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Romans 12:9-21

24 May

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:9-21

Dear God, I think there’s something implied in verse 21 that we sometimes miss: If we don’t follow all of these verses, including 19 and 20, then evil is overcoming us. Vengeance is dangerous to the avenger. Retribution is cancerous. Bitterness and hatred are destructive. There’s a reason Jesus said hating is akin to murder. And I’ve hated. I’ve hated others. And I’ve been hated. I am hated.

This passage is a good reminder that if I am to live peacably with others I must turn loose of hate and embrace compassion, forgiveness and love. That might mean dying to my own rights. That might mean being taken advantage of. It might mean being seen as week or soft.

I’m going to be teaching a Sunday school lesson later this morning about Eli and his sons, but I wonder how Samuel saw them. AFter his vivist from you overnight, how did he see Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas? Did he hold them with contempt? Did he judge them? Did he pity them? How did you want him to feel about them? “Hate the sin, love the sinner?” Try to influence them?

Father, I have the Rich Mullins song “Let Mercy Lead” going in my head right now. Help me to let mercy lead. Help me to follow Paul’s admonition to love my enemies, abhor what is evil, and love what is good. And with everything that I do, let it be with the goal of leading others into complete relationship with you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 24, 2026 in Romans

 

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1 Samuel 4:19-22, 14:2-3, 22:11-20

23 May

419 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed[b] from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

142 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 

2111 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and captain over your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15 Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17 And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

1 Samuel 4:19-22, 14:2-3, 22:11-20

Dear God, these passages are the fulfillment of the prophecy you gave to Eli in 1 Samuel 2:31: 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. So here’s my question. Did you cause these things to happen to Eli’s descendants or did Eli and his boys set these things in motion through their actions? Did we end up with Saul as king because these men were unfaithful to you all those years before? I tend to think that you don’t do these things as much as you foresee these things. History could have been different for Eli’s descendants had he made a different set of decisions years before.

Oh, how this thought terrifies me. What have I done today that will ripple through time in a negative way? How am I failing future generations, or even those around me today, through the mistakes I make and sins I commit?

Lord, have mercy. Jesus, have mercy. Holy Spirit, have mercy. I really don’t have much more to say than that.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 23, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25, 27-36, 3:1-18

22 May

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.

16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.

22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.

27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!

30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!

35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”

3 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.

2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”

“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.

6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”

7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. 12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. 13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. 14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”

15 Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him. 16 But Eli called out to him, “Samuel, my son.”

“Here I am,” Samuel replied.

17 “What did the Lord say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!” 18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the Lord’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”

1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25, 27-36, 3:1-18

Dear God, I want to read this story and think about how awful Eli was. Come on, Eli! Do better! But I’m no Disney Princess. What parts of me are like Eli? Where do I fail when I shouldn’t? Where am I weak when I should be strong?

I think the answer is probably at work. There are times when I avoid confrontation at work when I shouldn’t. Nothing like what Eli is letting go here is happening, but there are little things I choose to ignore instead of address. It’s a huge weakness for me. I know I need to be doing something about it.

In the case of this story, I like the idea that you are setting Samuel up for leadership. Showing him both what to do and what not to do. Ironically, it will come to pass in chapter 8 that he has the same weakness with his boys. They aren’t this bad and contemptuous towards you, but they are corrupt and the excuse the Israelites use to ask for a king. But in the meantime, you warned the boy Samuel to not be like Eli’s boys, and I think this was a pivotal time for them.

Father, help me to learn from my own mistakes, from Eli’s mistakes, and even from Samuel’s mistakes. Don’t let any pain be wasted. And I want to stop a moment this morning and pray for two couples. One just got married three days ago. One will be married in three weeks. I pray for your presence in all of their lives. Help them to see beyond themselves. Help them to lean into the path you have for them and to lean on you as they walk that path. Help them to take each challenge and bring it to you. Help my wife and me to bring our challenges to you as well. Both as individuals and as a couple. Give these couples and us the protection you know we need. Guide us into humility.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 22, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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Romans 15:5-13

20 May

5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews[b] to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:

“For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing praises to your name.”[c]

10 And in another place it is written,

“Rejoice with his people,
    you Gentiles.”[d]

11 And yet again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles.
    Praise him, all you people of the earth.”[e]

12 And in another place Isaiah said,

“The heir to David’s throne[f] will come,
    and he will rule over the Gentiles.
They will place their hope on him.”[g]

13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:5-13

Dear God, the things the world tells me to get upset about are just things that I cannot control. Right now, it seems like everything, and I mean everything, from nearly all levels of our government are the things that are driving wedges between Christians and non-Christians alike. Whether it’s foreign policy, domestic policy, state policy, or local policy, we are in this existential crisis worrying about how to control something that we really can’t control and then we judge the people who disagree with us. I was with a man in my office the other day, and it came out that we disagreed on some political issues. I cut the discussion off pretty quickly because I knew that Satan might use it to drive a wedge between us that just doesn’t need to be there.

