By Dr David Adenodi
The Book of 1 Samuel is full of colourful characters, in its pages, you will meet with Hannah, Samuel, Saul, and David. As we look at their tragedies and triumphs, their emotional highs and lows, we will learn more about ourselves and how God wants to work in our lives. Let us now look at how to trust God when we don’t always get what we want; how to entrust our future to him; what priorities we should have in life; and practical steps for maintaining our relationship. For most people, it teaches them how to glorify God in all they do by learning from the successes and failure of those it recounts.
1.Trust God with unmet desires: How do we handle it when God doesn’t seem to be listening to our prayer? (1 Samuel 1-2) Keep praying until you receive the answer to your prayers because it may not come at your own timing but it will surely happen.
What does it mean to keep choosing God in the midst of successes and failure? When it is easy and when it’s not? My advice to you is that don’t give up, remain focused and consistent in your prayers and put your trust on Him only and you shall laugh at last.
2. Glorify God in all you do: We exalt God when we live a life of excellence and joy.
“Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez and the name of the other Seneh. The forefront of the one was situated northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hidden. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plough. And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.”
(1 Samuel 14:1-15 KJV).
3.Focus on what’s important: Your goal should be to please God instead of people, let us stop all these eyes and legs services that we are doing to please men instead of pleasing our Creator, the God Almighty.
“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 Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me with a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hears it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a 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 Beth–them. 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 came, 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 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 comes 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.” (1 Samuel 16:1-13 KJV)
4.Look for open doors: Give your gifts and abilities to God to use. No matter how God has made you, or whatever you see as your limitations, he can use your abilities to bring honour to His name.
“But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth–lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. And David came to Saul and stood before him: and he loved him greatly, and he became his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.” (1 Samuel 16:14-23 KJV)
- Make some godly friends for the sake of God’s Kingdom:
We make friends for all sorts of reasons. But no matter what draws us to a friend initially, your goal in that friendship should be to help that person become all God wants them to be.
“And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.” (1 Samuel 19:1-7 )
- Forgive those who have broken your trust:
David’s treatment of Saul showed true forgiveness. If anyone has ever had a reason to hold a grudge, it was David. Although he married Saul’s daughter, played the harp to soothe Saul, and constantly repelled Israel’s enemies, Saul repeatedly tried to kill him. (1 Samuel 24)
- Hope in God for your future:
It’s not okay to rely on horoscopes, consult ouija boards, or have your palms readers, Never has it been more socially acceptable to consult mediums, read horoscopes, or seek the advice of psychics, Saul experience warns us of the consequences of dabbling in this type of activity. ( 1 Samuel 28:3-25)
Brethren, if God is with you it does not really matter who stand with you or who refuse to stand by you. The Bible says if God is with us, who can be against us (Romans 8:37).
He was with Paul in the shipwreck and delivered him and all his co-travellers, He was with Daniel in the den of lions, He was there with the three Hebrews children in the fiery burning furnace. God has promised to deliver us from every overflowing waters and from every raging fire (Isaiah 43:1-3).
Beloved put your mind at rest for the Almighty God has promised to be with you till the end (Matthew 28:28.
You shall have a testimony that will make headlines news this week.
Rev. David Adenodi (PhD) Senior Pastor Superintendent, Christ Apostolic Church (Vineyard Of Comfort) U S A Member CACNA Coordinating Council
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