A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 13
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
A rectangular ritual bath (mikveh/baptismal tank) has been recently uncovered just beneath the southern wall of the Temple Mount in the Jerusalem Archaeological Park. You can see the Mount of Olives in the background.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: 1 Samuel 13:13-14
And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
Understanding and obeying God’s Word is of eternal importance. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Word shall never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). God’s Word is forever! God’s Word has the power to do good, heal, bring judgment, and to save. The Word is like the laws of nature. King Saul failed to obey what he knew were God’s instructions, and now he must suffer the consequences. God would choose another King who would be careful to obey both the letter and the spirit of the instructions he received. By believing and doing God’s Word, we, like David, who is yet to come onto the scene, will experience the blessing of God. David would keep God’s Word and the result was that he became the father of an eternal dynasty through his Descendant, Jesus Christ.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I pray that You’ll help me to wait for You. My natural tendency, like Saul, is to be impatient and to run ahead of You, but Your supernatural grace to do what is right is available to me when I wait upon You. You meet me every morning as I read Your Word and pray. I can always count on Your timing. Thank You for the peace and joy this brings me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Yes Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so!!! “FACT!!!” One day last week I read the entire book of Matthew over a period of three hours. Forty-one times either Jesus or Matthew quote from their Bible, the Hebrew language Scriptures. This is true Kingdom of God teaching/preaching!!! Oh, how I long to be a man after God’s heart. This is just another reason for this blog! I need to focus more and more on the “More sure Word” (2 Peter 1:19) and less on the thoughts of mere men which are not solidly and clearly founded on God’s revealed written Word!!!
My New Testament reading for today is Philippians 4:4-9.
Yours for grace to “meditate on these things,” (Read Philippians 1:15-18),
David
Very good advice: keeping our hearts and minds on the “good things”. With so much uncertainty around the world today, listening for God’s direction is so necessary. Blessings all.
Amen,Doreen.You are ‘spot on’.
This last scripture covers the prosperity preachers too.Their motive may be money BUT they are drawing many to Jesus so,as my mentor and sister in Christ told me regarding these prosperity preachers,”Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”…It took some time for that to sink in,what she meant.
” Philippians 1:15-18
New International Version
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ”