Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / June 8 - Faithfulness in Unexpected Places

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June 8 - Faithfulness in Unexpected Places · Bible Chat Devotional

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Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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rooted in scripture and relevant for today, June 8th, before it
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breaks, You've probably been there.
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A small argument that started over something ridiculous, Maybe
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a text that got misread, a comment that was taken the wrong
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way, or a misunderstanding that snowballed so fast you couldn't
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even remember what it started about.
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And suddenly what was a small spark became a fire that burned
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everything around it. Proverbs chapter 17 verse 14
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describes this so perfectly. The beginning of strife is like
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letting out water. So quit before the coral breaks
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out. Think about a dam.
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You don't need a massive explosion to destroy a dam, you
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just need one small crack. And once the water starts
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flowing through that crack, the pressure builds until it's
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unstoppable. Conflict works the same way.
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When you let it flow unchecked, it can destroy friendships,
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families, and trust that took years to build.
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The wisdom here isn't that you never disagree with people.
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It's that you recognize when a disagreement is starting to
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crack the dam and you make the choice to walk away, cool down,
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or speak peace before everything floods.
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That's not weakness. That is emotional intelligence
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and spiritual maturity. In Psalm 66, verse 16, the
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writer says Come and hear all you who fear God, and I will
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tell what He has done for my soul.
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That's a beautiful contrast to the conflict picture in
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Proverbs. Instead of getting caught up in
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drama and arguments, this person is focused on what God has done.
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Their energy isn't going into strife, it's going into
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testimony. When your focus is on what God
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has done for you, there's less room for pettiness and pride.
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And in first Samuel chapters 9 and 10 we see Saul being
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anointed as Israel's first king. First Samuel chapter 10 verse
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one records Samuel pouring oil over his head and saying, has
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not the Lord anointed you to be Prince over his people, Israel?
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Saul had a purpose. He had a calling.
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He was set apart for something. And that moment of anointing
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happened not because of his own seeking.
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It happened because God moved. Here's the connection.
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You also have a purpose and a calling.
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But living out that purpose requires protecting the peace
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around you. It requires choosing
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relationships over egos and reconciliation over being right.
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Conflict that you could have stopped but didn't has a way of
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sidetracking you from the very purpose God set you apart for.
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The most powerful thing you can do today might be to walk away
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from a fight before it starts and choose peace.
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Tell your story of what God has done and live like someone who
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has a purpose worth protecting. Let's pray.
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Heavenly Father, thank you for calling us to live with peace
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and purpose. Help us to recognize when
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conflict is about to break out and give us the courage and
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humility to choose peace instead.
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Let our energy go into sharing what you've done in our lives
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rather than feeding drama. Remind us that you have a plan
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for us and help us protect it in Jesus name, Amen.
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When a loved one's marriage is under strain, you may not know
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what to say, but you can still know how to pray.
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The Marriage Intercessor series gives tender, faith filled
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language for standing before God when misunderstanding, distance,
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conflict, and wounded hearts threaten a covenant.
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These prayer scripts help you intercede with mercy, wisdom and
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hope, asking God to soften what is hardened, heal what has been
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bruised, and restore peace where tension has taken root.
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From broken communication to division, to emotional repair,
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reconciliation and renewed strength, this series is for
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every prayerful heart carrying another couple before the Lord.
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Pray with clarity. Stand with compassion.
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Believe for restoration under the hand of God.
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Order now on Amazon or visit prayerscripts.org.
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Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's three-year
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Bible reading plan. Proverbs Chapter 17, Verse 14
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World English Bible The beginning of strife is like
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breaching a dam. Therefore, stop contention
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before quarreling breaks out. Psalm Chapter 66 World English
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Bible Make a joyful shout to God.
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All the earth sing to the glory of his name.
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Offer glory and praise. Tell God how awesome are your
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deeds. Through the greatness of your
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power, your enemies submit themselves to you.
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All the earth will worship you and will sing to you.
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They will sing to your name. Come and see God's deeds.
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Awesome work on behalf of the children of men.
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He turned the sea into dry land. They went through the river on
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foot. There we rejoiced in him.
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He rules by his might forever. His eyes watch the nation's.
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Don't let the rebellious rise up against him.
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Praise our God, you peoples make the sound of his praise heard.
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Who preserves our life among the living and doesn't allow our
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feet to be moved for you. God have tested us.
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You have refined us as silver is refined.
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You brought us into prison. You laid a burden on our backs.
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You allowed men to ride over our heads.
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We went through fire and through water, but you brought us to the
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place of abundance. I will come into your temple
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with burnt offerings. I will pay my vows to you, which
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my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in distress.
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I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals with
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the offering of Rams. I will offer bulls with goats.
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Come and hear all you who fear God.
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I will declare what He has done for my soul.
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I cried to Him with my mouth. He was extolled with my tongue.
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If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn't have listened.
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But most certainly God has listened.
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He has heard the voice of my prayer.
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Blessed be God who has not turned away my prayer nor His
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loving kindness from me. First Samuel, chapters 9 to 10
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World English Bible Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose
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name was. Kish.
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The son of Abiel, the son of Zerer, the son of Bicoret, the
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son of Aphia, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of
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valor. He had a son whose name was
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Saul, an impressive young man, and there was not among the
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children of Israel a better person than he.
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From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the
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people. The donkeys of Kish, Saul's
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father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son.
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Now take one of the servants with you and arise.
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Go look for the donkeys. He passed through the Hill
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Country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha,
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but they didn't find them. Then they passed through the
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land of Shalim, and they weren't there.
