Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 7:1-17
As Samuel becomes the judge over Israel, the people are in a poor state–spiritually speaking. Although they are God’s chosen people, they aren’t devoted to God and they certainly aren’t wholly following or serving Him. But Samuel, being a godly leader, changes that through his calling of the entire nation to cast out their foreign gods and to “direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only…” (vs. 3). The people embrace Samuel’s appeal, and in turn God responds, mightily delivering them from the Philistines and restoring the cities that had been taken from them. Quite a contrast to the scenario in 1 Samuel 4.
Would you say your heart is directed toward the Lord and that you are wholly serving Him? What sorts of things can pull your focus off of serving God? How do you guard against them? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
