Monday 31 January 2011
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1 Samuel 20
New Moon Sacrifices
David took his relationship with God seriously, so he was determined to celebrate the New Moon festival properly (v.5). At the beginning of each month the Israelites held this festival. It was a time to celebrate, but also a time to dedicate the next month to God. While other nations celebrated the Full Moon, the Israelites celebrated at New Moon – when the moon was not even visible in the sky. This was a precaution against falling into the trap of worshipping objects. The Bible tells us that we are never to worship anything in creation – only the Creator Himself (Ex. 20:3-6).
The New Moon festival involved making a sacrifice to God (see Num.28:11-15). People attending the festival had to be made clean by washing their bodies and clothes before coming into God’s presence. This outward cleaning was a symbol of each person’s inner desire for a purified heart and a close relationship with God. Here in this Old Covenant practice we see a foretaste of the New Covenant. Now our hearts are made clean by our faith in God, through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on our behalf, and we stay close by reading and acting upon God’s Word (John 17:17) and listening to His Spirit..
While David was preparing to come into God’s presence, Saul was still plotting. We read in 13:13-14 how God told Saul that his dynasty would end with him. Yet he continued to try to make sure his throne would be secure for his sons (vv.31,32). He used all his human ingenuity because he knew he would get no help from God. He got no help from Jonathan either – he loved God and David too much to side with his father ( 23:16-18).
Should a son disobey his father? God’s Word teaches us that we should obey God rather than man. But if a son is old enough to be accountable and able to see deception when it arises, then, while he is to be respectful towards his father (Eph. 6:1-3), he should not follow him in violating God’s will or His laws.
Prayer:
* Thank God for the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
* Pray for families in Ruwach – for marriages and for relationships between parents and children.
* Pray for God’s help to be obedient to His word as individuals and as a church.
Sunday 30 January 2011
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1 Samuel 19
Persecution And Protection
Saul’s fear of David resulted in him beginning to plot openly against the young man. He tried to enlist his son Jonathan, as well as all his servants, into his plans but Jonathan would not co-operate. Jonathan not only refused but “spoke well of David” (v.4) to his father, a brave thing to do in the circumstances. For a while his father agreed and David was accepted back into Saul’s presence. But the old wounds were still there, the problem not dealt with. Saul had a relapse and once again (v.9) tried to kill David. For us, too, it is easy to brush unsolved problems, attitudes and weaknesses under the carpet instead of facing up to them and seeking help.
David was protected by Jonathan’s good word (v.4), by Michal helping him to escape (vv.11-17), by Samuel hiding him (v.18) and by the Holy Spirit intervening in Saul’s manhunt (v.23). These were not mere coincidences, but the hand of God at work in David’s life. God had a plan for David, just as He has plans for each of us. If we stay close to Him in our time of need then He is more than able and willing to protect us.
David had to separate himself from Saul and his murderous intentions (v.18). Sometimes we need to distance ourselves from people and situations that are not good for us. David went to Samuel, who gave him shelter and security. There will be occasions when we too need to seek help from wise, godly people.
While David was kept safe, Saul was sorely troubled (vv.9,24). He had turned away from God and now he was reaping the consequences. Here, at the end of this chapter, we read of Saul prophesying (see also Chapter 10). He was speaking God’s words – but his thoughts were far from God. There was no power in his prophesying – he had the gift but not the fruit of the Spirit in his life.
Prayer:
* Ask God to bring to mind any issues you have brushed under the carpet so that you can face them and deal with them.
* Thank God for the wise and godly people who have influenced your life.
Saturday 29 January 2011
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1 Samuel 18
Godly Friendship
As soon as David and Saul’s son Jonathan met, they became close friends (vv.1-4). As you read of this friendship notice the principles on which it was based and that made it a success:
- It was based on a commitment to God, not just to each other.
- Neither of them let any circumstances come between them.
- Testing times and situations brought them closer together.
- They remained friends until the end.
Jonathan must have realised that he, the heir to the throne, would be supplanted by David. Yet for Jonathan the friendship was more important than the crown. God gives us Christian friends, people who make sacrifices for us, people we can always rely on, who accept us as we are and always want the best for us. We need to cultivate such friendships. We need to support each other physically, emotionally and in prayer – because the gift of Christian friendship is invaluable and given by God.
