Tues.’s Devo - Israel's King

Samuel made his sons judges in Israel. His two oldest sons, Joel and Abijah held court in Beersheba but they were not like Samuel. They took bribes and perverted justice. The people complained to Samuel about it. They knew that Samuel was getting old and they didn’t want his sons to be left in charge. The wanted a king like all the other nations had. Samuel was displeased with their desire and went to the Lord about it. God said that they were not rejecting Samuel, but they were rejecting the Lord as their king. Samuel told them all the consequences of having a king. He would control their money, their land and their very lives. They wouldn’t listen, they still wanted a king. So God told Samuel to give them a king. God had always known he would give them a king, but he was raising up one. They wanted one now, so they got what they wanted. They got Saul, the people’s choice. David was God’s choice. Saul was from an influential and wealthy family. He was tall and handsome and looked like a king…just what the people wanted. One day, his father lost some donkeys and sent Saul and his servant to look for them. He ended up in the land of Benjamin. They were about to give up and go home when the servant remembered that Samuel lived there. He suggested they ask him since he was a seer. They would pay him for using his gift. That morning, God had told Samuel that he was sending him the man that would be the king. Saul walked right up to him to ask him if he knew where the seer was. God told Samuel that this was the one who would be king.. He told him his donkeys had been found and he and his family were the focus of all Israel’s hopes. Saul complained that he had his family were from the smallest tribe of Benjamin and that his family was the least important of all the families in that tribe. This was not true, but Saul clearly didn’t want the responsibility that Samuel was putting on him. Samuel invited Saul to a special meal with him. He also invited thirty guests and honored Saul above them all. The next morning he walked Samuel to the edge of town then told Saul more about what God had in store for Saul in his future. In John, Jesus had gone to Capernaum during the night by walking on the water. His disciples crossed in their boat. When the people realized where he was, they came also. They had all missed the significance of what Jesus did when he fed the 5,000 the bread and fish. They kept wanting to see a sign like the miracles in Moses’ time, so he gave them the sign. It was the bread he multiplied. It came from heaven just like the manna did in Moses’ time, but they all missed it. He explained that he was the bread sent down from heaven and his bread would bring them eternal life. Lord, help us not to miss the everyday miracles you do for us over and over. Thank you that you are the bread of life that sustains us and gives us life.