Come Follow Me 2022 LDS (June 13-19) Samuel 8-18 | Faith Conquers Giants – powered by Happy Scribe
We’re all engaged in battles today.
No, not on video games, but the battle between right and wrong, the battle to follow Christ 100% versus succumbing to the dark side.
Though we know who ultimately wins, it’s still tempting to pick the losing side and choose the wrong. Today we’ll see some great choices and a few wrong ones made by four significant men in the Book of Samuel. As they face their battles, we can learn how to better face our own.
Spiritual, mental and emotional challenges.
Stay tuned.
Now remember, Samuel is Hannah’s miracle son, raised in the Tabernacle by Eli, the high priest. Three times as a young boy, he heard the voice of the Lord calling him, and after immediately and faithfully answering the Lord, he was called to be the next Prophet Samuel, then righteously presides as Israel’s Prophet his entire life. The Israelites, however, really want a King.
Like everyone else around them and beg.
Samuel to anoint one.
Samuel is deeply troubled by this until the Lord clarifies, It’s not you they’ve rejected but me. Hearken unto their voice and make them a King.
One day, a Benjamin named Saul loses some animals and seeks out the Prophet Samuel for help in finding them.
But when Samuel sees Saul, the Lord says, Behold the man whom I spoke of. He shall reign over my people.
So Samuel anoints Saul as the Lord’s chosen King. Now Saul is humbled, given a new heart, and is a great, righteous, faithful King for about two years. But then he loses his humility and dependence on the Lord. So before one major battle against more than 300 Philistines, he calls for Samuel to offer a burnt offering to the Lord for protection. But when Samuel is a bit late.
Saul impatiently goes ahead and does the offering himself without any priesthood authority. And when Samuel finally arrives and sees what Saul has done, Samuel sorrowfully declares.
While you still may be the people’s King, the Lord will anoint another in your place.
Still, the merciful Lord gives Saul other chances to change.
But from that moment on, pride rules Saul’s thinking.
In contrast, Saul’s loyal son, Jonathan, chooses righteousness and remains faithful his entire life. While Saul and his army hide under pomegranate trees, afraid of battling the Philistines, Jonathan knows the Lord helps those who act in faith rather than hide in fear. So Jonathan sneaks out of camp with only one other man of great faith, his armor bearer, who, since he remains unnamed in the record, will call Tom. Jonathan faithfully devises the plan to trust in Jehovah to help them win the battle, and Tom responds, Wherever you go, I go. Upon revealing themselves to the Philistine Garrison, the enemy’s mock, oh, look, it’s Hebrews.
Coming out of their holes.
Yeah, come up and we’ll show you.
A thing or two. Jonathan takes this invitation as a sign from God and rallies Tom, Follow me, for the Lord’s delivered them into the hand of Israel. Scrambling up the steep mountain on their hands and feet, they quickly slate every enemy in their path. Then all the Philistines start trembling terribly, and the Lord causes the Earth to quake in terror and confusion. These enemies start fighting each other and then flee it’s. At this point, the emboldened Saul and his cowardly army feel safe to join the battle.
The Lord has already won.
Okay, now Jonathan would be the obvious.
Choice to be the next King. But the Lord has someone else in mind. Samuel is led to Bethlehem, to the home of Jesse, the grandson of Ruth and Boaz. Upon meeting Jesse’s sons, Oldest to youngest.
Samuel thinks they all look like Kings. But the Lord tells him, the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord lookseth on the heart.
Samuel is then prompted to ask if there are any other sons. So they go and fetch the youngest boy who is out tending the sheep.
When David walks in, the Lord tells Samuel, arise and anoint him, for this is he now.
I’m sure you’ve heard the rest of the story. David volunteers to battle Goliath, who taunts, I am here.
My men are here. But soon you will not be here. I am Goliath. There will be no survivors.
So taking only five smooth rocks a sling and all the faith that he can muster, David replies, the Lord will Oliver you into my hand And I will Smite you. That all the Earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And, well, you know the outcome. Because of this young boy’s incredible faith, he slays a giant. Yes. From these four men stories, we learn that when we face battles in life, we can be like Samuel and strive to hear the Lord speak to us through personal revelation or turn prideful like Saul, thinking we can do it all by ourselves or act like Jonathan by putting our faith in God and devising a plan to conquer the enemy instead.
Of hiding under a pomegranate tree or.
Become like young David and know that with God on our side, there’s no way we can lose the battle next time. We’ll learn how David worked many mighty miracles and loved the Lord but had a huge weakness. It takes a lot to make these videos so to keep line upon line free for everyone, consider donating through Patreon the links in the description below and thanks for watching. This episode is packed with info so you might want to watch it again to make sure you didn’t miss anything, including the hilarious jokes. If you feel this video has helped you on your path towards truth and Christian discipleship, Please subscribe and share. Most importantly, go read the scriptures for yourself. You.