Thurs.’s Devo - David is Anointed by Samuel -

Read: 1 Samuel 15:1-16:23; John 7:53-8:20; Psalm 110:1-7; Proverbs 15:8-10 God sent Samuel to tell Saul to annihilate the Amalekites because they had opposed Israel when they came out of Egypt. He was to kill everyone, along with their animals. *** Saul mustered 210,000 men to war against the Amelekites. Saul first sent a message to all the Kenites to get out of the city so they would not be killed. The Kenites had made a covenant with Israel of peace with Israel years before. *** Saul and his army attacked the Amelekites and saved their king, Agag and the best of the animals. Samuel heard of the outcome and came to confront Saul. Saul met Samuel boasting that he had done all the Lord told him to do. Samuel told him he had not. He had allowed the king to live, and took the best of the animals for himself. Saul defended his actions and said the animals were to sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel answered with his profound and much repeated answer: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” *** Saul was sorry he had done this and begged Samuel to return with him to worship the Lord. Samuel told him that he would not return with him and because he had rejected the Word of the Lord, so God had rejected him as king and was raising up his own man to be king. This man was better than Saul and would follow the Lord. *** Saul was sick with remorse and begged Samuel to return with him to worship the Lord. He wanted the people to see that him and Samuel were still tight. Samuel had Agag brought to him and hacked him into pieces before the Lord. Samuel left and went home to Ramah and Samuel did not see Saul again until the day he was dying. God regretted making Saul king over Israel. *** Samuel grieved over Saul until God told him to go to Bethlehem and anoint the new king. He had to do it secretly or Saul would have killed him. He went to the house of Jesse and invited him and his sons to a sacrifice. *** Saul went through all of Jessie’s sons from the oldest to the youngest and none of them were the Lord’s choice. He asked if Jesse had anymore sons and they brought in David, his youngest from watching the sheep. God said he was the one he had chosen. Samuel poured a whole flask of oil over his head and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. He then left but the Spirit of God fell on David from that time on. *** Meanwhile, a bad spirit fell upon Saul and the only way he could find peace was to listen to music. They found that David could play the lyre and brought him to Saul to play for him. David found so much favor in Saul’s eyes that he hired him to stay with him. *** When the Lord has a mission for us, he knows how to put us in the place we need to be. David was anointed king and yet he waited for God to put him in that position. It took years for God to get him there, but David let the Lord do it. *** In John, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray and spend the night. The next day, he went to the Temple to teach. The scribes and Pharisees brought them a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery and asked him what they should do to her. The law of Moses said to stone her. They were trying to trap Jesus. *** Jesus began writing in the dust with his finger. He finally stood and told them that the one who was without sin should cast the first stone. Then he bend down and continued to write. The oldest men left first, then the rest until the only ones standing were the woman and Jesus. Jesus asked her where her accusers were and who was condemning her. She answered, “No one,” so he told her to go and sin no more. *** Jesus taught that he was the light of the world and whoever followed him would not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. The Pharisees argued that his testimony about himself was the only testimony. It would not stand in a court of law. Jesus said his testimony was true because he knew where he was from and where he was going but they didn’t. They judged according to the flesh. He didn’t judge anyone, but if he did, his judgement was not alone, it was also the judgment of God’s. He and God were two witnesses. *** Then asked him where his Father was and he told them that they didn’t know him or his Father. If they knew him, they would know his Father. *** Many teach that all who worship God will be saved, but God makes it very clear that there is one way to him and it is through his son, Jesus. *** Lord, may we worship you in Spirit and in truth. Thank you that you don’t look on the outward appearance but on our hearts. May our hearts be pure and acceptable in your sight.