datethewordtest

Tag: 1 Samuel

  • Verse to DATE the Word on December 23 (12/23) is 1 Samuel 12:23

    “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you;
    but I will teach you the good and the right way.” – 1 Samuel 12:23
    The COMMITMENT to Pray for Others and to Disciple

    1 Samuel 12 is best described as Samuel’s “Family Talk” with Israel. As the “family talk” begins to conclude Samuel makes a commitment to the people of God that HE WILL PRAY FOR THEM AND THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO TEACH THEM WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT!  

    I find Samuel’s commitment to be one of the best commitments a servant of the Lord can make to the people God has called them to serve.  It is so good that I want to repeat it here before making a few comments.  Picture Samuel standing before the people and he says, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.”

    What a tremendous commitment! He tells them he is going to PRAY FOR THEM!  As a matter of fact he believes that not praying for God’s people would be a sin.  Do you feel that strong of a compulsion to pray for fellow believers?  

    Friends, without doubt or question one of the greatest things you can do for others is to pray for them.  I highly recommend using one of the Apostle Paul’s prayers as a guide.  I use Colossians 1:9-11.  (Some of you knew that was coming.) It says, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (pray a person knows God’s Will) 10  that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, (pray they walk worthy/pleasing the Lord) being fruitful in every good work (pray their work for God is productive) and increasing in the knowledge of God; (praying they grow in wisdom/understanding knowledge of God) 11  strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; (pray they withstand trials and temptations by His power!)

    Not only does he tell them he is going be praying for them but he commits to TEACH them. We could use the word DISCIPLE them.  Discipleship is pouring God’s truth into another person so that they can learn and live out the Scriptures.  Discipleship is helping another believer BECOME like Christ.  As one is discipled they start discipling.  Each believer should be found somewhere in 2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  As someone teaches/disciples you, you start teaching/discipling someone and part of the discipleship is teaching them to pass on what they are learning.  I take the view that you have not completely discipled a person until they start discipling a person. 

    Samuel makes a commitment, a commitment to PRAY FOR and to DISCIPLE God’s people.  I challenge you to look at 1 Samuel as a guide for making your 2024 commitments.  Commit to praying for a group of people.  Commit to discipling a group of people.  

    Verse to DATE the Word on December 23 (12/23) is 1 Samuel 12:23. It says, “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” 

    Make the COMMITMENT of I WILL PRAY and I WILL DISCIPLE!

    Continue Strong,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on December 7 (12/7) is 1 Samuel 12:7

    “Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I remind you of all the
    great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors.” – 1 Samuel 12:7
    A DAY TO REMEMBER

    On a historical note, I would think that most of us know that December 7th is a very important date in history going back to December 7, 1941.  President Franklin Roosevelt said that December 7, 1941, would be a day that would live “in infamy as the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Years later there are still solemn moments of remembrance on December 7.  As President Roosevelt predicted, December 7, 1941, continues to live on. 

    Considering our verse to DATE on December 7 (12/7), we have in 1 Samuel 12:7 a day in which God’s people were to PAUSE and be reminded of all the GREAT things the LORD had done.  The Prophet Samuel called God’s people together for a “family talk.”  As part of the family talk, he took them down memory lane by REMINDING them of all the GREAT THINGS God had done in the past and what He was doing in the present.  He wanted them to CONSIDER God’s great and miraculous actions that had been done on their behalf!  

    Place yourself in this Biblical moment.  Can you imagine some of the stories Samuel would have told to remind them of what God had done in the PAST?  Can you imagine the stories he would have told to remind them of how God was presently working?  

    Learning from 1 Samuel 12:7 I would tell you it is good every now and then to sit quietly and reflect on the GREAT THINGS the LORD has done for you and others!!  It is good to review the past, bringing up precious memories and it is good to reflect on the present, staying aware of what God is doing today!  In doing this I think you will find welling up in you a spirit of rejoicing about the past and the present and a resolve for the future to keep trusting God.

    By the way – Our calendar in the USA provides the opportunity on Thanksgiving Day to practice what we are learning from 1 Samuel 12:7. I have also found that the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is also a great time to sit quietly and reflect and give thanks for all that God has done over the past year.  Of course, it is a great time to write out resolutions and new dreams for the coming year, but it should be a time to look back over the past year before looking forward to a new year.  I recommend that this is both personal and with family.  

    Maybe it is possible that today you look ahead and schedule some time for a “family talk” before the end of the year!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on December 7 (12/7) is I Samuel 12:7. It says “Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I, Samuel, remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors.”

