Reign Was Ended

 May 3
 Daily Reading – 1 Samuel 28-31 / Luke 22:1-34

GOD SAID:

1 Samuel 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     It says in today’s verse that Saul, his three sons, his armourbearer, and all his men were killed in the same day. This must be the day that the reign of King Saul and his family is done. (At this point I feel almost like Paul Harvey, and now for the rest of the story.) You see Saul’s family was not all killed in this battle. When we get into 2 Samuel we find one of Saul’s remaining sons, Ishbosheth, is anointed King over a portion of the nation of Israel for about two years. In fact, later we will find that Saul has two more son’s by the names of Armoni and Mephibosheth. Since the Reign of King is a matter of heritage in those days, when did King Saul’s reign really end?

    To find the answer for that question we will need to turn back in our bibles to 1 Samuel 13:14. That is where Samuel tells Saul; “But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.” The reign of Saul actually ended years before he died. His kingdom and leadership was like a person being kept alive by life-support. He was there, but not really in charge. When did the reign of King Saul end? It ended when he decided he was above the law of God and could do whatever he wanted. It ended when God took his kingdom from Him. God is always in control.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  We must never confuse action with authority. Just because someone is going through the motions or being in charge, never removes God’s authority over an issue or His creation. The Lord has never stepped down from His throne. He will always be KING.

Do we follow the right leader?

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Righteousness Over Ego

 May 2
 Daily Reading – 1 Samuel 25-27  /  Luke 21

GOD SAID:

1 Samuel 25:33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     In 1 Samuel 13:14 it says; “…the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart,…” referring to David. You might think that this man would be a man who would do only those things that pleased the Lord. The scripture does record that for the majority of his life, David did follow the Lord’s leading. However, even a good and Godly man like David had moments of weakness. Times where God’s will and David’s will were not the same. Even for a man like David, the sin of pride and ego can lead us astray. How wonderful to know, God does not give up on us.


    In today’s passage, David is upset with a man named Nabal. Nabal had many men working for him, and David and his men had helped protect several of his shepherds out in the fields from predators. So David sent men to Nabal and asked if he would give them just a small amount of the food he was preparing, since they had in essence been serving him in this way. Nabal’s response was not only negative, but his tone was rude. When David hears this, he sets out to kill not only Nabal, but also all the innocent people who worked for him. It’s only when Nabal’s wife, whom God sent to intercede in this plan, that David realizes his sinful pride. He says in 1 Sam. 25:33 “…and from avenging myself with mine own hand.” God provided a way to escape his sinfulness, and his own will, and follow God’s will instead. David had a choice, righteousness over ego. He chose right.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  God still provides a way out of temptations. It says in 1 Cor. 10:13 “…but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We always have a choice. God’s will, or our will. It’s often a choice of righteousness, or ego.

Will you choose God?

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Respect Not Earned

 May 1
 Daily Reading – 1 Samuel 21-24 / Luke 20:27-47

GOD SAID:

1 Samuel 24:6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     “Those kids have no respect for authority!” I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I have heard that statement made. Teachers have come to me in tears saying it. Older saints within the church have voiced their concern. If I’m honest, I’ve said it a time or two, or more. The answer I believe is two-fold. Respect needs to be earned, and respect must be taught. Sometimes the person claiming they’re not being respected, has not earned that respect. They instead are trying to demand respect based on the position they hold. That usually doesn’t work. However, I believe the biggest problem that we face today is, respect is not taught. Very few people model respect for any authority before our youth today. Not for the Police, the President, the Pastors, and often not even for God. Respect must be modeled and taught if we ever have a prayer it will someday be received.

    David showed great respect toward Saul in today’s passage. Saul has been hunting David down and trying to kill him. Saul has killed several others, just because they helped David. Saul has done nothing to gain David’s respect at all. Yet David shows him a great respect, that was not earned. WHY? Because David had respect for God, who placed Saul in the position of being his King. Even though Saul had not earned David’s respect, God had. Because of his God, David showed great restraint, and respect for whom God had placed over him.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  Do we really want the youth of today to show respect for authority at home, in the world, at church, for God? If we do, then we need to begin to model that respect before them. God is still on the throne. He, and His decisions are worthy of respect.

Are we modeling what we desire?

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Recognizing What’s Evil

 April 30
 Daily Reading – 1 Samuel 18-20 / Luke 20:1-26

GOD SAID:

1 Samuel 19:9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     I have, in years past, gone to the county fair and went through what’s often marketed as a “Haunted House.” While walking or riding through this attraction, things jump out at you and try to scare you. The ones that will catch you off guard however are the ones that start out as one thing, such as a guide or an announcer, and then suddenly change into something scary. Things jumping out at you, well, you know they are supposed to scare you. However the ones that look just like everyone else, and then change, those are the ones you have to watch for.

     That changing character is somewhat how we see Saul in these passages today. Back in 1 Samuel 16:14 it said; “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.” This phrase; “Evil Spirit from the Lord, or God” appears a few times in 1 Samuel concerning Saul. Scholars have debated for centuries what that means. Some believe since the Spirit of God was taken from Saul, God then allowed an evil demon then to torment Saul. Others have said the word evil in its original context simply meant Saul was in a depressed or distressing mental state. Still some say that God directed a specific fallen demonic angel to torment Saul. What we do know for sure is that in all of this, God was in control of the situation, however He accomplished it. By chapter 20, David had recognized the evil in Saul and departed.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

     2 Cor. 11:14 say; “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” The sinfulness of the world, the Devil, and evil are all around us. Sometimes it is obvious. More often than not, it’s deceptive.

Are you watching for evil?
It’s looking for you.

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Run Toward The Enemy

 April 29
 Daily Reading – 1 Samuel 16-17  /  Luke 19:28-48

GOD SAID:

1 Samuel 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     Many years ago, in Mississippi at a local zoo with our family, something out of the ordinary happened. We were all just enjoying a fun day at the zoo when a cheetah broke free from its cage and was dragging a little boy by his clothing. The management of the zoo was directing people inside the buildings around us. However, my cousin and I could see the cheetah in a clearing, dragging the little boy and we moved toward them. When we did, the animal dropped the little boy and seemed disoriented. The little boy cried, “please help me mister.” I said; “just be still, don’t move.” About that time a man stepped up beside me. I said quietly, “sir, if you’re not with the zoo, don’t go out there.” He said, “I am with the zoo,” and in just a few moments the cheetah was captured and the little boy was ok. What made us go toward the danger? All I can say is, that little boy needed help, or he may have been mauled. When the papers interviewed us we just said; “God used us to help that little boy in his time of need.”

    When David stepped out to fight the Giant Philistine Goliath, the nation of God’s people were being threatened. He knew God had delivered him in the past from danger and just thought he could help. He wasn’t trying to be a hero. He wasn’t trying to show off. He just saw a situation where someone was in danger and he thought he could help. So, giving God the glory, David stepped toward the enemy.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  1 Peter 5:8 says; “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” Someone out there is being attacked by the devil and needs your help.

Will you step in, toward the enemy for God?

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12