By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: I Samuel 26:7-12, 21-25 Although hated and abused by King Saul, David maintained his respect for Saul and for the Lord who had anointed him king. It is a story of the old king, still reigning but fading, and the new king in waiting, also anointed but not yet in power. David could have taken matters into his own hands and

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 25:14-17; 32-38 “There but for the grace of God go I” is a statement attributed to 16th century English protestant John Bradford. Such was Bradford’s humility, that upon seeing the execution of hardened criminals, he understood God had protected him from falling into such crimes.  Maybe you can look back on a time in your life when God spared

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 22:6-17 Selfish ambition creates a spiritual blindness detrimental to one’s own soul and to the well-being of others in the family of God. David was loyal to King Saul because Saul was God’s anointed. David trusted God’s timing for when he himself would become king. He was committed to never doing Saul harm (I Samuel 24:6; 26:9). Saul, on

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-5; 20:35-42 There was the reigning, but rejected by God, King Saul. There was the heir apparent to the throne, Saul’s son, Jonathan. There was also Jonathan’s friend, the newly anointed but not yet reigning king, David. But this was no stage play. It was real life drama portraying the faithfulness of two friends and the faithfulness of the

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: I Samuel 17:32-37, 42-50 Has anyone ever sought to discourage you for a task God wanted you to accomplish? Such was David’s situation. His father Jesse sent him to the place where the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. He was to take food to his three soldier brothers, and get information on how the battle was going.  Upon arrival,

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: I Samuel 16:4-13 Saul had been chosen as Israel’s first king, but had failed miserably as he repeatedly disobeyed God.  God rejected him as king, and revealed to Samuel that He would choose another man to be king, a man after His own heart (I Samuel 13:14). The new king was not immediately identified, and Saul continued to reign. Only God

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 15:7-15, 22-23 In I Samuel chapters 13-14 we see over time that Saul fought the Philistines and established his reign over Israel. Despite the fact that he stood head and shoulders taller than the average man, his heart lacked complete loyalty to God. At times, he acted foolishly and seemed to have allowed success to go to his head

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 12:12-22 Do you fear the Lord? A healthy respect for our Creator is a good thing which should motivate us to worship and obey Him. The Israelites were involved in a cycle of fearing the Lord, then rebelling against Him, then experiencing His judgment through the attack of their enemies. When they were beaten, they repented and called on

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage:  1 Samuel 8:4-9, 19-22 I Samuel, chapters 8-11, provide the account of how Israel transitioned from being led by judges into a monarchy led by a king.  Judges were used by God as national leaders for the 12 tribes of Israel. However, there came a time when they wanted to be like the nations surrounding them. They demanded a king. Samuel

By Al R. Hodges Retired IMB Missionary Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 5:1-6; 6:11-16 God was working to reveal His holiness and power to the people of Israel.  The house of Eli had been rejected as God’s priests. Times were changing. The Philistines were attacking. Chaos and confusion were the order of the day. Israel was losing a battle with the Philistines. They brought the ark of the covenant into the