Today's Verse: 1 Samuel 12:20

Sunday, December 20, 1964

"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart."
— 1 Samuel 12:20
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Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Israel wanted a King. This rebellion against God as Lord and King crushed Samuel's heart and angered God at the people's lack of faith. Samuel reminded God's people that while they have stumbled and fallen because of their political concerns, they must not abandon the Lord himself. Instead, their political concerns must give way to their total allegiance to God and a willingness to serve him fully as Lord and King. In the middle of their politically fueled fear, anger, arrogance, disappointment, triumph, defeat, conflict, confusion, confidence, rivalry, and self-will, God wanted them to turn to him - not their political parties and political champions. Their hope must lie with God! I believe this is a lesson from history that we should heed.

Video Commentary...

We've included Phil's ToGather video from four years ago as an added blessing to our verse today:

ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos

My Prayer...

Forgive us, dear Father, for our sinfulness, short-sightedness, and silliness that we have, at times, shown regarding rulers, nations, and our source of hope. We want to serve you with an undivided heart, cleansed by your forgiveness and enabled by the transforming power of your Holy Spirit as we trust in you as our Lord, Savior, and King. We thank you and ask for this grace in Jesus' name, Amen.

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2 Related Resources by Heartlight

Do Not Be Afraid
Illustration of 1 Samuel 12:20
Inspirational illustration of 1 Samuel 12:20 -- "Do not be afraid," Samuel replied [to the people of Israel]. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart."
The King Who Shares Our Wounds
Virtual Worship by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware
As we come to understand God as the King willing to show us his wounds, then share our wounds, the birth of Jesus takes on a fresh and powerful new meaning. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in virtual worship through words and music using YouTube videos and invite us to welcome Jesus, God who came to us to share our wounds and we see this in his manger and cross, the thrones on which he was exalted and

Illustration

Illustration of 1 Samuel 12:20 — "Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, December 20, 1964

A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Aroma'
"Dear Disciple, As Paul gets ready to talk about the new covenant of the Spirit in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, he pauses long enough to make an important..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'The Holy Spirit Helps Our Prayers' (Ro. 8:26-27)
"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with..."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Conflict Over Deliverance' (Acts 16:16-21)
"One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of....."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Entrusted with Faith' (2 Ti. 1:11-14)
"Dear Father, Give me great faith. Help me know whom I have believed and absolutely know that you are able to guard until that Day what I have..."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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