CONTENTS
Come to Jesus Daily devotional
- Monday – Be lifted by leaving Saul behind
- Tuesday – Be lifted by a broken yet joyful heart
- Wednesday – Be lifted you are not outside alone
- Thursday – Be lifted by the true shepherd
- Friday – Be lifted through the true victor
For links to the message and our blog which contains all of our studies, go to our website,
1. COME TO JESUS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
One of our goals as a church is to spend at least 20 minutes every day in prayer and worship out of the bible. I hope you find this devotional helpful toward that end.
This series, LIFT…
…is different to our usual practice for working through a book of the bible. I thought that, for this season, it would be refreshing to seek God for what He wants to say and to simply share that.
I trust that such an approach will help remind all of us to be prophetic - to listen to what God wants to say as a lifestyle.
These daily studies, likewise, are from my, and other church member’s devotions. I will also include devotionals derived from the various contributions that you share, as a church, in various settings.
Matt Beaney June 2019
MONDAY – BE LIFTED BY LEAVING SAUL BEHIND
1 Samuel 16:1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
How are we to read the account of David and Saul? For the first few years after becoming a Christian I often cast myself as David - 'a man after God’s own heart’ (1 Sam. 13:14) rather than Saul the compromiser; surely, all my zeal and efforts make me a prime-candidate for great things! However, over the years I’ve learned that we are firstly to see Jesus as the hero - the David - in this story.
The reality is, we all start off as Saul - we are sinners - made to rule but we have rebelled against God. Just like Adam in the Garden, Saul had so much opportunity and potential but he chose to rebel against doing things in God’s way. This is you and I before we asked Jesus to forgive us. And now we must put off our temptation to live under Saul - our old selves, and put on our new identity which is being renewed in the image of Jesus - like David the man after God’s own heart.
RESPONSE – STOP GRIEVING FOR SAUL
Firstly, this means to give your life completely to the true king, or reaffirm your trust and devotion. How are we like Saul - how are we compromising? Let’s confess again, “Jesus is Lord!”
Secondly, stop grieving for Saul - Stop remembering your sin, stop going over the corpse of your stinking past. If you have put your faith in Jesus, Saul is dead and buried, you are a new creation!
Thirdly, ‘fill your horn with oil and be on your way’. Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. As one is filled with the Holy Spirit, He establishes our loyalty and love for Jesus. So ask to be filled with the Spirit (See1 Corinthians 22:3).
TUESDAY – BE LIFTED BY A BROKEN YET JOYFUL HEART
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “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.”
Samuel is sent by God to anoint one of Jesse’s sons, king. Samuel, initially, is tempted to look at the impressive outward appearance as indication of God’s chosen king. God corrects Samuel saying “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” How should we apply this story to ourselves? Perhaps you are foolishly self-confident and so believe that God sees your amazing heart - Surely, you think to yourself, I’m destined for great things! Perhaps you are the reverse and believe that God looks at your heart and so rejects you and could never trust you with any great service for Him! Have no doubt, God sees your heart (your inner desires) so how can we live in peace knowing this to be true?
Firstly, let’s remember that David is a ‘type’ of Christ. Have no doubt that Jesus, our king, has a perfect heart. He was without sin even in His inner depths. He is our perfect king and Saviour.
Secondly, there is much that is sinful in our hearts and God does want to continue to improve us, but, the primary thing that God wants to see in our hearts is humility that recognises its sin, and faith that trusts in Jesus alone for righteousness.
RESPONSE
God sees your heart. Is it conceited and judgemental? Or is your heart broken by your sin, but full of joy and trust in Jesus - the sinless one who died in your place? As David wrote, after his sin of adultery against Bathsheba
‘My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.’ (Psalm 51:17)
WEDNESDAY – BE LIFTED YOU ARE NOT OUTSIDE ALONE
1 Samuel 16:10-11 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
This story is usually used to encourage us in this sort of way – “you may have been overlooked in your life but God sees you and has a great plan for your life…promotion is coming…” It’s used to heal us of our sense of rejection and the pain of feeling like an outsider.
However, let’s remember that the Old Testament is, firstly, pointing to Jesus. Jesus was ‘left out’ and so was born in a stable; He was left out by many of the religious teachers who were meant to be waiting for the Messiah; He was rejected and nailed to the cross even though He was Israel’s King and God incarnate; He took the wrath of the Father upon Himself where He quoted the words of the David from Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And He is still insulted and rejected by many today. Many still leave Jesus outside.
RESPONSE
How do we deal with our sense of rejection? The bible’s solution is not to think positively and believe that our ‘hero taking the stage moment’ is coming, to the tune of something from a Hollywood movie of your choice! Rather, healing is found in considering Jesus,
‘Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’ (Heb.12:3).
Focussing on Jesus keeps us from the resentment that being ‘left outside’ can foster. We may be outside but we are there with Jesus! We learn to serve God and people even in obscurity.
THURSDAY – BE LIFTED BY THE TRUE SHEPHERD
Saul the ungodly, declining king cannot defeat Goliath the enemy of God’s people. David, however, offers to take him on.
1 Samuel 17:33-36 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
How should we read this account? Perhaps we are tempted to see it as spurring us on to greater acts of faith for Jesus. Although this is not wrong, it is not the primary way to apply this text. Firstly, it’s about Jesus who is our protector as our good shepherd. Jesus says,
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:11-13)
RESPONSE
This account does not burden you to do something; it unburdens you through trust in the good shepherd. He loves His church, He loves you, He has given His life for you.
Saul cannot and will not protect and save you - in other words, don’t be tempted to look to anyone, anything, certainly not yourself, as your protector and Saviour.
FRIDAY – BE LIFTED THROUGH THE TRUE VICTOR
Saul looks the part with his heroic stature cannot defeat Goliath (we could say legalism/good works looks the part but can never save!) Instead, victory is won by David (Jesus), the one who seems totally unqualified. Saul assumes that David will need the kind of weaponry that he would use to win this fight,
‘Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic…armour… helmet…“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.’ (1 Samuel 17:38-40)
God’s methods of victory are completely different from the wisdom of this world.
‘As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.’ (1 Samuel 17:48-50)
RESPONSE
How should we read this account? Let’s resist seeing it, principally, as a provocation to us to, “be like David and attempt great things for God!” Rather, let’s glorify Jesus who has defeated the enemy on the cross for us! We can only win the victory over condemnation through the victory of the cross! We can only save others through the ‘weapon’ of the gospel! There are no victories to to be had in our service for Jesus or people if we do not seek to bring the gospel - the victory of Jesus - to people. And, those who see and rejoice in Jesus’ victory will attempt great things for God also!
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