Devotion
Be humble in victory
David Jacobs
World War I ended in 1918, and it took six months of negotiations for the warring countries to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty forced Germany to take responsibility for the war in some ways, such as admitting "war guilt," paying substantial reparations and ceding large amounts of territories. It may have seemed like a great victory for the victorious powers, but the harsh terms of the treaty against Germany left them seething and feeling alienated from the rest of Europe. As we all may know, a few decades later, this burning resentment led to a second World War, and millions of lives lost.
Saul had lost his claim to the kingdom of Israel (1 Samuel 15) and grown jealous of David's success (1 Samuel 18). Saul and David had grown apart, and the kingdom of Israel had been split as Samuel predicted. In 1 Samuel 28, Saul uses a medium to speak to the deceased Samuel, who reiterates that Saul disobeyed God and will lose the kingdom, adding that his sons will soon join Samuel in the afterlife. Sure enough, the Philistines find him and his sons, killing his sons and forcing Saul to take his own life.
The Philistines desecrate Saul's body, cutting off his head, removing his armor, and fastened his body to a wall for people to see it. I think you can see the similarity between this grisly scene and the Treaty of Versailles: honoring a defeated opponent can help to bring peace, where mocking them will often lead to revenge. Be humble, even in victory.
Prayer
Precious Lord, your light shines in the darkness. Help me shine brightly, so that I, too, may help drive out darkness. Together, believers of Christ can drive out the darkness, violence, and arrogance that plague this life, and the darkness will not overcome it. I am humbled by your mercy, O God, and will follow the path laid before me to Heaven. Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
