Do you want to live in victory?

 1 Samuel 16: 4

A game changer is found in the first six words in 1 Samuel 16:4, and if anyone would apply these to their daily life, they would experience a fuller and more fruitful life.  That is enormous and I wonder if you are in search of your Bible, do you want to live in victory, are you searching for something that will be a guarantee over a life of being under the control of this present darkness of a fallen world?  If so Samuel knew the secret, and he shares it in just six words: “Samuel did what the Lord commanded.”  You may be the genuine “Big Christian” and have set your heart on being an ambassador for Christ, and following all that 

God has commanded in the Scripture, if so this is not addressed to you.  No, its target is people like me, whose hearts desire is to please the Father, and our hope is not to bring shame to the name of Jesus.  But we grasp that we have fallen short and if not for the mercy and grace of our Father, we would be up a creek without a paddle. 

Have we not been commanded never to be harsh with our wife, ladies have you not been commanded to honor and respect your husband?  What about young people, have you not been commanded to honor and obey your parents?  What about loving your neighbor as yourself, and coming to the understanding that God is not calling just the folks on your street your neighbors? 

It is going to get more difficult, has He not commanded every one of us to love our enemies?  I will let you and God sort out that truth.  But it is going to get harder, for God has commanded us to love the LORD your God with all your heart and mind and soul.  If you're one of the super Christians, you do not need to read the “Back Porch” it will not be of much value to you.  Will you please pray for all like me; people who have searched and know that we have a long way to go and are greatly loved by the Father who knows our heart and understands our desire to obey, and how easy we're deceived by the flesh.

Now let’s finish verse four; “and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?”   It is not clear why the elders of the city were fearful of Samuel; it may be that he no longer had anything to do with King Saul.  If so, the elders may have a fear of Saul’s reprisal, or it could be a fear of God’s message or judgment.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice