Today’s Reading:  1 Sam 28:1–29:11, 1 Pet 2:13–17, Ps 130:1–131:3

Today’s Theme: Submit to Authority

Today’s theme is about submission to authority, that is to both God’s authority as the sovereign King, and to human authorities. God calls us to be submissive to the commands of His word for the sake of His glory, for our joy and the flourishing of all people.

In our individualistic culture, the idea and teaching of submission has fallen on hard times, to the self destruction of society and those who throw off restraint.

1 Samuel 28:1–29:11

Seeking without submission

And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 1 Samuel 28:6 (ESV)

Saul has demonstrated in the narrative, that he is not submissive to the Lord. Anything he does that might seem good, is done as a knee jerk expression of dead religion, like getting rid of all mediums when Samuel died.

The lesson is simple; if we do not submit to God from the heart or if we play the game of religion, we cannot expect God to respond to our requests.

If we submit to God, we can be sure that we will have the request we make of Him, according to His will, as John tells us in 1 John 5:15 “And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

A miracle from God

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 1 Samuel 28:12 (ESV)

This was a shock to the medium who was used to calling up demons that impersonate the dead, to deceive and lead astray those seeking answers.

This time it was different, there is no record that the woman did anything and her shock, coupled with the affirmation of the text which says “…saw Samuel”, not ‘saw the spirit’ etc, point to the fact that God had worked a one off miracle and allowed the spirit of Samuel to appear, which the medium was not expecting.

We see God perform this same miracle in various places in the new testament, e.g. we see Moses and Elijah appear and talk to Jesus in Mark 9:4 and the record of Saints rising from death at the resurrection, in Matthew 27:52.

When God moves supernaturally, the enemy is often left shocked and on the back foot like when Jesus rose from the dead… the devil never saw that coming. 1 Corinthians 2:8.

Saul did not submit to God and now he will hear the judgement of God, declared by the prophet Samuel who at this point of the narrative, though dead, is very much alive in a place called Abraham’s Bosom (paradise), awaiting release from captivity by the Messiah.

1 Peter 2:13–17

Submit to human authorities

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 1 Peter 2:13 (ESV)

We are not only called to submit spiritually to God, we are called to submit to the government, the police, the law of the land and any institution like a school or business that we are a part of.

Earlier we read that David submitted himself to the Philistine leaders, he was not rebellious, they were the governing authority in the land so he submitted to them.

As Christians we must not behave like rebels or hermits. As Peter encourages us, for the Lord’s sake we should be submissive to authorities.

God’s will…revealed

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 1 Peter 2:15 (ESV)

God’s will is not some great mystery. God’s essential will is found in the pages of the bible and there are places like this verse, where it is said so clearly that there can be no room for confusion.

In this case, God’s will is that we do good publicly, by both submitting to authorities and contributing to society.

We are not called to be monks, hiding ourselves from the world around us in our own little “Christian Ghettos”, we must engage the culture and city that we have been called to be a witness in, by doing good and praying for the city as we read in Jeremiah 29:7.

Here is a short list of other areas in the New Testament where we can find God’s explicit will laid out for us:

1. Our salvation, in 2 Peter 3:9 and 1 Timothy 2:4
2. Sanctification and sexual purity, in 1 Thessalonians 4:3
3. Salvation and protection for children, Matthew 18:14
4. To give thanks to God in all circumstances, in 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Of course there are many other areas where the will of God is seen in the bible’s teachings and commands. God’s will is revealed throughout the bible.

God’s servants

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16 (ESV)

Jesus has set us free, we should use our new found freedom to joyfully serve God, not ourselves.

Psalm 130:1–131:3

Wait for the Lord

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. Psalm 130:5–6 (ESV)

Our soul should wait on God, Saul did not wait on God and in his rebellion entered into witchcraft. We need to patiently, submissively, yet expectantly, wait for God to come through for us according to His word.

Quiet your soul

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2 (ESV)

Life can be so busy, sometimes we need to stop and be quiet so that fear and anxiety do not overwhelm us, and so that we can hear God.

It is a forgotten, but necessary and useful Christian discipline, to sit in stillness and silence before God’s word, to hear God speak.

Find time to be still today, as you submit to the leading of God the Holy Spirit.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 1 Peter 2

Today’s Reading:  1 Sam 26:1–27:12, 1 Pet 2:1–12, Ps 128:1–129:8

Today’s Theme: God’s chosen people

Today’s theme is about God’s elect and chosen people. We are one new man in Christ, consisting of both Jews and Gentiles, from all cultures and walks of life. We are the body of Christ, the true Church for whom Christ suffered and died. As God’s people, we are blessed and kept by God, we are also called to live in God’s ways according to His word.

1 Samuel 26:1–27:12

God at work for His people

So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them. 1 Samuel 26:12 (ESV)

As we read about the brave and noble exploits of David, we see that he was not alone, God had orchestrated that everyone in the camp was in a deep sleep.

