Monday: 1 Sam. 8—A man who turned the age
There are 2 kinds of people in the world—those that want to make a
difference and those that rest on the laurels of others. Some are
happy to be a leaf that is carried by the current of a river, but others
strive to be a rock that changes the course of a river. Romans 12:2
tells us that, as a believer, we should not be fashioned according to
the age, but we should be transformed by the renewing of our mind.
In other words, we need the mindset that our purpose on earth is not
just to float on the river of this age as a leaf, but to make a difference, to change the world. In Acts 17, Paul’s gospel team was known
as the “men who turned the world upside down.” Samuel was a man
who turned the age. The people of Israel had been ruled by judges
for 400 years. “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes”
(Judges 21:25). The priesthood had failed. Change was needed. God
called Samuel and Samuel rose to the occasion. God made Samuel
the first prophet. Although God had prophesied through men occasionally, Samuel received God’s word regularly and ruled the people
by ministering God’s direct speaking. The era of judges was over.
Moreover, Samuel established the kingship in Israel. He completely
overhauled the political administration. Samuel eventually appointed
and mentored the greatest king that would ever reign among the
people, King David. No other king brought glory to God and contentment and joyful worship among the people like David. Samuel refused to just maintain the status quo. He changed the age.
Tuesday: Acts 7—Stephen, the first martyr
Stephen was the first Christian martyr. Acts 7 records how he was
stoned to death while preaching Christ to the Jews. However, he was
not the only martyr. When Jesus told His disciples that they would be
His witnesses to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8), He was foretelling
how many would pay the ultimate price to spread the good news of
Jesus Christ. The Greek word for witness in verse 8, martyrs, can
also be translated, “martyr.” To witness for Christ is not just a testimony of good works, but a willingness to put one’s life on the line
when it counts. Countless believers over the past 2,000 years have
been martyred for their belief in Jesus Christ. In the 1st century, Paul
told the Philippian believers that the royal guards were being brought
to Christ through his suffering in prison. He eventually was put to
death. In the 2nd century, the Roman Empire tortured and killed
Christians regularly. They were stretched on the rack, forced to sit in
hot iron chairs, torn by wild beasts as entertainment in the coliseum,
burned at the stake, and boiled in hot water. But, as the persecution
increased, so did the gospel. Throughout history, Christians continued
to be witnesses for Christ, often at the cost of their life. Some, like
John Huss, were killed for their endorsement of the Bible. Others
were killed in the mission work as they brought the gospel to the lost,
such as Jim Elliot in Ecuador and John and Betty Stam in China.
Christians have a long heritage of inspiring testimonies that motivate
even the backslidden soul to give their all to Christ. Thank you, Lord,
for Stephen and those martyred for Your name.
Wednesday: Acts 9—The conversion of Saul
No one’s conversion to Christ is an accident and no two conversions
are the same—each is tailor-made. In fact, it is often a prequel to the
life and ministry that God has called one to live. Saul, for example,
met the Lord Jesus on the way to Damascus. First, a great light
came, and Saul was blinded for three days. The physical blindness
represented his dark religious life that drove him to despise and persecute those that followed Jesus Christ. Second, Jesus asked Saul,
“Why are you persecuting Me?” This puzzled Saul. How could these
simple-minded heretics be related to the heavenly Christ? To help
Saul see the light, Jesus sent him to a city and had him wait for a
brother, Ananias, to come and give him instructions. Jesus did not
send an apostle or church leader, but a seemingly simple brother, one
that is never heard from again in the New Testament. Through this
experience, Paul saw the vision of the Body of Christ. The believers
and Christ are one Body and each member, no matter how small, is
precious and irreplaceable. Every member, even the smallest of
members have an important function. Saul changed his name to Paul,
which means, “small,” and referred to himself as the least of all the
saints. He spent his life to minister and shepherd the saints into the
vision of the Body of Christ. God has a specific calling for each of us.
Reconsider and study your conversion to Christ. You may find clues to
what kind of life and ministry Christ has called you to live.
Thursday: 1 Sam. 15—Little in your own eyes
Samuel told King Saul, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are
you not the head of the tribes of Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17). Although
Jesus teaches us to be meek and humble, He does not approve of low
self-esteem. Rather, God expects us to honor who we are because, in
so doing, we honor the One who created us. From the beginning, Saul
considered himself “little” in his own eyes. When he returned from
finding the donkeys, his uncle asked him what Samuel had said to
him. Saul told him, but deliberately left out the part about being
anointed to be king (10:16). When Samuel gathered the people to
announced that Saul would be their king, they couldn’t find him. A
search party found him hiding among the baggage. After being appointed king, Saul returned to the family farm. But, when an opportunity came to lead the people against their enemies, God’s hand was
with Saul. He defeated the Ammonites through Saul. But, then there
was Gilgal. Saul gathered troops to defend Israel against the Philistines. After waiting 7 days for Samuel to come, he lost his confidence
that the troops would remain loyal to him, so he presumptuously offered a burnt offering (13:10). In chapter 15, Saul disobeyed God by
keeping the best of the spoils and sparing the king of Amalek, instead
of wholly following God’s word to destroy all. He ruled the people like
a simple farmer’s boy, instead of a king representing God’s heavenly
kingdom on earth. God uplifted him before the people and bestowed
on him a position of leadership, but Saul considered himself “little.”
We should never despise who we are and what God has given us and
we should never bury our talent. Rather, we should honor how God
made us and faithfully serve accordingly.
Friday: Acts 11—The hand of the Lord
Sometimes God’s hand moves differently than we expect. The early
church was building momentum in its growth and testimony. Houses
were filled with fellowship. New believers were being added to the
church daily. But, the fierce persecution forced many believers to migrate to other cities. The building up of the Lord’s testimony in Jerusalem took a hit. Times like these can be discouraging, but what the
believers may have not realized was that this was according to the
“hand of the Lord.” God never intended that the testimony of Jesus
be confined to Jerusalem. The good news must be spread to the end
of the earth (1:8). What outwardly looked like believers fleeing the
work of the Holy Spirit became an advancement of the Lord’s move
on the earth. The scattering of the believers allowed the Spirit to move
throughout the earth and to raise up new churches. In Antioch, the
gospel was spread to other races, including the Hellenists. Acts tells
us that “the hand of the Lord was with them” (11:21). Both the scattering to escape the persecution and the planting of the new multicultural church in Antioch was “the hand of the Lord.” God may allow
a situation that we consider a setback so that His testimony can
spread in ways that are beyond human expectation. So, we should not
be stumbled by difficult circumstances. Just as the scattering of the
believers resulted in the advancement of God’s move on the earth, a
seemingly difficult incident might be an open door for the hand of the
Lord to move in people’s lives. Try this prayer when life feels rough:
“Lord, how will You use this difficulty to spread your word?”
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