This day with God, we rely on the Word as our guide, we write down the steps of action, and are confident. God is in control so we take courage in the fight as we step ahead with boldness because with God by our side, everything will turn out alright.

Reading today in 1 Samuel 11, Saul had been appointed king of Israel but didn’t have a desire to organize the people in a way that a dominant military ruler would during that time period. The Ammonites sensed this disorganization so they invaded the territory of Jabesh Gilead.

During the crisis, the leaders of Jabesh responded with a lack of courage and didn’t want to fight so they sought to make a treaty with the Ammonites. To communicate to the people, messengers were sent out requesting help. If a rescue did not occur, they would surrender.

They didn’t consult with God because they believed that only a king could deliver them from their enemies. When Saul heard the news, he was angered by the threat of the Ammonites to mistreat his fellow Iraelites (v. 5). The Holy Spirit used this anger to right the wrong.

Sometimes anger prompts one to take action on God’s plan for good. Like pointed out in today’s passage, Saul took action on his anger by developing a plan and responding with strong leadership. He gave the people of Jabesh confidence by sending the messengers back with the promise of a rescue (v. 9).

Then Saul mobilized an army to attack the Ammonites and the plan brought an astonishing victory for the people of Israel. The people attributed the victory to Saul so they all were convinced that Saul should be king (v. 13). Saul had demonstrated leadership for the people but gave all the credit to God.

The thought for us is to give those we lead confidence by helping them see their potential. Communicate that positive results occur when everyone works together with a belief that the Spirit of God will lead to victory. So today my friends, let us power up with the Spirit of Christ by starting our day with prayer.

Lead us on Lord with the indwelling Spirit of Christ. We believe we have what it takes to make things happen for Your glory. With a courageous vision, we believe You are big enough to overcome our enemies and lead us on to reaching our top potential.