Devotional Thoughts for Today
1 Samuel 9:1-27: There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.”
One of the questions that have always come to my mind in reading 1 Samuel 9 is: “Why did God direct Samuel the prophet to choose Saul as the first king of Israel?” For those who know the story, Saul was a horrible king who rejected God’s commands and was self-serving, murderous, and insane towards the end of his life. God certainly could have kept this man from the throne, yet not only does He permit Saul to become king, but He is the active agent in the process of bringing Saul to power. Was this simply a case of not reading Saul’s resume carefully and making an unfortunate hiring blunder?
Actually, God hired exactly who the people of Israel wanted. They wanted a king just like the kings of the surrounding nations, and so they received the desires of their heart. In the text, we are told that Saul was a head taller than any of the people. From a human perspective, it would seem good for a king to, at least, look the part, but the problem is that in the Old Testament, descriptions of stature are only given to the villains (remember Goliath?). In fact, the good guys are identified primarily by their ability to tend their flocks, like a good shepherd. We read in the story that Saul falls woefully short in his capacity to find the animals in his care. This is all a foreshadowing of the type of king that Saul would eventually become.
It is so easy to judge everything by its exterior appearance and forget about what truly matters. Like the people of Israel, we too can become consumed by our desire to achieve the world’s standards of prestige, fame, good looks, and fortune. A sobering thought is that God sometimes gives into our illegitimate demands in order to teach us the hard lesson of humility and to point us towards Christ. Unlike Saul, Jesus, the true King, was lowly in stature and despised in the eyes of men. Yet for those of us who believe, He is our Good Shepherd, who has come from heaven to earth to find us and to care for us.
Prayer
Father, help us to remember that You do not judge by the outward appearance, but by what is in the heart. May we clothes ourselves in the humility of Christ and help us to reflect this attitude in the things that we desire and pray for. Above everything else, purify our motives and give us pure hearts that yearn to do Your will.
Bible Reading for Today: Jeremiah 1
Lunch Break Study
Read James 4:1-6 (ESV): What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Questions to Consider
- What is the main cause of fighting and quarrels among believers according to James?
- Why are prayers not being answered by God?
- What is the solution that is given for these problems that we find in the church?
Notes
- The primary reason for quarreling among Christians is the spiritual war that is within each of us. All of us are a mixture of good and evil, and simultaneously both saint and sinner. Much of our conflict with others is simply an overflow of the uncontrolled conflict that resides inside our own hearts.
- The main cause of unanswered prayer is asking with the wrong motives. Even the most legitimate prayer request can be corrupted by our selfishness and desire to satisfy our own passions.
- Simply put, we need more of the grace of God. If we continue to depend on our sense of self-sufficiency and pride, we compound the problem by facing the opposition of God. Humility releases the grace of God into all of the relational issues that we face in the church.
Evening Reflection
Is there someone that you have been fighting with recently, perhaps your wife/husband, children, friend, etc? How did your pride make the problem worse? How can humility bring reconciliation? Pray to the Lord for more grace in the midst of conflict in your life.
It was a blessing for me to read about Billy Graham and his 3 decades of enduring lifelong partnership with his ministry teammates, of which the most familiar to the public are: Cliff Barrows, Grady Wilson, and George Beverly Shea. In this present age, we are bombarded and accustomed to hearing about the failures of leaders from all sectors of life. So I found it refreshing, inspiring and hopeful in reading about modern day saints who have faithfully finished their God-given calling with such humility, grace, and integrity. It’s no surprise to find that their personal and ministry success of serving together at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association were birthed out of the spirit, mind set, and effort of being a team. Ruth Graham, Billy Graham’s daughter described her father’s ministry team in this way: “Not only has the ministry been a team effort, but what strikes me is that it has also been an effort made largely by the same team”.
Recently, I was feeling discouraged by the lack of visible breakthroughs in the ongoing 18 plus years of interceding for my siblings’ salvation and the heart wrenching circumstances that they are in. A thought of, “What’s the use, you might as well give up praying for them,” came to my mind. Just then, I felt the tugging of the Holy Spirit, reminding me of several prayers that were prayed over me: The first prayer was a prophetic word from a pastor that God has called me to be a spiritual pillar for my family. The second prayer was that God was teaching me a new way to see, to respond, and to pray for my dysfunctional family through His perspective and not my own.