We are here to be an encouragement to each other. I was thinking last night while I looked at a group of men who are in a class provided to those getting community service hours through the courts that they have the potential to be that source of support for each other. Over 10 weeks, they have an opportunity to build a community that will strongly support them. That you can use to be your presence to each other. It makes me think now that we need to be really already focusing on the idea of implanting the alumni meetings to them for after the course is over.

Father, help me to be informed for the sake of compassion but not as a way to grasp power or control. Help me to embrace and encourage every person who calls on your name, seeking them out so that you might make me stronger in you and more like you and so that I might help them to be strong in you and more like you. Help me to turn loose of the world and its outcomes, leaving that in your hands. I think about what the prayers of the common person in Germany must have been like in the 30s or in Russia in when Lenin took over. I think about the common Christian in Ukraine or Russia now. I’m just a small butterfly. Show me how to flap my wings today so that your kingdom might come and your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 20, 2026 in Romans

 

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James 3:13-18

19 May

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3:13-18

Dear God, this passage, which is the verse of the day from Bible Gateway, reminds me of the Bible study I taught last night about Saul. He was so concerned about his own self-image and selfishness instead of really seeking you that it corrupted nearly everything he did. As I was pointing out last night, David had a lot of the same struggles Saul had. He lied. He cheated. He schemed. But the huge difference is that he sought you. He wanted you. He wanted relationship with you, and you met him, fllawed as he was.

I love James’s description of the wise in these verses. The wise:

  • Understand your ways
  • Prove it by lving honorable lives
  • Do good works with humility.
  • Are peace loving
  • Are gentle.
  • Are willing to yield to others.
  • Are full of mercy
  • Have the fruit of good deeds
  • Show no favoritism
  • Are sincere
  • Are peacemakers
  • Plant seeds of peace
  • Harvest righteousness

Of course, this list is similar to Paul’s fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and some of the beatitudes in Matthew 5.

Father, help me to search my heart and get rid of anything that is related to jealousy and selfish ambition (verse 14 above). Help me to be humble and not try to prop myself up by boasting. Help me to be who you need me to be today. There is lots and lots to do. Help me to do it well and efficiently.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 19, 2026 in James

 

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1 Samuel 14

18 May

14 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave[a] at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish.[b] Behold, I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. 14 And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre[c] of land. 15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.[d]

16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there.[e] 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people[f] of Israel. 19 Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.

24 And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food. 25 Now when all the people[g] came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were faint. 29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.”

31 They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. 32 The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.”[h] 34 And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37 And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39 For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.” 41 Therefore Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.”[i] And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. 42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken.

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” 44 And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45 Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

47 When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them. 48 And he did valiantly and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50 And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

52 There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.

1 Samuel 14

Dear God, I’m supposed to be relating 1 Samuel 11-14 to the idea of “values” tonight. I think when I did this last year, week for the Christian Men’s Life Skills class I’m helping with was “ego.” So I need to look at this. What were Saul’s values:

  1. Self-image – Saul really cared what people thought about him.

It’s funny. As I think about this, everything I thought of came back to self-image. Just about every decision he made after his first victory at Jabesh Gilead was about protecting or enhancing his self-image. It seems like he rarely proactively led after Jabesh Gilead. I think that was his peak as king. When he had that success I think he got a taste of glory that he was too timid to grasp at before that encounter. Now, he had it and he wanted to be seen as large and in charge.

When it comes to loving you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and then loving our neighbor as ourself, it can be hard to do that and be concerned with our self-image. And yet, I really do worry about my self-image a lot. A couple of weeks ago, before our fundraising dinner at work, one of my primary concerns was that it would be a success so that I could look good int he eyes of others. I was more worried about that for a bit there than I was about loving the people in the room or motivated to raise money to help our patients. There were times when I was tempted to make the point of the night to be to make myself look good in the eyes of the people there.

