1 Samuel Twenty-Five

A gentle response can deter so much wrath. David appears to be willing to take Nabal's insult, to the extreme of killing all the males that belong to him. Abagail brings a soft word in a time of great turmoil.

Think back of times when you found yourself in your most fierce of fights. Would a softer response have made the conflict more manageable? Did a shove back make matters worse? The thing about fighting with someone that is unwilling to throw a punch back is, eventually the one throwing the punches realizes that nothing is being accomplished.

There is a way to have constructive conflict and not kill a relationship. We should always strive for that first.

"Father, help me have conflict with others in a way that glorifies You."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Twenty-Four

The logical choice seemed to present itself to David in the cave. Saul against and army, and better yet, he was not aware of the threat. It appears that the counsel David received was to take Saul's life. It seems that even David thought this was his way out of living in caves. Even in hindsight, Saul would be surprised because he would have taken his life in that case. Sometimes the logical choice is not the best choice. Even when all the counsel is prodding you to take a certain direction. Some choices are best made between you and God.

Verse five says that David was "conscience-stricken" after cutting the corner of Saul's robe. It is my belief that in that exact moment, David was faced with the moment of choice of the person he will choose to be. In those moments, things become clear and the choice, although it may not be the logical one. It is the obvious one.

"Father, help me follow You at times, when logic doesn't make sense."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Twenty-Three

Did you notice the increase in the number of men that were following David? In chapter 22, about 400 men assembled at the cave. One battle and a saved city later and his army increases to 600 men. David's influence as a leader is obvious.

True leaders have an ability to inspire the hearts of the people that are following them. This is more than just charisma. David displays character and integrity. More than that, he shows a willingness to doing it God's way. This is an important part of being a leader. We see David inquiring of the Lord in this chapter as to what to do with Saul pursuing him. God is the ultimate counselor and will always show us ways out of difficult situations we are in.

"Father, help me anchor to you in the middle of life's storms."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Twenty-Two

David is in his stronghold when his lie to Ahimilech is discovered. Remember, David had said that he was on an urgent mission from the King. So urgent that he had no weapons and no provisions. It is impossible to keep a lie hidden. Because, each time you tell one you give a part of who you are with it. Tell enough and eventually there will be none of you left. Just a collection of stories that you are trying to keep in line, so you are not exposed.

"Father, help me speak honest words, today."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Twenty-One

This is the first time we experience David relying just on his own abilities. His lie to the priest will come with a price. Appearing to be insane, though it worked shows a lack of trust in God.

When life seems to be attacking you from every side, fear can cause you do things that are opposite of the person you are. The important thing is remembering, at the times you feel the attack, the Lord is the one who will defend you. He has made a promise to see you through every storm of your life.

"Father, help me see."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Twenty

"Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, FOREVER."
----- 1 Samuel 20:42

Loyalty is a valuable thing to give and receive. Here we see it given without conditions. The loyalty God has offered us as His children is the kind that lasts forever. I think this is important to remember as we offer our loyalty to another person, that this is not supposed to be a small act.

"Father, thank You for not leaving or forsaking me."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Nineteen

David faces a very serious issue here. His life is in jeopardy. Sometimes the only option that we have is running from the situation. Our presence can do more damage, our actions can only get misinterpreted. God always gives us ways toward refuge, and some of those ways at times are in fleeing.

"Father, help me see."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Eighteen

"And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, and his bow and his belt."
-----1 Samuel 18:3-4

As David and Jonathan's relationship begins, I am reminded of a few things:

1. There is such a blessing in having a friend that you love more than yourself. This gives you a valuable purpose and brings greater fulfillment.

2. Giving freely to those you love is important. We see Jonathan giving freely of his possessions. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can give someone you love is your time.

3. Jonathan handed David his sword, bow and his belt. This shows vulnerability. Jonathan is defenseless and is trusting in David with his life. This is an interesting thing for the heir to the throne to do. Trust and honesty are the cornerstones of every friendship. If you have neither then the relationship is only a facade.

