17 May ESOCS Devotional
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 9:13-27
MEMORY VERSE:
“When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him this is the man I told you about. He will rule my people.” 1 Samuel 9:17 (GNV)
Prophecy is defined as a message that is claimed by a prophet to have been communicated to him by a deity. Such messages typically involve inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of divine will concerning the prophet’s social world or events to come (2 Peter 1:20, 21). In essence, a prophet receives God’s message and transmits to others. It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:11).
The message of God to his servant has no room for irrelevant things. But it talks about the will of God in the life of His people, the future, the past, solutions, means of deliverance, key to success, and many others targeted at improving the knowledge and will of God on earth.
In our text today, we read of Samuel speak of the past, present, and future of Saul and Israel. God is true to the time of event and identity of the subject. God does not lie or deceive in prophecy. In verses 15, 16 of our text we read,: “Now on the previous day, the LORD had told Samuel, Tomorrow about this time, I will send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin; anoint him as ruler of my people…” Then in verse 17 it happened thus: “When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, this is the man I told you about…”
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
It will be disappointing for a man to approach the prophet of God to find out the cause of his troubled health or where about of his missing property, only for the prophet to tell him the number of drinks in his fridge or the name of his grandfather but fails to reveal the cause and solution to his problem. The Spirit of God has no place for such irrelevances. God does not hoodwink. He is omniscient and knows the desire and solution to all that bothers those who rely on Him. In verses 19 and 20 of our text, God did it for Saul. It is written, “Samuel answered ‘I am the seer….As for the donkeys that were lost three days ago, don’t worry about them; they have already been found. But who is it that the people of Israel want so much? It is you…”
The prophet does the will of God as revealed to him and does not further his own desires nor does he build up an enterprise for profit with his prophetic calling. If any prophet today desires to serve God, let him guide his actions with the clearly revealed word of God. Samuel was that careful and his prophecy never failed to come true. You cannot succeed as a prophet if your words and deeds are not supported with the word of God. In our text, Samuel did exactly what the Lord told him. He honoured Saul after the Lord identified him. Samuel did not exploit Saul. In verse 22, 24 we read, “Then Samuel led Saul and his servant into the large room and gave them a place at the head of the table….look here is the piece that was kept for you. Eat it. I saved it for you to eat…”
Let us therefore be mindful of our acts as prophets and be careful of the prophets we patronize. The prophet of God does not deceive and does not exploit.
CHALLENGE: What is your experience about prophecy and prophets?
PRAYER POINT: Oh Lord, guide me in my prophetic ministry and in all my dealings, in Jesus name! Amen.
16 May ESOCS Devotional – FURTHER READING: 1 Samuel 10:1-16; Revelation 9:17-21; 10:1-11
