A Divided Heart - Christian Daily Devotions - April 20 2007

Daily Bible Reading Plan

Morning : Acts 21

Evening : Samuel 13-15

A Divided Heart

Jesus says, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away..." (John 15:2). Saul was an unfruitful branch. Although he was joined to the vine, there was no life of God flowing through his veins. Eventually, God had to remove him from power. What were Saul's problems?

First of all, Saul had a divided heart. His behavior was very inconsistent. On some days, he would be passionate for the Lord. On other days, he would live like a pagan without the knowledge of God. On some days he would prophesy under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. On other days, he would come under the influence of evil spirits.

He was indeed a life of terrible mixture. A person who is double-minded is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). May we pray the prayer of David: "Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name" (Ps. 86:11).

Secondly, Saul was a man of partial obedience. The first rule of having authority over others is to be under authority yourself. Saul usurped Samuel's priestly authority by offering unlawful sacrifices on the altar (1 Sam. 13:8-13). He disobeyed God's Word and overstepped his boundaries in the temple worship.

April 20 - A Divided Heart - Christian Daily Devotions

When God instructed Saul to kill ALL the Amalekites and ALL their cattle, he disobeyed and spared King Agag and his cattle (15:9, 19-20). Saul's fatal problem was that he always obeyed partially, never completely. Partial obedience is rebellion. Partial obedience will lead to self-deception. Eventually, Saul's self-deception led him into witchcraft and the occult.

Thirdly, Saul was childish emotionally. He had no control over his own feelings, moods and anger. He would inordinately lose his temper over his soldiers and even Jonathan his son. He would become uncontrollably jealous of David. For us, Saul is a picture of the fleshly believer who refuses to submit to the lordship of Christ.

God is looking for complete obedience in your life. God doesn't want you to only offer lip service in half-hearted agreement to His Word and yet not fully obey what He is saying to you. God wants you to walk uprightly and wholeheartedly with Him.

God doesn't want you to deceive yourself into thinking that just because you invited Him once into your life, you can now live a fleshly lifestyle and still inherit the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit wants to take out the nature of Saul in you, and replace it with the nature of David. Would you let Him?

April 20 - A Divided Heart - Christian Daily Devotions