We can rely on the Lord today, to put the enemy in a deep sleep so that we can accomplish the tasks that God has set before us.

Unlike the enemy who God caused to sleep, we are called to be alert, awake and sober as God’s people.

Paul captures this in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8, “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation”.

You reap what you plant

The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. 1 Samuel 26:23 (ESV)

David’s understanding of God’s ways is right. The bible teaches us that whatever someone plants is what they will reap. This is why as God’s people, we are called to live in accordance with God’s word.

Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Also see John 4:36 and 2 Corinthians 9:6

We must determine to do what is right today, even when it seems like we have a right to do what is wrong, we must chose to plant righteous seeds by doing what is right. God rewards us with fruitfulness if we remain faithful.

Walk in wisdom

And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.” 1 Samuel 27:12 (ESV)

Like David, we are called to walk in wisdom as God’s people, to outsiders. Paul mentions this in Colossians 4:5–6 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Jesus warns us in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

1 Peter 2:1–12

Drink milk to grow

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 1 Peter 2:2 (ESV)

Peter has been talking to us about our new birth in Christ. With this in mind, he calls for us to have a desire for the sincere milk of God’s word, to grow by it, like babies who need to drink milk in order to grow.

When Peter talks about this spiritual milk, he is not only speaking about the bible, he is talking about deliberate Christian conduct. In the previous verse, we read about putting away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. This is basic conduct for God’s people and living in this way, is like drinking milk as a baby in Christ, it will cause us to grow.

The purpose of the new birth is to restore relationship between God and man, but also between people. The vices listed in verse 1 destroys communities and relationships, so we need to put those things off, if we want to grow as God’s people.

Precious people

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 1 Peter 2:4 (ESV)

In God’s eyes, we as God’s people, are chosen and precious and this is not because of anything that we have done or can do. Thank God today that He sees you as precious, we need to see God and one another as precious also.

God has made you His treasure, you should make God your most prized treasure too.

God’s own possession

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

This verse should fill us with great encouragement. We as God’s people, who obey His word, are a chosen and holy nation. We are no longer just one physical nation, we are now a spiritual nation consisting of Jews and gentiles. We are a royal priesthood, replacing the Levitical priesthood.

We have been called to be God’s people for a particular purpose and it is made clear here; it is to proclaim the truth and wonder of God, through the Gospel, that God would be glorified.

We have been chosen to bring glory to God through the proclamation of the Gospel.

Psalm 128:1–129:8

Blessed at work and home

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Psalm 128:2 (ESV)

As God’s people, walking in the reverential fear of the Lord, God will bless us in the work that we do, literally at our place of work. The blessings will also be seen in our family relationships and with our children. Thank God that as His chosen people, we are blessed.

Jesus suffered for His people

The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” Psalm 129:3 (ESV)

Jesus suffered and died for His people, this prophecy is regarding the beating He received, which left His back looking like a ploughed field after being beaten by the Romans. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice of love for us.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on 1 Peter 2

Today’s Reading:  1 Sam 24:1–25:44, 1 Pet 1:20–25, Ps 125:1–127:5

Today’s Theme: Godly Character

Today’s theme is about us having godly character as Christians. As Pastor Dennis always says, “we must not let our gift take us where our character cannot keep us”.

1 Samuel 24:1–25:44

Godly character and leadership

Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’ 1 Samuel 24:10 (ESV)

David showed true leadership by not listening to the wrong advice of those around him, as opposed to Saul whom, as we have read, listened to those around him saying that David is against him. David’s heart was to honour God and His ways.

We need to listen to God and His word, we should obey God’s word rather than the ways of the world around us or the advice of those closest to us.

The first commandment is to put God first. Like David, let us determine to do things in God’s way, according to God’s word. See Romans 12:2

Using discretion

And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! 1 Samuel 25:32–33 (ESV)

Abigail was a wise woman, full of faith and discretion. Through her intervention, David was saved from making a big mistake.

‘Discretion’ which simply means that someone “knows how to act in particular situations”, has diminished in our times. In today’s world, people are so self-centred that discretion has very little significance, instead people now say and do whatever they want, whenever they want.

As Christians we should exercise discretion like Abigail. Paul comments on us using discretion in Colossians 4:5, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” Also see Ephesians 5:15-17.

Discretion is a mark of maturity and godly Christian character.

1 Peter 1:20–25

Foreknown by God

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 1 Peter 1:20 (ESV)

When we read the word ‘foreknow’, we may start to think about knowing something ahead of time, which is true, but in this context the word is really more to do with prior relationship and intimacy.

