The Power of Words: Blessings and Curses | 1 Samuel 1:9-17
Vince Miller Podcast
Are your words building up or tearing down? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a new series on 1 Samuel, and we are currently in chapter one. The theme of chapter one is the six people who influenced Samuel's life: So far, we have identified Elkanah, Peninnah, Hannah, and today Eli, Israel's judge and priest. I am going to read verses 9-17, which pick up on this interaction between Hannah and Eli. After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and...
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God’s Provision in Times of Trial | 1 Samuel 1:9-11
Vince Miller Podcast
Do you need provision from God in a present trial? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a new series on 1 Samuel and have just begun chapter one. The first chapter's theme is the six people who influenced Samuel's life: Elkanah, Peninnah, and today, Hannah. We are jumping down to verses 9-11. Hannah has slipped away from the family while in Shiloh and is headed to the Tabernacle by herself to pray. The text reads: After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply...
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God’s Provision In Rivalry | 1 Samuel 1:4-8
Vince Miller Podcast
Is there a rivalry holding you back? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a brand new series on 1 Samuel, and we have just begun chapter one. The theme of the first chapter is the six people who influenced Samuel's life. The first is Elkanah, Samuel's father. The second is Peninnah, Samuel's second wife. Before we read the text, let's set the stage for Peninnah. We know little about her, but her actions in verses 4-8 reveal a lot about her character and the dynamics of her relationship with Hannah. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his...
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Insignificant Yet Significant | 1 Samuel 1:1-3
Vince Miller Podcast
Do you feel small, like a nobody from nowhere? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a brand new series on 1 Samuel. As I mentioned yesterday, we will do an overview of the chapter on Mondays and then, for the following six days, a closer look at that chapter. The theme we are looking at in chapter one is the six people who influenced Samuel's life. The first of these is Elkanah, his father. What's interesting about Elkanah is that he is a nobody from nowhere. We know little about him and his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, all named in...
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Undeniable Influences | 1 Samuel 1
Vince Miller Podcast
GET THE 1 SAMUEL JOURNAL HERE: 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/1SamuelJournal Who are the people who have undeniably influenced your life? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a brand new series on 1 Samuel. As this is a rich and expansive story, I will provide a birds-eye view of the chapter each Monday, followed by six devotionals from that chapter for the next 31 weeks. This will allow us to explore the larger story at the beginning of the week and the smaller details for the remainder of the week. 1 Samuel is divided into three major parts that discuss three important men: Part...
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The Legacy of a Mother | 1 Samuel 1:20
Vince Miller Podcast
Happy Mother's Day! And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” — 1 Samuel 1:20 Today, we begin a new book of the bible, and it's fitting that today is Mother’s Day because 1 Samuel begins with a humble and obedient mother. Her name is Hannah. Hannah is one of two wives married to a man named Elkanah, and why a man would want two wives perplexes me. But anyhow, this man has two. Their names are Peninnah and Hannah. As we read chapter one, we discover that Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none....
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From Drama to Grace | Galatians 6:17-18
Vince Miller Podcast
Are you tired of all the pointless drama? We begin 1 Samuel tomorrow, so get your from the website so you can follow along. From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. — I love the allusion in the closing text. If I were to put this text in my own words, Paul is saying: If you want to see and know the marks of Jesus, let me take off my shirt for you. Five times, I have been beaten with 39 lashes. I have been shipwrecked. I have been stoned and left for dead. Your...
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The Peace of Submitting to God’s Story | Galatians 6:16
Vince Miller Podcast
It's all for God. It's his mission, his people, and his glory, not yours. We are days away from beginning the book of 1 Samuel. So remember to visit our website and secure your copy of the . Pick it up so you're fully prepared to dive into this study. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.— As Paul closes this letter, he wants the Galatians to know that they don't get to have their way with God's story. It's God's story about Israel. They only get to tell the story as it is. While there are Judaizers who want to modify and...
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Boasting in Christ Alone | Galatians 6:13-15
Vince Miller Podcast
Are you boasting about the wrong things? We are days away from beginning the book of 1 Samuel. So remember to visit our website and secure your copy of the . Pick it up so you're fully prepared to dive into this study. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.— Paul is so familiar with twisted acts of legalism that he tells the Galatians (both Gentiles and Jews) how twisted the motives of legalism can be. Simply put, he says that some legalists will invade your churches and try to...
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Motives Revealed | Galatians 6:12
Vince Miller Podcast
Are you scared of the truth because you are trying to please people? We are days away from beginning the book of 1 Samuel. So remember to visit our website and secure your copy of the . Pick it up so you're fully prepared to dive into this study. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. — There are all kinds of reasons we do the things we do. Sometimes, the motive is clear, and other times, the motive is murky. Sometimes, we do it for the payoff, and...
info_outlineDo you sense the war that's raging within you?
Our call out today goes to all the men from Texas I spent time with this weekend at Rough Creek Lodge & Resort. I love you guys. Thanks for hosting me at this incredible location.
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. — Galatians 5:17
This verse describes one of the harsh realities that often rudely awakens many new believers. We learn that Jesus's free gift of eternal life doesn't free us from our temporal struggles. Within us continues to rage an ongoing war.
The war within is a specific battle, one of the desires. One is a longing to fulfill our human desires, and the other is the longing of the Spirit and his desires. It's important to clarify that this is not a war between our flesh and our spirit. Rather, this is a war between our flesh and His Spirit, which by nature infers victory is within our reach.
You see, at the moment of our salvation, our eternal address was changed, but we were also given a divine gift, the Holy Spirit, who now resides within us. The Holy Spirit is the person of God who possesses the power of God. He equips us to combat the desires of our flesh as we await our ultimate salvation. Without the Holy Spirit, we would lead a life of daily defeat. But with the Spirit, we can engage in a daily battle. By learning to walk by the Spirit (as Paul mentioned in the previous verse), we can discover a path that leads to satisfaction in God, not in the flesh. This means that we can experience day-to-day victory when we obey the Spirit's will and desires.
So today, if you feel like a war is raging inside you. You are right. There is one. It's a battle between your fleshly desires and God's will for you. To overcome this, you are going to have to do some things differently, which Paul is going to make clear in the coming verses.
But for now, do this. Start by recognizing your will and the Spirit's will. Differentiating and discerning between these two wills is the first step to waging and winning the war within.
#WarWithin
#SpiritualBattle
#FleshvsSpirit
ASK THIS:
- How can you actively discern between your own desires and the prompting of the Holy Spirit in your daily decisions and actions?
- What practical steps can you take today to align your will with God's will, thus gaining victory in the ongoing battle within your soul?
DO THIS: Start discerning the Spirit's will.
PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the wisdom and strength to discern and overcome the desires of my flesh, as I surrender to the leading of Your Holy Spirit within me. Guide me in walking faithfully on the path of victory over the internal battles that wage within my soul.
PLAY THIS: Whatever Your Plan Is.