The other thing we see in this chapter is Saul’s growing resentment against David. David’s popularity with the people turned Saul to jealousy, which then turned to rage (vv.11,12) and from there to fear. He began to plot David’s death, and was even ready to use his own daughter as bait. Saul was proud and full of his own self importance. But David, despite receiving similar adulation from the people, remained humble (v.23). His humility, together with godly wisdom, earned him the esteem of the Israelites (v.30). In this respect David is an example for us to follow. We need to give God the glory for any successes we may have a hand in. We need to return other people’s jealousy and resentment with love, as David did for Saul. He continued to honour Saul despite the constant antagonism and enmity.
Prayer:
*Thank God for your Christian friends and ask Him to bless them.
* Ask God to help you to love those people in your life who are difficult.
* Pray for the young men of our church that they may follow the example of David and Jonathan in boldness and humility.
Friday 28 January 2011
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1 Samuel 17
David And Goliath – Our God Rules, OK!
This must be one of the most well known stories in the Old Testament. But what is God saying to us through it? The main message for me is that God’s power is greater than any man’s – or any other god that man might chose to idolise.
On the face of it no man was a match for Goliath. All Saul and his army could see was this ten-foot giant hurling insults at them. Every time they saw him they were afraid (vv.11, 24). Their expectations were thoroughly earth-bound; they had lost sight of God. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our problems and try so hard to solve them ourselves (or even to run away from them!) that we leave God out of the equation. David didn’t. What David saw was a mere man (OK, a large one!) who was defying the Almighty God.
Because David had a close relationship with God he knew that God would be with him, and he saw the problem from a heavenly perspective. We need to assure ourselves, and each other, that “impossible” situations are not impossible with God’s help. Seeing things clearly, from God’s viewpoint, makes the difference.
Secondly, David didn’t just talk the talk, he walked the walk! Once he knew the rightness of the course of action, he did it, without hesitating. How often do I hesitate? I know what God is asking me to do, but I put it off, making excuses – I’m not strong enough yet; the situation is not exactly right; perhaps someone else will do it; I will be laughed at by my non-Christian friends. Whose opinion matters most – mine, my friends’ – or God’s?
David achieved a mighty victory because he took God at His word and acted on it. The same recipe works today if we are bold enough to put it into practice.
Prayer:
* Praise God for all He has done and is doing in your life.
* Ask for God’s help to believe what He has said and start acting on it.
* Pray for the other members of your cell group, that they might overcome the giants in their lives.
* Pray that Ruwach Christian Church might be effective in reaching out into Haywards Heath.
Thursday 27 January 2011
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1 Samuel 16
God Chooses David
The next section of 1 Samuel focuses on two men, David and Saul, in particular their relationships with each other and with God. These chapters don’t present us with perfect lives to copy, but with the nitty-gritty of life experience.
In this chapter we read that, even though Saul was still on the throne, Samuel was charged by God to look for Saul’s successor (v.1). Samuel was looking for someone of similar physical appearance and presence to Saul, but God’s choice was rather different. Verse 7 reminds us that God does not look at our outward appearance, but at our faith and our character. Only He can see us as we really are, and judge us properly. He is looking for the fruit of the Spirit in our lives – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22). But He also knows our hopes and dreams and the potential He has put within us to follow Him and do His will. God’s choice was a young man called David (v.12). Samuel anointed him with oil and God’s Spirit came upon him.
Meanwhile God’s Spirit had left Saul (vv.13,14) who began to suffer from depression, which would eventually lead to fits of insanity and murderous intentions against David. Although David had been chosen as the next king, it would be many years before he saw the fulfilment of that promise, but God was already beginning to work through events to bring it about. His first move (vv.14-23) was to bring the two men together. He arranged for David, through his music, to bring some calm into Saul’s troubled life. In this way He created an opportunity for the future king to learn about running a kingdom at first hand.
Sometimes the promises God makes to us don’t happen immediately (patience is one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit!). But we can use this “waiting time” effectively to develop our daily walk with our Heavenly Father and prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. And we can trust God to be working through the events of our lives to accomplish all that He has promised to us.
Prayer:
* Pray that you may be obedient to God’s calling on your life.
* Pray for the growth of the fruit of the Spirit within you.
* Pray for patience to wait when God seems slow to answer.
* Pray for Pastor Jacky and the elders as they lead Ruwach Church.
