Devotion
Obey God’s command
David Jacobs
One of my best friends asked me to do a favor for him for his girlfriend's birthday. I needed to help him make the cake and bring it to the party. I tried to ask him some questions about what type of cake to get, but he never got back to me, so I asked his girlfriend directly what type of cake she would like. When my friend heard about this, he was very mad at me, because now she knew that he did not get the cake himself. I was trying to make the situation better, but by disobeying my friend and taking liberty with my interpretation of his request, I made the situation worse.
Saul is described earlier in 1 Samuel as a very good and devout man (1 Samuel 3). Samuel also has a great impression of Saul, and is happy that Saul will inherit the throne. God gives Saul a command via Samuel to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Saul does destroy the weak members of the Amalekites, but he spares some others and takes the livestock back, partially to make a sacrifice and partially to use. He made his own judgment thinking that it was the best decision to be made, but in doing so, like I did with the cake, he directly disobeyed orders. Similar to my situation, the person giving the order was furious.
The relationship between my friend and I as well as between Saul, Samuel, and God, was changed as a result of our decisions. My friend felt that he could no longer trust me, and God felt the same way about Saul. It hurt Samuel that Saul made this foolish decision, and he was punished, losing his claim to the throne.
Prayer
Although our intentions may have been good, losing the trust of someone that we care about is worse much more than a tasty cake or some livestock. I regretted my decision, and we have only begun to understand how much Saul will grow to regret his.
Devotion
The Barrier is Removed
Frances Taylor
Moses had brought the Israelites out of Egypt and now they were wondering if they were any better off! They had reached the Red Sea, and couldn't see any way around this barrier that had been placed before them. But God knew what he was doing and Moses followed his instructions and the sea parted so that the Israelites could pass through on dry ground. A question sometimes asked at a job interview is, "What do you do when you face an obstacle?" How would you answer? Would you try to go around it, through it, or perhaps over it? Moses could not go around his obstacle and knew that without help, he could never bring all the people, animals and supplies through it. So, he asked God for help. Was that the first thing you thought of? There is a saying, "If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it." The key here is to ask God to bring us through it.
We often face challenges in our lives, especially when we are trying to live as Jesus wants...
Morning Prayer
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Inspiration
What is grace? It is the free and unmerited favor of God, his gifts to us. One such example was the salvation brought to us by Christ. It is state of being favored and of being the chosen people. One such further example would be the Israelites, who God led to their promised land. We today, have inherited this grace. We today, are simultaneously unworthy of him, yet we are his chosen. Rejoice, rejoice in his grace.
Prayer
To my Lord God almighty, who art in Heaven, I thank you for your divine light and grace, given to me every day. I may not be worthy, I may not be pure and perfect, but I beg you to be merciful. For in your grace, in your faith, I may go on to improve each day. In your grace, I will strive to be a better servant, here as in Heaven. Amen.
