Day 143

1 Samuel 13:1-14:23, John 13:18-38, Psalms 66:13-20

Now that Saul has been appointed king and then confirmed as king, the stories start of his battles and his reign as head of Israel. And if you think back to the very beginning, when all those Godly people were getting it so wrong, well Saul does too.

Saul is feeling a bit nervous, Samuel has been his lucky charm, and now Samuel is late and the Philistines are camping on his door step. You couldn’t blame him for what he does next, thinking that he needs to please the Lord, he makes a sacrifice, not bad motives. Then Samuel turns up and bends his ear about it, because he didn’t listen to what God had said. So Saul’s future is not looking particularly bright, one is going to follow who is much greater than he, in the meantime his son Jonathan does  a pretty good job of putting the wind up the Philistines and so this battle is won by the Lord.

Jesus faces a very different battle with his disciples. There is the battle as the devil enters Judas, there is the battle with Peter who thinks that he will be so close to Jesus and yet Jesus points out that he will betray him three times, and then I would imagine that there is also a battle with the rest of the disciples who were probably whispering away to each other “who do you think it is?”

This is kind of a betrayal sandwich with Judas and Peter on either side. Bang in the middle of this sandwich is the command to “love one another. As I have loved you so must you love one another”. Despite all that he faces, Jesus exudes love, and it is a love that changes lives, and a love that helps us so to love.

The second part of this psalm was not as poetic as the first but the last verse stands out, about a God who has not withheld his love. In the midst of battle God was with Israel, in the midst of betrayal, Christ was love. Whatever you are in the midst of, know the love of Christ today.