Edevotional

devotion

A King Just Like Everyone Else (1 Samuel 8)

King

1 Samuel 8:7 says:

The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.

When Israel decided they wanted a king to be just like all the other nations they did so by rejecting the Lord as their king.

There is a saying that says “if you want to live like no one else, you’ve got to live like no one else”. In other words, there is a cost of discipline and choosing a different path of life to most people, if you want to truly succeed in a way that most others don’t.

The same is true of the life of the Christian. Wanting to live like everyone else AND live for Jesus is mutually exclusive.

You’ve got to pick one or the other.

The place the Lord must take in our lives is the place reserved for King. That is why He is titled the “King of kings”. If He is not King of our lives, someone or something else will be. And that means Jesus is not King of kings.

In out lives there will always be a king. Be it the one who is rightfully king or the one we choose in His place, just like all the “other nations”.

Who is the king of your life? The King of kings? Or something or someone just like all the other nations have?

PRAYER: Father, I want you to be my King. Lord rule and reign in my life as King of my heart, my mind, my future and my affections. I love you Lord, Amen.

The Call of Abram – Part 2 (Genesis 12)

Go

How do we start in the way of Faith? We look to the Father of Faith Abram and start where he started.

Click here for Part 1

Genesis 12:1:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

2. GO

First Abram was told to LEAVE. Next he was instructed to GO.

Going is always part of the call. God never calls you out of one place or situation, without a place to call you to go into. However, being told where that place is is another matter!

Where was Abram instructed to go? To “the place I show you”.

You can imagine how this would go down. Go, Abram. Where Lord? I will show you. Ok, so where is that Lord? I will show you. Can you show me now? I will, but first go.

Now remember, Abram has been told to leave his country, his people, his family everything to follow the Lord. Most of us can get our heads around that, even if it seems tough to do. But to then not know where to go? That’s maybe a bridge too far!

Yet that is the call Abram has and it is the call you and I have.

In my life, if I survey the past decade I couldn’t have guessed where serving and following the Lord could’ve taken me. It has certainly had some twists and turns which I could never have predicted. I didn’t know the path I was going to walk starting out with the Lord, and to be truthful I am glad I didn’t as it would’ve made it that much harder to stick at had I known.

Going without knowing where is matter of radical obedience. The way of faith is a way of radical obedience to the Word of the Lord. When He speaks we obey. We don’t need to understand, we don’t need to know why, we don’t need to have it all mapped out. His word to us is enough.

Taking Him at His Word and going is the way of faith that pleases God.

PRAYER: Make me a person of Faith Lord. Stir me that I may walk in obedience to your Word and follow you where ever you command me to go. Thank you Lord, Amen

Click here for Part Three