Tag Archive | womenlivingwell

1 Samuel 9 – Saul the chosen one

Jan19

​Good evening y’all. We are continuing our study of 1st Samuel with Good Morning Girls and will be looking at chapter Samuel 9 today

I pray you are blessed as you read 🙂

In this chapter we are introduced to Saul, who eventually became Israel’s first king.

Saul’s father lost some of his donkey and sent Saul and a servant to look for the donkey. They searched all around but couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere.

“One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere” (v3-4 NLT).

This ended up being God working in Saul’s life to direct him to Samuel so that he can be ordained as King. I’m reminded of Romans 8.28 that says

” And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them”.

Charles Spurgeon  said “Saul had no idea he was being guided by God, but he was. The same is true in our lives. God has a plan and a purpose for you right where you are at, and you should submit to God and get in with His plan. “It is important for us to learn that the smallest trifles are as much arranged by the God of providence as the most startling events. He who counts the stars has also numbered the hairs of our heads.”

Saul’s servant suggested they go look for the Samuel, who might be able to help them find the donkey. They met with Samuel whom God had previously told about Saul’s coming. Samuel gave Saul a word, and Saul’s response in verse 21 is one i can relate to:

“Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”

Saul saw himself as irrelevant; as not good enough for God to use, given that he came from the least tribe in Israel. I don’t know about you but sometimes I do feel like I am not good enough and so unqualified to do the things that God wants me to do.

Today God is reminding us that it doesn’t matter who we are, where we’ve been, where we’ve come from, what they’ve named or called us…all that is irrelevant to Him. He just needs us to agree with Him and let Him use us to do mighty things for His Kingdom. I have realized that one weak person plus God, is a majority!!!!. Even with our insecurity and uncertainties, let’s still step out with God. Better to step out in fear than to be crippled with fear for the rest of our lives and miss out on the best that God has for us.  Remember He has promised He will always be with us…

I Pray God opens our eyes to see ourselves the way He sees us; and give us the grace to follow and obey His leading at all times.

Thanks for joining today. Pls feel free to leave your thots on the chapter in the comments section.

Have a blessed evening 🙂

1 Samuel 8 – Israel Demands a King

Jan18

​Good evening y’all. We are continuing our study of 1st Samuel with Good Morning Girls and will be looking at chapter 8 today

I pray you are blessed as you read 🙂

It’s interesting that Samuel made the same mistakes with his kids as Eli, the high priest before him. Scriptures tell us that his kids were greedy they were not like their father.

“As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice” (v1-3 NLT).

I ask myself why do these priests have this trend of their children not following in their steps: not serving God wholeheartedly as their fathers did. I guess the priests were very busy with God’s work and forgot to spend time with their family.

I pray as parents we will learn to teach our children the ways of the Lord and correct them in love when they err.

The Israelites felt Samuel was getting too old and they did not want his children to take over. So they asked Samuel to give them a king like the other nations. This suggest to me that the reason they wanted a king wasn’t really because Samuel was old and couldn’t judge them again but because they wanted to be like the other nations. The other nations didn’t have prophets or judges ruling over them they had kings. 

This got me thinking: Do I do things just because others are doing it? Do I ask myself if it’s what God wants from me at the time? I pray we get to a point were we are not controlled by what’s happening in the lives of others but rather focused on what it is that God wants for us.

Samuel wasn’t too happy about their request. I particularly love the fact that he didn’t act in the flesh. He chose to go back to God to ask for His direction on the matter

“Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance” (v6 NLT).

Do we make decisions without consulting God?  Samuel has been Israel judge for years, he could have chosen to act on his wealth of experience and decide to chose someone as his successor or king for Isreal. Instead he chose to consult God. He recognized God as the One who placed him in that position in the first place. God was his Employer and before making decisions he has to consult his Employer.

I pray we learn from Samuel to always consult God before we make decisions. No matter how much we think we know, God still knows more than us. Proverbs 3: 5-6  says;

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take”.

God told Samuel to honor the Israelites’ request. He said they weren’t rejecting Samuel but rejecting Him.

“Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them” (v 7-9 NLT).

In what ways have we been unfaithful to God?. Constantly rejecting Him, and only coming to Him when we need help; and once every thing is rosy we turn our backs on Him. That’s what the Israelites had been doing since God delivered them from Egypt.

Even though God warned them about the consequences of having a king, they still insisted on having one. They wanted to be like the other nations so bad that they refused to obey God’s warning. 

I pray we all learn to yield to God’s will for our lives and learn to trust in HIm and not lean on our own understanding when making decisions: let’s learn to acknowledge Him at all times. In Jesus’s Name. Amen

Thanks for joining today. 

Have a blessed evening 🙂