Did I miss something here? Wasn't David being pursued by Saul? Wasn't Saul trying to kill him? Is David even human? Because if he is, then I don't understand how in the world he could possibly have mourned over Saul's death. After all, it was his turn to shine; he finally got to be the king! The Bible records, ... [Continue Reading]
Where do you turn? (1 Samuel 30-31)
One of the things I appreciate most about David is his inspiring character. Time and time again we have seen David make the right choices. In the defining moments of life when character is important, David has been more than impressive because every time he faced difficulty in his life circumstances, he looked to the Lord for his strength. The ... [Continue Reading]
Separation from God (1 Samuel 27-29)
I really appreciate the picture the Bible gives us in this reading of what happens when sin enters the scene and separation occurs. I think we're tempted to buy into the idea that our sin doesn't really hurt us. But because of God's holiness, our sin creates a barrier between us and him. That is why Saul's inquiry to the Lord comes back ... [Continue Reading]
Leaders appointed by God (1 Samuel 24-26)
This portion of reading really exemplifies the fact that God appoints leaders of his people and that it is His responsibility alone to remove them from leadership when the time comes. Consider the following: David had an opportunity to kill Saul at his most vulnerable moment (relieving himself in a cave), but David believed that it was not his place to remove a ... [Continue Reading]
False accusations (1 Samuel 21-23)
There is a tendency in human nature that Saul exemplifies in 1 Samuel 23:22. Saul is hunting down David, and he has yet to capture him. In verse 22 he makes an accusation against David that is void of any legitimacy: "it is told me that [David] is very cunning." A certain level of irony exists in this statement because throughout this whole ... [Continue Reading]
True friends (1 Samuel 18-20)
The friendship between Jonathan and David is one of the most inspiring friendships in the Bible. What specifically intrigues me is the way that Jonathan loved David despite the threat that David posed to him. As the king's son, Jonathan was next in line for the throne. David, the only thing standing between him and his seat of power, should have ... [Continue Reading]
Seeing as the Lord sees (1 Samuel 15-17)
So much goes on in these three chapters that it's impossible to address it all in a short entry. Instead, I want to focus on the instructions that God gives to Samuel as he is selecting the new king. Samuel obviously needed a reminder from God, otherwise God would not have told him these words: "For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the ... [Continue Reading]
Who is this about, anyway? (1 Samuel 13-14)
A real challenge comes for Saul's leadership when Samuel doesn't show up at the appointed time and he is left to decide what to do. Samuel told Saul that he would arrive after seven days to offer a sacrifice to the Lord before going into battle. Saul took matters into his own hands and gave up his right to the throne. His mistake seems ... [Continue Reading]
Does God allow things outside of His will? (1 Samuel 10-12)
It is somewhat curious that God allowed Israel to have a king. After all, God wanted the Israelites to see him as their king; that's what made them unique from all of the other nations around them. So if it clearly was not in God's will (i.e. it wasn't his desire) for Israel to have a king, why did he allow it? That's a tough concept to ... [Continue Reading]
The nature of true repentance (1 Samuel 7-9)
I think it is tempting sometimes to believe that repentance is an act of simply asking for forgiveness. The reality, though, is that repentance means turning from one thing to another: essentially it is making a "one-eighty" with your life. Samuel challenges Israel with that thought in chapter 7. The people of Israel wanted to turn to God, ... [Continue Reading]
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