1 Samuel 16
Devotional:
Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” … (I Samuel 16:1-2)
God was ousting a leader. And not just any leader. Saul looked and stood like a leader and had scads of followers. All boxes were checked EXCEPT that one about owning the character and conviction of God’s heart. But God sees what we miss. Regardless of the impending chatter of others (and there is always chatter), God sometimes has us do hard things. Samuel chose to be obedient and do the hard, unpopular thing of unseating a king who was a disobedient poser. Yet, God knew the inner-workings and devotion of David’s heart, who was only a young shepherd tending the sheep. Today, heed a simple tip: questioning God’s divine wisdom and track record are a waste of your energy. Pour your energy into taking one more step in trusting Him and His plan, especially if it doesn’t make sense to you!
Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” … (I Samuel 16:1-2)
God was ousting a leader. And not just any leader. Saul looked and stood like a leader and had scads of followers. All boxes were checked EXCEPT that one about owning the character and conviction of God’s heart. But God sees what we miss. Regardless of the impending chatter of others (and there is always chatter), God sometimes has us do hard things. Samuel chose to be obedient and do the hard, unpopular thing of unseating a king who was a disobedient poser. Yet, God knew the inner-workings and devotion of David’s heart, who was only a young shepherd tending the sheep. Today, heed a simple tip: questioning God’s divine wisdom and track record are a waste of your energy. Pour your energy into taking one more step in trusting Him and His plan, especially if it doesn’t make sense to you!
Pray it:
Father, give me a heart that is willing to step out and do the hard things that you ask, things that may not make sense to the world’s eyes but reflect the way you do things differently from the ways of this world. Amen.
Father, give me a heart that is willing to step out and do the hard things that you ask, things that may not make sense to the world’s eyes but reflect the way you do things differently from the ways of this world. Amen.
Share it:
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?
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