Devotionals on 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 1
- 1 Samuel 1:1-20: Comfort for the Hurt
Sometimes life is not fair. You have many things that people think should make you happy, but not the one thing you desire. The harsh words bear down on you,…
- 1 Samuel 1:21-28: Giving Back
Hannah’s despair led her to prayer, and led her to offer back the child she asked from God were he to grant her wish. God graciously gave her the child…
1 Samuel 2
- 1 Samuel 2:1-10: Hannah’s Song of God’s Kingdom
In chapter 2 of 1 Samuel we encounter Hannah’s song of thanks. Hannah’s song is not centred entirely on self, but rather centred on God. Hannah’s song starts with her…
- 1 Samuel 2:11-36: Faithful and Unfaithful Servants
Contrasts are effective because they are so clear. While we are tempted to view life in shades of grey, obedience to God does not fit so easily. You are either…
1 Samuel 3
- 1 Samuel 3:1-4:1: The Call of Samuel
God calls us to repentance and faith, and some to particular lives of ministry for his people. While we may not receive a vision or hear a voice, the call…
1 Samuel 4
- 1 Samuel 4:1-11: The Peril of Trying to Trap God
Lots of people in life, whether they admit it or not, are practical atheists. But when bad times come, they are quick to pick up religion like a lucky charm…
- 1 Samuel 4:12-21: God’s Glory Departed
In the beginning verses of chapter 4, God’s People took the Ark into battle with the Philistines as a talisman to trap God into helping them against their foes. The…
1 Samuel 5
- 1 Samuel 5: Putting Idols In Their Place
It seems like the Church of Christ is on the back foot in the West today. Many treat the Church, Christians, and God’s standard of holiness and morality as a…
1 Samuel 6
- 1 Samuel 6:1-7:2: Offending A Holy God
In 1 Samuel 6 we see examples of the unbelieving world and God’s covenant people both offending God. The Philistines, suffering God’s judgement, sent the Ark back to Israel with…
1 Samuel 7
- 1 Samuel 7:2-17: Our Rock of Help
It is a terrible thing to experience God’s displeasure and judgement. And yet, despite our sinfulness and our deserving of punishment, God graciously shows his love and affection for us.…
1 Samuel 8
- 1 Samuel 8:1-9: Leadership Crisis
In 1 Samuel 8, a leadership crisis arose as Samuel grew old and his sons showed themselves unsuitable. So Israel sought a king, as the nations around them desired. Ultimately,…
- 1 Samuel 8:10-22: The Problem with Kings
The reality of kingship, and of government in general, is the focus of 1 Samuel 8. Israel sinfully wanted a king just like the nations around them, because they lacked…
1 Samuel 9
- 1 Samuel 9:1-10:16: The People’s Prince
Israel in Samuel’s day were also looking for their own type of king, not the divine leadership which God provided. They wanted a king like the nations, and God granted…
1 Samuel 10
- 1 Samuel 10:17-27: Long Live The King!
