01-22-2020, 10:47 AM
LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
GOD BLESSES AND RELEASES
Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 16:1-13 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
MEMORISE:
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah (1 Samuel 16:13)
EXPOSITION
In today's passage, we read how David was chosen and anointed by God. It was after this, he battled with the enemy and killed Goliath, while letting the whole nation know how he felt about the power of God. David understood the character of God, and reflected that in his own life. Paul spoke about this in Pisidian Antioch when he unfolded the history of Israel and said that God saw David as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). Please read Psalms 25.
However, David was not perfect; he made some bad choices with devastating consequences, and yet, God bless him. None of us is perfect either, and yet, God chooses to blessed us, too. David honoured Saul but dishonoured Uriah, Bathsheba's husband. We are complex beings who fluctuate between good and bad days/times/
motives/actions.
As we consider David's life history, take time to reflect on your own life, so far - your past. How does it affect you? Do you let it hold you back?
Let's consider for a moment, something about God's character.
He is good, compassionate, loving, forgiving, father-like and generous, among many other things. Let's also remind ourselves that we are made in God's image. We can reflect on God's character. Getting to know God's nature that He can heal and transform our own natures is part of releasing the beauty within. He wants to bless us and free us into wholeness.
PRAYER POINTS
1. O Lord, confirm Your divine power in my life, more than ever before, henceforth, in Jesus' name.
2. My God, guide and guard my steps against wrong decisions that can have devastating effects on my life and ministry, in Jesus' name.
3. Pray for the Christ Apostolic Church Men's Association (CACMA), that God should cause the group to be more vibrant for Him, in all respect, in and outside the denomination.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Genesis 45 - 46 & Matthew 22
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
GOD BLESSES AND RELEASES
Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 16:1-13 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
MEMORISE:
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah (1 Samuel 16:13)
EXPOSITION
In today's passage, we read how David was chosen and anointed by God. It was after this, he battled with the enemy and killed Goliath, while letting the whole nation know how he felt about the power of God. David understood the character of God, and reflected that in his own life. Paul spoke about this in Pisidian Antioch when he unfolded the history of Israel and said that God saw David as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). Please read Psalms 25.
However, David was not perfect; he made some bad choices with devastating consequences, and yet, God bless him. None of us is perfect either, and yet, God chooses to blessed us, too. David honoured Saul but dishonoured Uriah, Bathsheba's husband. We are complex beings who fluctuate between good and bad days/times/
motives/actions.
As we consider David's life history, take time to reflect on your own life, so far - your past. How does it affect you? Do you let it hold you back?
Let's consider for a moment, something about God's character.
He is good, compassionate, loving, forgiving, father-like and generous, among many other things. Let's also remind ourselves that we are made in God's image. We can reflect on God's character. Getting to know God's nature that He can heal and transform our own natures is part of releasing the beauty within. He wants to bless us and free us into wholeness.
PRAYER POINTS
1. O Lord, confirm Your divine power in my life, more than ever before, henceforth, in Jesus' name.
2. My God, guide and guard my steps against wrong decisions that can have devastating effects on my life and ministry, in Jesus' name.
3. Pray for the Christ Apostolic Church Men's Association (CACMA), that God should cause the group to be more vibrant for Him, in all respect, in and outside the denomination.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Genesis 45 - 46 & Matthew 22