1 Sam. 31; 2 Sam. 1

David composed a stirring tribute to Saul and Jonathan when he found out they had fallen in battle. His respect for the Lord’s anointed was honorable. Regardless of how Saul treated David, the new king showed proper respect for the fallen leader of their nation.

Although our nation’s leaders may or may not display qualities worth respecting, still they have held the office and should receive the proper esteem. Also, prayer should be offered for them, their health, and their families because they have paid a price for their sacrifice of service.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority; [1 Tim. 2:1,2]

I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed. [1 Sam. 24:10]

1 Sam. 27-30

When David and his men returned from assisting Achish in battle, the Amalekites had stolen all their women, children and possessions. David found his strength to go on in the Lord. He was desperate. His men wanted to kill him.

Life can be exhausting, especially when you get older. I have personally found my strength from the Lord as I lift my hands in praise and declare, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus.” Instantly, I find the strength and frame of mind to proceed with the task at hand.

It works.

1 Sam. 25, 26

Abigail was the wife of a rich but obstinate man named Nabal. He was consumed with himself and lived riotously. David, while running from Saul, protected Nabal’s shepherds and sheep in hopes of receiving some food and supplies in return. No such thing, because Nabal selfishly refused David. In anger, David set out to destroy the man and his estate. His wife Abigail wisely intercepted David with a pacifying gesture of kindness, thereby preserving her household.

In general, women approach issues with more sensibility than testosterone-driven men. They need such women to stabilize their often self-destructive behavior.

Her value is far above rubies. [Pr. 31:10b]

1 Sam. 21-23

Because of his jealousy, King Saul was determined to eliminate David. He chased him all over the country, wherever he heard that David might be. Although there were some close calls, God never allowed David to be harmed.

You may feel that the devil is after you. He can only be at one place at a time, so there are probably more critical targets than you. His fellow demons may be who are to blame. Through this experience, you will learn about spiritual warfare. David could look back on his escapes and sing praises with testimonies of God’s faithfulness. God used the trials for His glory.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [James 4:7]

1 Sam. 18-20

When the young maidens sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands,” a bitter jealousy took hold of Saul. He saw his hold on power slipping away. God’s Spirit had departed from Saul and now rested upon David. This drove Saul to rage whereby he plotted continuously to murder David. When leaders begin to lose power they’ve held for so long, they resort to desperate measures to retain their power.

To me, this is a good argument for term limits in government positions of control. In my opinion, entrenched leaders in our nation’s legislative bodies should be refreshed before they become so power and control sluggish. A healthy voting strategy is, “When in doubt, vote the incumbent our.” (Sorry to be political.)

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn. [Pr. 29:2]

1 Sam. 17

David was just a shepherd boy. He obviously got the short end of the stick in contrast to his older brothers who were preferred for war. They were a part of Saul’s army that was attempting to stop the aggression of the invading Philistine army. Goliath, the Philistine champion warrior taunted the Israeli army daily, challenging that an Israelite champion duel him for rights to victory. Everyone in the Israeli army was afraid, including King Saul. David wouldn’t have it. He accepted the challenge and skillfully defeated the giant with a sling and a rock. He had no armor to protect him. He DID have God’s power through faith and trust in His Name.

As an administrator at Trinity Christian School, I often would think, “I am not capable to be the leader of this school.” Instantly, I would put both hands in the air in praise and prayer and declare, “I can do ALL THINGS through Christ Jesus Who strengthens me.” God’s courage and wisdom would immediately transform my thinking, enabling me to proceed to attack whatever problem was confronting me. I proved it everyday for 16 years.

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” [1 Sam. 17:45]

1 Sam. 15, 16

When God asked Samuel to go to the house of Jesse, He didn’t yet tell him which son to anoint king. As he went, God would progressively reveal His will to the prophet. Sure enough, there was a process of finally selecting David. A lot depended upon Samuel’s ability to hear from God about each specific step of the required obedience.

A lot of life is like that … you take the obvious steps God places in front of you and trust Him to show you what to do when you arrive at His selected destination. It takes the “hearing of faith.” Your brain is similar … when you are midway through a project, your own brain will unveil solutions in a progressive manner. From experience, you begin to have confidence that solutions will present themselves mid-course. That makes for adventurous, exciting journeys in life. Have faith.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence to things not seen (yet). [Heb. 11:1]

1 Sam. 13, 14

Saul was continuously disobedient to the Lord. Whenever the situation became fearful, he would resort to carnal understanding rather than abide in a faith posture. He expressed to Samuel that, “The Philistines are going to attack me here in Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked the Eternal One to favor us. So I took matters into my own hands—I didn’t want to—but I offered the burnt offering myself (rather than follow official Kingdom protocol by having Samuel do it).” [1 Sam. 13:12 VOICE]

Often we get into stressful or challenging situations and rely upon our own experience, rationale, or resources to find a solution. At that point we should admit our mistake, stop, and pray to ask God for help.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God and He will direct your steps. [Pr. 3:5,6]

1 Sam. 11, 12

After anointing Saul king and at a ripe old age, Samuel relinquished the leadership of Israel. In his parting remarks he asked, “Who have I cheated, whose ox have I taken, who have I oppressed or defrauded? If you think I have taken a bribe, I will repay it.” His integrity and character were faultless. Probably his greatest fault was that he had been a negligent father. (Many in ministry put their calling above devoting sufficient effort to raising their family.)

Leaders and pubic officials should be very cautious before receiving any side-line bonuses or gifts because of their position. If it is given with the right motive, there will be no strings attached.

Don’t accept bribes. Judges are blinded and justice is twisted by bribes. [Ex. 23:8 CEV]

1 Sam. 8-10

Saul was commissioned by his father to find two donkeys that had run away. He and a servant had exhausted their search. The servant suggested they consult the prophet, Samuel, to let God help them find the animals. Sure enough, Samuel knew where they were and predicted their capture. What’s more, God gave Samuel the insight that Saul was to be Israel’s king. God gave Samuel the job of anointing Saul.

Also called a seer, Samuel possessed a unique ability to know the future as was necessary to fulfill God’s plan. This was a gift of God. The Lord knows the future like He knows the present and the past. He can give this knowledge to people as He deems fit. Although this gift and operation of His Spirit has been misused, it still exists. [Eph. 3:5; 4:11]