Wednesday 26 January 2011
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1 Samuel 15
Taking The Blame
We are blessed to have a God who gives us second chances, but Saul was a man who didn’t seem to learn his lessons. Although the Lord had given the Israelites victory over the Amalekites just as He promised, Saul failed to carry out the Lord’s command to totally destroy all livestock and people. Once again, he was more afraid of people than of God (v.24) and once again he thought he could do things his way rather than God’s – so he saved the king and some of the best livestock (v.9). But God is not prepared to turn a blind eye to sin and He told Samuel of Saul’s disobedience (v.10).
When Samuel challenged him, Saul lied and said that he had carried out the Lord’s command. When his behaviour was uncovered he tried to justify it by saying that he had obeyed God (except that he had saved the king’s life) and that the soldiers had kept back some livestock which they planned to use for burnt offerings. Once again we see that Saul blamed other people rather than taking responsibility for his sin and repenting of it.
Because Saul had rejected the word of the Lord, he was rejected as king (v.23, 26). His acknowledgement of his sin was too little too late. Samuel completed what Saul should have done by putting king Agag to death as the Lord had commanded.
We all have a tendency to blame others when we are faced with our sin. Adam and Eve did it in the Garden of Eden and people have been looking for others to blame for their wrong behaviour ever since. We make excuses about our upbringing or past experiences or the way others have behaved to avoid facing the fact that, quite simply, we sinned. But such blame-shifting will not work with God. We are answerable to Him for our own actions, whatever our circumstances. We have a choice. We can either acknowledge our sins now, and ask for them to be covered by the blood of Jesus, or we can answer for them before God’s throne of judgment when we die. I know which I would rather do. If you have been running away from taking the responsibility for your own wrongdoing, why not get real with yourself and with God right now?
Prayer:
* Acknowledge before God that you are a sinner. Repent of any sins that come to mind right now, and receive His forgiveness.
* Praise and thank God for His mercy and forgiveness. Ask Him to give you an opportunity to share the good news of God’s love and grace with someone else today.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
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1 Samuel 14
Actions And Consequences
As you read this chapter you cannot help but be aware of the contrast between King Saul and his son Jonathan. In vv.1-14 we see that Jonathan was full of faith in God. He had no doubt that God was more powerful than the Philistine army, so his actions were bold and audacious. Whereas Saul had retreated in the face of the enemy, Jonathan advanced! And God gave him success. As a result of the bravery of Jonathan and his armour-bearer the Philistines were routed and the Israelites achieved a great victory. The faith of these two men impacted their whole nation for good.
By contrast, Saul’s actions were foolish. He made a show of being God-fearing: he made a religious oath, he had the ark brought to the army, he built an altar, he even prayed. But his heart was not right; his motivation was self-glorification rather than bringing honour to God, and in the key moments he made his own decisions rather than listening to God and obeying Him. Like Jonathan, his actions also impacted the nation, but for bad rather than good. As Jonathan himself remarked, “My father has made trouble for the country” (v.29, NIV). Because of his self-proclaimed fast his soldiers were distressed and placed at an unnecessary disadvantage in the battle. Because of their extreme hunger and exhaustion they were tempted to eat food that still contained blood (v.32), an act against God’s law which need not have happened. And in order to save face, he was willing to kill his own son, who was clearly walking in God’s favour, rather than admit his own fault.
Just like these two men, our actions have consequences, not just for ourselves but for other people – in our families, our workplace and our church. And like them, the wisdom and courage with which we act and the fruit of our actions will be determined by our motives. If we are trusting in God and seeking to do things His way, acting in obedience to His Word, then we will impact those around us for good. But if we are seeking to glorify ourselves and do what we think is best we will make unwise decisions and have a negative effect in our home, our workplace and in the church.
Prayer:
* If you have made unwise decisions because you did not consult God, or obey what He told you to do, repent now and ask Him to show you how to put things right.
* Ask God to help you impact your family, your colleagues and your cell group in a way that encourages others to put their faith in Him.
Monday 24 January 2011
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1 Samuel 13
The Importance Of Obedience
In 1 Samuel 10:8 we read about a test for Saul. Samuel told him that after he had been anointed God wanted him to go to Gilgal and wait there for seven days until Samuel came to offer the sacrifice (which in Old Testament times was something that could only be done by a priest). Now we see Saul in Gilgal with his fighting men, waiting for Samuel as he had been instructed (v.8). But Samuel did not come and Saul got impatient. The Philistines had assembled to fight Israel and were a mighty fighting force. Saul’s men were frightened, and some were beginning to desert the army. Instead of trusting God, Saul felt that he had to act before things fell apart, so he decided to offer up the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings himself, in spite of God’s clear command.