Lk 14:26-33 (NIV): “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. [27] And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. [28] Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? [29] For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, [30] saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ [31] Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? [32] If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. [33] In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
As our commitment level grows, we’ll reach a point where we may be ready to surrender all aspects of our lives to the “King of kings” (1 Tim. 6:15), which is what the second parable shows. The “kings” refer to us who are in charge of our own lives, but upon seeing that the KING, who comes to conquer, is stronger than us, then, instead of fighting, we’ll surrender. Those who haven’t added faith to their rationality will put up a losing fight; those who have will yield, allowing the KING to rule them wherein they encounter righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).
A large freshmen class was told by the professor to submit their monthly assignments on the last day of the month—from September to November. The fifty students who missed the first deadline were given a failing grade, but the professor showed them mercy when they pleaded for leniency on account of not yet being acclimated to college life. Later, hundred students missed the second deadline, but the professor again showed them mercy on account that midterm exams were too much for them. Once the word got around about the professor’s leniency, almost everyone missed the final deadline. When told that they will all get an “F,” they yelled “Unjust!” to which the professor asked, “Do you want me to be just?” When they said “Yes,” he declared, “Everyone who missed the deadline for previous assignments all get an ‘F’.”
This story and the parable above are very similar except for the people involved. The landlord goes out to the market place on several occasions to hire men for his vineyard. Like the day laborers of today, these are desperate men in need of work. The earliest hired laborers probably worked for twelve hours; the last hired, only one. Those who worked the longest, after seeing that the last hired received a denarius (a day’s wage), expected more; they were disappointed. Then the landlord, like the professor, was accused of being unjust. In response, he pointedly said to his accusers, “I’m not being unfair; I can do whatever I want with my money. You received the agreed amount; with others I’m being generous.”
Some say that Jesus was wrong since he didn’t return in the first century even though “all these things” happened during “this generation.” This misunderstanding stems from what constitutes “the end of age,” which, according to end times Bible prophesy, likely began with the restoration of Israel in 1948. However, Peter, quoting Joel, proclaimed that the “last days” were inaugurated when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost: “In the last days, God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people’” (Acts 2:17).
A few years after Buster Douglass knocked out Mike Tyson, his weight ballooned to 400 pounds. It isn’t uncommon for professional athletes to experience substantial weight gain during the off-season or after retiring. But for us, there is no off-season or retiring because “by standing firm you will gain life” (Lk. 21:19).
Matt. 25:1-13 (NIV): “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. [2] Five of them were foolish and five were wise. [3] The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. [4] The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. [5] The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. [6] At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ [7] Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. [8] The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ [9] ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ [10] But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. [11] Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ [12] But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ [13] Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
This parable, about the ancient Jewish wedding day, has the bridegroom arrive at the house of his bride’s father at midnight for the ceremony. Upon his sudden arrival, the door is closed and the late comers aren’t admitted. Afterwards, the husband would take his wife home in a wedding procession, and then celebrate the banquet that lasts for a week. Since the procession typically occurs in darkness, the guests would bring lamps to light the way; and those without it are prohibited to be on the street.
When my basset hound thinks it’s time to walk, she whimpers without ceasing. This annoys me a lot when I am busy, but I still walk her so that she won’t bother me with her persistent whimpering. And once we’re out, I make sure she has a good walk.
Keep this in mind before praying: “If you remain in [Christ] and [his] words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (Jn. 15:7). Those abiding in Christ won’t ask for things that contradict God’s general will revealed in the Scripture. In Mexico where Catholicism reigns, it isn’t uncommon for drug cartels to demand that a priest bless them. God will never answer prayers that go contrary to His general will; some may experience what may look like an answered prayer, but God has nothing to do with it.
I was stunned to hear that the leaders of Mars Hill Church—a mega congregation founded by Mark Driscoll—decided to cease its operation in response to highly publicized revelations about Driscoll’s questionable conduct. Among other things, Driscoll had the church pay a large sum of money to a marketing firm, so that it can make a bulk order of his book on marriage, to make it appear that thousands of purchases were made in a given week. The strategy worked as the book reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller List in “hardcover, advice, and misc” rankings. But in the following week, his book disappeared from the top 15 list; evidently the hype didn’t translate to more book sales. And, it turns out that this manipulative ploy has been used by other well-known pastors— they probably feel embarrassed seeing their name next to Driscoll, who, since, has admitted to the wrongfulness of this practice.
I experienced this in a weird manner. I don’t own a fancy phone because I don’t need it since I work mostly at home (when not travelling). But I do own a $10 cell phone which I use when I really need it. But once, when I was calling my wife to pick me up at the airport, I felt sort of self-conscious about using this low-tech phone, since everyone around me was using a Smartphone; but, I said to myself, “I need to be real; besides, Jesus thinks I am okay.”