Mon.’s Devo - The Truth Will Set You Free

Read: 1 Samuel 18:5-19:24; John 8:31-59; Psalm 1121-10; Proverbs 15:12-14 After David killed Goliath and gave Israel the great victory over the Philistines, Saul made him a commander over the men of war. Saul returned home to hear the women singing, “Saul has killed his thousands, David his ten thousands,” and became insanely jealous of David. He tried to pin him with his sword the next time he played his harp for him but David dodged his spear twice. Saul knew that God was going to take his kingdom and give it to another, so he was extremely paranoid of who that might be. It became obvious that it might be David. It was also obvious that God was with David in all he did. Saul had promised to give his daughter in marriage to the one who killed Goliath, so he planned to give David his older daughter, Merab, but put a stipulation on it. David must prove himself a real warrior by fighting his battles. Saul was hoping David would be killed by the Philistines. David had already proved himself with Goliath. When it came time to give Merab to David, Saul gave her to another man instead. Saul’s other daughter, Michal was in love with David. Saul saw this as another opportunity to get David killed in battle. He told him he would give David his daughter if he brought back 100 Philistines foreskins. David loved the challenge and brought him 200 foreskins. Nothing Saul planned was working. Saul then tried to get his men to assassinate David. Jonathan found out and went to his father and reminded him all David had done for Israel. Jonathan had a kingdom mindset where Saul had a ME mindset. Saul relented on killing David for the time being. The Philistines attacked and David went off to war again. When he returned victorious, Saul tried to pin him to the wall again with his spear but David escaped at night. He and his wife put an idol in his bed to look like he was there sick. This bought him enough time to get out of town. David went to Ramah to find Samuel. He told him everything and Samuel hid David and himself in Naioth in Ramah. Saul found out and headed there but the closer he got to Samuel the stronger the Spirit of God was. It finally struck Saul to the ground where he lay naked prophesying. This was the second time Saul had been overwhelmed by the spirit of prophecy. The first time was when he had met Samuel for the first time and was told he would be the leader of Israel. In John, Jesus has his most poignant conversation with the Pharisees. He was trying to explain that to be a son of God is to be free. To be a son of God you must accept and obey his teachings. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. They didn’t know they were not free. They thought that just because they were Jews and sons of Abraham that they were free. Jesus told them that to be a slave to sin was not freedom. The Son was the only one who could set them free. When they insisted they were Abraham’s children, Jesus told them they were illegitimate children. Their father was the devil! They should see this since he was a murderer and all they could think about was murdering him. They argued back and forth who was from the devil and who was possessed by a demon. When Jesus told him that their father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to his coming, they were baffled. When Jesus told them before Abraham was I AM, they picked up stones to stone him. Jesus was so bold with the Pharisees. The spirit they possessed was Jesus’ enemy even more than the Romans who were their natural enemies. Jesus came to defeat and call out religion for its hypocrisy and lies. The Pharisees had the same spirit of murder that Saul had. Religion always tries to kill truth. Lord, thank you for the truth that sets us free to walk righteously before you. May our lives today further your kingdom.

