The God who Hears, Day 22 How do you gain a following? Read 1 Samuel chapter 22. Well, if you’re David, the way you gather a following is by running out to a cave and hiding. Then, all the upset, discontented, frustrated people come and find you and join you. That doesn’t exactly sound like the recipe for success for most businesses or personal lives that I’ve ever heard. Yet, God used this group to bring about God’s glory and to shape David into a leader. We may not always understand how or why we are put in the position that we are. But, God brings to us the people…

The God who Hears, Day 21 Reputation. Read 1 Samuel chapter 21. This is a difficult chapter for David. David found himself on the outs of everyone who knew him. He still needs food and he goes to visit the church and is working with them on what he’s needing. He gets the priest to give him bread and a weapon. He continues to hide by going over to the Philistines. However, David’s reputation follows him over there. The Philistines are very aware of who David is and what David has done. Now, David finds himself in a situation where he has to pretend to be crazy to avoid suspicion.…

The God who Hears, Day 20 David and Jonathan were in a difficult situation. Read 1 Samuel chapter 20. Jonathan was trying to protect David from his father. As a friend, Jonathan knew that his commitment to God was even greater than his commitment to his father. God had to come first in every area, including who he’s friends with. David valued their friendship and he thanked God for all that Jonathan had meant to him over the years. Do we value or relationship with God above every other relationship that we might have? Are we seeking to allow our relationships to be an opportunity for us to being glory…

The God who Hears, Day 19 Help from others. Read 1 Samuel chapter 19. David needed help from his wife Michal. She urged him to run for it and then helped to hide his escape. The past year has been challenging and I have become convinced that too many of us try to do the Christian life on our own. We need the help of those brothers and sisters that are around us to keep us focused on him and encourage us. Are we allowing others into our life to encourage us? Are we staying focused on God and all that he is throughout every challenge that we face? We…

The God who Hears, Day 18 What makes us afraid? Read 1 Samuel chapter 18. For Saul, he was terrified that David would be better and more loved than he was. Yet, Saul also recognized that the Lord was with David. When we are not following the Lord, there is nothing more terrifying than a person who does follow the Lord. As followers of Christ, we may not really understand just how truly powerful we are when we are on God’s side and he is working through us. Are we following and obeying God? Are we allowing God to work and move through us? He is our power and only…

The God who Hears, Day 17 First impressions. Read 1 Samuel chapter 17. We read through the very familiar story of David and Goliath I’m struck by what I see in this verse. Goliath had a first impression of David. Goliath saw David and he was not thinking there was much there. David didn’t impress Goliath in any way. Yet Goliath soon learned very differently. Impressions can be deceiving. We can never underestimate the possibilities when God is with someone. God plus anyone is an incredible force that cannot be overcome. No matter what impression we have of people, if God is with them, there’s nothing that they can’t do.…

The God who Hears, Day 16 To see as God sees. Read 1 Samuel chapter 16. Oh, how I would love to see things the way God’s seeds them. I know that God sees things in such a different way than we do and even Samuel who had been serving God for years did not understand or see the people the way God saw them. Do we ask God to help us see the world and people the way he sees them? Are we seeking after God’s heart and desiring his eyes?

The God who Hears, Day 15 What is obedience to God worth? Read 1 Samuel chapter 15. Saul has been given a mission from the Lord. He does it, but he doesn’t do it exactly the way that God told him to. When Samuel confronts him, Saul claims that he disobeyed so that he could worship God. When we think about being obedient to the Lord’s commands, what is that obedience worth? What does our mean to make a decision that is difficult in order to be obedient to exactly what God is telling us. God gives us specific instructions for a purpose and it is important that we fulfill…

The God who Hears, Day 14 The consequences of our sin. Read 1 Samuel chapter 14. The people of Israel rebelled against God and asked God to give them a king. They didn’t want to just have God as their king, they wanted a physical human being as king. God shared with the people that a king would demand things from them and would take things from them, and the people agreed that they were OK with that. Here, we see the start of this. Saul starts to draft people into the military, whether they wanted to be or not. When we sin, there are consequences to that. When we…

The God who Hears, Day 13 Define foolishness. Read 1 Samuel chapter 13. What does it mean to be foolish? Often when we think of someone who is foolish, we envision people with a lack of intelligence or who have made incorrect choices. That’s partially the answer. However, we can more broadly, and accurately, define foolishness as anything that is disobedient to the Lord. The definition of foolishness is a direct correlation to our understanding and obedience of the will of God in our lives. Every time we make a decision to disobey what God has called us to do, we are acting foolishly. What is wisdom? To obey the…