Samuel summoned the people to the Lord at Mizpah and said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.” But today you have rejected […]
Daily Devotion 30th September 2018
‘Well… you make me wanna shout…’ I can’t read the opening line of this Psalm without hearing Lulu singing ‘you make me wanna shout’. The Psalmist is excited and wants the whole of creation to shout in praise of God. I wonder, how often do we let ourselves get this excited about what God is […]
Daily Devotion 29th September 2018
As Saul turned away to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs were fulfilled that day. When they were going from there to Gibeah, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God possessed him, and he fell into a prophetic frenzy along with them. When all who knew […]
Daily Devotion 28th September 2018
Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him; he said, ‘The Lord has anointed you ruler over his people Israel. You shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around. Now this shall be the sign […]
Daily Devotion 27th September 2018
Born in 1581 at Ranquine in Gascony, Vincent was educated by the Franciscans and was ordained at the age of nineteen. He was something of a token priest until his conversion in 1609, when he resolved to devote himself and all he owned to works of charity. He founded communities for men and, with Louise […]
Daily Devotion 26th September 2018
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel …a man of wealth. He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else. Now the donkeys of […]
Daily Devotion 25th September
Israel is persistent in its call for change. Their system of haphazard leadership is creaking at the edges to say the least and people are unhappy. They have turned to Samuel as it is the appointment of his sons and their behaviour that seem to be the source of the disquiet. However, despite Samuel’s advice […]
Daily Devotion 24th September
When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel… Yet his sons did not follow in his ways, but turned aside after gain; they took bribes and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘You are old and your sons […]
Daily Devotion 23rd September 2018
In Zion praise awaits you, Lord;to you our vows we’ll pay.To you all people will come near;you hear us when we pray. When we were overwhelmed by sins,and guilt upon us lay,You pardoned all our trespassesand washed our guilt away. How blessed are those you choose, and bringwithin your courts of grace!We’re filled with blessings […]
Daily Devotion 22nd September
Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all […]