His direction and following it.  Or, we can follow the ways of the world.  They may seem better, more profitable to us.  But when we reject the Lord for the ways of the world, there is a high price that will have to be paid.  That price will be paid in what that decision does to our lives, in the lives of our children, and in the lives of others around us.

God will allow us to make that choice, just as He did Israel. 

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- September 13, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

There is an old hymn that contains a strange phrase in it.  It says, “Here I raise mine Ebenezer.”  It’s a phrase that comes out of 1 Samuel 7.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen.  He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the LORD helped us.’  So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again.” (1 Samuel 7:12-13)

Ebenezer literally means “stone of help.”  It was a memorial marker that Samuel erected to remind the Israelites of the deliverance the Lord had provided them.  The Philistines had come to attack the Israelites while Israel was gathered to worship the Lord and thank Him for the return of the Ark of the Covenant.  But the plan of Philistines was thwarted by the intervention of God.  The Philistines never got the opportunity to attack, God threw them into a panic and Israel was able to defeat them soundly that day.

God came to Israel’s help and Samuel didn’t want the people of Israel ever to forget that.

Are there any Ebenezer’s in your life?  Certainly there have been times when God has come to your help.  Are there any markers that remind you of those times when God has helped you?

Our memories are so poor.  We so easily and quickly forget when God has come to our aid.  Next time He does, raise an Ebenezer, establish a marker that will remind you of it.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- September 12, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant in the battle against Israel.  That was a great victory for them.  They had defeated the God of Israel, proving that their god (Dagon) was stronger than Israel’s God.  At least that’s what they thought!  The capture of the Ark was God’s discipline upon Israel, but He also used it as an opportunity to reveal Himself and His power to the Philistines, although they didn’t listen.

They took the Ark to Ashdod and put it in the temple of Dagon and each morning that it was there they found the idol to Dagon fallen on its face before the Ark.  On the second morning the idol had not only fallen on its face but its head and hands had broken off. (1 Samuel 5:4)  The people of Ashdod were afflicted with tumors and under great distress.  Instead of ridding themselves of their idols and turning to worship the Lord God, the Philistines removed the Ark from Ashdod took it to the city of Gath.

In Gath the story was much the same.  The whole city was thrown into a panic (1 Samuel 5:9).  The men and women of Gath, both young and old were also afflicted with tumors. God was demonstrating His power.  But, again, the people of Gath did not bow down to worship the Lord God.  Instead, they sent the Ark away from Gath to the city of Ekron.

As the Ark was entering Ekron the people cried out, “They have brought the Ark of the God of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” (1 Samuel 5:10)  That city, too, was filled with panic and its people afflicted with tumors and death.  Again, they responded not with worship, but with a desire to get rid of the Ark.

In the end, the Philistines wanted to get rid of the Ark and sent gifts of gold with it as an offering of appeasement to the Lord.  They recognized that God was not pleased with them and wanted to assuage their guilt before Him.  When they removed the Ark from their own territory they used a final test to be sure it was the God of Israel who had afflicted them and not just chance.  They put the Ark upon a cart attached to two cows and allowed it to go on its own.  They believed that if it went directly to Israel, then the God of Israel was returning His Ark to His people and He had been responsible for their affliction.  And sure enough, as soon as they released the Ark it headed straight toward Israel. (1 Samuel 6:12)

What a season of grace that was for the Philistines.  It seemed like affliction, but it was really grace!  God was giving them an opportunity to recognize His power.  He demonstrated Himself more powerful than their idols.  He revealed Himself to the Philistines.  They could have submitted themselves to Him in worship.  Instead, they chose to ignore what He was revealing and send Him away!  They missed their great opportunity!

How many times in our own lives have we missed God’s grace and turned our back on Him?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- September 9, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“And the LORD said to Samuel:  ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.  At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family-from beginning to end.  For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them.  Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’'"  (1 Samuel 3:11-14)

The story of Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, is a sad one.  Eli was a good man who loved the Lord.  He did a good job of instructing Samuel and helping him to grow into a man who loved and served the Lord.  But Eli did not do the same with his sons.  Hophni and Phinehas became unrestrained men.  They stole from the offerings brought to the Lord and were sexually immoral.  God told Samuel that Eli had failed to restrain them.  He tried when they were grown men, but it was too late.  He failed to teach them and discipline them when they were young boys and the result was disastrous for them and for all Israel.

Israel went to war against the Philistines and lost the first battle.  They prepared to do battle again and wanted it to be different.  Hoping that God’s presence would make a difference, they brought the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence from its place at Shiloh to the battlefield.  Hophni and Phinehas came with the Ark and Eli, by now a very old man, remained at home.

