​“At this also my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2     Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3     Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
4     After it his voice roars;
he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
5     God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
6     For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
7     He seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may know it.
8     Then the beasts go into their lairs,
and remain in their dens.
9     From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
and cold from the scattering winds.
10    By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast.
11    He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.
12    They turn around and around by his guidance,
to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of the habitable world.
13    Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen.
14    “Hear this, O Job;
stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
15    Do you know how God lays his command upon them
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
16    Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,
17    you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
18    Can you, like him, spread out the skies,
hard as a cast metal mirror?
19    Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
20    Shall it be told him that I would speak?
Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?
21    “And now no one looks on the light
when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
22    Out of the north comes golden splendor;
God is clothed with awesome majesty.
23    The Almighty—we cannot find him;
he is great in power;
justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
24    Therefore men fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”
 
Meditation
The overwhelmingly glorious character of God compels Christians to listen to Him through storms of suffering, considering His wonderous works. God’s sovereignty over storms is revealed by His working justice and righteousness through the storm.
 
Elihu is preparing Job to hear God, pleading with Job to “Keep listening,” (2- literally “Listen, Listen!”). Elihu claims to speak for God as a prophet, and no one has interrupted him during his four speeches. Now, Elihu emphatically appeals to Job to keep listening (1-12) and to consider the wonderous works of God (14-20).
 
God speaks through the storms of life. Notice the focus of God speaking in the powerful descriptions of thunder, lightning, ice, whirlwinds, and torrential rain. Five times God’s voice speaking in the storm is mentioned and four other times God’s speaking is summarized in other ways (1-12). God will speak to Job through a storm (38:1).  God speaks to us in the storms of our suffering.
 
“Hear this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderous works of God… the wonderous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge” (14, 16).  God’s sovereign power over storms uses storms to accomplish His work. God’s wonderous work welcomes us to a humble posture of bowing before Him to listen.
 
When the storm clouds clear we can see God clothed in awesome majesty, specifically how His great power stewarded storms to work His just and righteous plan (21-24). This powerful truth is potently revealed in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus and is a personal invitation for believers to listen and consider.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about how Elihu pleads for Job to listen to God speak in the storm and consider God’s wonderous works?
 
-Why is it difficult to listen to God in storms, stopping to hear His voice in humble adoration of His sovereignty over storms?
 
-How does the work of Jesus give us confidence to consider God’s wonderous works, the justice and righteousness He is working through the storms?
 
Key Verse
2     Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth… 14 “Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God. 

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
       You have set your glory above the heavens.
2         Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
       you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3     When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4     what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5     Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6     You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7     all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8     the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9     O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
 
Meditation
The majesty of God is marked on all mankind, the Creator’s hand molding every person made in His image. God’s revelation provides needed elevation of who we see both God and ourselves to be. The Lord of heaven and earth has created humanity to cultivate creation so His majesty can further saturate the world.
 
The bookends of today’s reading lift our hearts to Heaven, emphatic repetition of worship: “Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (1, 9).  The climactic center raises how we see all humanity, “made a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned with glory and honor” (5). Worshipping with this Psalm helps us know God and ourselves.
 
God’s glory is set above the Heavens, yet he cares for infants (1-2). God’s handiwork is in creation, and the crown of creation are humans created in His image (3-5). God rules over everything, yet He gives dominion and authority to humanity (6-8). The majesty of our Lord is magnified when we see the glorious dignity of His image bearers and our role to rule on His behalf.
 
Establishing dominion is a fundamental detail of human dignity, cultivating creation that the majesty of our Maker may be manifest. This “cultural mandate” is centered on the work of Christ. The New Testament uses language from this Psalm to emphasize Christ’s dominion over everything, established through His death and resurrection (Hebrews 2:5-9). Jesus is the Maker, and His majesty will be magnified when Jesus is glorified in every part of our life, labor, and love.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from this Psalm, especially in the elevated revelation of how God reveals Himself and the insight into His purpose for all humanity?
 
-Where do you fall short of seeing both God and humanity in these elevated capacities?
 
