Daily Devo: Nothing Stops God From Saving; 1 Samuel 14:1-52

1. Pray, lifting your requests before God and praising Him for His goodness. Be sure to ask Him to speak to your heart during your devotional time.
2. Read today’s passage of Scripture in your Bible and be ready to journal.
3. Record your thoughts. What stands out to you?
4. How does today’s reading apply to your life? How does it reveal your insufficiencies? What change does God’s word call you to today?
5. Remember to have each member of your family share what God showed them during your family worship time today.
6. If you have any questions, please use the contact form on this site.

Below, you will find notes to aid you in your thoughts and prayers today.

Chapter 14

v. 1-14

Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or few. Even though Saul had built up much pride for himself and did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, God still showed no partiality and still had men, including Saul’s son, who were faithful to Him and who trusted Him. God has always been preserving for Himself a remnant. Jonathan followed God to victory in this moment.

v. 15-23

This is a great testimony to both God’s great mercy and His true independence. Saul had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight, yet God led him to victory. Not only this, but God chose not to throw those who had defected from Israel to the Philistine army into confusion, bringing them safely back into the Israelite ranks.

When we sin, and even if we have defected to the side of pride, to a false gospel, or to some ways of the world, God is still the God of mercy bringing His people back to Himself. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving!

If God is merciful in this way, should we not also be a people of great mercy? Should we not forgive often and always seek reconciliation? Should it not be so even with those who have defected from our own ranks?

v. 24-46

Saul continued to make decisions even though God was not answering him. His bad leadership, especially as he pretended to be a priest hearing from God, almost led him to slaughter his own son. We have heard it said, I’m sure, that God always answers our prayers. So, like Saul, we look for signs and assume that God is answering our petitions or our requests for direction. While God is always speaking and while He knows every prayer because He has all knowledge, God sometimes does not answer us. For Saul, it was because he was prideful and already assumed that he knew God’s will. This is pride.

By His own determination, for His glory and the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, God withheld His good answers from Saul.

v. 47-52

God used Saul in precisely the way that He had determined despite Saul’s insufficiencies. This should be an encouragement for us all, for we are insufficient as well and in every way. Yet, God uses us, imperfect people.