We all know that God can and will do whatever He says He will. In fact, we are told in Isaiah 14:24 - The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. He goes further stating in Isaiah 14:27 - For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
God's word will never be spoken then return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). After all, He knows the beginning and the end as He is the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 21:6). Yet, I can't ignore that there are places in the Bible where the fullness of His word didn't manifest in certain people's lives. I've learned that I'm not going to understand everything God has done, is doing or will do (Psalm 139:6). I've come to accept that His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). Nevertheless, I've been curious and that's caused me to pay attention to why and how God's word can somehow not come to pass for some people.
One such character is King Saul, Israel's first king. Everything started off well for him. In fact, Prophet Samuel said to him in 1 Samuel 10:7 - ... do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. What an incredible promise! To have so much blessing and favor that God would rubber stamp whatever he did!
And yet, things didn't go so well for Saul. We are told in 1 Samuel 16:14 - Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
Exactly how did Saul go from having God's favor, to losing it and being abandoned by the Lord to be tormented by an evil spirit?
His story is a cautionary tale to not think that God's blessing is carte blanche to behave however one wants. No matter how much God's word will never fail, if an individual makes the wrong choices, God will respect those choices. The consequences, as they were for Saul and his children, can be dire.
One specific choice made by Saul involved a pre-battle situation. Saul was to wait on Prophet Samuel, who was also the High Priest, to come and make offerings to the Lord. However, the soldiers got jittery while waiting for Samuel and threatened to leave. Although the Law of Moses stated that only a priest may offer sacrifices to the Lord, Saul, fearing soldiers leaving, conducted the offering himself.
Now one would think this shouldn't have been a problem given he'd been told that whatever he did would be fine because God was with Him. Nevertheless, God's favor was not a permission slip for the king to do whatever he pleased. His authority was still confined to the four walls of God's rules and obedience was required. When Samuel arrived and saw what Saul had done, he said in 1 Samuel 13:14 - But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” And just like that, God's favor - and his kingship - was over in the sight of the Most High.
We must remember that our relationship with God is a two-way street. It's the nature of covenant - both sides must keep their end of the bargain. He speaks good promises that won't fail over us and expects us to obey Him (Jeremiah 7:23). In our obedience, we shall be called to make choices, choices that align with His plans and purposes. Therefore, just because God has made a promise, and just because God is more than capable of fulfilling it, let us not forget whatever role we have to play as well. That role may be to sit back and wait as was the case for Saul, but it can also be to take a step as was the case of the Danites.
Thank God that He is forgiving and will have mercy upon those who repent for their mistakes. With repentance and a changed attitude, God's grace can cause a great turnaround where the wrong choice resulted in delay or derailment. Hallelujah! May we not fail to make the choice that pleases the Lord. May His Spirit guide us so our choices reflect what God is doing and we support His will here on earth as in heaven. And where we chose incorrectly, may His grace steer us back onto His path of righteousness so we step into the fullness of His word over us, IJMN, Amen.
See you back here at Noon EST for fellowship.
CLOSING PRAYER
Great and exceptional God. Thank You for Your grace that we met today. Thank You for teaching and convicting us. May no one leave the same way they came.
And over these ones I speak Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
God bless you all!
LAST 10 MINUTES
To whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48). Saul was given so much authority and power, yet, he forgot his power was subject to God's dominion and thereby made wrong choices. Instead of fearing the Lord, he feared men. Instead of aligning with God's plans, he did what he felt was best.
The end result was that He squandered God's favor upon his life. He ended up dying on a battlefield and most of his heirs were killed over time (See The Saul Curse). No matter how you look at it, his story was sad.
However, let us thank God for his story as it serves as a lesson for each of us to do better. Saul made his mistakes and we don't have to repeat them. Glory to God! Let us pray together...
Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching us that we do not have carte blanche to go against Your purpose. Lord, where we have been disobedient and made choices that didn't honor You, we repent. God, please have mercy and forgive us for these sins.
Redeemer, please grant us grace to get back on track with You. Help us to walk in alignment with You so that the words You have spoken over us for our good will come to pass in our lifetime and bless the generations to come. Help us to always consider what You want so that we are Your obedient children, IJMN, Amen.
Praise the Lord, Hallelujah! The Lord who has called us to Himself is faithful, He has done it. By His grace, each of us will strive to obey Him even more and to be like Esther who chose to be on God's side and not just protect herself. He will help us to choose Him and not comfort or convenience the way Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did. He will help us to hear and obey with zeal as Philip did. And, we shall live the gospel to His glory, IJN, Amen.
God bless you!!!
Hebrews 3:18-19 - And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
May unbelief not keep Your people out of the Promised Land whereby their destinies are wasted, IJMN, Amen. Grace and strength to obey, even when it hurts, IJMN, Amen.
From BI - I pray for the poor and the homeless that they find food and shelter and every other daily necessity. I pray every seed of poverty is uprooted and destroyed. Lord, by Your mercy, deliver Your children from destitution. I pray those that have aid those that don’t. I pray eyes are open to see the face of God in the needy. I pray that we are all reminded that what we do to the least ones, we do to God. Lord, pour out Your restoration and send Your Holy Spirit to provide the poor and homeless with warmth, strength, security and protection IJMN Amen.
