Category Archives: Daily Devotions

In 1 Samuel 16 Saul has an ‘evil spirit from God’.  This phrase has caused interpreters a lot of problems, but it just acknowledges that all things, whether good or bad, find their origins in God.  Saul has chosen to … Continue reading →

Bill T. Arnold writes: The man after God’s own heart turned out to be an unassuming boy!  Looks can be so deceiving that we actually miss the very thing that we are looking for.  God sends Samuel to find a new … Continue reading →

Samuel tells Saul that he is rejected.  He is rejected because of his half-hearted following of God.  God wants someone to take control of the nation of Israel who will be fully devoted to him, but Saul is not that … Continue reading →

Each of us should have a Spiritual Director according to Albert Haase and others who write abour Spiritual Formation.  Saul had Samuel.  When Saul became king, Samuel annointed him.  Samuel gave him directions on how he should rule.  Samuel told … Continue reading →

How does your behaviour change when you are under pressure?  Do you turn to faith or do you try and control the situation yourself?  Is God the last resort or the first person you turn to?  For Saul, in the … Continue reading →

When Samuel officially said ‘Good bye’ and transitioned the leadership from himself to Saul he laid out a gracious plan.  If you see how he started his speech, the people were told how faithful God had been and were encouraged to realise … Continue reading →

The Holy Spirit comes upon Saul in a way that is quite similar to the way that the Spirit of God descends upon the judges in the book of Judges.  There is a war that Israelites face and they need … Continue reading →

In the NIV Application Commentary, Arnold says: We should take from this passage (1 Samuel 10) the means by which God leads his people.  The anointing of Saul is parallel to another passage familiar to Christians because of its use … Continue reading →

I have ben struggling with the idea that God may ‘love’ but not ‘like’ people.  I have frequently been around people who have excused their cold-hearted behavior to others with the excuse, “I have to love them, but that doesn’t … Continue reading →

Israel asked for a king and it was wrong.  That should seem strange on two accounts – first God allows them to have a king.  Secondly, God outlines in Deuteronomy (written years before) the qualities that a king should have.  … Continue reading →