Sun.’s Devo - David and Goliath

Read: 1 Samuel 17:1-18:4; John 8:21-30; Psalm 111:1-10; Proverbs 15:11 The Philistines met the Israelites on opposite hills. In the valley below, their champion, Goliath would come out every day and taunt Israel. He challenged an Israelite to come fight him. The one who won would rule over the other nation. Goliath was a nine foot giant armed and suited with armor. Goliath means “stripped as a captive”. This would be his fate. None of the Israelites had the courage to fight Goliath so this had gone on for forty days. Meanwhile, back in Bethlehem lived Jesse whose son, David had been secretly anointed by Samuel to be the next king. Jesse had three sons fighting in the army and often sent David to check on them and see how the fighting was going. He sent David with food to his brothers. When he arrived, he assessed the situation and kept asking what reward the person would get who fought Goliath and won. He was told that the victor would be given Saul’s daughter in marriage and his whole family would be exempted from paying taxes. Word got to Saul that David was asking about the reward and Saul sent for him. Remember that David had been Saul’s armor-bearer and Saul had been told that David was a warrior. He had just never seen him in battle. David convinced Saul by telling him of how he killed a lion and a bear with his bear hands. Saul had no other offers. He tried to dress David in his own armor with his own sword since he and Jonathan were the only ones with swords. David wasn’t used to having them so he refused them. He went out to face Goliath with five smooth stones and his shepherd’s staff. Goliath met him with a sword, a spear and a javelin. Goliath laughed and taunted him for coming out with a stick. David taunted Goliath for coming out in full gear. He told Goliath exactly what was going to take place. The Lord was going to conquer him and he, David would kill him and cut off his head. Then the Israelites would defeat his army. Goliath started slowly approaching David, but David ran toward Goliath and hurled one stone with his slingshot. It sunk into his head and he fell face down. David ran over, took Goliath’s sword and killed him and cut off his head. The Philistine army then ran in fear and the Israelite army took off after them killing them as they fled. Saul watched in amazement and asked who David’s father was. When the battle was over, Abner, Saul’s commander brought David to Saul carrying the head of Goliath. He asked David who his father was. He told him he was Jesse and they lived in Bethlehem. David was introduced to Jonathan and they had an immediate bond between them. David came to live with Saul and wasn’t allowed to return home. Jonathan made a pact with David because he loved him. He took off his robe and gave it to David to seal the pact. He also gave David his tunic, sword, bow and belt. Jonathan, who was a mighty warrior himself realized that one more honorable than himself was standing before him. The story of David and Goliath is such a powerful story. David proclaimed what God was going to do and his faith was much more powerful than the greatest weapons and defense the world could muster. Goliath was the epitome of the world’s strength. David was the example of great faith. David annihilated Goliath with one stone. One word, spoken by God can put a giant on his face. David came with that one word. Jonathan was like John the Baptist who realized he must decrease and Jesus must increase. In John, Jesus kept teaching them that he was going back to his Father where he came from. They wouldn’t understand but if they only believed they would be able to follow him and be where he was. Some did believe. He said that others would believe when they saw him on the cross and many would never believe. The same is true today. Lord, help us to be a warrior like David and tell the devil just what God is going to do to him. May we never fear what may happen but proclaim what your Word says will happen.

Sat.’s Devo - The Light That Leads to Life

Read: 1 Samuel 15:1-16:23; John 8:1-20; Psalm 110:1-7; Provers 15:8-10 Samuel went to Saul with a command from the Lord for him. God was ready to take vengeance on the Amelekites who attacked Israel when they first came out of Egypt. He was to completely destroy the entire nation and their animals. Saul mobilized his army of 210,000. First he warned the Kenites who lived around the Amelekites to flee if they didn’t want to be killed. The Kenites were the ones who tricked Israel into making a covenant of peace with them. They packed up and left. Instead of killing all the Amelekites, Saul captured the king, Agag and let him men keep anything of value along with the best of the cattle. Samuel found out what Saul had done and went looking for him. He was up on Mt. Carmel Samuel asked him why he had let the animals and the king live and his answer was he had kept the best animals to sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel told him that God was not impressed with sacrifices of disobedience. Killing all the people and leaving the king alive was like casting out the demons and leaving the principality. Agag’s name means “I will overtop.” He would have done just that if Samuel hadn’t killed him. Saul was desperate for Samuel’s approval and begged him to stay and go up and worship with him so the people could see that he had the honor of the prophet. Samuel pitied Saul and stayed for the sacrifice. When Samuel had finished, he returned the Ramah and never saw Saul again. After a while, the Lord spoke to Samuel and told him it was time to stop mourning for Saul and anoint the king God had chosen. He gave him instructions and told him to take a lamb for a sacrifice so Saul wouldn’t suspect anything. He called Jesse to the sacrifice and performed purification rites for Jesse and his sons. When Samuel saw Eliab, the oldest son he thought for sure he was the one God had chosen, but God told him not to look on the outside of man. Saul had looked like a king on the outside but he was not a king on the inside. When Samuel worked his way through all his sons, God hadn’t chosen any of them. Samuel was baffled and asked Jesse if he had any more sons. Jesse admitted he had another son, David. David was out tending sheep and hadn’t been invited or ritually made clean. When Samuel saw him, God said that he was the one. Samuel anointed him with oil and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. The Spirit of the Lord left Saul and was replaced with a tormenting spirit. His advisors suggested they find a person who could play the harp to calm him down. They found David who came to the palace to play when Saul was upset. Saul so loved David that he made him his armor bearer and came and lived with Saul in the palace. In John, it was the day after the Feast of Tabernacles was over. This was a celebration day also called Simbat Torah where they would celebrate the Torah and begin reading the creation story in Genesis. They would also read the portion at the end of Deuteronomy. They brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery to Jesus to see what he would do. He asked them what Moses said to do and they said to stone her. In Deuteronomy at the end of the book it talks about what to do if a MAN is caught in the act of adultery. Deuteronomy 22:22, “If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die. In this way, you will purge Israel of such evil.” Jesus stopped and wrote in the dust like the finger of God that wrote the law. I wonder if he wrote this verse. When they demanded an answer, he stood and said, “all right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” They started leaving the oldest to the youngest. When they were all gone, he stood and asked her where her accusers were. Then he told her to go and sin no more. During the Feast of Tabernacles they would light these huge bowls of oil that were 70 feet high. The young priests would climb the pole with oil and light the wicks at night. Being up on a hill, the light went out for miles and miles. They called Jerusalem “The light of the world” during this festival. Jesus told them that he was the light of the world and those who follow him won’t walk in darkness because they would have the light that leads to life. Lord, thank you for your light that illuminates our path and leads us to life.

