A Devotional Thought From 1 Samuel

With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright.     1 Samuel 22:14

David, a warrior of renown, and the face of his government, absolute ruler with the power of life and death, and an example of true “divine right” to be King under the one living God, tells us here that the one true God of the universe will be merciful to those who show mercy. If a person claims true faith he/she should be like his God: like God, like people. That’s the way Christians feel. What does it say that some people proclaim their own god is merciful, but they themselves never show mercy?

A Devotional Thought From 1 Samuel

     In a world where headlines scream: Ebola in U.S.; war in Ukraine; terrorists behead another; Christians chased out of Iraq; violence in the streets; cyber hacking again; riots in the cities; what should believers do? Follow the example of David.

     Once when he and his army had left their city, Ziklag (a temporary home), it was attacked by marauders and burned. The women and children, including his wives were captured and taken as slaves. As a result David’s own men were so distraught they blamed him, and considered killing him by stoning, a desperate situation to say the least. David’s reaction was: David encouraged himself in the LORD his God (1 Samuel 30:6).

     Believers in the God of the Bible need to encourage themselves in the Lord. God is able to carry them through. They need to strengthen their commitment, more and more deeply study and comprehend the Bible, God’s written word, and go forward in living a peaceful, godly life, facing as best they can whatever issues lie before them.

     None of us knows the joys or sorrows the immediate future holds, but we know that God is not mocked, that we walk with Him, and He will be with us even in the valley of the shadow. Christian encourage yourself in your God, Jesus.

A Devotional Thought From 1 Samuel

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.     1 Samuel 3:1

      Let me make a comparative application: there is an obvious parallel in today’s modern society. In the USA, for example, there are thousands of churches and dozens of denominations and in many of them a distinct dearth of faithful preaching of God’s Word (hence, no open vision). Some even enact organizational  policies in direct opposition to what God has stated in the Bible. Some in the church culture, and in society at large, that once revered biblical morality, now blocks it at every turn and attempts to force  religious followers in  the aforementioned denominations and individual congregations into rejecting the teaching of Scripture. So then precious and rare is the word of God again, in some areas of the church. Can you imagine, people think that churches and denominations exist to preach the word of God and make clear the meaning of what God has said, and today depending on what church you walk into that may not be what you hear.

     Churches and denominations should faithfully preach what the Bible says no matter what nonbelievers outside of the church desire or legislate. The testimony of God’s church in this world should be “If  you want to know what God says go to church, you will always hear a message straight out of the Bible.” That should be true of every church, and every denomination, that calls itself Christian.

A Devotional thought from 1 Samuel

…them that honour me I will honour…     1 Samuel 2:30

I honor God. I give Him glory, I express my praise, I declare Him King. I announce His worthiness, I profess my sincere love, I reverence, respect, and worship Him. The one true God who reveals Himself in the Bible is holy, the Creator of the world, the Sustainer of the world, the Savior of the world. I honor God, and my testimony is that in His goodness and mercy He has honored me.