Verse: 1 Samuel 9: 15-17
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.” 17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”
Title: The Manifestation of God’s Mercy
Message: God is merciful as proven in this part of the book. The people's demand for a ruler provoked Him to anger. Nevertheless, He listened to them and responded to such a demand in a very softhearted manner that He still called them "my people". He provided them what they had been asking for despite their being defiant. They have broken His heart but He remained true to His promise to them.
Promise to Claim: God fulfills promises despite our insubordination. He has always looked on us, listened to us and will always do the same. Since time immemorial, He has always claimed us His and will always remain such.
Command to Obey: Samuel listened to God and did as he was told. We can do the same. Let us pay attention to God, let Him rule over us and make ourselves willingly submit to His will.
Warning to Heed: Insubordination in any category or level will not do us good. It will bring us failure and nothing more.
Application: God has been listening to my every whisper of prayer, to my every plea and now I realized how I have neglected Him. He had touched me and made me feel His presence. However, life's preoccupations diverted my attention and I seemed to forget the source of all that I have. Thus, just like Samuel, I'll do my best to keep my ears open to God's voice from now on. I'll make Him rule over me and dictate the path that I will take. God is my Father and my King. He's the only one who can fulfill all my needs and make me whole. Above all, He's the only one who keeps promises.