    Continue Strong by remembering the GREAT things God has done and is doing!
    And remember to DATE The WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 26 (10/26) is 1 Samuel 10:26

    “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him,
    whose hearts God had touched.” – 1 Samuel 10:26
    BEING VALIANT FOR GOD with a HEART FOR GOD

    Any conversation about King Saul is almost always going to be negative.  After all, he is one of the few who ever gets the admission from the Lord that He “regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:35c) As King of Israel he is known for acting foolishly and being disobedient toward God. (1 Samuel 13:13) 

    Yes, King Saul is not one to look at or study for WHAT ONE SHOULD DO.  While being chosen to defeat the Philistines (1 Samuel 9:16) he failed to fulfill his stated purpose.  Saul was supposed to be an ANSWER TO PRAYER for dealing with the Philistines but in the end, the Philistines defeated him.  

    However, even with all the negatives, we find that at his beginning he had VALIANT men with him, men in whom God had touched their hearts.  Those two descriptions are very noteworthy and admirable. We should want to be known as VALIANT men and women and men and women whose HEARTS have been TOUCHED/influenced by the Lord.  Let’s look a little closer at these two descriptions. 

    VALIANT. It is a word you will find 29 times in the NKJV.   It means “possessing or showing courage or determination.”  BRAVE!  No backing down.  No quitting! 
    .
    Another instance of the word “valiant” associated with King Saul is found in 1 Samuel 14:52. It says, “Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any VALIANT man, he took him for himself.”  

    Give Saul credit here that he did know what to look for in finding soldiers!

    The word “valiant” is also found in the HALL OF FAITH passage. In Hebrews 11:34  we read of where people of faith “quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

    Our verse tells us about VALIANT men and it tells us about men whose hearts God had touched.  This means they had a heart that God could guide, that God could influence.  Their hearts belonged to God as opposed to the false gods around them.  

    So, what type of person are you?  Would family and friends, associates, and neighbors describe you as VALIANT?  Are you one who is not afraid of the battles against the evil forces of this world?  Would you be described as one whose heart belongs to the Lord?  

    I challenge you to live and act in a way that a descriptive word for your character is VALIANT.  May you be known as a man or woman of VALOR!!  And let there be no question that your heart has been touched by God!

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 26 (10/26) is 1 Samuel 10:26. It says, “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.”

    Continue STRONG as a person of VALOR!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 15 (7/15) is 1 Samuel 7:15

    “Samuel gave solid leadership to Israel his entire life.” – 1 Samuel 7:15 (The Message)
    Providing SOLID Leadership Consistently and Constantly

    Two words STAND OUT as we read about the OT prophet Samuel here in 1 Samuel 7:15. I cannot help but notice the words SOLID and ENTIRE.  Do those two words not seem remarkable, awe-inspiring, yes, outstanding? Samuel gave SOLID leadership and solid leadership for his ENTIRE life!!  Unfortunately, they also seem to be two words that are unique as we look at the current landscape of leadership.

    Friends, we need SOLID leadership in our families, our churches, our communities, our country, and in our world! Friends, you need to provide SOLID leadership! 

    So, what is SOLID leadership?  
    I think it is SERVANT leadership.  It is what Jesus taught.  It is not about titles. It is about towels!
    I think it is about OWNERSHIP.  Leaders, like Nehemiah, took responsibility (ownership) for their assignments. 
    I think you see SOLID leadership when the leaders LOVE their people.  Remember, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!  Jesus LOVED His disciples!!
    I think it is about leading with INTEGRITY!  I love a quote from President Eisenhower in which he said, “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
    As a reminder: Do not expect your gifts and talents to take you where your character cannot keep you!
    I think SOLID leadership happens when the leader is DILIGENT.  Diligence is a man’s precious possession.  (Proverbs 12:27) Being mentored by Dr. Jerry Falwell I learned the value of HARD WORK. 
    Leaders SHOW UP and STAY UP.  There is no quit in the SOLID leader!  

    Reading the list are you a SOLID leader?   

    Standing out also in the evaluation of Samuel is the word ENTIRE.   He started well and he finished well.  That, unfortunately, can’t be said about a lot of people.  I heard that only 30% of the people in the Bible finished well. 

    Readers of this devotion, I challenge you to be known for bringing to whatever leadership responsibilities you have SOLID leadership and FINISH WELL!   

    BTW – one of the things you should have is a life sentence.  1 Samuel 7:15 is pretty good! Read it again and put your name in place of Samuel and your responsibility in place of Israel.
    1 Samuel 7:15 “                           gave solid leadership to                              his/her entire life.”

