April 13 - 1 Samuel15:1-17:31

Good morning everyone,

Well, as we begin reading this morning Saul is loosing it. His pride is taking over him and he is beginning to show disregard for what God has asked him to do. So God sends Samuel up to talk to him and basically say, “I love you, God loves you, now get it together”, then gives him the task of going down to fight the Amalekites, who you will remember gave them so much grief when Israel was on their way to the Promised Land. Saul’s instructions were to totally destroy them and their livestock but that’s not what he would do. Instead he spared king Agag along with the best livestock, and everything that was good and traveled to to Carmel where he had a monument set up in his honor.  As you may expect, the Lord was disappointed that Saul had not carried out His instructions and sent Samuel down to see him. When Samuel got there Saul says to him “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” Seriously?! This shows you how far he had fallen away from the Lord and when Samuel points out that he can hear the bleating and lowing of the livestock Saul plays the “blame game”, saying “Oh the soldiers did it.” And so it was that the spirit of the Lord left Samuel and an evil spirit would from then on forever torment him.

Now all of this totally broke Samuel’s heart, he not only loved Saul and had high hopes for him, but now he was not walking with the Lord and so he was mourning that loss when God said to him, “Come on, I want you to go anoint the guy who is going to be the next king.” So Samuel says “Okay” and travels to Bethlehem, to the house of Jesse and in the presence of his brothers anointed David. It was from that day forward that the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.

All the while up in the kings palace, the evil spirit is running rabid within Saul and he is getting more and more miserable within himself. One day one of his attendants says to him, “Hey I have heard of this kid, David, who plays really beautiful, soothing music on the lyre. Do you want to give it a try, you know, to help ease your torment?” It is here that  just want to say that, personally, whenever I am having a particularly grouchy time of it or under spiritual attack, I will put on worship and praise music and it always, always, always, without fail, calms my spirit. Just sayn’. Thank you Jesus!!! Anyway, the king agrees and sends for David and when David would play for Saul, it did bring him relief. The king said “hired”, so whenever needed, David would come in from tending his father’s flock of sheep and play for the king.

Chapter seventeen finds the Philistines assembled at Sokoh in Judah and the the Israelites faced off to them, camped in the Valley of Elah. The Philistines had a really big bully, I know you have all heard of him, called Goliath. He was approximately 9’ 9”, wore a bronze coat of scale armor weighing 200 lbs., and the tip of his spear weighed 25 lbs. This guy was big and strong and every day he would come out and torment Saul’s army. Well, one day while David was there delivering some bread and cheese to his brothers he witnesses Goliath taunting the Israelites and speaks up saying, “We shouldn’t let this guy goad and threaten us like that. What will be done for the guy who takes this giant down?” David’s brothers, basically tell him “Get lost, punk, we’re the soldiers here, go back to what you know … sheep.” However, tomorrow we will see who gets the last laugh as David makes a jaw dropping, sling of the stone and takes out the one they all feared.

What I loved about what we read on David today is that what a difference perspective and fear can make. In many intimidating situations I, like the Israelites, will stand back, weigh the odds and wait for the time of, if not an assured victory, then one where the casualties will be the fewest, the rewards greatest. However, my husband, on the other hand, is more of a David. He will boldly walk into any situation blindly and yes sometimes foolishly, believing he can take it on and a lot of the time goes on to claim “mission accomplished”. I often find myself wishing I were more like that. What’s most important with each scenario though, is that we listen for God’s voice and be obedient to His direction, because when do it is then that we will begin to see more clearly and be more effective in the battles God send us out to. Amen?

Have a great day to God be the glory.

God bless you all …