When God looks at us, he doesn’t determine who we are based on our appearance, our success, or even our potential; he looks past all that to see our hearts.

Faithfulness to the Lord is not a mixture of his Word and our values. Faithfulness to the Lord is our commitment to listening to the Lord and walking in step with his Spirit because of our passion for Christ.

Sin’s strategy, to keep you from faithfully serving God, is to content you with the idea that you’ve addressed your sin properly without ever getting to the root causes.

Faith in God’s saving power can bring unexpected victories.

If you have ever struggled to REALLY trust God, you’re not alone. Saul’s story takes a sharp turn, and we explore the question throughout: “What does ‘faithfulness’ look like?” 

As Samuel nears the end of his life, he takes the time to challenge and encourage the people of Israel with a particular plea. He asks them to consider the praise-worthy character of God, remember all the good He has done for them, and implores them to respond with their obedience and repentance.

The people of God are successful to the extent that they rest in the power of the Holy Spirit. With a call to repent where you may be trusting in your own strength rather than resting in the Spirit.

Israel’s rejection of God’s leadership challenges us not to trust in people or things, but to trust in God. God’s sovereign choice of Saul as king reminds us that God is in control, even when we make poor choices. The fact that Saul was more about style than substance tells us that God can’t just be in my life – He needs to be Lord of my life!

God is building a longing for the true king, King Jesus. And he’s doing it by showing us the flaws and failures of every other lesser king we choose for ourselves.

This God—His way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true.

Sin is so deceptive that we will often choose it despite all God’s warnings that it will destroy us.

The Lord longs to redeem you; redemption is available through Christ alone.