    Verse to DATE on July 15 (7/15) is 1 Samuel 7:15. It says, “Samuel gave solid leadership to Israel his entire life.” (The Message)

    Continue Strong as a Solid Leader,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 3 (7/3) is 1 Samuel 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.” – 1 Samuel 7:3
    An excellent guide to personal revival!

    Over my many years on my spiritual journey, I have heard many messages on the need for revival.  As I read the Bible I have found several passages that speak of personal revival.  1 Samuel 7:3 is one of my top go-to verses for learning the actions needed for personal revival.   

    As you consider 1 Samuel 7:3 and personal revival please allow me to present a few thoughts. Personal revival is where one revives, bringing back to life,  personal obedience to the Lord! Revival is needed as one has put something or some things in place of God.  A person’s first love, their love for God has been replaced with another love.  Revival happens as one REALIZES they are wrong and they REPENT.  Repentance is making a 180 turn. One RETURNS to their first love.  One then takes the step of REMOVING the things that displaced their first love.  For there to be real revival I believe there is one more step and the step is to RESOLVE.  To resolve is to make a firm RESOLUTION.  The resolution includes a RECOMMITMENT  that says one will ONLY LOVE and SERVE GOD.  When this happens one can expect God to do incredible things through the person and for the person! 

    Are you serving ONLY HIM?  Have you given yourself to an idol or some idols that have drawn you away from your first love?  Do you need to have a personal revival?

    Tip – occasionally you need to draw a circle around yourself and say, “Lord, start a revival inside this circle.”  That prayer will certainly bring about conviction and God will reveal things that need to be removed.  Put into action the steps outlined above.  Rededicate yourself to serving ONLY HIM!

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 3 (7/3 ) is 1 Samuel 7:3. It says, “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.”

    Getting really personal: When is the last time you inserted yourself into Joshua 24:15 and said “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD?”

    Continue Strong committed only to serving and loving Jesus.
    And remember to DATE the Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on February 26 (2/26) is 1 Samuel 2:26

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 26 (2/26) is 1 Samuel 2:26

    Our verse to DATE the Word on February 26 (2/26) is 1 Samuel 2:26
    1 Samuel 2:26 says, “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.”
    A BALANCED GROWTH PLAN

    From the moment of birth, it is expected that a child GROW. Growing physically is natural and necessary.  As a parent. you take your newborn in for checkups to see if they are growing.  There is the expectation that the baby will be gaining weight and getting taller. 

    1 Samuel 2:26 gives the report that the child Samuel was PHYSICALLY growing.  However, it is worth noting that along with marks on a doorpost to show he was getting taller, he was growing spiritually and relationally. He was growing in stature and he was growing in FAVOR with the Lord and growing in favor with men.  He was becoming a well-balanced child! 

    Reading about Samuel’s growth reminds us that the growth of a child is more than just physical.  Just as there must be attention to a child’s physical development, there must be attention given to the child’s spiritual development and relationship development.  Growing in all three of these areas does not come accidentally. There must be intentional WORK done by parents.  There must be intentional TRAINING and TEACHING.  

    As a parent, you are responsible for training your child(ren.)  Deuteronomy 6 teaches that parents are to teach their children the commandments of God.  In teaching the Ten Commandments you teach them first about a relationship with God and then a relationship with others.  The first four commandments are vertical.  A child learns to respect GOD.  The last 6 commandments are horizontal.  A child learns to respect OTHERS.  And the first place they learn to respect others is in the home where they learn to respect their parents. When this training is done you should see along with physical growth that there will be spiritual growth and relational growth.   

    It is worth noting that Jesus grew like Samuel grew.  We find in Luke 2:52 Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.  

    For me, as a parent, a Christian educator, and as a pastor I use I Samuel 2:26 and more so Luke 2:52 to determine the crucial areas that I am to be focused on to bring about the total development of a child. In looking at Luke 2:52 we see there is the INTELLECTUAL growth of Jesus as He grew in wisdom.  There is PHYSICAL growth as He grew in stature.  There is RELATIONAL growth as He grows in favor with people and there is SPIRITUAL growth as He grew in favor with God.  

    While I look at these key areas for developing a well-balanced child, I also look at these 4 areas for personal development.  I encourage you to do the same.  We should always be learning, growing in wisdom, and growing intellectually.  We should always be taking care of our bodies.  We should always be increasing our love for God and for people.  

    Are you growing others, especially your children the way Samuel and Jesus grew?

    Are YOU growing the way Samuel and Jesus grew?

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 26 (2/26) is 1 Samuel 2:26. It says, “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.”

    From Dr. John Maxwell: “You don’t grow in a day! You grow daily!”  

    Continue Strong growing yourself so that you might grow others!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD