Daily Devotion

David and Goliath. It’s a familiar phrase used to describe an underdog facing a much stronger opponent. In business, it may refer to a small finance company competing with a global firm like J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. In sports, it describes a clear underdog taking on a top-ranked team. In the legal world, it can refer to a citizen challenging a federal agency. This expression comes from today’s passage, in which a shepherd boy faced a formidable foe. It is a fascinating account.

Saul, Israel’s first king, was impatient, imprudent, and impulsive. It also turns out Saul was all about Saul. After he defeated the Amalekites, he “set up a monument for himself” (1 Sam. 15:12). His persistent half-heartedness towards God and outright disobedience led to God’s rejection of Saul as king (1 Sam. 15:26).

Weekend Recharge!

Weekend Recharge!

One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is about Saul’s son, Jonathan. He was an amazing man of God, marked by passion and humility. We will see later in our study that Jonathan becomes a kindred spirit to David. Today’s account explains why.

People say, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” But that’s not quite right. Desperate times call for bold leaders. At one of Israel’s most critical moments, that’s exactly what emerged—not recklessness, but courage anchored in conviction. His name was Samuel. From his remarkable beginnings, we see a life shaped early by devotion and discipline, preparing him to step into a rare and powerful calling: both prophet and judge over Israel.

“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 21:25). That’s how the book of Judges ends and how 1 Samuel begins. Before Israel had a king, God led his people through fourteen judges–twelve detailed in the book of Judges and two, Eli and Samuel, in 1 Samuel.

A few months ago, my friend Dave Shields introduced me to a great book by Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery. In it, Clowney reminds us that although the Bible is God’s story and salvation is his work, men and women are not merely spectators. God calls us to act, and we, in turn, trust him to act on our behalf. But God seldom acts all at once. Here’s how Clowney puts it:

Today, we are going to walk with a woman named Naomi, who has experienced similar pain. Life left her overwhelmed by grief, anxiety, and fear. She was spiritually exhausted, worn out in body and soul, and wrestling with many questions about how God was working in her life. Her questions are all too common: “Where is God in my pain?” and “How can I trust him in my pain?”