Date: 04-12-2021

Title: Friendship

(S) cripture:
    1 Samuel 20:41-42 (NLT2) As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David. 42 At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the LORD’s name. The LORD is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

(O) bservation:
    The scriptures tell us that David and Jonathan’s souls were knit together. This symbolizes the depth of their friendship and commitment to each other. Jonathan, in this passage, helps David escape Saul’s wrath and attempt to kill David. As David is about to leave, he meets with Jonathan and they renew their commitment to each other and to each other’s families. This is an example of the depth of friendship that is available to those who trust the Lord.

(A) pplication:
    I pray you have a friendship that reaches the depth of the one seen here in the lives of David and Jonathan. I have such a friend and I cherish that friendship. This friendship has been going on for over 50 years. I have entrusted him to watch after my family when I lived far away. He has been my confidant throughout the years. He speaks truth into my life even when I don’t want to hear it. And the exciting thing is it is reciprocal. Today I thank God for a friend that is closer than a brother.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, thank you for the example of what a friendship can and should be. I thank you for my friend and his influence in my life. Help me to be the friend he needs, too. Amen

Date: 04-11-2021

Title: God Confidence

(S) cripture:
    1 Samuel 17:34-37 (NLT2) But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!”

(O) bservation:
    David’s confidence in God’s power and protection enabled him to face Goliath unafraid. Later in the story we are told that David ran toward Goliath.

(A) pplication:
    I often wonder how much is left unaccomplished because of a faulty view of God’s power and protection. We often keep quiet when we should speak or hesitate when we should act and move forward. We can offer all kinds of explanations or excuses by the reality is that we do not have confidence in God’s power and protection. Now we would never say that out loud but we declare it clearly in the way we live. Today I want to have confidence in God’s power and experience it in the way I live and follow Him.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, I know you are all powerful and protect your children. I have seen these in my own life. Today let me grow in my confidence in you. Grant me the confidence to face the bears, lions and giants that come my way. Amen

Date: 04-10-2021

Title: Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

(S) cripture:
    1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT2) But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

(O) bservation:
    Saul thought he burnt offerings and sacrifices (rituals) would be sufficient to please the Lord even though his obedience was incomplete. Samuel challenges that kind of thinking and asks which Saul thinks is more important to the Lord. Samuel answers the question for Saul. Obedience is better than sacrifice and submitting to the Lord is better than the burnt offerings. His incomplete obedience (disobedience) caused him to be rejected as king by the Lord. The end of this chapter has some solemn and sad words for Saul, And the LORD was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel (1 Samuel 15:35 NLT2).

(A) pplication:
    It is easy to get caught up in rituals and right behaviors that become replacements for obedience. We see this in the pharisees of the New Testament. They had right behavior, but their hearts were far from God. They thought they were close to God because they were doing the right things, but Jesus tells them that they are far from the Lord. It is easy for us to slip into “pharisee mode” by thinking we can do as we please and then just confess to the Lord and all is well. Our emphasis should be on obedience to the Lord’s leading in our lives and not just on getting the outward behaviors right. Today I will put away the excuses of right behaviors and will focus on being obedient to the Lord’s leading and direction in my life.

(P) rayer:
    Father, thank you for forgiving me when I sin. My desire is to obey you and your leading in my life. Let me again live by faith and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to follow and obey you. Amen

Date: 04-09-2021

Title: Impatience

(S) cripture:
    1 Samuel 13:7-14 (NLT2) Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the LORD’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.” 13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”

(O) bservation:
    Saul knew the Lord’s command about making sacrifices. Before an impending battle, when Samuel was delayed, Saul got anxious and offered the sacrifices himself. When Samuel arrives, he challenges Saul’s impatience in going ahead with the sacrifices in Samuel’s absence. The consequence of this disobedience was that Saul would be removed as king. Saul’s impatience led to his disobedience that cost him dearly.

(A) pplication:
    Impatience most often leads to disobedience. Even though Saul’s motives were good, seeking the Lord’s blessing, he was disobedient in what he did. Doing the wrong thing with right motives may get you a pass in today’s culture, it is still disobedience God’s economy. Today I want to be wait for the Lord and show patience regardless of how hard or difficult that is. I want to do the right thing with the right motive so that the Lord is honored in all I do. That means that sometimes I will have to wait and not see what I want immediately. I am also reminded that God is always right on time.

(P) rayer:
    Father, I do not want to jump ahead of you but I also do not want to delay behind you. Teach me to wait patiently for and then to act immediately at your direction. Amen

Date: 04-08-2021

Title: Leaving Well

(S) cripture:
    1 Samuel 12:7 (NLT2) Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors.

(O) bservation:
    As Samuel is preparing to leave, he gives a farewell address. He reminds the people of his faithfulness to them and the Lord and asked if any would dispute that. He then takes time to remind them of all the Lord had done for them and their ancestors. He also reminds them of the consequences of not following the Lord. This is a solemn address and Samuel reminds them of their wickedness in rejecting the Lord and asking for a king.

