02/01/2026
Devotional: 2-1-26
Dear Church Family,
I’m praying that you are all staying safe and warm today. I wanted to share our devotional message for the day. As we look toward the week, please let me know of any prayer requests, announcements, or needs that aren’t in the bulletin so we can lift them up together. Love and miss you all! 🙏✨"
Walking In Obedience Despite Fear
1 Samuel 16:2-5
16:2- And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.
1.Samuel fears Saul’s wrath, but God provides a safe, sacrificial context for the trip. Samuel was fearful of what Saul may do knowing that he was rejected by God as the king and that a new king was going to be anointed.
2.How many times do we fear what will happen to us when we either step out by faith to perform a task for God? I know in my own life I have been hesitant to either be a witness for the Lord or do something for Him in fear of what people might think. We need to be able to step out by faith knowing that the Lord is going to provide us with the knowledge and hedge of protection around us to be able to handle the tasks that we have at hand.
16:3-4- And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
1.The sacrifice provided a legitimate, public reason for Samuel to gather the leading families of Bethlehem, including Jesse and his sons, without raising Saul’s suspicions. The elders trembled at Samuel’s coming suggesting they feared he was arriving to bring news of God’s judgment. Bethlehem was an obscure town, and a surprise visit from the nation’s spiritual leader was a significant event.
2. Samuel came to the town of Bethlehem in peace, but the people feared his coming. I wonder how many of us fear or tremble in the thought of the Lord’s return? Are we preparing for the Lord’s return or will he find us unprepared at his return? Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Let us all be fulfilling the call that the Lord has given us to do after we got saved with the use of our money, time and talents to further the kingdom for Him.
16:5- “And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.”
1.Samuel immediately calms their fears when he said Peaceably I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord, sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.
2.When we are in fear from something in our lives and we go to the Lord in prayer he gives us a peace that passes all understanding.
3.Samuel shows us how we need to be obedient to what God asks us to do in every aspect of our lives even when it seems impossible the Lord will make a way.
Reflection on this passage:
As we see Samuel in fear at the beginning of this passage with the thought of Saul killing him we realize that he is similar to how we are when we fear man more than God. When given an opportunity from God do we fear what man, family or friends may say or do we trust in God with providing the necessary means to do what he has asked us to do? Samuel eventually realizes that the Lord has provided the sacrifice for the trip to anoint the next king, just like he provided the ultimate sacrifice to us with His son the Lord Jesus Christ to die in our place for our sins.
Love in Christ, Pastor Andrew