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Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they
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didn't find them. When they had come to the land
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of Zuff, Saul said to his servant who was with him, Come,
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let's return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys
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and be anxious for us. The servant said to him, Behold,
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now there is a man of God in the city, and he is a man who is
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held an honor. All that he says surely happens.
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Now let's go there, Perhaps you can tell us which way to go.
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Then Saul said to his servant, But behold, if we go, what
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should we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our
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sacks, and there is not a present to bring to the man of
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God. What do we have?
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The servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have in my
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hand the 4th part of a shekel of silver.
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I will give that to the man of God to tell us our way.
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In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he
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said, Come, let's go to the seer, for he who is now called a
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prophet was before called a seer.
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Then Saul said to his servant, Well said, come, let's go.
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So they went to the city where the man of God was.
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As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young
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maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer
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here? They answered them and said.
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He is. Behold, He is before you.
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Hurry now, for He has come today into the city, for the people
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have a sacrifice today in the high place.
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As soon as you have come into the city, you will immediately
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find Him before He goes up to the high place to eat.
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For the people will not eat until He comes, because He
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blesses the sacrifice. Afterwards, those who are
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invited eat. Now.
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Therefore go up, for at this time you will find Him.
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They went up to the city. As they came within the city,
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behold, Samuel came out toward them to go up to the high place.
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Now Yahweh had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came,
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saying, Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the
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land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be Prince over my
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people Israel. He will save my people out of
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the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people
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because their cry has come to me.
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When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh said to him, Behold the man of
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whom I spoke to you, he will have authority over my people.
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Then Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and said, Please
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tell me where the seer's house is.
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Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer, Go up before me to
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the high place, for you are to eat with me today.
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In the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in
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your heart. As for your donkeys who were
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lost three days ago, don't set your mind on them, for they have
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been found. For whom is all that is
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desirable in Israel, Is it not for you and for all your
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father's house? Saul answered, Am I not a
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Benjamite of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family
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the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?
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Why then do you speak to me like this?
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Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the guest
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room, and made them sit in the best place among those who were
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invited, who were about 30 persons.
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Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of
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which I said to you, set it aside.
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The cook took up the thigh and that which was on it, and said
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it before Saul. Samuel said, Behold, that which
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has been reserved, set it before yourself and eat, because it has
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been kept for you for the appointed time.
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For I said, I have invited the people.
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So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
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When they had come down from the high place into the city, he
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talked with Saul on the House stop.
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They arose early and about Daybreak Samuel called to Saul
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on the House. Stop saying Get up, that I may
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send you away. Saul arose and they both went
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outside, he and Samuel together. As they were going down at the
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end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Tell the servant to go on
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ahead of us. He went ahead.
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Then Samuel said, But stand still 1st, that I may cause you
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to hear God's message. Then Samuel took the vial of oil
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and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, Hasn't
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Yahweh anointed you to be Prince over his inheritance?
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When you have departed from me today?
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Then you will find two men by Rachel's tomb on the border of
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Benjamin at Zelzer. They will tell you the donkeys
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which you went to look for have been found.
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And behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys
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and is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
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Then you will go on forward from there, and you will come to the
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oak of Tabor. Three men will meet you there,
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going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three young goats and
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another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a
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container of wine. They will greet you and give you
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2 loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hand.
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After that you will come to the hill of God where the Garrison
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of the Philistines is, and it will happen when you have come
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there to the city, that you will meet a band of prophets coming
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down from the high place with a loot, A tambourine, a pipe, and
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a harp before them, and they will be prophesying.
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Then Yahweh's Spirit will come mightily on you, and you will
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prophecy with them, and will be turned into another man.
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Let it be when these signs have come to you, that you do what is
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appropriate for the occasion, for God is with you.
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Go down ahead of me to Gilgal, and behold, I will come down to
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you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace
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offerings. Wait seven days until I come to
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you and show you what you are to do.
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It was so that when he had turned his back to go from
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Samuel, God gave him another heart.
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And all those signs happened that day.
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When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets
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met him, and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he
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prophesied among them. When all who knew him before saw
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that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets.
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Then the people said to one another, What is this that has
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come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
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One of the same place answered, Who is their father?
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Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
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When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high
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place. Saul's uncle said to him and to
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his servant, Where did you go? He said to seek the donkeys.
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When we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.
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Saul's uncle said, Please tell me what Samuel said to you.
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Saul said to his uncle. He told us plainly that the
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donkeys were found, But concerning the matter of the
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Kingdom of which Samuel spoke, he didn't tell him.
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Samuel called the people together to Yahweh, to Mizpah,
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and he said to the children of Israel, Yahweh, the God of
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Israel says, I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered
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you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of
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all the kingdoms that oppressed you.
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But you have today rejected your God, who himself saves you out
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of all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to
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him, No, set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves
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before Yahweh by your tribes and by your thousands.
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So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of
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Benjamin was chosen. He brought the tribe of Benjamin
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near by their families, and the family of the match rights was
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chosen. Then Saul the son of Kish was
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chosen. But when they looked for him, he
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could not be found. Therefore they asked of Yahweh
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Further, Is there yet a man to come here?
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Yahweh answered, Behold, he has hidden himself among the
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baggage. They ran and got him there.
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When he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the
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people from his shoulders and upward.
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Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Yahweh has
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chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people.
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All the people shouted and said, Long live the king.
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Then Samuel told the people the regulations of the Kingdom, and
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wrote it in a book and laid it up before Yahweh.
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Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
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Saul also went to his house to Jiba, and the army went with him
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whose hearts God had touched. But certain worthless fellows
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said, How could this man save us?
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They despised him and brought him no present, but he held his
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peace. Thanks for joining us on Bible
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Chat, where Scripture meets everyday life.
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