"Father, thank You for the people that are Jonathan's in my life."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Seventeen

"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give all of you into our hands."
-----1 Samuel 17:45-47

In three verses David affirms that God is the one in control six times. There is so much strength we find when we operate under God's protection. The threat on David's life was real and the danger of Israel becoming subjects for the Philistines was severe. But, God had a different plan.

When facing all the battles in our lives reminding ourselves that God is with us is essential. If you don't, then your "Goliath" will appear too strong and you will either run in fear or be defeated from a lack of courage. If God is on your side not even the forces of hell can defeat you.

"Father, thank You for Your love and protection."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Sixteen

Here begins the story of David. One of the most intriguing characters in the people of God. He will live a very adventurous life filled with love, chaos, regrets and victories. Take only one event and you get part of his story. Seeing him at his greatest moments will make it appear that he could do no wrong. Catching him in his weakest ones will appear he could do no right. Through it all God will call David "a man after His own heart".

The same applies to us. We are a collection of our victories and defeats. God, through it all, calls us something greater than success and failure. He calls us, HIS.

"Father, thank You for saving me."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Fifteen

"To obey is better than sacrifice..."
-----1 Samuel 15:22

Saul's kingdom is removed and it seems that everyone else is responsible except for him. Excuses do little to rebuild damage done. And even the reasoning that he almost did everything God asked should have been taken into consideration. Simply put, God sent Saul on mission to destroy everything. Saul chose to to destroy almost everything. Leadership is a stewardship. God desires commitment with our lives, not just our conveniences.

"Father, help me give You my very best."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Fourteen

"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said, "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."
1 Samuel 14:7

Here lies one of my favorite lines in all of scripture. "I am with you heart and soul." Jonathan's armor-bearer was part of an army of two that was about to attack a Philistine outpost camp. At least 2 versus 20.

A few thoughts:
The power of two is greater than the power of one, when two are acting as one. (Coach K)

People that know which hill they are willing to die on are brave. Friends that will fight on your hill with you display the greatest act of bravery.

Everyone needs a friend that regardless of the situation, they are on your side.

To have a friend like that, you must be a friend like that.

"Father, thank You for the people in my life that are with me heart and soul."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Thirteen

Saul makes a similar mistake that we do. His men are starting to scatter. The enemy forces are looking larger and more determined to overtake his land. Morale is low. God's help seems to be to late....

SO HE TAKES MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS.

God's timing and ours can be two different things. What matters is, who gets to be in control. This marks the beginning of the end for Saul. God's help was on it's way. In fact, it was just over the horizon. As it is with us. He has made a promise to His children that He will never leave us or forsake us. His help is always near. Sometimes we have to hold strong and wait for Him to come in to be the hero of our story.

"Father, help me trust more in You today."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Twelve

At Samuel's retirement speech he lifts the toast glass and reminds the nation of Israel how foolish wanting a king apart from God truly was. (Not exactly the warm fuzzy speech they were expecting?) We see a common theme with these people. They have seasons of relying on God and seasons of relying on self. Nahash was moving against them and the closer he gets the more control they desire of the situation. This does not please Samuel because he stands firm on God's ability to see the nation through difficult situations.

We still do this today. We experience times when we rely on God and others when we attempt to take the reigns of the outcome from His hands. Though we appear to be battling with control daily, He knows that there is nothing better than His protection. He will at times allow us to take the reigns. Mainly because He knows that at the end we will understand deeper that His protection is all that we need.

"Father, help me follow Your leading today."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Eleven

The need to rescue the city of Jabesh was great.
If the men surrendered, they would not just be subjects to Nahash the Ammonite. They would also be disgraced, buy the gouging of their right eyes. (I'm not sure if I was ever taught this by any Sunday School Teacher on flannel board.)

