June 29, 2020

BIBLE READING: I Samuel 11
“And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.” I Samuel 11:6

Chapter eleven is very exciting to read. We see God use Saul in a very great way. The Ammonites wanted to test the power of the new king, and God taught them otherwise. I think it is so neat to see how Saul was used by God. Through the Spirit, he was able to unite a nation and to defeat an enemy in the process to bring honor to God. Later, Saul shows humility in not killing his nay Sayers as requested. Which seems kind of extreme. I found this interesting quote by Matthew Henry about the power of God, “When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon men, it will make them expert, even without years of experience. When zeal for the glory of God, and love for the brethren, urge men to earnest efforts, and when God is pleased to help, great effects may speedily be produced.” That sums up this chapter on how Saul was used, too bad that was not always the case, but we can learn greatly from this on the dependency on the Lord. In our efforts for the Lord, there is almost a three-step process check. First, where is my heart? What am I focused on? Second, how is my service? What am I doing for the Lord? Last, is this what He wants me to do? Or who He wants me to be a blessing to? Whatever it may be, witnessing, encouraging others, or serving, how are we being used by the Lord? Are we doing it with our heart, mind, and soul? “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30 Let us do our all for Him today!

David Fulp II