devo q – on the computer this week

sometimes the Lord uses us in mysterious, even strange ways huh?  He can use us even when we do and say dumb things….Thank God.

I am fascinated by 1 sam. 11

bad guy, Nahash captures a city in Isreal, Jabesh and the “elders” of Jabesh ask Nahash to make a treaty with him and they will be subject to him, but Nahash retorts, yeah only if I can gouge out the right eye of every one of you!  Then they ask him to please let them send messengers to the rest of Israel to see if they will rescue them.

Now that right there is weird, is there an unspoken war rule here?  Why would you let your enemy go rally the troups?  pride? I don’t quite understand what happens here with this part but the next part is what i find most intriguing

they send word to where the new FIRST king Saul is and the people hear the message and begin weeping, Saul happens upon them hears the news and then God’s Spirit comes powerfully upon him, he burns with anger, and then cuts up an oxen into little pieces and sends it throughout Isreal saying, “whoever doesn’t follow saul and samuel will have his oxen cut up like this too!”

I wonder if this was some sort of war cry like something you say so wildly out of the ordinary to signify that he already knew no one would risk not going to war, like the biggest boast of courage you could make to get others rallied and on board to a cause where the hearer basically says, “well duh! I’m there! say no more!”

Verses 19 to end of chapter are really cool, wanted to point out some things

 

The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

²⁰ “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²² For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. ²³ As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. ²⁴ But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵ Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

God, his priest, his people

God chooses sinful people – God is so full of mercy, grace, and is quick to forgive

a mediator prays for the people – the way Samuel says this is convicting to me…why would Samuel be in sin if he didn’t PRAY for the people?  Lord help me to pray for the people you’ve given us to walk with

the people are to fear and serve God  - here is the call to the people once again, if they fear him, and serve him it saves Israel from learning hard lessons THE HARD way….

lots to ponder tonight

May God bless my dear friends and family who know and love Jesus tonight to see Him in profound ways this week, to obey Him with all their heart, and to stand in awe of His power and great grace!  In Jesus’ name i pray amen!  May those that don’t know him yet, be wooed by the King of Kings, to see His awesome love for them particularly, and may our God use His people and His power to reveal the good news to those ready to hear. In Jesus’ name amen.

Devo quest- “extra” along the ordinary path :)

WOW, Our God is an AWESOME STORY GIVER!  1 sam 10.  Saul sets out one day trying to find his father’s missing donkey’s and gets anointed KING of ISRAEL, I’m sure he thought as he walked out of his house that day, “can’t wait to be king!” yeah right?!!?  How amazing a story.  I wish the ending was as EXTRA ordinary as his beginning, but there is something to “beginnings” right?  Turn of the year in an hour (for me at least), a new beginning AGAIN:)  for the 34th year of my life at least…

But Saul was already a cut above it seemed.  It said that there was NOT a more handsome man in all isreal, and that he was apparently real tall, it said he was a head above the rest.  So mister Tall & handsome was about to meet RICH, FAMOUS, and Powerful, ….well for awhile…in just a few short hours on that fatefilled day.

So his servant HAPPENS to tell Saul, at the moment Saul wants to turn back, that they should go find Samuel, God’s prophet, maybe he could help them find Saul’s father’s lost donkeys….along the way, along the way….ALONG THE WAY!  

what if he decided to stay home that day, or disobeyed his father’s request, or was proud, or rude, or rebellious that day?  What if he said he would but never took the journey? 

A person could not have planned a better story, only GOD the amazing STORY GIVER could orchestrate such music and melody, perfect timing and rhythm….

So on the way to see Samuel there is a man coming towards Saul and his servant.  God speaks to Samuel, “this is the one I told you about”, and Saul stops this “stranger” to ask for directions to Samuel’s house!!!  I LOVE IT!!  its a movie in the making, the audience of angels know that Samuel is God’s prophet, and they see Saul about to meet his divine appointment, the bounding of the drums louder and louder till the loud symbol crash – SMASH!.  Just along the way….GOD!   He’s working to make the ordinary something “extra.” 

God through Samuel’s actions begins to pour favor on Saul, for one He meets his needs.  Earlier on the way, Saul was out of cash, and food.  They wanted to take a gift to Samuel but it mentions that the “food sack” was empty and they had nothing, but then the servant pulls out some coins and they decide it is enough.  So the first thing that they do is eat, and apparently the thigh of whatever was cooking was some kind of piece of meat, and an honor if you got to eat that piece.  He was not only fed, he was FED with a capital F:)  God is just good like that….along the way….

it reminds me of so many times that God has worked in me for someone else along the way, and all this time I’ve been so worried about being used when I get “there”.   May this new year be filled with me making margin in my schedule “along the way”….

In 2010, JD and I were doing visits like normal, sometimes we have so much time because we’re on a babysitter’s schedule, other times, we are on our son’s nap or energy schedule, but this time we just wanted to get it all done.  You see we visit one month prior to a residents renewal date.  We had a few more on our list for Novembers “renewals” and I just HAPPENED to look at my notes and noticed that a December “renewal” was …along the way….so I told JD, hey let me just stop here since we’re here and do a December renewal real quick.  She opened the door, drums louder and louder, symbol crash! bam! DIVINE APPOINTMENT….along the way…She lost her job, and had no idea what she and her 4 year old son were going to do without being able to pay december rent…She heard the gospel for the first time, received the truth in her heart without question, and became a new believer in Christ Jesus as the forgiver of her sins, Savior of her Soul, and Redeemer of her life….Along the way….and later by the GRACE AND GENEROUS HEART OF GOD and His church….her rent was paid….her family fed…others aware of their needs, and help like the cavalry displayed the grace, and goodness of our God

Had i waited to do december renewals when i was supposed to she may not have been there anymore….

may this new year find His children seeing all of God’s opportunities along the way…