Daily Devotional

Scripture 1 Sam 13:14 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.”

Observation: Am I that man, a man after God’s own heart? I wish I was, I have my moments, but the moments are few and far between. I’m only near to God when I keep His commandments. Yesterday was a celebration at my work and I had an opportunity to share with the Chairman of the board about God. We both shared our love for God and I was able to give him a copy of the book I wrote. For those moments I was a man after God’s heart. A loving and caring man loving God with all of my heart, mind and soul. I have those moments, but that should be my life, not an occasion experience. I pray that when God is seeking a man after his own heart, He would at least consider me.

Application: I need to seek to be that special man that lives a life for God. I know what that life looks like and how it should be lived. God has given me instructions in his word and even examples to follow. I have the choice to be that man after God’s own heart or to be the man that pleases me. I need to choose to be the man that desires to please my master.

Prayer: My Lord I want to serve you. I want to be the man you seek, the man after your own heart, a heart of love, a concern for others and of obedience to you. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and make me this man. I desire to please and serve you with this life, it is yours.

Scripture 1 Sam 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

Observation: God deserves all of my heart mind and soul at all times, yet boy do I fall short. If I would think of all the great things God has done in my life I wouldn’t have time to think of anything else. He has saved me from death at least seven times that I know of and has kept me around. That in itself is a great miracle. I do want to serve my Lord with all of my heart, but this evil that dwells within me has the focus on me and not my God most of the time. My one desire is to serve my God and to please Him just to show Him that I do love Him and I want to do it with my whole heart.

Application: I need to spend time each day quiet and just think of the great things God has done for me. I believe that will draw me closer to Him and help me listen to Him. I know my Lord knows my heart, better than even I do and deep down all I want to do is please Him. I need to make that my top priority in my life to serve Him each day and to serve others for my Lord’s glory and not my recognition. I don’t have much time left here and I want to run this race well and I can’t waste any more time on my own pleasures that don’t honor my master.

Prayer: My Lord and my God. Thank you for not giving up on me. I know where I belong and I thank you for the sacrifice of your Son. You put me here for a reason, please Lord let me complete the tasks you have put aside for me to do. Take this laziness away and give me wisdom and courage to succeed. I’m only here for your glory, may I hear the words well done good and faithful servant, when it’s time.

Scripture 1 Sam 11:6 Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.

Observation: There are things in this world that make me angry, like homosexual marriage, the teaching of evolution, cult religions and all of these things are against God. So is it the spirit of the Lord that convicts me and arouses my anger or is it just my anger? There is plenty of things that get me angry which have nothing to do with the nature of God, mostly about me. I believe the items I mentioned is because the Spirit of God is upon me. Every time I hear or see these detestable things, which in this day is quite often, I get angry and feel bad there is nothing I can do. If God’s Spirit is upon me, maybe there are things that I can do if I ask for wisdom. Maybe it’s time for more than anger, it’s time to be a part of the solution to glorify God.

Application: Don’t just pass off these moments of anger as a helpless victim, but ask the Spirit what it is I’m supposed to be doing. God does everything for a purpose if we stop and ask Him what He desires us to do in a situation He will guide us. I need to stop being so passive and ask for courage to change what God desires me to change. If God’s Spirit is upon me there is nothing I can’t do.

Prayer: My God I want to make a difference for you. I’m surrounded by sin each day and do nothing but complain. Get me in the game Lord and may your spirit show me what You desire me to do. I’m here as your servant fill me with Your Spirit and have me serve.

Scripture 1 Sam 10:6 Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.

Observation: When I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit took His place in my heart, I was changed. Even from the beginning I remember I couldn’t swear anymore or tell a lie. I started to see people differently, more like how God sees us. God gave me a heart to serve and do something for His glory and before I didn’t do anything for anyone, even my own family. My heart was softened, I became someone different, someone I wish I was my whole life. I remember, before that every day I wish I was someone else, anyone but me and now I wouldn’t want to be anyone else, maybe just a little better me each day.

Application: Stay focused on the man God wants me to be. Get more involved in things at church and find a way to get the depression ministry and outreach ministry going. Each day become a better me, someone that honors God each day. I need to try harder to be better for my Lord, it’s too easy to do nothing. I’m so blessed that God has made me a different man then I use to be, but I still want to be better, better every day.

