SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3
Scripture: Hebrews 11:32-33, 1 Samuel 15

In 1 Samuel 15:1-6, by the direction of the Holy Spirit, Samuel gave Saul a simple assignment. It says, “Samuel also said to Saul, ‘The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”’ So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. Then Saul said to the Kenites, ‘Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.’ So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.” That was the assignment. Verses 7-9 says, “And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” There was an obvious problem and that was obedience. Saul and the people obeyed partially but not fully. And as a result, Saul lost his kingship. Verses 10-11 state, “Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, ‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.’” Has the church been trained to be more like Saul than like David? The church is paralyzed by tradition they have been taught by church leaders. We have to recover from traditions that go against the Word and begin to develop men and women full of faith who can, like Samuel, say, ‘I have not taken, I have not hurt.’ God is looking for those people. Rest assured, you and I are called to be among that number.