Samuel had rebuked Israel for seeking a king previously, and once again took up the opportunity. Samuel reminded Israel that it was God who had freed them from captivity in…
1 Samuel 11
- 1 Samuel 11:1-15: Salvation for God’s People
Saul had been proclaimed king, but everyone went back home to their day jobs and carried on as if nothing had changed. In this passage, Israel enjoys salvation from their…
1 Samuel 12
- 1 Samuel 12: Samuel Steps Down
God’s goodness and his graciousness are presented to us in the Bible, which shows us how God has been faithful to his people, even when they have not been faithful…
1 Samuel 13
- 1 Samuel 13: Failing the Kingly Grade
In this passage, Saul demonstrated his unsuitability as King over Israel. While Saul started out in tentative obedience to God’s commands, his unlawful sacrifice showed he was unable to obey…
1 Samuel 14
- 1 Samuel 14:1-23: Faith and Folly
Jonathan’s example demonstrates to us that we do not need to have all the answers before we step out in faith. Perhaps like me you like to plan and prepare,…
- 1 Samuel 14:14-18: Faithful Friendship
While God was clearly protecting David, David was aware that Saul was actively seeking his life. As David hid in the wilderness of Ziph, he would have dealt with the…
- 1 Samuel 14:24-46: Foolish Vows
In the previous verses we saw how God saved Israel through the faith of Saul’s son, Jonathan, who trusted God to use him if God wished. While verse 23 ended…
- 1 Samuel 14:47-52: Right Side of History, Wrong Side of God
1 Samuel 14 ends with an interesting verdict on Saul’s reign. Despite Saul’s blatant folly and his lack of faithfulness to God and God’s commands, the text issues a positive…
1 Samuel 15
- 1 Samuel 15:1-23: Obedience Better Than Sacrifice
There seems a popular idea today, if people acknowledge God's existence, that God will weigh our good and bad deeds on a scale and let us in the pearly gates…
- 1 Samuel 15:24-35: False Repentance and Judgement
This passage shows us that true repentance for sin is not based on words or formulae, but sorrow and a move of the heart. It does not excuse itself by…
1 Samuel 16
- 1 Samuel 16:1-13: Looking on the Heart
David's anointing shows that the leadership qualities we look to when choosing leaders, whether in politics or business, or even sometimes the Church, are not the qualities God looks for.…
- 1 Samuel 16:14-23: On His Majesty’s Service
Sometimes it is hard to see in the moment why certain events happen in life. Certain doors open, others seemingly slam shut in our face unexpectedly. While we usually throw…
1 Samuel 17
- 1 Samuel 17:1-30: The Real Spiritual Battle
The David and Goliath story is not about us defeating our enemies. It is about God defeating his enemies, looking forward to Jesus defeating sin at the Cross. In the…
- 1 Samuel 17:31-40: God Will Deliver
There is a clear contrast here between the secular, worldly way of Saul, and the way of David. Saul sought to mould David into a champion after his ideals, David…
- 1 Samuel 17:41-54: The Battle Belongs to God
The emphasis on David’s weakness, and the lack of emphasis on the actual battle, shows the emphasis should go on God, not David. Not us. God gave the victory, the…
- 1 Samuel 17:55-18:5: What a Friend to Have!
After God’s victory of Goliath, through the hands of his faithful servant David, David’s star rose to shine brightly in Israel’s skies. His feat certainly caught the attention of the…
1 Samuel 18
- 1 Samuel 18:6-30: Saul’s Envy and God’s Goodness
We often think that God’s goodness must mean miraculous intervention, as sometimes happened in the Old Testament or the Gospels. Yet just as often, God’s goodness is demonstrated by a…
1 Samuel 19
- 1 Samuel 19:1-24: God’s Protection of God’s Anointed
In 1 Samuel 19, Saul’s envy came to a head. Multiple times, he sought to kill David, or have him killed. But in all these times God protected his anointed…
1 Samuel 20
- 1 Samuel 20: Trusting in the Covenant
In 1 Samuel 20, David faced the prospect that he was an enemy of Israel’s king. At the same time, while driven by fear, he was comforted by the covenant…
1 Samuel 21
- 1 Samuel 21: Desperation and Provision
In Chapter 20, David knew that his time in Saul’s presence had come to an end. Saul wanted David dead. He recognised a rival to his throne, to his dynasty,…
1 Samuel 22
- 1 Samuel 22:1-20: The Mighty Intervener
The mighty and dramatic nature of God’s intervention in David’s life is indicated by the very first verse, where David’s song is addressed to God as in response to when…
- 1 Samuel 22:1-5: The Long Hand of Providence
With Saul’s murderous intent clear, David had desperately fled Saul’s immediate reach. He had acquired food and weapons, and fled outside of King Saul’s realm looking for sanctuary. Unfortunately there…
- 1 Samuel 22:7-23: Antichrists, Persecution, and Preservation