Fri.’s Devo - Living Water

Read: 1 Samuel 14:1-52; John 7:31-53; Psalm 109:1-31; Proverbs 15:5-7 Jonathan was the only shining light in Saul’s heritage. Saul’s father was Kish which means “a snare” and Saul means “requested”. So by the people’s request for a king, they got a snare. Jonathan means “Jehovah is giver” and he gave his life over and over for Israel’s victory. Today we read where Jonathan took his armor bearer to an outpost of the Philistines. He understood that God could deliver with one or many, it didn’t matter. He stood between two cliffs Bozez which means “surpassing white: glistening” and Seneh which means “thorn”. He was standing between the blessing and the curse. Michmash was behind Bozez which was where the outpost of the Philistines were. Jonathan decided that if they asked them to come up and fight this would be God’s sign he was going to give them victory. That was just what happened and Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed 20 Philistines. Then God shook the earth with an earthquake and caused great panic in the Philistine camp and all of their outposts. Saul’s army watched as they saw the Philistines running for their lives in every direction. To find out what happened he did a roll call and found that the only soldier missing was his own son, Jonathan and his armor-bearer. Saul started to ask God what to do but everything happened so fast he just told his men to go and fight. Many Israelites who had defected to the Philistine’s army came back to fight with Saul. Many who had been hiding in the hills and had not been a part of the fighting joined to save Israel that day. Saul, in fear and desperation, had proclaimed a curse on anyone who ate that day. Jonathan had not been there to hear the curse so when he saw some honey, he ate it. Saul’s men also saw honey and refused to eat it because of the curse. When Jonathan heard about his father’s curse he said that his father’s curse had brought trouble to Israel and kept them from a greater victory. The army was so exausted and hungry by the end of the day that when the fast was lifted they ate animals with blood still in them. This was a sin against the Lord. Saul offered a sacrifice to the Lord and wanted to continue fighting during the night. He asked the priest what God wanted them to do but God was not answering. They knew they had offended the Lord. By lot Jonathan was chosen and it was made known that he ate honey and because of the curse Saul had given, God was not speaking. Instead of going to the Lord and interceding for Jonathan’s life like Moses would have done, Saul declared that Jonathan must die. The army disagreed and they stood up for Jonathan and saved his life. They saw the injustice of Saul’s curse. The Philistines were Saul’s enemy during his reign so whenever he saw a strong man he would draft them into his army. Saul ran his kingdom with force and demand. In John, many believed Jesus was the Messiah because of all the miracles he did. When the Pharisees realized the people believed Jesus was the Messiah, they wanted even more to arrest him. Jesus told the Pharisees that he was leaving soon and they wouldn’t be able to find him. He was going back to the one who sent him. They were confused by this. On the last day of the feast of Tabernacles they would do a water libation where the priests would bring water in pitchers from the Siloam springs up to the altar. While this was being done the people would sing, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation,” As they were doing this Jesus stood up and said if anyone was thirsty they could come to him and drink. His waters were rivers of living water that flow from the heart. Jesus was speaking of the Spirit which would be given at Pentecost. The crowd was divided. Some thought Jesus was The Prophet they were waiting for; some thought the Messiah and some wanted him arrested. The Pharisees sent men to arrest him but they couldn’t because no one spoke like Jesus. They had the fear of God on them. The Pharisees mocked anyone who defended Jesus, even Nicodemus who was a leader in the Pharisee sect. Lord, thank you for giving us the living waters of your Spirit. Thank you for the wells of salvation.