The Ark did not have the desired effect.  The Philistines defeated Israel again, killed many Israelites, including Hophni and Phinehas, and captured the Ark.  When news of the death of his sons and the capture of the Ark reached Eli, he fell off his chair in distress, broke his neck and died.

At about the same time, Phinehas’s wife gave birth to a son and died in childbirth.  As she was dying, she gave the son the name Ichabod, which means “there is no glory.”  She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.” (1 Samuel 4:21-22)

All this because Hophni and Phinehas, who were to become the priests of Israel when their father died, were unrestrained and wicked.  Eli had succeeded as a priest, but failed as a father.  God punished Israel for the failure of its leaders.  God withdrew His presence from them in punishment.

Two things come to mind from this sad story:

1. You can do great things for God, but if you overlook the work God wants you to do in your own family, you will be a failure.

2. Everything rises and falls on leadership!  The fate of Israel was determined by the quality of those who led the nation.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- September 8, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Then the LORD called Samuel.  Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’  And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’  But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’  So he went and lay down.  Again the LORD called, ‘Samuel!’  And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’  ‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD:  The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.  The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’  Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy.  So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”’  So Samuel went and lay down in his place.   The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel!  Samuel!’  Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”  (1 Samuel 3:4-10)

God spoke to Samuel as clearly as He has ever spoken to anyone.  Few of us have had the kind of experience Samuel had, to hear the audible voice of the Lord and to have the Lord directly bring a message to us.  Yet, even with that kind of clarity it took Eli’s spiritual wisdom to be able to discern that it was the Lord.  Samuel didn’t recognize God’s voice and would have missed the message without Eli’s help.  There are several truths that come from this story:

1.    Hearing the voice of the Lord when He speaks requires spiritual discernment that only comes with spiritual maturity.  Samuel didn’t have it, but fortunately Eli did.  If we ever hope to be able to discern the voice of the Lord among the other loud and clamoring voices around us we must move toward spiritual maturity.

2.    Spiritually wise counsel helps when we are trying to discern God’s voice and His will.  You may not be living with a priest, but there is great value in having some spiritually wise friends who can help you discern God’s voice and His will when it is unclear to you or to test your understanding when you think you have heard His direction.

3.    God does speak to people.  He spoke to Samuel, and Samuel is not an isolated example.  Samuel is one of the many men and women in the Bible to whom God clearly communicated His message and His will.  There is no reason for us to assume that God has ceased speaking to people.  In fact, there is every reason to believe God speaks just as clearly today as ever.

4.    Finally, God desires the same kind of response that we see in Samuel when he finally recognizes it is God speaking.  Samuel followed Eli’s instructions and responded to the Lord, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”  God is looking for men and women who will listen to His voice and follow His will.  Perhaps the reason so few hear His voice today is that God finds so few hearts that are ready to respond obediently to His direction.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- September 7, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

The young boy Samuel was left at the temple by his mother to serve under the priest, Eli.  He served well and took what he did seriously.  The Bible says of him, “And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men.” (1 Samuel 2:26)

That statement is very similar to the one made about Jesus as He grew from a boy toward manhood.  Luke records, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52)

All parents want their children to grow physically in a natural way.  It would be a sad thing for a small child to remain small all of her life.  We have the same expectations of emotional and mental growth, too.  We expect our children to be emotionally immature when they are young, but not to stay that way through their whole lives.  We expect our children to struggle to learn the basic facts about language and math and science and every other subject.  No child is born with all of that knowledge, it comes from experience and study.  We want our children to grow and learn throughout life.

The same principle applies in a person’s spiritual life, too.  Samuel loved the Lord even as a small child.  He was taught to do that by his mother.  But Samuel’s love for the Lord, his knowledge of the Lord, and his commitment to the Lord did not stay at the level which his mother taught him as a young boy.  As he served in the temple under Eli, Samuel learned more about the Lord and developed a deeper love for and commitment to Him.  Even Jesus experienced that same kind of growth.  It is what God desires of those who come into a relationship with Him.  It is what He expects!

Spiritual immaturity is a fine state for those who are new in their relationship with Jesus.  But spiritual immaturity should be a temporary state that is gradually removed as we continue in our relationship with the Lord.  Spiritual growth is the natural state and should be all through our lives in Christ.

So, you may be growing physically, emotionally and mentally, but the most important question is:  Are you growing spiritually?

His, by Grace,

Steve