Category: Uncategorized

MORNING— When Intimidation is the Name of the Game “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” The Valley of Elah was not a narrow ravine. It was a broad canyon—likely close to a mile wide. At the bottom ran a small stream, the one where…

MORNING— The King No One Was Looking For “For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Saul’s story ends not with repentance, but with resistance. And when the kingdom is torn from him, Samuel grieves—not only over Saul, but over the leadership…

MORNING— Hearing the Bleating “But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, And the lowing of the oxen which I hear?’” Samuel’s question cuts through Saul’s explanations. The sound of disobedience is unmistakable. No justification can drown it out. Saul shifts blame. “The people spared the best.”He reframes motive.…

MORNING— When Comfort Becomes the Compass “So he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.” In May 2023, an Asiana Airlines passenger opened an emergency door on a plane just minutes before landing in Daegu, South Korea—while…

MORNING— Like All the Nations “Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” By the time we reach 1 Samuel 8, Israel has been drifting for a long time. The book of Judges ends in chaos. Samuel stands as the last good judge—a faithful voice in a faithless age. Yet…

MORNING— Learning to Listen “Then Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.” The word of the LORD was rare in those days. Vision was infrequent. That is how this chapter begins—not with Samuel, but with the…

MORNING— The Lord of Hosts Hears “She made a vow and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son…’” The first time Scripture uses the name YHWH Tsaba—the LORD of Hosts—is not…

MORNING— Under His Covering “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.” Years ago, sociologists studying long-lasting marriages noticed something surprising. The strongest predictor of stability was not passion, compatibility, or even shared interests. It was character—especially the presence of restraint, reliability, and moral consistency…

MORNING— Call Me Bitter “She said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.’” If you were asked to teach a class at church on the subject of romance, where would you…

MORNING— Strength Undone “So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, ‘A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like…