Thurs.’s Devo - Saul’s Impatience

Read: 1 Samuel 12:1-13:23; John 7:1-30; Psalm 108:1-13; Proverbs 15:4 Samuel stood before the people and proclaimed his own innocence. They had chosen a king and God would give them a king. Samuel took Israel through their history of rebellion against the Lord and told them to fear and worship the Lord and stop rebelling. Samuel told them that God was going to manifest his disapproval of what they were doing by asking for a king by sending rain and thunder during their wheat harvest when it usually didn’t rain. It terrified the people to where they cried out in fear but Samuel told them not to be afraid. They had done wrong but God would not abandon them. He warned them against returning to their idol worship and promised to pray for them as long as he had breath. Saul was thirty years old when he became king. He ruled for 42 years. Saul took 2,000 warriors with him to fight the Philistines in the north and gave his son, Jonathan 1,000 warriors to fight in the south. As the war got heavier Saul petitioned for more men to fight with him. The Philistines came out in hordes with chariots and scared the Israelites into caves. Saul had gone to Gilgal where Samuel had told him to wait for him 7 days. His men were frightened and leaving him. When the seventh day came and Samuel hadn’t showed up, out of desperation, Saul offered the sacrifice himself. As soon as he had finished, Samuel appeared and was very upset with what Saul had done. He told him that if he had waited, God would have established his kingdom forever but since he didn’t, God had already chosen his replacement. He would be a man after God’s own heart. Saul left with his troops though 600 had defected out of fear. The Philistines sent out three raiding parties to the north, west and south. The Philistines had made sure there were no blacksmiths in Israel so that they had to go to the Philistines to have any of their plows or instruments sharpened. It cost them so much they couldn’t afford weapons. Only Saul and Jonathan had weapons. How do you fight without weapons? In John, Jesus stayed in Galilee and avoided going to Judea where they were plotting his death. The Feast of Tabernacles was coming and everyone would be going to Judea. Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him and told them he would come later. He came secretly and stayed hidden till the middle of the festival when he went to the Temple and began teaching. The ones listening were surprised that he wasn’t a teacher of the synagogue and yet he knew so much about God. Jesus told them that he was speaking God’s words and not his own. The people who want to know God’s will will hear his words and believe they came from God. Those who don’t only speak for themselves and want all the glory for themselves. He told them that Moses gave them the Law, but none of them obeyed or they wouldn’t be wanting to kill him. The people wouldn’t believe that anyone wanted to kill Jesus. Jesus went on to explain that they would circumcise their sons on the eighth day, even if the day fell on the Sabbath and yet they condemned him for healing on the Sabbath. The people had a hard time believing he was the Messiah because of their preconceived ideas about the Messiah. Jesus was trying to get them to discern spiritually what the truth was, not with their heads. The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus but God didn’t allow them to succeed because it was not the right time. Lord, help us to discern spiritually instead of trying to understand spiritual things with our heads.

Wed.’s Devo - Saul Becomes King

Read: 1 Samuel 10:1-11:15; John 6:43-71; Psalm 107:1-43; Proverbs 15:1-3 Samuel had walked with Saul to the outskirts of town where no one could see him. He took a flask of oil and poured it over Saul’s head and kissed him. He told them that because God had chosen him to rule Israel, he was also God’s chosen possession. He then told him three signs that would happen at strategic places along his way home. The last one was that he would prophecy and get a new heart. God fulfilled every sign and he did give Saul a new heart. Samuel also told him after all these things happened he was to meet Samuel in Gilgal where he would offer sacrifices. Saul would have to wait seven days for him to come. When Saul began prophesying the people wondered how someone who was not a prophet could prophecy. Saul called all the people of Israel to Mizpah to show Israel who their king was but when he went to present Saul he was hiding among the baggage. They found him and stood him before the people. He was head and shoulders above anyone else. The people rejoiced and Saul wrote down his duties as king on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. All the people went home. Some of the men followed Saul but others doubted his authority and refused to give him gifts. Saul chose to ignore them. Meanwhile, Nahash the king of the Ammornites was oppressing the tribes east of the Jordan. He gouged out the right eye of the Israelites. Seven hundred of them had escaped and gone to Jabesh-gilead. When Nahash came to them they begged for a peace treaty. The only way Nahash would give it to them was if they let them gouge out their right eye. Jabesh-gilead sent news to Gibeah where Saul was to ask if they would help them. Saul got so angry, he took his two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the pieces to all Israel saying this is what would happen to their oxen if they didn’t come help. They came, all 330,000 of them. Saul sent word to the people of Mizpah that they would rescue them by noontime tomorrow. They were so happy. They sent word to the Ammonites to come and do whatever they wanted to them. Saul’s army arrived early that next morning and were ready for the Ammonites. They killed them all morning. Saul had a great victory. Samuel called them all to Gilgal where they would anoint Saul as king. In John, Jesus continued to teach about the bread that came from heaven as being himself. They were having a hard time with this so he threw in the kicker: “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But none who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.” Even his disciples had a hard time with this teaching. He had already said that no one could come to him except the Father draws them. Jesus knew the ones who would accept them and the ones who wouldn’t. He wasn’t afraid of offending people. He was exposing their hearts. Lord, help us not to be offended in You and what you choose to do in our lives. We trust that you way is better than ours.

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.