(A) pplication:
    Leaving, for a pastor, is a difficult task. Discerning when it is time to leave takes some serious soul searching and a secure ego. It is hard to admit that for a church to move forward it needs a new leader. That does not mean that the pastor is somehow incompetent or deficient. It means that the pastor has done what God called them their to do. In leaving well, the pastor should prepare the way for the next leader to come. Samuel gives a great example of what to do. In his final address, Samuel reminds the people of all the Lord has done for them to that time. He also tells them what they need to hear about their unfaithfulness and the consequences that will come. This is not to be a vindictive attack but rather a loving warning like one a father would give to his children. Today I thank the lord for this example and the opportunity I have had to use it as I left the two churches I served as lead Pastor.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, thank you for the example of how to leave well. I continue to pray for the churches I served. Amen

Date: 04-07-2021

Title: Raising An Ebenezer

(S) cripture:
    1 Samuel 7:1-14 (NLT2) So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the LORD. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. 2 The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them. 3 Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD. 5 Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the LORD. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.) 7 When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. 8 “Don’t stop pleading with the LORD our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel. 9 So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the LORD as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the LORD to help Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10 Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the LORD spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. 11 The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way. 12 Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the LORD has helped us!” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the LORD’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. 14 The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.

(O) bservation:
    The Ark of the Covenant has been returned to the Israelites by the Philistines. Samuel is now the leader of the Israelites and leads them when the Philistines threat to strike against them. After he defeats the Philistines Samuel places a memorial rock between two towns and names it “Ebenezer” which means “the stone of help”. It was a reminder that the Lord had helped them win the victory. The ebenezer stone was a memorial, a constant reminder of what God had done.

(A) pplication:
    It is important in our lives to place some “Ebenezer stones” as memorials that when seen remind us of God’s provision and help. It is not the memorial itself that is important but rather the memory it represents. I often go to the memorial in Springhill Cemetery that honors the memory of the Marshall Football team that died in the plane crash on November 14, 1970. I had a class with most of the upper class players the spring before the crash. I thank God for memorials that remind me of his presence and provision in my life. I thank God for all the “Ebenezer Stones” in my life.

(P) rayer:
    Father, I thank you for allowing me to remember. I thank you for those memorials that point me back to your provision in my life. Amen

Date: 04-06-2021

Title: My Story

(S) cripture:
    1 Samuel 1:27-28 (NLT2) I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life.” And they worshiped the LORD there.

(O) bservation:
    Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was barren and asked the Lord for a son. She promised if given a son she would give him back to the Lord to serve the Lord.

(A) pplication:
    My mom and dad always they prayed for a healthy child and when I was born they promised to give me back to the Lord. They did just that. For as long as I can remember my parents told me that they had dedicated me to the Lord from the day I was born. My life has been invested in ministry and living out God’s call in my life. That call was nurtured and encouraged by my parents and my greater family as well. I am so thankful and blessed to have been the son of Bob and Betty Crouch. Their prayer and example showed me the way to follow the Lord and to live out His call in my life.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, thank you for your work in my parents and for placing me with them. Thank you for their commitment to you and their dedication of me to you. Help me to continue to honor that commitment as I follow you each day. Amen

Date: 04-05-2021

Title: Always For All People

(S) cripture:
    Ruth 4:13-17 (NLT2) So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the LORD enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. 15 May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” 16 Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. 17 The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.

(O) bservation:
    Boaz marries Ruth and they have a son, Obed. Obed becomes the father of Jesse and Jesse becomes the father of David. Ruth, a Moabite, is listed in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel. Ruth is a Gentile and not an Israelite.

(A) pplication:
    For me this just confirms that salvation and a relationship with the Lord has always been for everyone. Though God chose the Israelites to be the people through whom that Messiah would come, the Messiah was never just for them but always for all people. I must remember that Jesus is available to all and I must not discriminate who I share the gospel with for any reason.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, teach me to see people as you see them and to share the good news with all that will listen. Thank you for the reminder that you have always been for all people. Amen

Date: 04-04-2021

Title: Strange Circumstances

(S) cripture:
    Ruth 1:1-6 (NLT2) In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. 3 Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. 6 Then Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland.

(O) bservation:
    Famine took Naomi and her husband to the land of Moab. There her sons married Moabite women. Her husband and sons all die, and she is there with her daughters-in-law. Naomi hears that the famine has ended and she decides to return home. Only Ruth goes with her and again in strange circumstances marries Boaz. God has provided for her and honored her faithfulness to Naomi. The results of these strange circumstances is not over.

(A) pplication:
    Sometimes God uses strange circumstances to get us to where He needs us to be so that we can fulfill His will. Even though our circumstances may seem hard and difficult to understand, God has a purpose and plan. Today I will not let any circumstance keep me from pursuing God’s plan but will trust that He is in control. Today is Easter Sunday and the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection seem a strange way to accomplish God’ will, I will thank God for Jesus’ death and resurrection for me.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, Help me to see my circumstances the way you see them and let me experience your will in them. Amen

Date: 04-03-2021

Title: Source of Trouble

(S) cripture:
    Judges 21:25 (NLT2) In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

(O) bservation:
    In the reading today there are some disturbing images and happenings. People do some nearly unspeakable things, and we wonder how can this be? The answer is in the last line. “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”

(A) pplication:
    We live in a time when the authority of the individual is paramount in the eyes of society. The overarching philosophy is called “humanism” where mankind is the measure of all things. Therefore there are not absolutes and your truth is as good as any other regardless of its veracity. Our culture sure resembles the culture in Israel during the days of the Judges. We too have, “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” Today I choose to follow the Lord and His leading in my life. I want to grow in His Word so I can know how He wants me to live. I do not want to be left to my own devices because that would lead to disaster.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, I want to follow you and your leading. Correct me when I try to go on my own way. Thank you for loving me and leading me. Amen