May 11 - 16 Saul Falls....David Arises

So battles happen and the Lord is with the people of Israel. Saul continues to ask the Lord for His help and guidance in what to do. Then the things of this world take over Saul.
One day Samuel said to Saul, "It was the Lord who told me to anoint you asking of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation-men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys."
So Saul goes with his men and wipes them out. But he captures the king Agag and keeps him as prisoner. And he kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs-everything in fact that appealed to him and his men. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
So you can see here that they didn't completely trust in the Lord. The Lord says to do one thing and they do almost everything he asks but hey this stuff looks good so let me keep it.
Then the Lord said to Samuel, "I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command." wouldn't want to be in his shoes.
Samuel approaches Saul and he says that he kept all of that stuff to create an offering for the Lord. Sounds like back peddling to me but who knows....only God knows his true heart. Samuel says: "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."
It's that simple. The Lord just wants our obedience to Him just as we want our kids obedience to us. He's a truly loving God and only wants the best for us but things of this world can certainly get us entangled with things we don't need or are even bad for us.
So the Lord is no longer with Saul he picks another to Lead His people named David son of Jesse. Now Jesse had eight sons. The one the Lord picked was the smallest and youngest of the group. Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought for sure he would be the anointed one. But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Isn't that the truth. Humans are so driven by what looks good or intimidating not even noticing that the inner person is downright rotten!
The Lord uses David to kill Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, a giant man. The army of Israel was afraid when Goliath came out and they began to run away. For days Goliath comes out taunting them saying to send one and if he kills Goliath then the Philistines will be their slaves but if Goliath kills him then Israel will be their slaves. David shows up on the scene picks up 5 rocks. There's actually a cool Veggie Tales version of this:) David knows the Lord is with him. David tells Saul " The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from the is Philistine!" On his first throw he hits Goliath in the head he falls to the ground and David takes Goliaths sword and cuts off his head. The Philistine army scatters.
David returns to Saul. After he is done talking with Saul he met Jonathan, Sauls son. There was an immediate bond of love between them, and they became the best of friends.
Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. Saul made him commander over the men of war. When the Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang: "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!" This ticked Saul off. So from then on Saul kept a jealous eye on David for fear they people would make him king.
Saul tried to make it so David would be killed at war by offering David his daughter for the price of 100 Philistine foreskins. He hoped David would be killed at war but the Lord was with David and he and his men killed 200 Philistines and brought the king the foreskins so Saul gave David is daughter Michal who had fallen in love with him.
Saul realized the Lord was with David and his daughter loved him and that made him more afraid of him. He remained David's enemy for the rest of his life. He tried to kill David a couple of times once with a spear and once by sending his men to Davids house but David had escaped to Ramah to see Samuel. He sent troops to capture David but every time the Spirit of God would come on the troops and they would start prophesying. Then Saul himself went to get him and the Spirit of God came upon him and he tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The Spirit of God is a powerful thing. Does that mean I'll be ripping off all my clothes and praying in the streets. Only if I want to show up on YouTube for about a billion hits. I don't understand certain things in the old testament about the incredible depth of praise and worship with the tearing of the clothes and speaking in tongues. I haven't felt the spirit of that fall upon me but I do know that the Lord is with me and my family and he is first in our lives. I'm human so yes just like everyone else I slip a little from time to time but am thankful that He is a loving, forgiving God and always forgives.