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Christian Devotional – July 24, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 18 VERSE: 1 Samuel 18:12–Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. TRUTH: To a person who has stopped being obedient to God, there is nothing more frustrating than to be around someone who is being obedient to God. The disobedient person gets angry and upset because they are being reminded of what they have lost. They see the peace and contentment, the trust and reliance on God and they become jealous and angry and afraid, just like Saul did. Instead, they need to recognize that God is still willing and waiting to restore them as well, if…
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Christian Devotional – July 23, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 17 VERSE: 1 Samuel 17:47–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. TRUTH: David is preparing to fight against the Philistine champion Goliath. He makes this statement so that both the Philistines and the Israelites will know why he is going out to fight. Like David, we make a statement about God by the actions that we take and don’t take. Our actions are a direct reflection of God working and moving in our life. Do we act with courage…
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Christian Devotional – July 22, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 16 VERSE: 1 Samuel 16:7–But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” TRUTH: Have we looked in the mirror today? Many times we will use a mirror to review our outward appearance. However, do we ever use a spiritual mirror to review our heart? God look at our heart; what does He see? We can review our spiritual appearance through the reflection of God’s Word. How do we look today? RESPONSE…
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Christian Devotional – July 21, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 15 VERSE: 1 Samuel 15:22–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.” TRUTH: Saul had disobeyed God. God gave him specific instructions and Saul disobeyed them. Samuel came and when he pointed out Saul’s disobedience, Saul quickly tried to recover and give a pious sounding reason for his disobedience. He indicated that he was going to offer a sacrifice with the objects of his disobedience. Samuel responds with this verse. When God calls us to do…
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Christian Devotional – July 20, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 14 VERSE: 1 Samuel 14:6–Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” TRUTH: Jonathan knew and understood a valuable truth about God. God is able to save and He’s not dependent on circumstances or people to make it happen. God is able to save whether there are lots of adversaries or a few adversaries. When we are facing difficulties today, we can know that God has overcome and that He is able to meet people where…
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Christian Devotional – July 19, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 13 VERSE: 1 Samuel 13:14–But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command. TRUTH: Saul was disobedient to God, even after God had been very clear about his need for obedience. As a result, God explains that Saul’s reign will not endure and his children will not be king after him. God is always looking for a person after His own heart. Are we someone who is constantly seeking after the heart of God? RESPONSE Father, I desire to seek after You…
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Christian Devotional – July 18, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 12 VERSE: 1 Samuel 12:23–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. TRUTH: Do we realize that we are to pray for one another and that if we don’t we are sinning? Samuel let the people know that even though they had disobeyed God, he would continue to pray for them. However, he doesn’t just leave it there. He also states that he will spend his time teaching the people the way that is good and right. We can start by…
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Christian Devotional – July 17, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 11 VERSE: 1 Samuel 11:6–When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. TRUTH: Saul heard what the evil people wanted to do to some people of Israel and that is when God’s Spirit came upon him. He became angry. Often we assume that god doesn’t get angry, but when things go against Him and people are sinning, God does get angry. Do we get angry about the things God gets angry about? Anger is not a sin. The reasons for the anger and the actions that we take while angry are where we must be careful…
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Christian Devotional – July 16, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 10 VERSE: 1 Samuel 10:27–But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent. TRUTH: Two things stand out here. First, even though God gave Samuel permission to do exactly what the people asked, not all the people were happy about it. It doesn’t matter what we try to do, if we are doing it to please people, we’ll never be successful and never will everyone be happy with us. We must work to please God and Him alone. Second, Saul was offended and he had every right to get upset about it, however,…
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Christian Devotional – July 15, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 9 VERSE: 1 Samuel 9:6–But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.” TRUTH: Whenever we are feeling lost and uncertain, the best course of action is for us to seek out God for our direction. Saul didn’t know what to do, so his servant gave him this advice. When we are having difficulty know what way to go, do we stop and seek God? RESPONSE: Father, I will stop and seek You. My life gets so busy…