Just as the Devil seeks to destroy the Church today, so too in the past he has sought to try and snuff out God’s People. Here, the Devil worked through…
1 Samuel 23
- 1 Samuel 23:1-14: Following God’s Leading
Life offers up difficult situations where we are unsure of what to do. We may struggle with questions of relationships, jobs, where to live, and wonder how to glorify God.…
- 1 Samuel 23:19-29: Rock of Escape
Sometimes God sends encouragement just at the right time. A shot in the arm, so to speak, before we face another trouble. Words of encouragement that build us up, when…
1 Samuel 24
- 1 Samuel 24: Waiting on God’s Timing
We must wait on God’s timing for taking on responsibilities, or seeing injustices answered. In 1 Samuel 24, David understood that fact. Leaving aside an opportunity to seize the throne…
1 Samuel 25
- 1 Samuel 25: Learning Restraint
Our passage begins with momentous news that passes as a footnote: the death of Samuel (v.1). The prominent character of the early part of 1 Samuel has passed from view,…
1 Samuel 26
- 1 Samuel 26: Spear the King’s Life
David’s act, or inaction, to spare King Saul’s life rather than spear Saul, was a great act of faith. David had been hounded and chased from pillar to post, yet…
1 Samuel 27
- 1 Samuel 27:1-28:2: When David Followed His Heart
Even the best of us follow our heart. David certainly did. Despite all the external evidence of God’s provision for David, the internal strain became too much. He did not…
1 Samuel 28
- 1 Samuel 28:3-25: Divine Despair
For some, this “Dark Night of the Soul” or “Divine Despair” is the road by which unbelievers come to Christ. For many unbelievers though, hardened by many years of rejecting…
1 Samuel 29
- 1 Samuel 29: Surprise Saviour
The author of Samuel appeared to be setting up a final grudge match between David and Saul, lined up against each other. David, forced onto the Philistine side by his…
1 Samuel 30
- 1 Samuel 30: Tragedy to Triumph
But unlike recent situations which had led to a ransacked Ziklag, “David strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (v.6). How is not exactly stated, but given David’s next steps,…
1 Samuel 31
- 1 Samuel 31: Saul’s Downfall
While David had successfully rescued his wives and children from captivity, and even spread the bounty of victory around, the Philistines and Israel under Saul entered into battle. For Saul,…
Other passages
- 2 Samuel 7:12-16: Everlasting Kingdom
Our passage this week brings us to the Davidic Covenant. This covenant proclaims God’s goodness and mercy to David and his House. To David and His People. It helps fill…
- 2 Samuel 7:1-11: House before the House
God’s response to David’s desire may seem odd. After all, what David wanted for God seemed reasonable and right; Nathan thought so. But it was not God’s will. The two…
- 2 Samuel 6:12-23: Blessed Holiness
Our worship of God must be reverent and follow the instructions God has given us. It should also not be joyless. It should not be so caught up on outward…
- 2 Samuel 6:1-11: Lethal Holiness
We must respect God’s commands. We must act as God requires us to act, especially when it comes to serving him. Especially when God has made it clear – showing…
- 2 Samuel 5: The Promises Fulfilled (Kinda)
Opposition from the great powers of this world cannot stop God. Time is no barrier to God fulfilling his promises. It may take longer than we like, but God fulfils…
- 2 Samuel 4: Justice for All
Injustice also occurs in our day. Christ's church faces oppression and injustice the world over. We might face prejudice for our beliefs. Some face death for the sake of Christ…
- 2 Samuel 3:12-39: Blameless King
Success in a sinful world can often come at a brutal cost. Financial gain through ruining another financially. Promotions and power through destroying or trampling over the reputations of others.…
- 2 Samuel 3:1-11: Bowing by Necessity
After Saul’s death, Abner attempted to seize power through conquering King David’s kingdom by force. He failed. A period of Civil War followed, where David grew stronger and Abner became…
- 2 Samuel 2:12-32: The Failure of Force
Chapter 2 of 2 Samuel shows an example of the failure of force to prevent God’s Plan advancing through David’s kingship. While David’s anointing by God was publicly known, Abner…
- 2 Samuel 2:1-11: Small Beginnings
Our society likes big things and big bangs. One hundred day plans. Transformational change. Slow and steady might win the race in the past, but today bigger is better. Incremental…
- 2 Samuel 1:17-27: Expressing Grief
David knew grief well, and knew that it sometimes needs expressing. While he and his men had emotionally grieved the death of Saul, Jonathan, and so many of Israel’s army,…
- 2 Samuel 1:1-16: Mourning, Fear, and Judgement
The first scene of 2 Samuel introduces us to David’s learning of King Saul’s death through the arrival of a grifter, bearing Saul’s kingly baubles. We quickly discover that the…