Thursday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 10:9-24
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.
Saul Is Acclaimed King
17 Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah. 18 And he said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you. 19 But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’ Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans.”
20 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 21 Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! 22 So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”
And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” 23 So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
24 Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”
And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
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.
Saul Is Acclaimed King
17 Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah. 18 And he said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you. 19 But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’ Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans.”
20 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 21 Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! 22 So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”
And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” 23 So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
24 Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”
And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
Commentary:
10:9–10 In fulfillment of Samuel’s prior predictions (vv. 2–7), Saul is given another heart and he prophesies, an action linked with the fact that the Spirit of God rushed upon him (cf. v. 6; 11:6). This might not be a permanent spiritual renewal or conversion, but Saul is confirmed as the one to deliver Israel (see 10:7, “do what your hand finds to do”; cf. 9:16) and is reminded of God’s presence by means of this visible sign (cf. Judg. 14:6, 19; 15:14). Later the Spirit of the Lord “departed from Saul” (1 Sam. 16:14; 18:12).
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 507.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 507.
Questions:
Saul’s story began with so much promise. God had chosen him as king, the Spirit of the Lord had come upon him, and God had provided people to stand alongside him. Saul had every opportunity to lead faithfully. But as we read the rest of his story, we discover that a promising beginning doesn’t guarantee a faithful finish.
Saul’s downfall didn’t happen all at once. Over time, he repeatedly chose his own way over God’s instructions. He became impatient, gave in to fear, and cared too much about what people thought. Rather than allowing God’s Word to guide him, Saul began making decisions based on what seemed best to him in the moment. Little by little, his heart drifted from the Lord.
Following Jesus is not sustained by a handful of powerful experiences. It is built through daily faithfulness, especially on the ordinary days when we don’t feel particularly inspired or motivated. Think about a long-distance runner. Nobody builds endurance by running one great race and then never running again. Stamina develops through consistent training, learning to pace yourself, and getting rid of what slows you down. The same is true of our walk with Jesus. We need the steady nourishment of God’s Word, the empowering work of His Spirit, honest confession when we sin, and other believers who encourage us to keep going. We also need to recognize the distractions and compromises that gradually take our attention away from Him.
This is not a call to do better and try harder until we finally become good enough Christians. We don’t remain faithful to Jesus by proving our strength; we grow in faithfulness by depending on His. Jesus finished His mission perfectly, remaining obedient to the Father even through the suffering of the cross. Because of His finished work, we don’t have to earn God’s love or live in fear that one failure has disqualified us. We can confess our sin, receive His grace, and keep following Him.
The goal is not to recreate the excitement of our strongest spiritual moments. It is to keep walking with Jesus when the excitement is gone. That means returning to His Word when we’re distracted, praying when we feel distant, seeking help when sin begins to take hold, and staying connected to people who will encourage us toward faithfulness.
Saul’s downfall didn’t happen all at once. Over time, he repeatedly chose his own way over God’s instructions. He became impatient, gave in to fear, and cared too much about what people thought. Rather than allowing God’s Word to guide him, Saul began making decisions based on what seemed best to him in the moment. Little by little, his heart drifted from the Lord.
Following Jesus is not sustained by a handful of powerful experiences. It is built through daily faithfulness, especially on the ordinary days when we don’t feel particularly inspired or motivated. Think about a long-distance runner. Nobody builds endurance by running one great race and then never running again. Stamina develops through consistent training, learning to pace yourself, and getting rid of what slows you down. The same is true of our walk with Jesus. We need the steady nourishment of God’s Word, the empowering work of His Spirit, honest confession when we sin, and other believers who encourage us to keep going. We also need to recognize the distractions and compromises that gradually take our attention away from Him.
This is not a call to do better and try harder until we finally become good enough Christians. We don’t remain faithful to Jesus by proving our strength; we grow in faithfulness by depending on His. Jesus finished His mission perfectly, remaining obedient to the Father even through the suffering of the cross. Because of His finished work, we don’t have to earn God’s love or live in fear that one failure has disqualified us. We can confess our sin, receive His grace, and keep following Him.
The goal is not to recreate the excitement of our strongest spiritual moments. It is to keep walking with Jesus when the excitement is gone. That means returning to His Word when we’re distracted, praying when we feel distant, seeking help when sin begins to take hold, and staying connected to people who will encourage us toward faithfulness.
- It’s possible to start a season of faith with excitement and good intentions, only to drift when life gets busy or the feelings fade. What tends to pull your attention away from Jesus over time? What early signs tell you that your relationship with Him is becoming less of a priority, and what usually happens if you ignore those signs?
- Saul’s story warns us that we cannot depend on a strong start to carry us through a lifetime of faithfulness. Jesus, by contrast, remained faithful to the Father all the way to the cross. How does Jesus’ faithfulness change the way you think about persevering when your own faith feels weak? How can resting in His finished work keep you from either giving up when you fail or relying on your own effort to prove yourself to God?
- Following Jesus for the long haul requires more than occasional spiritual highs; it takes daily dependence on His Word and Spirit, along with the support of other believers. As you look at your life right now, what is strengthening your faith, and what is slowly wearing it down? What needs to change in your habits, priorities, or relationships so you can keep following Jesus faithfully? What specific step will you take this week?
Prayer Topics:
- Ask God to show you where you have been drifting from Him.
- Confess the ways you have relied on your own effort or temporary spiritual excitement instead of depending on Jesus daily.
- Thank Jesus for His perfect faithfulness and for the grace that allows you to keep returning to Him when you fail.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen your daily walk with God and help you build habits and relationships that encourage lifelong faithfulness.
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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