Devotionals
Is People-Pleasing Bad?
Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the Lord’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. 1 Samuel 15:24, CSB Here we have Saul’s confession to Samuel that he had been unfaithful to God because he wanted to please people. He wanted to make those around... Read More →
The Beginning of the End
Saul’s son Jonathan decides to “go rogue” and take on the Philistines by himself with his armour-bearer and is extremely successful. This is often credited as a great act of faith and trust in the Lord. But is it? Earlier in the story we read that Saul becomes impatient waiting for the man who is... Read More →
Was I Wrong?
I have made much the last little while about the lack of repentance on the part of the Israelites during the period of the Judges. And here Samuel says something that seems to have made a liar out of me… Then they cried out to the LORD and admitted, ‘We have sinned, for we have... Read More →
The Power of the Invitation
To this point Israel has had 14 judges (including Eli —but not his children— and Samuel). And they all judged Israel for years, and they had some crazy exploits and military victories over the enemies of Israel. But you know what we never see? Repentance. I’ve talked about that before. Israel continually asks God to... Read More →