-How can you refocus on the majesty of Jesus and recenter all you do so His glory is the goal of what you say with your lips, do through your labor, and embrace with your life?
 
Key Verse
4     what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 

Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” 2 And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 3 And they said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?” 4 And the next day the people rose early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 And the people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?” For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” 6 And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel this day. 7 What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?”
 
8 And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly. 9 For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. 10 So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones. 11 This is what you shall do: every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction.” 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
 
13 Then the whole congregation sent word to the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon and proclaimed peace to them. 14 And Benjamin returned at that time. And they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, but they were not enough for them. 15 And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
 
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?” 17 And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. 18 Yet we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” For the people of Israel had sworn, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.” 19 So they said, “Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” 20 And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards 21 and watch. If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.’ ” 23 And the people of Benjamin did so and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them. 24 And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.
 
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
 
Meditation
“The heart is deceitful above all things- Desperately sick” proclaims the prophet (Jeremiah 17:9). When hearts go unchecked, we do what is right in our own eyes by worshipping what ruins us, sending society into a downward spiral. When we live without Jesus as king, we give our hearts to anything.
 
Israel’s social fabric was torn asunder by their sin and rebellion- casualties cascading from living as if they had no king and doing what was right in their own eyes (17:1-21:25). The rape of the Levite’s concubine, her death, dismemberment, and the dissemination throughout Israel led to civil war, the death of thousands of Israelites, and the near extermination of the tribe of Benjamin. With only six-hundred men remaining, the elders of Israel looked for a loophole to extend their inheritance. Deceived hearts had comprehensively corrupted Israelite culture.
 
The elder’s problem- As part of the punishment for Benjamin’s sins, they swore not to willingly give daughters to a Benjaminite. The loophole plan? Offer women who were unwilling, encouraging them to ambush virgins at a ceremony and abduct them. Tragedy never fixes tragedy. Casualties beget casualties in society when people reject the rule of the Lord.
 
God’s long-suffering love is astounding, working through the ruin to bring redemption. “When the judges ruled…” (Ruth 1:1-Ruth 4), God was writing redemptive history. Jesus comes through Ruth to redeem and restore the world through people who live with Him as King! The ruin we read in Judges will leads to rejoicing when the fullness of God’s redemptive plan is revealed.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Things are dark in the days of the judges. Why is it important the author includes such devastating details?
 
-Where do you see parallels in our world, places where people reject the Lord as king to do anything that is right in their own eyes?
 
-How does this amplify both God’s steadfast love AND the redeeming work He offers through King Jesus? Where do you need to rejoice in the rule of Jesus, doing what is right in His eyes in all your life?
 
Key Verse
21 and watch. If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
​

These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
 
2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.
 
6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.
 
15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
 
21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
 
32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.
 
Meditation
The Lord is the “Lord of years, the Potentate of time,” ordering history according to His plan and for His glory. Genealogies help us see where His story is going.
 
The point of this genealogy is stated clearly: The sons of Noah who survived the flood scattered and filled the earth (32). What is embedded in the names are important origin stories and the key redemptive thread in God’s redemptive tapestry. Every word of God’s word is significant for us to study.
 
God used Noah’s offspring to fill the earth to fulfill His promises. From Ham eventually came the kingdom of Babel, then Assyria, and other external enemies of Israel (6-14). From Canaan came a lot of “-ites” who would eventually fight Israel inside the promise land, cascading from the cursed son of Noah (15-20). From Shem comes the covenant promises of God, reaching back to Genesis 3:15 and forward to Luke 3:38 (eventually going through Revelation!). God’s promises are pushed forward through Shem’s people (21-31).
 
God’s faithfulness finds full expression in the birth and work of Jesus Christ, and His sovereignty directs the drama until Christ comes into the world. God’s sovereignty saturates redemptive history as it stokes hope in the human heart, and God directs history through Noah’s offspring. Reading this section of Scripture reminds us of our need for forgiveness of sin, the continued thorns in our flesh after coming into God’s promises by faith, and the hope we have in the fullness of God’s promises in Christ. God is working everything for His glory.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Why would it have been important for the original audience of Genesis to know the origin story of their external enemies AND their enemies inside the land?
 
