King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Trust, Wait, And Believe
Date: Saturday March 24, 2012
Today's Chapters: 1 Samuel 11-13

Hello My Friend,

“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha...When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” - John 11:1,6,20,21,23,25,26.

I started today's message with this passage because as Christians there are times in our lives where we question why it seems like God waits so long to help us. During the waiting, God is really doing something amazing, He's producing faith, strengthening lives, and proving that He is the only living God. The keys to seeing Him work miracles is trusting in Christ, waiting for Him, and believing that He will do what He says He will do. “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” - Matthew 21:22.

If we want to see God do some miraculous things we really have to trust Him and wait for Him while we dot eh work He calls us to do. After Saul became king he did not take the throne right away, instead he returned to his father's house in Gibeah, and went back to his former agricultural occupation. Because he did not go to work right away it gave their enemies an opportunity to attack, plus gave Israel reason to doubt his leadership.

“Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee...And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together. And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.” -1 Samuel 11:1-3,11-13.

Quite often when God chooses Christians to be in authority, people of the world use that as an opportunity to take control. I do not know how many times I hear, “I thought you were a Christian?” when I am not willing to compromise with someone who is trying to get me to do something I know is wrong. Why did Nahash want their right eyes? The right eye was exposed to the light, while the left eye was covered with a shield. Taking the right eye would have blinded their faith in seeking salvation any other way. Satan seeks to blind the faith of those who live in the world to keep them from Christ and he seeks to blind the faith of the Christian to keep them from showing the world how they too can be saved. Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.” -Luke 11:34-36.

It did not take long, (I am sure it was because of something he did that was pleasing to them) for Israel to accept Saul as their king. After Saul finally took reign in Gilgal, Samuel talked to the people, reminding them that they have chosen who they want to be their king, but God was still King over all and if they wanted a pleasant earthly king they needed to fear God. “Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God: But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.” - I Samuel 12:13-15.

Samuel showed them their error in desiring an earthly king to save them, rather than God, reminding them that the king would only give them their anticipated deliverance if they would fear God, and give up their rebellion against God's commands. Fearing God does not mean to live in fear of Him, such as striking you down if you do something wrong. Fearing God means to acknowledge Him as God, to respect Him, and listen to Him, for He truly knows what we need better than we do. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” - Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.

Remember Samuel's warning about rebelling against God, God will be against them and their king? Two years later, Saul began serving God on his terms rather than God's. Saul was instructed to wait for Samuel to present an offering before God as the Philistines were ready to go to battle again. Regardless of how much power a person had, no one was allowed to offer up an offering to God, except a high priest, who was cleansed of his sins first, the priest offered it on the sinners behalf. However, Saul took things into his own hands by building an altar and offering offerings to God himself.

“And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.” - 1 Samuel 13:9-14.

Saul was too impatient to wait for Samuel and took it upon himself to seek answers from God on his own terms. Too many people try to help God out and all they do is hinder Him, if we truly want to see God show Himself as the Mighty God and King of all, we need to seek Him on His terms, not ours. We cannot get to God on our own, we need a high priest, one who has been cleansed of sin. One who will stand before God on our behalf and plead our cause for us. Only then will He listen to us and be pleased to help us obtain the things we need and desire. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” - 1 Timothy 2:3-6.

Today's Psalm: 2:12 - “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Today's Proverb: 28:25 - “He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.”

Today's Prayer: God, You know that I am struggling with some things that I just cannot seem to overcome, it seems like I get one good day and ten bad. I know that everything is in Your timing and that You are preparing me as I trust, wait, and believe in Your hand touching my life. God, forgive me for going over your head and trying to rush things. Give me Your power to endure these struggles and let me not cease from serving You quickly and on Your terms. Give me the strength I need to wait for You to bring everything to pass and help me to never cease from believing that you can give me the things I am asking Your for. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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