Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 10:9-16
Samuel’s Signs Are Fulfilled
9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. 10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. 11 When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”
12 And one of those standing there said, “Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?” So that is the origin of the saying “Is even Saul a prophet?”
13 When Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the place of worship. 14 “Where have you been?” Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant.
“We were looking for the donkeys,” Saul replied, “but we couldn’t find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were.”
15 “Oh? And what did he say?” his uncle asked.
16 “He told us that the donkeys had already been found,” Saul replied. But Saul didn’t tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom.
Samuel’s Signs Are Fulfilled
9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. 10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. 11 When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”
12 And one of those standing there said, “Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?” So that is the origin of the saying “Is even Saul a prophet?”
13 When Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the place of worship. 14 “Where have you been?” Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant.
“We were looking for the donkeys,” Saul replied, “but we couldn’t find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were.”
15 “Oh? And what did he say?” his uncle asked.
16 “He told us that the donkeys had already been found,” Saul replied. But Saul didn’t tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom.
Commentary:
14–16. Direct questions elicit from Saul nothing more than the barest outline of events. There is more here than natural reticence, for Samuel had been careful to commune secretly with Saul (1 Sam. 9:27), and Saul knows that he has to say nothing about the anointing. News that Samuel had honoured Saul had probably reached Gibeah, where curiosity would have been aroused. The narrator at last uses the word kingdom (Heb. hammĕlûkâ). The king has indeed been chosen, but his identity has yet to be disclosed.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 99.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 99.
Questions:
In 1 Samuel 10, God gave Saul several signs to confirm that He had chosen him to lead Israel. The missing donkeys would be found, Saul would receive bread from men on their way to worship God, and encounter a group of prophets. These weren’t random events. God was showing Saul that He was at work, providing what he needed and preparing him for what lay ahead. Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Saul, and he began to prophesy. People who knew him were surprised by the change. They wondered, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” Something had happened to Saul, and people could see it.
But when Saul returned home, his uncle asked him what Samuel had said. Saul told him about the donkeys but left out the part about being chosen as king. We aren’t told exactly why Saul held back, but his response leaves us with an important question: What happens when we know God is at work in our lives, but we’re uncomfortable with other people noticing?
At times it can feel easier to keep our faith private than to explain why we make certain choices, speak up when something is wrong, or admit that following Jesus means going against what everyone else is doing. We may not deny Jesus outright, but like Saul we learn how to withhold the whole truth. We keep quiet because we don’t want to be judged or misunderstood.
Following Jesus changes more than what we believe in our heads. It changes how we treat people, what we value, how we respond when we're wrong, and what we're willing to stand for. People may not always understand those changes, but our lives should point beyond us to the One who is changing us. We don't have to draw attention to ourselves or force conversation toward faith, but we also can't let the fear of other people’s opinions decide whether we will obey Jesus.
Jesus never promised that following Him would always make us popular or comfortable. But He has given us His Spirit to help us live faithfully. We don’t have to manufacture courage or prove how strong our faith is. We can ask God for the courage to take the next step, trusting Him with how others respond.
But when Saul returned home, his uncle asked him what Samuel had said. Saul told him about the donkeys but left out the part about being chosen as king. We aren’t told exactly why Saul held back, but his response leaves us with an important question: What happens when we know God is at work in our lives, but we’re uncomfortable with other people noticing?
At times it can feel easier to keep our faith private than to explain why we make certain choices, speak up when something is wrong, or admit that following Jesus means going against what everyone else is doing. We may not deny Jesus outright, but like Saul we learn how to withhold the whole truth. We keep quiet because we don’t want to be judged or misunderstood.
Following Jesus changes more than what we believe in our heads. It changes how we treat people, what we value, how we respond when we're wrong, and what we're willing to stand for. People may not always understand those changes, but our lives should point beyond us to the One who is changing us. We don't have to draw attention to ourselves or force conversation toward faith, but we also can't let the fear of other people’s opinions decide whether we will obey Jesus.
Jesus never promised that following Him would always make us popular or comfortable. But He has given us His Spirit to help us live faithfully. We don’t have to manufacture courage or prove how strong our faith is. We can ask God for the courage to take the next step, trusting Him with how others respond.
- Think about the people you spend the most time with outside of church. Are there situations where you act differently or keep quiet about your faith because you’re worried about their reaction? What are you afraid they might think or say, and how does that fear affect the choices you make around them?
- Jesus remained faithful to His Father even when people misunderstood Him and rejected His teaching. How does Jesus’ example challenge the way we respond when following Him makes us stand out? How can remembering that we belong to Christ help us care less about gaining people’s approval while still treating them with love and respect?
- Where have you been blending in or holding back because you’re afraid of what others might think? What is one situation this week where you could respond differently because you follow Jesus?
Prayer Topics:
- Thank God that He is at work in your life and ask Him to keep changing you to become more like Jesus.
- Confess the times you have let fear of other people’s opinions keeping you from obeying God or being honest about your faith.
- Thank Jesus for remaining faithful to the Father, even when it brought rejection, and for making you His own.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to give you courage to live out your faith with humility, love, and conviction, even when following Jesus makes you stand out.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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