Father, Saul had a problem here that haunted him throughout his life. Please help me to avoid that same trap. Let every action I take be about worshipping you and loving others as best as I can, regardless of what it costs me, including prestige. I don’t want to be a clanging gong. I want to have love and give it to others. Help me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 18, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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Romans 11:28-36

17 May

28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
    Who knows enough to give him advice?
35 And who has given him so much
    that he needs to pay it back?

36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

Romans 11:28-36

Dear God, this is one of those times when I’m not sure about Paul’s conclusions. I do, wholeheartedly, agree with verse 33, which I suppose is why I question verses 28-32. If your ways are so unknowable, how can Paul explain them right before that? I’m probably praying a lot of heresy here, but when I look back over the recorded history in the Bible and then think about the 1,900 to 2,000 years since then, I tend to think of everything in human history leading to Jesus. I see Abraham’s call being part of the butterfly effect that leads to Jesus being born to Mary. I mean, for you to have blessed Jacob…well, there has to be more to your choice than his nobility or righteousness. All of it needed to lead to David which led to Jesus. You put your thumb on the scale and led history right where you needed it to go. So yes, there were times when you really favored Abraham’s descendants, and because you are the true God the descendents of both Isaac and Ishmael have carried your name forward, but it feels like everything was about making sure Jesus entered the world the way he did 2,000 years ago.

How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

I can’t pretend to know or understand any of this. I would certainly never teach it to a Sunday school class or in a Bible study because I’m probably wrong. So I come here this morning to accept the fact that I am small, ignorant, and foolish, and I have a God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. I worship you. I do the best that I can in any given moment. I offer my life to you.

Father, there is so much pain in the world. I’m thinking about several people in my mind right now who I know are in a lot of pain. Bless and encourage them. Show them your heart for them. Give them freedom through confession, revealing secrets that are binding them up, and redemptiive repentance. My heart hurts for them. Give them the serenity to accept the things they cannot change, the courage to change the things they can, and the wisdom to know the difference. And beyond that, give them the ability to repent before you, receive that grace, and then, in gratitude, extend grace and mercy to others. Throw off the self-pity and other ties that bind them, and help them to peacefully and joyously bask in your presence.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 17, 2026 in Romans

 

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1 Samuel 13

15 May

13 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.

2 Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.

3 Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!” 4 All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. 6 The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. 7 Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.

Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.

10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”

Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

15 Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way, but the rest of the troops went with Saul to meet the army. They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted the men who were still with him, he found only 600 were left! 16 Saul and Jonathan and the troops with them were staying at Geba in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines set up their camp at Micmash. 17 Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, 18 another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.

19 There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews. 20 So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith. 21 The charges were as follows: a quarter of an ounce of silver for sharpening a plowshare or a pick, and an eighth of an ounce for sharpening an ax or making the point of an ox goad. 22 So on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan.

23 The pass at Micmash had meanwhile been secured by a contingent of the Philistine army.

1 Samuel 13

Dear God, There’s so much that happens here. First, I’m reminded of how disorganized Israel was as a “nation.” It was just a totally different world/culture/paradigm than I’m used to. I’m used to standing armies, distinct borders, command structures, etc. The picture this paints is of Saul keeping a core fighting force of just a few thousand men and then sending the rest home until he calls on them.

And then Saul is still obviously having a credibility problem with his men. After seven days of waiting for Samuel they started to slip away. I wonder if they thought Saul was stalling and didn’t believe he was waiting for Samuel. What was Saul’s body language like during thist time? Were they doubting him?

Father, I can’t help but think that, at the end of the day, Saul just wasn’t up to this job. It almost feels like he was just a placeholder until David was ready. You needed someone to 1.) bridge the gap until he was ready, 2.) get things a little organized under a more traditional-looking kingdom, and 3.) teach him through the good and bad examples of Saul. And I guess 4.) give him Jonathan to affirm him. But all of those are stories for another day. Right now, I just say that I sometimes feel like Saul. I feel like I’m not up to this. I’m not up to leading how people need me to lead. Help me to know what to do with that. Help me to know how you need me to grow and change. Help me to know how to worship you through the actions of my life.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 15, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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1 Samuel 12

14 May

12 Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king. 2 Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. 3 Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”

4 “No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”

5 “The Lord and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.”

“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.

6 “It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. 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.

8 “When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land. 9 But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.

10 “Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to save you, and you lived in safety.

12 “But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king. 13 All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request.

14 “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God. 15 But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.

16 “Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. 17 You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”

18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 “Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”

20 “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. 21 Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! 22 The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.