-How quickly do you dismiss genealogies in Scripture? Why?
 
-Why is it important for you to see God’s promises pushed forward through His story, finding fullness in Jesus Christ? How does this fuel hope in your heart?
 
Key Verse
32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
 
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
 
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
I and the Father Are One
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
 
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
 
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.
 
Meditation
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who satisfies the ancient hope for a good shepherd to gather, lead, guard, and feed. Jesus invites you to trust His leading by hearing His voice and following His word, feasting on the green pastures of His grace.
 
God’s historic covenant care is illustrated as deep affection for people “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (1 Kings 22:17; Ezekiel 34:5). God promised to provide a fully human shepherd from the line of David who was also Divine, God Himself, to shepherd His sheep (Ezekiel 34:11-24). Jesus’ claim to be the Good Shepherd is Divine! As well as a promise for serenity.
 
The emphatic “I Am…” claims of Christ (7, 8, 11, 14) are Divine invitations for human restoration. The Lord is a Shepherd who leads to green pastures and still waters (Psalm 23), and Jesus is the Shepherd who promises to go before His people, laying down His life so God’s grace can be the place where we feast. Jesus is the security for His sheep, leading us with His love.
 
Some are threatened by Christ’s authoritative claims, seeking to arrest (39) and kill (31) Jesus. Jesus came to die for them, too- His enemies- to save anyone who puts their faith in Him by hearing His voice and following His lead.
 
Jesus is the Chief Shepherd of the church (1 Peter 5:2). We are His people, the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). Jesus is with you. Jesus goes before you. Jesus satisfies your deepest longings.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the Divine claims of Christ and the responses He encounters?
 
-Where do you identify with those who were threatened by Christ’s claims, pushing the shepherd leading of Jesus away for opportunities to follow other voices?
 
-How does the work of the Good Shepherd, laying His life down for us, prepare our hearts to hear His voice, trust His goodness, and follow His lead? Where (specifically) do you need to do this?
 
Key Verse
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.
 
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
Samuel’s Warning Against Kings
10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
The Lord Grants Israel’s Request
19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
 
 
Meditation
Rejoice, the Lord is King! God’s grace invites you to move from ruin to restoration by experiencing the generosity of His rule and reign.
 
A void of spiritual leadership will be filled with ungodly, unbiblical, and unhelpful alternatives. Samuel was passing and his progeny were perverting justice (1-3). The people’s desire for a leader was manifest in a request to have a king “like other nations” (5, 20). The request rejected God as king (7) by twisting His provision with their felt needs.
 
God had redeemed Israel (8) and now Israel rejected God as king. God had provided a pattern for a king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20), a leader who was a faithful follower of the Lord. Israel wanted a ruler like other nations. God gave a warning. Israel refused to heed God’s gracious caution. Hard hearts reject God, His word, and His provision.
 
The rule of earthly kings leads to ruin, taking from people to enhance their own treasure. “Take” is repeated six times to emphasize the self-centered nature of human rulers (11-17). Earthly kings exploit power to the extent that their subjects actually become slaves.
 
In contrast, The Lord stepped out of power to give Himself for our sins by dying in our place (Philippians 2:6-8). The gracious rule of King Jesus restores because Jesus is a generous king. Jesus is the ideal King and is worshipped as King of Kings (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). The grace of Jesus invites you to come to Him, turning from earthly kings to find restoration under His rule and reign.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from Israel’s request for a king like other nations and God’s warning of the exploitation that will result?
 
-Where do you identify, rejecting God as king to receive the rule of “kings” in our culture?
 
-The grace of Jesus invites us to return to His rule to be restored by His gracious reign. Take a moment to pray, asking The Holy Spirit to identify ways you are rejecting God as king and asking for strength to return to the rule of Jesus.
 
Key Verse
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”