God needed a king who would be unquestioningly obedient to Him, but Saul chose to use his own judgment and take matters into his own hands. God rebuked Saul for his disobedience, and warned him that his sin had cost him his kingdom. Instead of one of his sons succeeding him as king, the Lord vowed to choose another – one who would be a man after His own heart (v.14).
I don’t know about you, but I can imagine that, in the same situation, I would have been tempted to act as Saul did. He was under huge pressure from his troops, and things were looking pretty desperate. But Saul’s problem (and the trap I too easily fall into) was looking at things from an earthly point of view. He was focused on the power of the opposing army and the desertion of his troops. He forgot that God is far bigger than any of that and could achieve a victory even if Saul was the only man left standing.
When we take our eyes off God we are vulnerable. Satan’s lies seem all too convincing, and disobedience seems like the only plausible course of action. Like Saul, we will be of no use to God unless He can rely on us to be obedient. We need to learn to keep our eyes fixed on Him rather than our circumstances, and to trust Him no matter what is going on around us. Then obedience will be the natural choice and we will start to see what God can do in and through someone who is obedient in everything, rather than just the easy things.
Prayer:
* Ask the Lord to help you walk in obedience, even when you don’t want to do it.
* Ask the Lord to reveal any sin in your life, that you may be forgiven and your sins washed by His blood.
Sunday 23 January 2011
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1 Samuel 12
Put God In First Place
Although he knew Israel had sinned by asking for a king (vv.17-19) and he himself had great reservations about it, Samuel anointed Saul as king of Israel at God’s command. He took the opportunity to remind the people of the mighty acts the Lord had done for them. Like the Israelites, we are very quick to forget the Lord’s blessings and His acts of deliverance in our lives. It is important to look back now and then on what the Lord has done and to remind ourselves of His faithfulness. In vv.6-18 Samuel handed the baton of leadership over to Saul and urged him to lead the Lord’s people in His ways, not allowing them to stray from Him as they had done so often in the past.
The Israelites were still distanced from God. When they realised they had sinned, they asked Samuel to pray to his God, not their God (v.19). They had become so worldly that they no longer saw the Lord as their God. We can sometimes get to that place where we want other people to pray for us because we feel that their prayers are more likely to be answered than ours. Do you know the Lord in an intimate, personal way, or do you see Him as someone who is afar off? If you choose to put aside worldly things and draw near to Him He will draw near to you and have a relationship with you.
Samuel didn’t cut himself off from the Israelites in spite of their spiritual condition, but said that he would continue to pray for them and to lead them spiritually in God’s ways. He stressed that the people must not serve false gods – ”they can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless” (v.21, NIV). False gods are anything that is more important to us than the Lord – such as work, family members, sport or possessions – anything and everything that would take first place in our life. God alone is all that we need. Nothing of this world will ever fulfil what it promises. Is your relationship with God the most important thing in your life?
Prayer:
* Are there any false gods in your life? If so, confess your sin and resolve to put God in first place.
* Thank God that He wants an intimate relationship with you and ask Him to draw closer to you now.
* Pray for the services at Ruwach today.
Saturday 22 January 2011
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1 Samuel 11
Empty Threats
Nahash’s threats were meant to put fear into the people of Jabesh Gilead. He wanted them to think they had no chance of stopping him taking over their territory and terrorising the people. But when Saul heard about the situation, the Spirit of God rose up in him and caused him to respond. He was not intimidated by the threats but sent messages throughout Israel calling all the fighting men to battle.
In a similar manner, satan comes to us and tries to put fear and doubt into our hearts. But he is a liar, his threats are just words, he is already a defeated enemy. With the Lord’s help we can rise up against him and see the victory as Saul did. Remember, satan thought he had won when Jesus died at Calvary. But today we celebrate the awesome victory that Jesus has won once and for all over sin and death!
When the people united and fought according to the strategy given them, the Lord gave them the victory! Where there is unity, the Lord commands a blessing!! He doesn’t just think about it, but commands it!
Prayer:
* Thank God for the victory that was won, once and for all at the cross.
* Use the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (the Word of the Lord) to defeat the lies of the enemy.
* Pray for unity among the members of Ruwach and the greater body of Christ, that the Lord’s blessing may be commanded on His people – in Ruwach, in Haywards Heath, England and around the world.