Devotionals

Agendas, Appearances, Abandonment {The Book of 1 Samuel}

you know that energetic feeling of excitement you get when you set a new goal? you’re like i got this, i’m going to crush it. you get all your ducks in a row to make sure you have a successful first week, second week, maybe even third week, and then your motivation starts to slip a little…or a lot.

The excitement of your bright, shiny new goal wears off and you fall right back into your old routine. I set out 6 months ago to read the bible, old testament to new testament, in one years’ time. Excited, i flew threw Genesis and Exodus and then my motivation started to slip a bit, and recently it’s slipped a lot. I’ve completed 9 books of the old testament and i still have 30 books of the old testament to go {yikes, that’s daunting}.

but i’m committed to this goal {not sure if I’ll hit my deadline but I’m committed}, which means doing what i said i was going to do — even though the excitement has faded. fortunately, the Big Man is making his presence known with some little reminders as i read {see my biggest take-away below}.

completed reading 1 Samuel on october 20th.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his faithful servants…” {1 Samuel 2:8-9}

my 1 Samuel summary: 

The book of 1 Samuel starts with a faithful story; the infertile Hannah begs God for a son, promising to dedicate him to the Lord. As a result, Samuel is born. “…and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.'” {1 Samuel 1:20}

Samuel, a dedicated servant, leads Israel to conquer the Philistines. But as Samuel ages the people of Israel ask for a king to lead them. Warning against the request for a king, Samuel eventually turns to God who tells him to select the handsome Saul as Israel’s first ruler. Saul starts off strong but eventually makes poor choices {sound familiar — starting off strong towards a goal but then losing consistency}. 

Then there’s the famous story of David, the small shepherd, verse Goliath, the giant Philistine warrior. “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.” {1 Samuel 17:45-46}

With God as his protector, David defeats the giant with one simple stone. This remarkable display of leadership makes David a hero, which naturally makes Saul jealous; so Saul sets out to kill David.

Although David could have easily protected himself and taken Saul’s life on two different occasions, he spares him. In the end, Saul takes his own life while losing in battle to the Philistines. Thus, David, who is called “a man after God’s own heart” {1 Samuel 13:14}, becomes king. 

my favorite 1 Samuel story: 

Hannah’s Prayer {1 Samuel 2}

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his faithful servants…” {1 Samuel 2:8-9}

this is a must read in my opinion.

biggest take-a-way: 

Do you let God set your daily agenda? Or are you just barely squeezing him into your agenda?  

ultimately, the book of 1 Samuel depicts how Israel chooses a king but in the process they blatantly neglected and abandoned God. Similar to how we tend to abandon our goals, or how I’ve abandoned God in my daily agenda {and purpose in reading the bible}.

*additional fav verses i wanted to include:

“But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart: consider what great things he has done for you.” {1 Samuel 12:24}

“Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” {1 Samuel 14:7}

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'” {1 Samuel 16:7}