Mighty God, all Your works will declare Your praise. Father I stand in the gap for Your ministers, especially those who are weary and currently under persecution. Lord, please remember them, and how You have raised them from the beginning. Remember Your word in Philippians 1:6, "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Pursue their adversaries until You find none. This is so their ministry and its fruits will ultimately be pleasing to You. IJMN I pray, amen
Good God, I want to pray for this nation and specifically for those directly impacted by the terrorist attack that took place on September 11, 2001.
It's been over a decade since that horrible day but for the directly impacted, the anniversary must feel like they are going through fresh loss all over again.
Father, You are the balm of Gilead and I call on You to please touch hearts and minds. Psalm 34:18 - The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Lord, bind the wounds of the hurting and pour Your oil of joy upon their heads. Be the God of all comfort and the Father of compassion to them. Lead them out of hurt into peace and rest, IJMN, Amen.
Merciful and mighty God, I come before You because You are the Eternal King. The God whose authority never wanes and yet You are kind and loving. To You be all the glory.
Acts 27:25 - So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
Father, You see that satan wants people to believe that Your word will not come to pass. Thank You for You are the God who has said in Isaiah 46:10 - I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ You are the God who has promised to empower Your people to make it to the finish line and step into the promise if they trust and obey. Isaiah 66:9 - Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
I lift up Your people who are waiting on You and beginning to weary, wondering whether or not Your word shall come to pass in their lives. Please Heavenly Father, reassure them. Let them know that You love them and will carry them every step of the way. Help them to remember that they are to walk by faith and not by sight, therefore when things look bleak, they need remember that You have not rejected them and are walking right by their side.
Take all the glory and put the enemy to shame in their lives, IJMN, Amen.
Father, IJMN, I pray that Your people will not waste their destinies. That Your purpose and plan for them will never be thwarted, not even by their choices. You are the God who is not limited by human limitations. The God with whom all things are possible. The God who has spoken that His gifts and calling will not be revoked. Mercy, Lord.
Although satan specializes in tricking people into abandoning Your purpose and plan for them, I know You can do all things and Your purpose can not be thwarted.
Therefore, I pray, Lord, for grace upon Your children that they will align firmly with Your plans. That there shall be more Esthers who submit to Your will unafraid of the cost. That there shall be more Davids who understand the meaning of covenant and know that they in turn need to be faithful to You. More Daniels through which Your power will shine through.
That Your will for all Your people will never be derailed, no matter the weapons formed against them, IJMN, Amen.
Father in Jesus name, I thank You because the same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead is now alive in us. I decree strength that will go to empower all those who need a breakthrough, so they may overcome. Thank You for You have already answered me
1 Samuel 3:19 "The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground."
PRAYER
Philippians 2:4 - Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Let us obey God's instruction and pray for others.
Open your mouths and petition for people, nations and institutions. Don't stay quiet.
God bless you.
Thank You God for making us bright and burning for You -- whether we feel like it or not, we are the light of the world, a city set on a hill, and we cannot be hidden.
John 1:5 "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
🎵 Ogbo Ogu -- Chioma Jesus
Thank You God for the encouraging news of the recent federal approvals of certain health products that we've been waiting for. We appreciate this sign of the conception of Your promise! Thank You for moving even the systems of man for us, Your precious beloved favorite children :))
From IBB - I usually just like these posts but today I will participate.
Lord, I ask You to wrap your loving arms around those who are hurting and lonely, eager for compassion and companionship. Lead them to the help mate that you designed for them, in your perfect timing. Guide them towards fulfilling goals and hobbies, and meaningful friendships in the meantime. Amen.
Mighty God, thank You for Your Spirit! I see You are here, You are there, You are everywhere!
From MFC - Creator God thank You for Your miracle-working power. The sun rises and sets each day; small seeds grow into mighty trees; the many components of our body work together, enabling us to breathe, run, dream, and eat. Inspired advances in medicine and technology are happening every day, and we can now communicate with almost anyone anywhere. God’s power can be seen in every detail of our lives. Hallelujah!
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3
Psalm 22:27 "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before You."
Here's my list of praise reports this afternoon!
Thank You God for:
- helping me to manage my resources better so I always have enough ... but even regardless of my own works, You still surprise me with new provisions!
- freeing me from a spirit of heaviness
- speaking up for us in conversations/situations we know nothing about!
Ecclesiastes 5:19 "And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God."
Amazing God, You are wonderful. Thank You for being the God that You are.
Now and forever, Amen.
From BI -
Thank You Lord for every breath I take.
Thank You Lord for food and shelter.
Thank You Lord for my overflow and success.
Thank You Lord for job and wages.
Thank You Lord for my physical and mental health.
Thank You Lord for the forgiveness of my sins.
Thank You Lord for Your mercy and grace in my life.
Thank You Lord for loving me so much.
Thank You Lord for Your protection and guidance.
Thank You Lord for being a lamp unto my path.
Thank You Lord for being my Abba.
https://youtu.be/Yjfy80DXbMs
PRAISE
Hebrews 12:28 - Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
See the instruction? We are to be thankful and worship God with awe and reverence.
So open your mouth and proclaim how great He is!
From DR14U -