The following definitions are from the Bible Sense Lexicon (these are all from root words which are verbs):

1. To foreknow (personally): to befriend or be acquainted with someone in a familiar way ahead of time or before meeting; implying an exclusivity of choice relative to those not befriended.
2. To be foreknown (personally): to be or become friendly or acquainted with someone in a familiar way ahead of time or before meeting; implying an exclusivity of choice relative to those not befriended.
3. To foreknow: to have (experiential) knowledge of some event before the occurrence.
4. To know formerly: to have (experiential) knowledge of someone or something from the past.

This word is used in context to Jesus who has been in an eternal, loving relationship with His Father and is used when the bible is talking about us, who God in His heart, knew intimately before the world began.

Obedience to the truth

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 1 Peter 1:22 (ESV)

Our faith and hope are in God, and because our faith is genuine, we use our faith to obey the truth of God’s word, which in turn purifies our souls.

Obedience to the truth of God’s word, shows godly character and maturity in the faith.

When we get the fundaments of faith in God and obedience to God, laid as a foundation in our lives, then we can build on that with acts of sincere love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We need to make an effort to show love, that is why Peter says we should show it earnestly.

A sure salvation

since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 1 Peter 1:23 (ESV)

The Gospel we have heard, which we have believed and obeyed, is sure and eternal. God foreknew us and Jesus our saviour. God’s own character means His word is eternal.

We can have confidence that God has saved us eternally, we can trust God and His word, through which we have been born again.

Psalm 125:1–127:5

God surrounds us

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 125:2 (ESV)

God gives us security like the hills around Jerusalem give the city security in times of war. We can have full assurance in the salvation that God provides.

Do good, receive good

Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! Psalm 125:4 (ESV)

As we walk in the goodness of godly Christian character, we receive good things from God.

Sleep and Children

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2 (ESV)

Both good sleep and children come from the Lord, although children may affect your sleep! (smile)

Rest in God today.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 1 Peter 1

Today’s Reading:  1 Sam 22:1–23:29, 1 Pet 1:13–19, Ps 123:1–124:8

Today’s Theme: Holy Living

Today’s theme is Living Holy. Our God is Holy and He calls us to be holy in all that we do.

1 Samuel 22:1–23:29

Honour your mother and father

And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.” 1 Samuel 22:3 (ESV)

Much of what we must do to live a holy life, does not appear to be deeply spiritual. Holy living often finds its expression in very practical works of obedience.

David shows his heart for his parents and his desire to obey the 5th commandment, to honour his father and mother, by seeking their protection.

We must obey the 5th commandment no matter how old we are. Our culture in the West can leave the older members of our families feeling unloved and like  a burden. We as God’s people should not live in this self-centred way, we should honour our parents. See Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20

Ask God about it

Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 1 Samuel 23:4 (ESV)

A key to living a holy life before God is to ask God about everything you do. Prayer simply means to ask. We must ask God about the things we do in our everyday lives.

David always prayed about everything he had to do, this was because he had a loving relationship with God, which is testified by God Himself and the Psalms that David wrote.

Jesus told us in Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

1 Peter 1:13–19

Prepare your mind for action

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)

The mind is a muscle, it needs to be exercised. The mind is also a container, it needs to be filled with good things.

The Devil would like us to think of the mind as his domain and so not exercise it in the study, meditation and living of God’s word. He would also like us to fill our minds with garbage at best and poison at worst, through evil teaching, wrong thinking and the philosophies of this world.

Peter in his great call to holiness, in the life of the Christian, first calls us to get our minds ready for trials and hard times, by commanding us to hope. We are not to have an aimless hope but should put our hope in God’s future grace promised to believers, in Jesus. This will be realised at the second coming.

Looking forward in our hearts and minds, to the second coming of Christ will give us perspective as we face difficulty. We can endure in holiness because of the grace we are promised in the future.

Be Holy

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 1 Peter 1:15 (ESV)

Our motivation for pursuing a life of holiness is God, God is holy so we should be holy in all our conduct too.

Holiness is not some spiritual state which has nothing to do with other areas of our lives, it is very much connected to our everyday lives. In our normal conduct, we must remain set apart for God.

A definition of holiness will be useful to help us think about what it means to be holy. Here is a short one from the Pocket dictionary of theological terms, by InterVarsity Press:

“A biblical term generally meaning “to be set apart.” The term is used widely in Scripture to refer to a variety of people and objects alike but ultimately points to God as the one who is qualitatively different or set apart from creation. Holy may also be used to describe someone or something that God has “set apart” for special purposes. In the NT holiness takes on the sense of ethical purity or freedom from sin…”.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be holy.

Psalm 123:1–124:8

Look to God

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. Psalm 123:2 (ESV)

We look to God, our Master and Provider, to show us the mercy we so desperately need.