The need for Saul to lead the cause was greater.
This was his first act as the leader of the nation and we see him in the field working with the oxen. This was the moment where he could display his heart for his people and show that he is a leader worth following. After all, most leadership is established in the fires of life.

"Father, help me lead others today as I follow You."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Ten

"Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts."
----- 1 Samuel 10:26

Two observations:

1) When you are doing something of great importance for God's glory. He will always send people to take the journey with you. The strength of two is greater than the strength of one, when two are working as one (Coach K).

2) The men of Israel insisted for a king against Samuel's counsel. Now that they have one, they despise the first pick. Sometimes what others say and mean are two different things. It is possible they truly did want a king, but wanted that choice for king to be their choice. Unanimous decisions are difficult when there is more than one person involved.

"Father, open my eyes today to see Your hand at work."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Nine

"When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, "This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people."
----- 1 Samuel 9:7

Enter into scene as the obvious choice: Saul. He has the outside appearance of a leader. Apparently his height plays a factor, since he is taller than everyone else. He must carry the mystique of a leader. At this point he appears to be humble and a reasonable man. And just like anyone else, he will do some good things by the end of his reign. He will also do some bad things.

In verse 9, God tells Samuel that Saul will be the man to govern His people. I find this interesting. Everyone thinks they are getting a king to rule over them. They are taking the rule from the "King Rule Book" from the pages of other nations. God is sending them a steward. Someone who will govern with care and with His children's interest in mind.

Leadership is a stewardship. So manage it like an asset.

"Father, thank You for never relinquishing Your power to rule over us."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Eight

"He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."
----- 1 Samuel 8:17-18

Some random thoughts:
Samuel warns the people that they would be trading in their freedom for the bondage of having a King.

Their rejection of God leading them will cause for some interesting days ahead.

Just because other nations have a King is no excuse for wanting won. The nation of Israel thinks the grass is greener on the other side but in actuality the trade off will not be worth it.

It is a dangerous thing when you give someone the power over your own life and death. God is the only judge capable of having that responsibility.

"Father, help me serve only You as King."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Seven

"But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites."
----- 1 Samuel 7:10

The thunder of the Lord was so great that the Philistines were thrown into such a panic the Israelites were able to win the battle. Israel's fear was valid. The Philistines were a nation bigger and more powerful than the Israelites when looking at the tale of the tape. However, the nation of Israel had one major factor in their corner. The Living God!!! He will once again display His power and the Philistines will suffer another loss before Him.

Today I am reminded that with God on my side there is little I can not accomplish. With Him the mountains of life are manageable. The storms are less severe. The key is focus. When I focus on Him, I find fulfillment. When I focus on something else, I find fear and confusion.

"Father, help me see only You today."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Six

Did you notice the author of this book describe how the cows pulling the cart departed? The Philistines, wondering if their latest challenges was because of the Living God, look to two cows for guidance. Once again God sends them a message of His power and great abilities. It seems the cows could not have crossed the border fast enough.

"Father, help me follow You without turning to the right or the left."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Five

"But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained."
-----1 Samuel 5:4

After reading what God does in this chapter, it becomes obvious that He could have stopped the Philistines from taking the ark in the first place. He chose another route.

I think for two reasons:
1. To show the world His great power.
2. To show the Israelites that His protection is the greatest thing they will ever experience.

"Father, thank You for being strong."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Four

"So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured..."
-----1 Samuel 4:10-11

While the battle is going on and the ark is in danger of falling into enemy hands, we see the mighty Israelite army doing what is right..... (Not so much). Every man flees to his tent. This game of hide and seek turns out to be the worst thing they could have done. The men they do battle with are slaughtered and more importantly the presence of their God is stolen from them.

God is on attack and the men are fleeing. The truth be told, God can defend Himself. He is more powerful than the enemies attack. We on the other hand have to ask ourselves just how committed we are to serving the "Lord" of our lives. Do we serve Him with our whole lives of just the convenient parts?

The ark is stolen and people are trying to make sure that their stuff is protected. This is not who we are created to be.

