Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Samuel 28-31 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 18 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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My Journal for Today: No specific highlight verses in today’s chronological reading through 1st Samuel 28-31 and Psalm 18; but the reading today – at least for me – was a confirmation of what I’ve been relearning about those who obey God and those who don’t.
The character of Saul, of course, shows us what happens to a life who is called out by God for service but cannot or will not obediently and/or humbly seek God’s way and His will for moving through life. David, of course, is our characterization of the man (or woman, if you will) “after God’s own heart,” … the one who does his (or her) best to follow God’s will by continually seeking what the Lord would ultimately command God’s disciples … i.e., … to deny self and follow the Lord (see again, Luke 9: 23).
And we see in today’s reading where Saul’s disobedience, impatience, and selfishness led him, … to utter and personal destruction, having to fall on his own sword to end a life of self-driven disobedience. Saul started out right, with God’s anointing and favor, having the grace of God at his disposal. But his own willfulness and disobedience did him in; and he was never able to humbly reach out to receive God’s grace to become the man God had purposed him to be.
But when you read Psalm 18 from this morning’s reading assignment, you get the exact opposite picture when we see how David approached His God; and the victories David sings about in this psalm cry out why God favored David and blessed the one after God’s own heart with victory and providential protection.
So, getting these two pictures of God’s free gift of grace in the lives of two of God’s chosen, … one who was UNwilling to gather God’s favor and the other who did nothing but humbly seek and receive God’s grace, … it becomes our choice to apply the lessons from these two lives to our relationship with God. Do we want to receive God’s blessing of His enabling grace and favor for our lives? Well, if so (which I would assume we would), we must live as David did (at least early in his life); and we must do all we can to avoid the pitfalls of Saul, … living out our lives in pursuit of obedience and surrender to the calling God has for each of us. That is my prayer for you and me today.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, help those who read here today, including this humble servant, to follow You daily, living selflessly as You did when You walked among us. Amen
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