June 17, 2020

BIBLE READING: I Samuel 9
1 Samuel 9:16-17
“Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.”

In times past, for our AWANA program at church, we have had a career theme night. It is so neat to see what the children come dressed up as like astronauts, firemen, soldiers, ballerinas, etc. Many even dress up like the career their parents are in such as UPS delivery man, preacher, teacher, etc. That’s great because of how much they look up to their parents. I remember as a kid doing the same thing, dressing up as many different types of careers and having fun. As I got older, obviously getting a little bit more serious and God calling and working in my life to what He has me doing today. In this passage, we see a very pivotal place in the history of Israel. Israel is about to make a change in there type of leadership and this man was going to be their first king. According to the description at the being of the chapter, we see Saul is exactly what everyone thinks of when they think of a king. Tall, strong, commanding personality, and full of potential, God told Samuel this may be the man to the nation to deliver them from the Philistines. Unfortunately, we know the sad story of Saul, but what potential Saul had! We see that Saul started off right, and eventually turned away from the Lord. What is the key here? Talent and abilities are great, but does that determine a successful Christian life? No, we see in Saul’s life, it was obedience to the Lord where he struggled. Talents and abilities help a lot, but they do not determine our success as a Christian. Our obedience and faithfully following the Lord are key. Sometimes, it can be very easy to forget and drift. So, as we look over Saul’s life over the next couple weeks let’s remember to stay faithful and obedient to what the Lord would have for us day to day.

David Fulp II