Prayer: My Lord thank you for changing me from the person I created. Thank you for softening my heart and changing my thinking so that it serves you. Continue to change me, filling me with the Holy Spirit reaping rewards for your glory.

Scripture 1 Sam 9:16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me.”

Observation: Don’t you wish you were one of the prophets that God talked directly to you. Like Moses when God gave him instructions on what to do and say when He sent him to Pharaoh. Like so many times God hears our cries for help and does something about it. He may use a person to help bring about His plan whether it be Moses, Abraham, Joshua and the list goes on. When we cry to the Lord for help, do we make ourselves available for service, available to our God? I’ve cried out so many times and He has always been there, maybe not the way I thought it should happen or in my time frame, but God always came through and many times He used someone to help guide me. The biggest example of that is my wife. I cried out to God to allow me to end this life here, since I saw no use for it and He placed the most wonderful woman I had ever met into my life. God has used her to encourage me to fulfill the purpose God has given me.

Application: I need to be able to hear God’s voice and let Him know each day that I’m available and desire to serve in whatever way he desires me to serve. As I’ve cried out to God I need to be able to hear others cries and then ask God what I may do to help. Each day I cry out in prayer my petitions to my God, but until now I have never asked how I might be the answer to someone else’s prayer.

Prayer: My Lord show me how to be the answer to someone’s prayer. Use the gifts and abilities that you have given me to your service. Help me be silent so that I may hear your voice guide me today. Take me off the sidelines and put me in the game that I may finish well.

Scripture 1 Sam 8:7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

Observation: Whenever we go against God’s will, which is sin, we reject our God. Whenever we put our needs and desires above God’s we are saying we are more important than Him. So often in a day do we reject God? When we say something hurtful to someone, a lie, lust, personal ambition and the list goes on. We are not only sinning, but we are rejecting our Heavenly Father, because we do not listen to His instructions for our life. God is love and has blessed us so much more than we can ever possibly deserve, but I bet a day doesn’t go by that we turn our backs to Him, I know in my life unfortunately that’s true.

Application: I need to realize my thoughts and actions are much more than an expression of my wants, but so often they can be a rejection of my God, who should be my first true love. Rejecting Him is the same as telling Him he is not as important as the things I want to do and that needs to end. I’m on a journey to Heaven and I will be held responsible for all that I say, think and do and I don’t want to hear about all the times I rejected the one who has created and saved me. It’s time to start a commitment to giving myself a hundred percent to my Father and to never reject Him again. At least if this is my goal and target in life I have a much better chance of hitting it then never having anything to shoot for.

Prayer: My Lord I am a sinner and selfish man. My desire is to never reject you anymore. I know I have a very difficult time controlling my thoughts and I need you to help me with the way I am. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and get me through this life without dishonoring you anymore. I do love you, may my life prove it.

Scripture 1 Sam 7:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

Observation: What is it to return with all of your heart? That God is your everything, He is your heart, mind and soul and that you will live for Him. God should be the master of us, everything that we have and are needs to belong to the Lord. Before we do anything we should see if it honors God, we need to die to ourselves and then live for our Lord. It seems like a lot to ask, but it’s the very least we can do. Everything we give Him He gave it to us first and we are simply giving it back. Our hearts need to be prepared for God, which makes Him our main focus and since we love Him we desire to serve Him, it’s no longer a chore to serve, but becomes an honor.

Application: I still need to return to my Lord with all of my heart and rid myself of this self-centerness. I need to prepare my heart and get my life into perspective. I’m still living as if this life is for me, when in fact it has always belonged to my Lord. I need to serve more, because when I serve I know I’m in His presence and in His will. I need my Lord to deliver me from this sinful existence and get my heart ready to glorify Him.

Prayer: I can’t do it by myself, my Lord. I’ve tried and always fall short and go back to focusing on me. Help get my heart ready for service to You. In my heart I do want to be the man you call me to be, but I continue to stray off the path. Give me a strong heart and take this laziness from me so that I may serve.