Tag: 1 Samuel

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Who abandoned who?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by cottonbro studio on pexels

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 28.

In the middle of a phone conversation, I realize I’m talking to myself. Either my phone has dropped the connection. I take connectivity for granted until I drive through a dead zone with little or no cell service.

King Saul experienced the same thing. When the enemy gathers for attack, Saul is shaking in his boots. It gets worse. “Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him” (1 Samuel 28:6). The prophet Samuel has died, so Saul tries everything he can think of, from prophets to dreams. Nothing. Crickets.

Saul turns to the occult. He finds a medium. When she conjures up the spirit of Samuel, the prophet wants to know, “Why are you bothering me?”

Saul replies, “God has abandoned me and no longer answers me” (18:15).

What did you expect, Saul? Samuel reminds him, “The Lord has done just as He spoke through me” (28:17). Remember, Saul? “You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel” (15:26).

You never listened to God before. And you’re not going to hear from him now, either. You got exactly what you wanted.

What hinders our prayers? Here’s a few things:

Insincere worship. “Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high” (Isaiah 58:4).

Unconfessed sin. “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18).

Wrong motives. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3).

Ignoring God’s word. If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination” (Proverbs 28:9).

Saul’s experience reminds me that if I feel like God has abandoned me, I need to consider how I’ve abandoned him.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Delivered from evil

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Marina Abrosimova on pexels

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 25.

I figure I’ve prayed, “Deliver us from evil” over 20,000 times in my lifetime. And I know God answers that prayer by protecting me from harm, getting me through difficult times, and eventually getting me out of here to be with him in eternity. David’s experience in 1 Samuel 25 reminds me that God sometimes accomplishes this through other people.

David is upset with Nabal, who won’t cough up some food and drink for David’s men who have provided protection during a sheep shearing season. David is so upset that he intends to slaughter the whole bunch of them!

Nabal’s wife, Abigail, gets wind of this, gets a huge gift basket together for David, and begs for forgiveness. Her intercession defuses the situation.

“David said to Abigail, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand'” (1 Samuel 25:32,33).

Thank God for family and friends who pull me aside before I do or say something I’ll regret. My reaction will probably make things worse. Do I really want to add to the evil in this world? In that moment, yes! But not really. It’s good to have a few folks around to calm me down.

David was right to relent. Nabal gets drunk, has a heart attack (?), and dies. God takes care of the whole situation, as he typically does.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Rejoicing with others

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jonathan Sebastiao on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 18.

How do you feel when your social media feed is filled with pictures of fit, attractive couples who live in professionally decorated homes taking cruises to beautiful, exotic locations with an au pair who tutors their overachieving, well-behaved children? Rather than being happy for them you’re probably jealous, and wonder why you were dealt such a bad hand in life.

As David succeeds and increases in popularity, King Saul gets more and more upset. You would think he’d be glad to have someone like David on his staff. Instead, he feels like he’s losing his grip on the kingdom.

In frustration, Saul throws a spear at David, hoping to pin him to the wall. David evades that attack. Saul sends him into battle. David comes home victorious. Every time.

“Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually” (1 Samuel 18:29).

Saul tries to have David assassinated. Instead his servants warn David and he escapes. He sends more men to find and kill David, but David escapes out a window.

Saul becomes consumed with finding and getting rid of David.

Scripture tells us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). In God’s kingdom, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26). But those responses don’t come naturally. It’s a Spirit thing.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Spiritual Training: Preparing for Life’s Challenges

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 17.

When David volunteers to fight one-on-one with the giant Philistine Goliath, King Saul says, “That’s not a good idea. You’re just a young man. He’s been fighting his whole life.”

David replies, “What do you mean? I’ve fought off lions and bears while tending my father’s flock. I can handle him.”

“The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37).

David’s been training his whole life for this moment, too. Grabbing, hitting, and killing lions and bears is good physical training. Watch sheep graze sounds mostly dull, giving a shepherd plenty of time to practice with a sling.

It’s good spiritual training, too. Fighting off lions and bears sounds terrifying. When it’s over, David knows God had a hand in his victory. Since one of God’s character traits is faithfulness, David was confident of a victory over Goliath.

Which of today’s experiences is preparing me for future tasks? Who knows. God is still faithful, so I know he’s getting me ready for something. Just as he always has.

Learning how to play guitar on the front porch of the fraternity house turned out to be a great asset when leading preschool students in worship. DJ-ing for the college radio station equipped me to work a sound mixing board in the church sanctuary. Volunteering in a hospital while I was in high school prepared me for visiting parishioners in the hospital.

I never know when I’m going to encounter a giant. But I do know that with God’s help, I’ll be ready. How about you?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

How David’s Music Brought Relief to Saul

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Gabriel Gurrola on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 16.

Music is powerful. The rhythm makes you tap your foot. Certain songs make you well up with tears. Others you can’t help but sing along with. Some tunes like the national anthem or wedding processional bring everyone to their feet.

My sister studied music therapy in college. We used to kid her that if someone wasn’t feeling well she would know exactly what piano tune would make them feel better. (I know, I know, it’s a teaching tool.)

But it works that way for King Saul.

“Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (1 Samuel 16:23).

David’s melodies changed the mood of the room. The lyrics brought God’s power and promises to mind. Worship replaced worry.

I could use some of that. Daily. I’m grateful for Christian music radio.


Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The Spirit of the Lord and Saul’s Troubled Heart

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nathan Cowley on pexels

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 16.  

“Why are you in such a bad mood?”

Hey, it happens to all of us, right? We’re grumpy, sullen, grouchy, agitated, irritated, anxious, or depressed. Or all of the above.

It happens to people in the bible, too. “Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him” (1 Samuel 16:14).

I’ve always struggle to understand what’s going on here. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord seems to come and go. And an “evil” (or harmful) spirit from the Lord doesn’t sound right at all.

Maybe it’s the writer’s way of describing someone who responds to the promises and the presence of God – or not. King Saul hasn’t exactly been on the same page as the Lord lately, so rather than living with assurance, he’s got nothing but fear, jealousy, and depression.

It’s kind of like your reaction to the return of Jesus. You might dread it or you might be excited about it. It just depends on your faith or your lack of it.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

God’s Perspective: The Heart Over Appearance

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Randy Jacob on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 16.

I watched him walk into the church during the first hymn and sit in the back. He looked nervous and uncomfortable. He made me nervous and uncomfortable. I got the attention of an usher and said, “Make sure that guy has a worship folder.” In other words, “Keep an eye on him.”

Do you know what happened? Nothing. We had nothing to worry about. He was visiting family in town, stopped by for worship, and we never saw him again. But I’ve been taught, “See something, say something.”

In the aftermath, I remembered that while we look at appearances, God looks at someone’s heart. I am so shallow.

Having said that, I am also confused. First, when Samuel thinks he’ll anoint Jesse’s oldest son to be the next king, God says, “Nope. That’s not the one. Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

When they finally bring David in from tending the sheep, the author describes him as “glowing with health and…a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; this is the one'” (16:12).

I would have written something about David’s “heart.” I would have mentioned something about David’s character, his personality, or his faith. All of this will come out later. But why not sooner?

A few chapters ago, Samuel told a foolish and disobedient Saul, “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart” (13:14). Well guess what? David’s that guy. Not perfect. But on the same page. Makes mistakes. But runs to grace. Fights hard. Prays hard.

So what’s God want from me (you)? Pray hard. Pursue grace. Be on the same page (scripture).

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Sounds like disobedience to me

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 15.

On a recent early-morning walk through the neighborhood, I thought I heard a rooster. This isn’t farm country. This is suburbia. But I heard it again. I didn’t think we were allowed to have chickens in our yards. The rooster’s crow not only announces the sunrise (I’ll bet the neighbors love that), but also someone who ignores the city’s rules.

Saul’s task is to destroy Amalek and everything he has. God’s command is clear. Bring nothing home. Sounds simple.

After the campaign, Saul is feeling good about his efforts. “Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, ‘Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.’ But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the bellowing of the oxen which I hear?'” (1 Samuel 15:13,14)

Barnyard sounds reveal Saul’s disobedience. He said he brought them home to sacrifice to the Lord. We can always find a way to justify disobedience, can’t we?

But that’s not what God wanted him to do, and “to obey is better than sacrifice” (15:22).

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Waiting just a little longer

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Dima Solomin on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 13.

What if I had waited just a few more hours?

We had no power because of the most recent hurricane. The electric company estimated our service wouldn’t be restored for another five days. Great. Life-threatening? No. Inconvenient? Very much so.

I headed out in the morning and filled up six two-gallon gas cans for the generator. I bought two more long extension cords to bring a little power into different parts of the house.

About 3:00 in the afternoon, the lights in the house lit up and the AC turned on.

What if I had waited just a few more hours?

King Saul found himself in a tight spot. The huge Philistine army is bearing down on him. His own army has dwindled to six hundred as more and more went home. It’s been seven days and Samuel hasn’t show up. Saul has to do something. He’s king. He’s the leader. Everyone is looking to him for direction.

So Saul offers up the pre-battle burnt offering himself. As soon as he does, Samuel shows up and asks, “What are you doing?”

Saul said, “The people were scattering, you didn’t come, the Philistines were on their way, so I did what I had to do” (1 Samuel 13:12).

Samuel says, “That was foolish and disobedient. Say goodbye to your kingdom. God is going to find someone else to rule his people” (13:13,14). God is going to find someone who trusts him.

I am much more like Saul than I like to admit. I’m patient, but I’m not that patient. I trust God, but I’m on a schedule. My souls waits for the Lord, but you’ll often catch me glancing at my watch.

Ultimately, the only one who can really take care of God’s people is Jesus, who is God himself. Ultimately, he’s the only one I can trust. Not me. Not my judgment. Not my capability. Only him.