23 “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 25 But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

1 Samuel 12

Dear God, when I was teaching 1 Samuel 8-10 the other night to a group of men, Israel’s big sin regarding this story occurred to me. Right in the middle of talking: In asking for a king they violated the first commandment:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 “You must not have any other god but me. (Exodus 20:2-3)

They made the idea of a king their god. And to be sure, I think it would be hard to live without a kingless system. Even in the United States, while we don’t have a “king,” we have a leadership structure that organizes us, and it’s hard for me to imagine living without that. It’s easy to judge the Israelites for what they wanted, but wouldn’t I want some sort of organized structure to protect us from other nations? I honestly don’t know what it would look like to not have that kind of structure.

I watched a brief clip from a World War II documentary this morning where people in Poland new the Germans were going to invade and they were vastly out gunned from a military standpoint. So they had every civilian who as capable working to shore up their defenses, including digging ditches in Warsaw to try to slow down the German tanks. Their safety was not guaranteed. In fact, they would be invaded and conquered easily.

I’m trying to come up with a parallel for me today. The best I can do with my current life is think about the things that upset me and whether or not I am upset because I am afraid for my safety and wellbeing, or whether I am upset at an injustice happening. I think it’s okay to be upset about injustice. I don’t think it’s okay for me be to upset because my wellbeing might be at stake. Upset about injustice is what you call me to do in loving my neighbor. But my wellbeing. Well, that just doesn’t matter in my worship of you.

So when I start to get concerned about our country declining, running out of weapons, making ourselves vulnerable to people who want to hurt us, etc., I do think that is sin. When I start to worry about how to preserve my money more than I worry about sharing it with those in need, I think that is a problem.

Father, the Israelites sinned here, but I get it. It’s hard for me to judge them because I’ve never been asked to live in a system that depended so heavily upon you as my “King.” In fact, I wonder if that is why the United States will never take the place of the Israelites as your people. I think some American Christians would like to think we have replaced Israel as your people, but we don’t know what it’s really like to have you as our King. We know what it’s like to be redeemed by you and have relationship with you, but I also pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag at Rotary every Monday. I am a citizen of two worlds. I worship you. I serve you. I serve others. But I am also living in a society, and I have responsibilities in that. I think the important thing now is for me to make the decisions I make every day based more on the idea of how what I do or what I vote for can help people rather than focus on how it will make me safer. Help me to live up to that ideal.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 14, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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1 Samuel 11

13 May

11 About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead. But all the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. “Make a treaty with us, and we will be your servants,” they pleaded.

2 “All right,” Nahash said, “but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!”

3 “Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!” replied the elders of Jabesh. “If no one comes to save us, we will agree to your terms.”

4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears. 5 Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, “What’s the matter? Why is everyone crying?” So they told him about the message from Jabesh.

6 Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. 7 He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!” And the Lord made the people afraid of Saul’s anger, and all of them came out together as one. 8 When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000[b] men from Judah.

9 So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, “We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!” There was great joy throughout the town when that message arrived!

10 The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.” 11 But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.

12 Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, “Now where are those men who said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill them!”

13 But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord has rescued Israel!”

14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom.” 15 So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.

1 Samuel 11

Dear God, I like this story because it shows Saul growing in a good way. We get so many negative stories about Saul, it’s good to see a good one. In this case, there were a lot of people who doubted him as their leader, and he wasn’t giving them much reason to change their mind. Then, when he heard about Jabesh and the people there, your power came upon him and he turned into a leader. A leader that not only the people could believe in, but also a leader that he could believe in. I don’t think he thought that much more of himself as a leader than his doubters did. In fact, he probably had mercy on them because he could see where they were coming from.

I talked a couple of nights ago at the Bible study I was leading about “imposter’s syndrome.” I get it all the time. In fact, right now, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by a particular challenge at work. It’s hard to figure out how to solve. What will I do? I thought I had at least an initial solution yesterday, and I started to not only celebrate, but also think about how it seemed like you were providing for us. Then the rug got pulled out from under me, and I was back at square one. What to do. I’ve been in this job 20 years, and I’ve earned a lot of credibility with the people I work with and the community. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still get really insecure about who I am and what I’m capable or not capable of doing.

Father, Saul’s biggest problem was that he took this glory and started to cling to it as his own. I do not want to do that. I do not want glory of power for myself. I have someone who is about to start working for us who seems to be content just being a behind-the-scenes worker at this stage of his life. No glory needed. I want to be that way too. I can’t help but be the face of our organization, but I want to decrease as much as possible so that you might increase through me and into the world. For your glory, and your glory alone, oh, Lord!

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 13, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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