Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Samuel 15-17 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Highlight Reference Passage : 1st Samuel 15 … To study this passage, use the link above to read all of Chapter 15 in 1st Samuel, and especially note verse 12: … Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”
My Journal for Today: As I have this morning, I hope you read through all of the three chapters in 1st Samuel through which the chronological reading plan leads us through today. We continue to see the character breakdown of Saul; and we’re introduced to Israel’s next King, … David. However, there is one focus point of application which jumped out at me today which has me under conviction; and perhaps it might help you as well if you’re reading along.
In reading Chapter 15 of 1st Samuel today, we read of Saul coming to a critical point of rebellion and disobedience against God’s will which ultimately will cause God to seek another to be the King God would anoint to lead His people … i.e.., a man after God’s own heart, whom we know will be David.
However, in today’s focus verse, i.e., 1st Samuel 15: 12, we see that Samuel, in searching for Saul in his early days of kingship, finds out that the king has built a monument to himself, probably highlighting all the victories over his nemesis enemies, the Philistines. But we also read in Chapter 15 that Saul, in winning a victory over the Amalekites, clearly ignored God’s commands and was not even able to see his own sinfulness until Samuel came to lay out the truth and rebuke the king. And by the time Samuel preached the truth to Saul and the king was able to see his own sinfulness, God moved His Spirit from Saul and as we read in Chapter 16, Samuel moved on, under God’s guidance, to find and anoint the next king of God’s chosen, … the young lad, David. And in Chapters 16-17 of 1st Samuel, we read the story of young David, and even his early victory over the giant Philistine, Goliath.
There are many great stories and applications in these three chapters which could yield powerful applications for my life or yours; but today, it’s this simple – but very self convicting – story of Saul building a memorial to himself for what God had accomplished through Saul for God’s glory. And therein springs my conviction from this reading today.
And I’m asking myself, “How many times do I make decisions or take action to lift myself in the eyes of others when it is God who should have all the credit and glory for what I’ve accomplished?” I’m afraid I’m too often guilty of trying to elevate my own image in the eyes of others when God should get all the glory for whatever I’ve accomplished. Perhaps that is something which we all need to evaluate and contemplate in our lives.
And I praise my Lord this day for keeping my tendency to build monuments to myself in check. May I be ever vigilant in seeing that anything I accomplish is because God is with me and it is HIS purposes and will which drive me to live for HIS glory.
My Prayer Today: … Thank you, LORD, for reminding me that it is for You I live and move and have my being. Amen
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