One Year Bible: May 11

When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him … Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry … And the Lord made the people afraid of Saul’s anger, and all of them came out together as one …

1 Samuel 10:26; 11:6,7

To read today’s portion of scripture, you can purchase The One Year Bible or find the following in your Bible:

1 Samuel 10:1-11:15
John 6:43-71
Psalm 107:1-43
Proverbs 15:1-3

What struck me when reading through this passage were these three instances when God had His way with Saul and his people. He touched the heart of the men so that they went with Saul, He caused Saul to get angry, and He caused the people to be fearful of Saul’s anger.

Benjamin Franklin and other Deists believed that God put the world in motion, then took His hands off and stepped back. They felt we weren’t to pray or to have any faith in God’s intervention in the affairs of mankind.

Apparently Ben never read his Bible.

I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I’m comforted that God intervenes when we need it. I welcome it. And my thought, as I read through these chapters in 1 Samuel, is that it may be wise to take it all a step further. Instead of waiting for God to nudge our hearts this way or that, what if we were to join Him in that endeavor?

• • Lord, touch my heart and cause me to go wherever You want, do whatever You want, and serve in any manner You’d like.
  • Lord, give me a heart that is singularly devoted to You.
  • Lord, disentangle my affections from the world, and from anything that is contrary to You.
  • Lord, make my heart beat in sync with yours. Cause me to love what You love, and hate what You hate.
  • Lord, make me yearn for heaven … and watch the skies for Your return.

Amen.