Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 14:36–39
36 Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.”
His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”
But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”
37 So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.
38 Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. 39 I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!” But no one would tell him what the trouble was.
36 Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.”
His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”
But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”
37 So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.
38 Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. 39 I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!” But no one would tell him what the trouble was.
Commentary:
36–37. Evening had already come, and that is why Saul’s oath had no longer been binding, and everyone had eaten. Now Saul envisaged renewed pursuit of the Philistines during the night. The priest’s suggestion to seek the Lord’s guidance seemed good, but when no answer was forthcoming to his questions, Saul assumed that someone’s sin was responsible.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 118.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 118.
Questions:
Saul was ready to keep fighting. His plan was to chase the Philistines through the night and finish the battle. But the priest stopped him and said, “Let's ask God first.” So Saul asked God whether they should continue pursuing the enemy. God gave no answer. Saul recognized that something was wrong. He gathered the leaders and ordered them to find out who had sinned. He was determined to identify the guilty person, but there was one person he apparently never considered. Himself.
By this point, Saul had already ignored God's instructions, made a foolish oath, and placed unnecessary demands on his soldiers. His leadership had caused problems throughout the day. Yet when God didn't answer, Saul immediately started looking for someone else to blame.
There is a difference between wanting God's help and wanting to deal with our own hearts. We can bring God a long list of things we want Him to change. We ask Him to fix a relationship, provide an opportunity, change someone's behavior, or give us direction. But are we willing to let Him address the things in our own lives that need to change? Sometimes we've been asking God for direction while putting off something He has already made clear in His Word. We ask Him to bless a relationship while refusing to make things right with the person we've hurt. We ask for peace while holding onto bitterness. We ask Him to guide our decisions while ignoring an area where we already know we're being disobedient.
Saul wanted an answer from God, but he wasn't looking closely at his own heart. That's a dangerous place to be. We can become so focused on getting an answer that we miss what God has already been asking us to address. Psalm 139 gives us a different way to approach the Lord. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you.” David wasn't asking God to examine everyone around him. He was asking God to examine him.
That kind of prayer takes humility. It means being willing to admit when we're wrong, confess sin we've been avoiding, and follow through on what God has already told us to do. Sometimes the next step in our walk with Jesus isn't finding a new answer or asking for a new direction. It's responding to the truth we already know.
By this point, Saul had already ignored God's instructions, made a foolish oath, and placed unnecessary demands on his soldiers. His leadership had caused problems throughout the day. Yet when God didn't answer, Saul immediately started looking for someone else to blame.
There is a difference between wanting God's help and wanting to deal with our own hearts. We can bring God a long list of things we want Him to change. We ask Him to fix a relationship, provide an opportunity, change someone's behavior, or give us direction. But are we willing to let Him address the things in our own lives that need to change? Sometimes we've been asking God for direction while putting off something He has already made clear in His Word. We ask Him to bless a relationship while refusing to make things right with the person we've hurt. We ask for peace while holding onto bitterness. We ask Him to guide our decisions while ignoring an area where we already know we're being disobedient.
Saul wanted an answer from God, but he wasn't looking closely at his own heart. That's a dangerous place to be. We can become so focused on getting an answer that we miss what God has already been asking us to address. Psalm 139 gives us a different way to approach the Lord. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you.” David wasn't asking God to examine everyone around him. He was asking God to examine him.
That kind of prayer takes humility. It means being willing to admit when we're wrong, confess sin we've been avoiding, and follow through on what God has already told us to do. Sometimes the next step in our walk with Jesus isn't finding a new answer or asking for a new direction. It's responding to the truth we already know.
- When you pray about a difficult situation, how much time do you spend asking God to change what is happening around you compared with asking Him to show you what needs to change in you? Is there something you've been asking God to fix while avoiding your own responsibility?
- Saul was quick to look for someone else who had done wrong, but he didn't consider his own disobedience. When conflict arises or something goes wrong, are you more likely to examine your own actions or focus on what someone else needs to change? Where do you need to take responsibility?
- Read Psalm 139:23–24 again. What is one area of your life you need to bring honestly before God? Is there something you need to confess, a person you need to make things right with, or an act of obedience you've been putting off? Take that step today.
Prayer Topics:
- Confess the ways you've focused on changing your circumstances while avoiding the things God wants to change in your heart.
- Ask God to show you any unconfessed sin, unresolved conflict, or delayed obedience you've been overlooking.
- Thank Jesus that you can come to God honestly, confess your sin, and receive His forgiveness.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a heart that is quick to repent and willing to obey what God has already made clear.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
No Comments