"Father, help me stand firm for You."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Three

"See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle."
-----1 Samuel 3:11

What is about to happen will be severe for the nation of Israel. God carrying out what He said to Eli will be the lesser of the two things to happen. In the next chapter we will see the Ark of the Covenant removed from the possession of the Israelites.

Samuel is brought to influence in such a time as this to help be a spiritual guide in this period of great uncertainty. He will serve his people with great wisdom and care.

Today I am reminded that God has created me to be in this specific era, for a specific reason. My desire is to recognize what He wants me to do, and pursue that with a passion.

"Father, open my eyes to see what You are sending me too."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel Two

As this chapter unfolds we are introduced to the severity of Eli's sons actions. They treat God and His people as their instruments for pleasure. We can conclude that the men were truly corrupt and have little understanding for boundaries. Eli fails to get control of the situation. His mistake is as a father, a boss and a priest.

Treating God lightly is a dangerous game to play. The sins we commit in private are not so private. The sins we commit in the public eye, reflects more than just our character. Eli and his sons had warning that they did not adhere to.

And now enters Samuel. God's choice to lead a nation of people into His arms.

"Father, break my heart for the sins in my life."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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1 Samuel One

"And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

"...and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there."
-----1 Samuel 1:11,26-28

It is one thing to tell God what you would do if only He _____________ (fill in the blank here). It is another to actually follow through with it. Bargaining with the Almighty is a ploy that we His children do on a regular basis.

Hannah's life seemed to revolve around her inability to conceive. We see it effecting at least two relationships (her husband and the other wife). We also see her evaluating her self worth by this. Her vow to God was not taken lightly. Her willingness to follow through though it had to be painful seems to have always been certain.

We can learn a valuable lesson from Hannah here. Following up on what we say we will do is important because it reflects not only who we are, but who's we are.

"Father, help me become a man of my word."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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2 Timothy Two

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
-----2 Timothy 4:6-7

As Paul wraps up this letter to Timothy we sense a man that was in step with fulfilling the role that God had crafted for him. At the time of writing this Paul will not live much longer, his life will be taken from him. He seems to have pride in the mark he made on the world and the influence he was able to have with the body of Christ.

We all leave our legacies as we leave. Some will point to accolades in wealth, humanitarian efforts, random acts of kindness, leadership, etc. Every person will leave a legacy for people to speak of in their absence. This does not have to be accidental.

The choices we make toady will establish the legacy we leave tomorrow.


"Father, help my vision be for Your glory over all things."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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2 Timothy Three

"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
-----2 Timothy 3:16

At the time of writing this letter Paul is attempting to encourage and build Timothy as a leader. It will be much later that this letter is placed in the Holy Bible. In fact, at this time much of the New Testament is in it's infancy or has yet to be written.

Today, Paul reminds me of the importance of the Old Testament . It tells the amazing story of how we begin, how compassionate God is in the promise of the Messiah and how we can use history to navigate the uncertain waters of the future.

"Father, open my eyes to experience Your word."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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2 Timothy Two

"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone able to teach, not resentful."
----- 2 Timothy 2:22-24

Paul instructs Timothy in two important aspects of being a leader:

In verse twenty-two he tells him to pursue growth as a man, a Christian and a leader.

In verse twenty-three Paul speaks of an issue that has sunk many leaders before their necessary time. Arguments that lead to quarrels slow momentum and hinder progress. As a leader people will at times disagree with any decision you make. Seldom will a unanimous decision be reached in a group of people (think of the last time you were out with your friends and yall were trying to figure out which restaurant to eat at).

What sinks and sidetracks leaders is fighting battles where the outcome does not produce any results. With 'TIME' being a leaders most precious commodity there is a tendency to spend it in worry and circular conversation.

Conflict in relationships is a regular part in building community. Be watchful of the root issues and steer clear of meaningless arguments.

"Father, help me know which battles to fight."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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