PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN ( Conviction ): I do not know why, Father, but I’ve been struggling to get more involved in my local church since I returned home to my family when I finished my last military tour before retiring. I had many opportunities for most of 2022 to participate more in my church since I’ve returned and I did a little here-and-there, but nowhere near how much I used to, Father. I feel I should be participating more, helping more, speaking more, but at the same time I also do not feel like I’m at home anymore like I did the last time I was there. I do not feel like I’m wanted at the church like I once was. I do not know if this is my own hardened heart or the enemy throwing curve balls at me, Father. Either way, I do feel conviction in my heart for not doing more, Father. Help me to put my failures of 2022 behind me so that I can do better in 2023. This is the first day of the new year, Father. In this new year, my prayer to You is to continue to push me in Your church, Father, so that I can participate more, help more, and speak more of Your truth with my brothers and sisters in the church.
PROMISE ( 1 Samuel 31:6 ): On the day written about in this chapter, the promise You made to Saul has come to fruition. Although You put him on a very tormenting journey to get there, most likely to accommodate David’s journey into kingship, the journey for Saul has still come to an end. This ending fulfills Your promise to Saul of his demise so that David could take over as king of all of Israel.
ATTITUDE ( 1 Samuel 31:11-13 ): Regardless of their feelings towards Saul due to the things he had done during his reign, the brave men of Jabesh-gilead still felt urged to give him and his sons a proper burial. As such, they risked their lives entering the now Philistine territory to perform such an honorable act. This to me rings true as a need for an attitude change in me as well, Father. Do I always do the honorable thing regardless of what others may think or what may happen to me? Definitely not, unfortunately. Have I gotten better as of late than I used to be? I think so, but I still have much progress to make with this attitude, Father. Continue to mold my heart into one of an honorable man, Father.
COMMAND ( 1 Samuel 31:13 ): I’ve seen fasting mentioned many times as a command in the old testament as I’ve been going through it, Father. What is the meaning, purpose, and power behind fasting? Is it solely something to show a personal sacrifice, even if only temporary? Is it something You use for us to grow more dependent and in tune with You, Father? Is it something that is even still necessary or wanted in Your eyes, Father? Teach me more of Your command of fasting, Father, so that I may know more about Your truth behind fasting and not the world’s.
EXAMPLE ( 1 Samuel 31:11-13 ): Doing what’s honorable regardless of what happens or who’s looking; I feel like this pretty closely resembles the definition of integrity. These men of Jabesh-gilead portrayed a great example of integrity and doing what’s honorable by getting Saul and his son’s bodies from the hanging wall so they could receive a proper and honorable burial. They did this because it was the right thing to do, regardless of what may or may not happen to them as a result. They may not be perfect men, but in this moment they lived in integrity and did something honorable for someone that they likely feared prior to his death—Saul.
*DAILY NOTE: On the first day of this new year, I am so glad to have this special quiet time with You, Father. The very last chapter of 1 Samuel and I finally get to read about Saul’s demise. Does this mean that in 2 Samuel I will begin to see David’s kingship coming to fruition or will that be later? I plan to go onto 2 Samuel next, unless I feel You directing me otherwise, Father. Thank You for a great start to a new year. I look forward to what all 2023 has in store for me and my family.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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