Friday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 10:1-9
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession. 2 When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you. He is asking, ‘Have you seen my son?’
3 “When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a wineskin full of wine. 4 They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept.
5 “When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. 6 At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. 7 After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. 8 Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”
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.
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession. 2 When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you. He is asking, ‘Have you seen my son?’
3 “When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a wineskin full of wine. 4 They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept.
5 “When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. 6 At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. 7 After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. 8 Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”
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.
Commentary:
10:1 the LORD has anointed you. This is a private anointing. Later Samuel will demonstrate publicly by lots that Saul has been chosen by the Lord, not just by Samuel (see vv. 17–27). his heritage. Or, “his inheritance.” The Hebrew term nakhalah appears six times in Samuel and can refer either to the Lord’s land or to his people Israel, and sometimes to both. Here, it seems that “the people” is meant (see 9:16).
10:1 The oil prefigures the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower. Saul’s later failures show that he is only a shadow of the greater anointing that comes to David (16:13) and climactically to Christ (Luke 4:18; John 3:34), and then to those who belong to Christ (2 Cor. 1:21–22).
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 506.
10:1 The oil prefigures the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower. Saul’s later failures show that he is only a shadow of the greater anointing that comes to David (16:13) and climactically to Christ (Luke 4:18; John 3:34), and then to those who belong to Christ (2 Cor. 1:21–22).
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 506.
Questions:
Saul had been chosen by God, anointed by Samuel, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. God had confirmed His calling and provided people to stand alongside him, but when it was time for Saul to step forward, he was among the baggage. The man God had called to lead Israel was hiding.
Sometimes we ask God to use us in our families, workplaces, and churches, but when obedience requires us to give up control, risk rejection, or step into something unfamiliar, we can hesitate. We want God to work through us, but we want to decide how, when, and where. We want to see Him move, as long as it doesn't ask too much of us.
Sometimes we respond by trying harder. We push ourselves to be more disciplined, more courageous, or more capable, hoping we can muster enough strength to do what God is asking. But God never asks us to manufacture the power to obey Him. He's has called us to surrender. Surrender and depend on His Spirit. Now, that doesn't mean we sit back and wait for God to do everything. We still have to open His Word, make decisions, take steps of obedience, and follow through when it costs us something. But we do these things in dependence on Him, not as a way to prove ourselves.
Think of a sailboat. The rudder keeps it pointed in the right direction, while the wind moves it forward. We need both God's Word and God's Spirit. His Word keeps us grounded in what is true, and His Spirit empowers us to live out that truth. Without the guidance of Scripture, we can mistake our own desires for God's direction. Without depending on the Spirit, we can exhaust ourselves trying to accomplish God's work in our own strength.
This spiritual empowerment isn't reserved for pastors or people with impressive spiritual gifts. God wants to work through His people in ordinary places: in a difficult conversation with your spouse, in the patience required to parent your children, in the way you respond to a coworker, or in the courage to speak truth when staying quiet would be easier. As we walk in obedience, we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom, grace, and courage we need for the work in front of us.
You can stop trying to do in your own strength what God is calling you to do in dependence on Him. Open His Word. Ask for the Spirit's help.
Sometimes we ask God to use us in our families, workplaces, and churches, but when obedience requires us to give up control, risk rejection, or step into something unfamiliar, we can hesitate. We want God to work through us, but we want to decide how, when, and where. We want to see Him move, as long as it doesn't ask too much of us.
Sometimes we respond by trying harder. We push ourselves to be more disciplined, more courageous, or more capable, hoping we can muster enough strength to do what God is asking. But God never asks us to manufacture the power to obey Him. He's has called us to surrender. Surrender and depend on His Spirit. Now, that doesn't mean we sit back and wait for God to do everything. We still have to open His Word, make decisions, take steps of obedience, and follow through when it costs us something. But we do these things in dependence on Him, not as a way to prove ourselves.
Think of a sailboat. The rudder keeps it pointed in the right direction, while the wind moves it forward. We need both God's Word and God's Spirit. His Word keeps us grounded in what is true, and His Spirit empowers us to live out that truth. Without the guidance of Scripture, we can mistake our own desires for God's direction. Without depending on the Spirit, we can exhaust ourselves trying to accomplish God's work in our own strength.
This spiritual empowerment isn't reserved for pastors or people with impressive spiritual gifts. God wants to work through His people in ordinary places: in a difficult conversation with your spouse, in the patience required to parent your children, in the way you respond to a coworker, or in the courage to speak truth when staying quiet would be easier. As we walk in obedience, we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom, grace, and courage we need for the work in front of us.
You can stop trying to do in your own strength what God is calling you to do in dependence on Him. Open His Word. Ask for the Spirit's help.
- It is possible to ask God to use us while still holding tightly to the areas where we want control. Where are you relying on your own ability or avoiding obedience because you're afraid of what might happen? What makes it difficult to surrender?
- Brandon described God's Word as the rudder that keeps us on course and His Spirit as the wind that moves us forward. Which side of that picture are you more likely to neglect: letting God's Word direct your choices or depending on His Spirit rather than your own strength? What changes do you need to make to include both Word & Spirit in your life?
- Rather than relying on willpower alone, What is one area where you need to move from striving for control to surrendering in obedience? Identify one concrete step you need to take.
Prayer Topics:
- Ask God to reveal the areas where you are relying on your own strength or keeping control instead of surrendering to Him.
- Confess the ways fear, insecurity, or the need to manage outcomes have kept you from obeying Jesus.
- Thank Jesus for surrendering to the Father's will and giving His life to bring you into God's family.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through God's Word and empower you to obey Jesus in the ordinary details of your life.
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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