Reading for today: Isaiah 7:14-16 and Micah 5:2

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel,…” Micah 5:2

God can use both the great and the small for His purpose.  All that is required is a
willing and obedient heart.  He will provide the rest.

James Oglevi

Reading for today: 1 Samuel 29:1-11 and Ephesians 5:25-33

“For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”
Ephesians 5:30 

As Christ is the head of the Church and Savior of the Body, we are joined to Him by one Spirit through faith.  As members of His body, He loves and cherishes us as His own, thereby allowing us to realize a very real and intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior in all His fullness.

Reading for today: 1 Samuel 28:20-25 and Ephesians 5:22-24

“Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own
husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:24

God has laid out the social hierarchy for church and family, but it is a tremendous responsibility that comes with accepting the role of leader of the household.  Submission of our wives will grow through the confidence our wives have in our walk with the Lord.  Men, endeavor to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all your ways and trust your wife’s submission to be a matter of the Lord.

Reading for today: 1 Samuel 28:15-19 and Ephesians 5:18-21

“God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams.” 1 Samuel 28:15b

We should not at all be surprised that God does not answer our prayers or give us additional guidance when we do not obey His divine instruction.  Our relationship with God is a matter of the heart.  Are you right with God?

Reading for today: 1 Samuel 28:11-14 and Ephesians 5:15-17

“So he said to her, ‘What is his form?’ And she said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.’  And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.” 1 Samuel 28:14

Oh how desperate we can become, even bowing down before those things which God has deemed to be evil, when we remove God from our lives.  We thank you Lord for your everlasting faithfulness, grace and mercy that we may seek and receive your council even in the darkest of times.

Reading for today: 1 Samuel 28:9-10 and Ephesians 5:8-14

“And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, ‘As the LORD lives, no punishment shall
come upon you for this thing.’” 1 Samuel 28:10

The path Saul is on further exacerbates his sin.  Not only does he seek the guidance of those who he banished in the name of the Lord, but now he promises protection in the name of the Lord which he could not possibly deliver.  We must forever be aware of what is under divine authority.  To swear in the Lord’s name will surely muddy the path on which your walk with God is founded.

Reading for today: 1 Samuel 28:7-8 and Ephesians 5:3-7

“Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.’  And his servants said to him, ‘In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.’” 1 Samuel 28:7

Saul, in his desperation, continues to sin against God by seeking out the service of a
medium even though he knows it is wrong.  Only God can reveal the truth.  We must seek the divine wisdom of our Heavenly Father through prayer and be willing to wait upon His answer.

Reading for today: 1 Samuel 28:3-6 and Ephesians 5:1-2

“And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.” 1 Samuel 28:6

The Lord didn’t answer Saul because he cut himself off from the Lord due to a prideful, jealous and disobedient heart.  Our relationship with God is a matter of the heart.  If ever you feel like God is not listening, humble yourself at His feet and ask Him to reveal your heart so you can repent and rejoice in His mercy.

Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 28:1-2 and Ephesians 4:25-32

Focus on: 1 Samuel 28:1

Oops.  David thought he could align himself with one enemy in order to avoid another, but because David relied on his own failed logic and not on Godly wisdom, there would be a price to pay.  Achish demands that David now accompany him in war against his own people and future subjects.  David’s foolishness has put his kingdom at risk.  If he makes war on Israel alongside the Philistines, how will the Israelites ever accept him as king?  God is faithful, however.  God will make a way for David and His plan will be fulfilled in spite of David.

Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 27:5-12 and Ephesians 4:20-24

“…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…” Ephesians 4:22

Deceitful lusts can be anything which draws our desire away from God in an effort to satisfy the flesh.  We most often think of lust as an inappropriate desire for another person, often in a sexual context, but Paul talks of “deceitful lusts” which are less obvious, but much more dangerous in their insidiousness.  They may be disguised as seemingly wholesome, only revealing their true nature after we’ve followed them too far.  If we abide in the Word and ask for spiritual discernment we can recognize and avoid these deceptions and have faith that God will also reveal to us a way of escape.