¹³ Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, ¹⁴ and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. -1 Chronicles 10:13-14

Saul died in battle, but he died because of unfaithfulness to the Lord. How was he unfaithful? 1 Chronicles 10 notes he did not obey God’s word, sought the counsel of a medium (a psychic), and did not turn to God for help. All three of these actions revealed a heart that sought success apart from God for personal gain.

In contrast, God handed Saul’s kingdom over to David. As a young man, David sang praises to the Lord, seeking him with all his heart. Despite his flaws, he turned to God throughout his life, counting on the Lord for success.

History mentions Saul as a king of unfaithfulness, but David as a man after God’s own heart.

Which will you be? Your answer to this important question begins with the actions you take today.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.

Now the first to resettle on their own property in their own towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites and temple servants. -1 Chronicles 9:2

The return to Israel occurred in stages. The first to return included priests, Levites, and temple servants. This note, likely written by Ezra, is significant.

Without spiritual leaders, there is struggle for spiritual renewal. In the Jewish tradition, the Levites represented the tribe that provided spiritual leadership in Israel. Within this tribe were both priests (men descended from Aaron) and temple servants who had been appointed by King David and the prophet Samuel.

This concept of spiritual leadership beginning spiritual renewal was not unique to Israel; it continues today. Wherever godly leaders exist, spiritual renewal follows. Why? For many to walk closely with God, there must be the example of at least one.

Are you this “one”? God calls us to humble ourselves and to draw near to him. When we do, he draws near to us, often using us to bring renewal to many others.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.

Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal. -1 Chronicles 8:33

Chapter 8 is all about the family line of King Saul. Why? His family was an essential part of his identity and leadership, just as our family is to ours.

Think about it: Identity stems from knowing who we are, where we are from, and why we are here. Family addresses each of these areas. When we can look to a heritage of parents, grandparents, and earlier ancestors, we can find our place in the story that inspires us now. When we don’t, like become less rooted, a struggle, and less stable.

Family is also essential to leadership. Almost every significant leader of our time speaks highly of his or her father or mother as leading influences in their lives. The opposite can often be said for those who struggle in life. Without a strong family foundation, it is much easier to make poor choices and suffer the resulting consequences.

When Scripture emphasizes family, it does so for important reasons. We dare not breeze past the names, but rather reflect on the important influence others have had on us…and the influence we can have on others.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.

Ezer and Elead were killed by the native-born men of Gath, when they went down to seize their livestock. ²² Their father Ephraim mourned for them many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. ²³ Then he made love to his wife again, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah, because there had been misfortune in his family. -1 Chronicles 7:21-23

Kids are a treasure. When a child dies, a piece of the parents die as well. Ephraim experienced this heartache, yet this was not the end of the story.

He mourned, he was comforted by family, and he was blessed with another son. His tragedy was real, yet so was his hope.

When others mourn, there is ideally a time to mourn, friends to comfort, and a future hope. We seem to often be in one of these three positions in life. We are either the one mourning, the one helping another in pain, or living in future hope. Of course, these times often overlap as well.

What encourages me today is not pain or comforting or future hope but that God is ever present throughout all the emotions and events of life. There is no moment when he is not there or does not care. He is there, ready to provide for our every need.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.