We have escaped

We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Psalm 124:7 (ESV)

We have escaped the hunter’s trap… Hallelujah! Now let us live holy lives in the joy and hope of God.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on 1 Peter 1

Today’s Reading:  1 Sam 20:1–21:15, 1 Pet 1:1–12, Ps 121:1–122:9

Today’s Theme: Salvation

Today’s theme is Salvation, which is what God, in His mercy, does for His sinful, finite human creatures in situations of need. It also speaks of deliverance from the power and consequences of sin.

1 Samuel 20:1–21:15

Trust God to save you

And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 1 Samuel 21:12 (ESV)

David became afraid and that fear caused him to act like a fool. We must boldly put our faith in God, believing that He can save us in difficult situations. We must not use our own methods out of fear, which always fall short.

1 Peter 1:1–12

Elected and Exiles

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1 Peter 1:1 (ESV)

As God’s people we were sovereignly elected by God, to be saved for His glory. At the same time, we no longer fit nicely into the worlds culture and values, we are now strangers or exiles.

We should not allow our exile from the world to cause us to be disheartened, we should remember that we have been elected by God and this should fill us with great joy.

Chosen and Saved by the Trinity

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:2 (ESV)

Peter shows us that the entire Godhead (as the Trinity), is involved in our salvation:

1. God the Father in His infinite and intimate foreknowledge* choose us
2. God the Holy Spirit consecrates us as God’s chosen people
3. God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the one we have been chosen and sanctified to obey, which is all made possible through the application of the blood He shed for us.

Even the order (Father, Spirit, Christ) which Peter has put this in, reflects the reality of our experience of salvation which finds its ultimate origin in the heart of God, is made operative in our lives by the Holy Spirit, and is evidenced through personal expressions of faith in Jesus Christ.

This is also further evidence for the biblical doctrine of the tri-unity of God or the trinity.

*Do not misunderstand God’s foreknowledge, it is not that God knew we would choose Him, God made a decision to choose us specifically for His own Glory, long before the world was created.

Born again

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

No baby is born of its own will, this is true for us as God’s people too. God the Father causes us to be born again, it is God who takes the initiative in our salvation. God’s reason for causing us to be born again is His mercy.

When we are born again by the mercy and will of God, we are born into a new order, thus becoming children of the author of this new life.

Because Jesus rose from the dead, we are born again to a living hope. We do not trust in the words of a man who is now dead and gone and cannot fulfil his promises, no, Jesus is alive and He lives to fulfil all of His promises, we have a living hope.

Salvation’s inheritance

to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:4–5 (ESV)

Our salvation brings us hope but it also gives us an inheritance in heaven, which is being guarded for us by God’s power, through faith, to be fully realised in the future.

Our faith in Christ will put us at odds with the world around us but this same faith identifies us as God’s legitimate children, who God powerfully protects.

Our hope in our future inheritance spurs our faith on, as we press forward in our lives for God.

God powerfully protects both His children and their inheritance.

Genuine faith

so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7 (ESV)

Trials and testing through opposition and difficulty, is crucial in helping determine the genuine quality of our profession and possession of faith in God.

The trials confirm our faith because our faith stands firm and is strengthened, whilst counterfeit faith is broken by trials.

Embrace trials as being the fire that proves your faith to be more precious than gold, for which you will be rewarded by Jesus.

“The faith of Peter’s readers is being smelted in the fire of various kinds of trials in this life. But when the most precious things of this world—such as gold—have been destroyed by fire (cf. 2 Pet. 3:10–11), Christian faith that has been proved genuine will be shown to be the most precious of all because it will deliver one from that day of final, fiery destruction when Jesus Christ is revealed (cf. 1 Pet. 1: 5). Therefore, Peter reminds his readers that genuine Christian faith is more valuable than anything the world can offer.” – Karen Jobes (2005)

Faith’s goal

obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:9 (ESV)

The purpose of faith is to please God, the outcome of our genuine faith will be the ultimate salvation of our souls. We must persevere in faith to be truly saved in the end.

As we love and serve God, we will receive the goal of our faith. The prize or reward that we receive is the goal or consummation toward which our faith is directed, which is salvation.

We look forward to the full consummation of our faith, total and eternal salvation.

The Inspiration of the Bible

inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 1 Peter 1:11 (ESV)

Here we can see that the prophecies about Jesus as the suffering and then glorified Messiah, were revealed by Jesus Himself through the Holy Spirit, to the prophets as they wrote the old testament.

This informs our firm belief in the inspiration, infallibility and inerrancy of the bible as the word of God.

Psalm 121:1–122:9

Help from the Lord

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1–2 (ESV)

It can feel natural to look to the things and people around us for help, but salvation comes from the Lord, our best help comes from Him. Remember, He created the world.

We should lift up our heads and look to God for immediate salvation (deliverance and help) in our current circumstances, and ultimate salvation through Jesus.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Psalm 122:6 (ESV)

This verse is so apt with all that is happening in Israel today. Continue to pray for the salvation of all the inhabitants of the land.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 1 Peter 1