Coffee and Devotions

A – About: This passage recounts the battle between Israel and the Philistines in First Samuel 17, where David faces Goliath. While Israel trembles in fear, David trusts the Lord to deliver him. God displays His power and glory by granting victory—not through human strength, but through faith. B – Best Verse: "Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for...

A – About: In 1 Samuel 16:14–23, the Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul, and a distressing spirit troubles him. God sovereignly uses David—newly anointed yet still unknown publicly—to bring temporary relief through music. The rejected king is soothed by the chosen king, revealing both God's judgment and His mercy. B – Best Verse: 1 Samuel 16:23 — "Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and t...

A — About: God sends Samuel to anoint a new king after rejecting Saul. Though Jesse's older sons appear qualified, the Lord chooses David, the youngest shepherd. The focus is not outward appearance but the heart, as God continues His covenant plan. B — Best Verse: "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) C —...

A — About: This passage is about Saul's disobedience to God's clear command and how partial obedience, excuses, and pride led to his rejection as king. B — Best Verse: 1 Samuel 15:22–23 — "To obey is better than sacrifice… For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft… Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king." C — Called to Do: We are called to fully ob...

A – What is this about? This passage summarizes Saul's consolidation of power through continual warfare, highlighting his military success, family line, and growing sovereignty—yet foreshadowing that his reign will not ultimately endure. B – Best verse to summarize this passage: "So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side…" (1 Samuel 14:47a, NK...

A — About This passage shows how King Saul's rash oath weakened the people, led them into sin, and nearly cost Jonathan his life, while God still worked through Jonathan for Israel's deliverance. B — Best Verse "Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not!" (1 Samuel 14:45) C — Called To Do We are called to avoid extra-biblical rules, seek God's wisdom...

A — What is this about? This passage shows how the Lord delivers His people through faithful obedience, even when circumstances appear impossible. Jonathan acts in faith, while Saul hesitates, and God overturns the battle by His own power, not Israel's strength. B — Best verse to summarize this passage "So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to Beth Aven." (1 Samuel 14:23) C — W...

A — About This passage shows Israel's growing weakness under Saul's leadership as the Philistines strip them of weapons, highlighting the consequences of disobedience and spiritual decline. B — Best Verse "But there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel…" (1 Samuel 13:19) C — Called to Do We are called to trust and obey the Lord fully, recognizing that disobedience leaves...

A — What is this about? This passage shows Saul facing fear and pressure as the Philistines gather for war. Instead of waiting for Samuel as God commanded, Saul takes worship into his own hands, acting out of fear rather than faith. His disobedience costs him the lasting establishment of his kingdom. B — Best verse to summarize the passage "Samuel said to Saul, 'You have done foolishly. You have n...

A — What is this passage about? Samuel publicly affirms his integrity, recounts the Lord's faithful deliverance throughout Israel's history, and confronts the people for their sinful desire for a king. Though God grants their request, He reminds them that obedience to Him—not trust in human rulers—determines blessing or judgment. B — Best verse to summarize the passage "Do not fear. You have done...

A — What is this about? This passage shows Saul's transition from a hesitant, hidden figure into a Spirit-empowered king who delivers Israel. God uses Saul to rescue Jabesh Gilead, uniting the people and confirming Saul's kingship through victory and worship. B — Best verse to summarize the passage 1 Samuel 11:15 — "There they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they made sacrifices of...

A — About This passage shows Saul's public selection as king and reveals Israel's deeper issue: rejecting God as their true King in favor of human leadership. B — Best Verse 1 Samuel 10:19 — "But you have today rejected your God… and you have said to Him, 'No, set a king over us.'" C — Called To Do We are called to trust God's kingship, submit to His rule with humility, and look beyond outward app...

A — What is this passage about? This passage describes Saul's private anointing by Samuel, confirming God's sovereign choice of Saul as commander over Israel, along with specific prophetic signs that validate God's calling before it is publicly revealed. B — Best verse to summarize this passage "Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: 'Is it not because...

A — About This passage introduces Saul, a man outwardly impressive, whom God sovereignly brings to Samuel through ordinary events. Though Israel seeks a king like the nations, God is still directing history according to His purposes. B — Best Verse "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel." (1 Samuel 9:16a)...

A — About Israel demands a king to be like other nations, revealing a deeper rejection of God's rule despite clear warnings of the cost. B — Best Verse "They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them." (1 Samuel 8:7) C — Called To Do Trust God's kingship rather than conforming to worldly patterns, resting in Christ as the true and self-giving King.

A — What is this passage about? Israel learns that God is holy and not to be treated lightly. After mishandling the Ark and suffering consequences, the people repent of idolatry, return to the Lord, and experience deliverance through God's power as Samuel leads them in repentance and prayer. B — Best verse to summarize the passage "Thus far the Lord has helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12) C — What are we...

A — What is this passage about? This passage shows God's holiness displayed among both the Philistines and Israel. The Philistines acknowledge God's hand and return the Ark with fear, while Israel receives it with joy but without proper reverence, resulting in judgment. B — Best verse to summarize this passage "Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?"...

A — About: This passage shows God's supreme glory as the Ark is captured by the Philistines. Though treated as a trophy, God proves He is not defeated or contained. He alone judges idols and nations. B — Best Verse: "And the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod." (1 Samuel 5:6) C — Called to Do: We are called to worship God alone, never treating Him as common, controllable, or equal...

A — What is this about? This passage describes the tragic aftermath of Israel's defeat: the Ark of the Covenant is captured, Eli and his sons die, and Phinehas' wife gives birth amid overwhelming grief, naming her son Ichabod to express that God's glory has departed. B — Best verse summarizing the passage "Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has departed from Israel,' because the...

A — About This passage recounts the arrival of devastating news to Eli: Israel's defeat, the death of his sons, and the capture of the ark of God, culminating in Eli's death and the end of his judgeship. B — Best Verse "Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died…" (1 Samuel 4:18) C — Cal...

A — What is this passage about? Israel treats the Ark of the Covenant as a tool to secure victory rather than honoring God with reverence. By using the Ark like a mascot, they reveal hearts that trust in symbols instead of obedience, resulting in defeat and loss. B — Best verse that summarizes the passage "Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among...

A — What is this about? God personally calls Samuel, revealing Himself in a time of spiritual silence and establishing Samuel as His prophet despite Samuel's youth and the difficulty of the message he must deliver. B — Best verse to summarize this passage "And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD." (1 Samuel 3:20, NKJV) C — What are we cal...

A — About This passage addresses God's judgment against Eli's sons for their persistent sin and dishonor of the priesthood, contrasted with Samuel's faithful growth before the Lord. B — Best Verse "For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." — 1 Samuel 2:30 (NKJV) C — Called To Do We are called to honor God with reverence and obedience, rejecting sin a...

A — What is this about? This passage contrasts the corruption of Eli's sons, who despise God and abuse worship, with the faithful service of young Samuel and the quiet obedience of Hannah. God clearly sees both wickedness and faithfulness. B — Best verse to summarize it "Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD." (1 Samuel 2:17) C...

A — About Hannah responds to God's faithfulness with a song of praise, celebrating how the Lord reverses human expectations—lifting the humble, humbling the proud, and showing Himself as the holy, sovereign Rock who governs all things. B — Best Verse "No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God." (1 Samuel 2:2) C — Called to Do We are called to t...