Weekly Devotional - Steve Grigg
10/09/2025
VERSE:
Psalm 86:11 “Teach me your ways oh Lord, that I may live according to your truth. Grant me purity of heart so that I may honor you.”
I walked away with three thoughts on Sunday’s message. The first is that I enjoyed the contrasts that Pastor Pete used. Starting with the narrow gate and path in contrast to the wide pathway. He worked his way through coal and diamonds and other comparisons to end with King Saul and King David.
As I listened, I had my second thought. Do I have the courage to follow on that very narrow way? Another way to ask the question is, do I have the character to follow the narrow path? Pastor Pete told us about David’s character test. How David and his followers were alone in a cave with King Saul. David’s men encouraged him to take Saul’s life. David chose to let Saul leave unharmed.
I remember that Saul had his own character test. He was heading off to battle. Samuel tells him to go ahead, but to wait for Samuel to meet up and present the sacrifice and offering. Instead, after waiting for a time, Saul gets impatient and presents the offering. Samuel arrives and informs Saul that he will lose his kingdom because of this.
So again, I ask myself if I have the courage/strength of character to walk the narrow way, to be obedient to God’s leading. This is why I love the first line of Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your ways oh Lord, that I may live according to your truth.” My desire is to surrender myself to God’s teachings, and then to live according to his word/truth. I want to do this in spite of what I or the world thinks I should do instead.
My last take away is with the final scripture Acts 13:22, “But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.” As I read this, I think of the second sentence in Psalm 86:11 “Grant me purity of heart so that I may honor you.” I desire to be a man after God’s own heart. A heart that I know is pure and holy, full of love and forgiveness.
The sermon is about making one of two choices. The narrow, difficult path and narrow gate. The other is the broad pathway, the way of the world. So, do each of us have the courage to follow the narrow way? Do we have the willingness to be made into a diamond, to live life in slow humbling service, to be formed by the crushing pressure of the spiritual growth ingredients? It does not sound like fun, does it? As believers we know that the journey and the destiny is worth it.
I actually have a fourth thought. This was the prayer that came to my mind as Pastor Pete was reading Acts 13:22. I am asking you to pray it.
“Dear Lord. Remove the Saul in me and replace it with a David. Replace it with a man/woman after your own heart. Amen.”
Your brother, Steve
VERSE:
Psalm 86:11 “Teach me your ways oh Lord, that I may live according to your truth. Grant me purity of heart so that I may honor you.”
I walked away with three thoughts on Sunday’s message. The first is that I enjoyed the contrasts that Pastor Pete used. Starting with the narrow gate and path in contrast to the wide pathway. He worked his way through coal and diamonds and other comparisons to end with King Saul and King David.
As I listened, I had my second thought. Do I have the courage to follow on that very narrow way? Another way to ask the question is, do I have the character to follow the narrow path? Pastor Pete told us about David’s character test. How David and his followers were alone in a cave with King Saul. David’s men encouraged him to take Saul’s life. David chose to let Saul leave unharmed.
I remember that Saul had his own character test. He was heading off to battle. Samuel tells him to go ahead, but to wait for Samuel to meet up and present the sacrifice and offering. Instead, after waiting for a time, Saul gets impatient and presents the offering. Samuel arrives and informs Saul that he will lose his kingdom because of this.
So again, I ask myself if I have the courage/strength of character to walk the narrow way, to be obedient to God’s leading. This is why I love the first line of Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your ways oh Lord, that I may live according to your truth.” My desire is to surrender myself to God’s teachings, and then to live according to his word/truth. I want to do this in spite of what I or the world thinks I should do instead.
My last take away is with the final scripture Acts 13:22, “But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.” As I read this, I think of the second sentence in Psalm 86:11 “Grant me purity of heart so that I may honor you.” I desire to be a man after God’s own heart. A heart that I know is pure and holy, full of love and forgiveness.
The sermon is about making one of two choices. The narrow, difficult path and narrow gate. The other is the broad pathway, the way of the world. So, do each of us have the courage to follow the narrow way? Do we have the willingness to be made into a diamond, to live life in slow humbling service, to be formed by the crushing pressure of the spiritual growth ingredients? It does not sound like fun, does it? As believers we know that the journey and the destiny is worth it.
I actually have a fourth thought. This was the prayer that came to my mind as Pastor Pete was reading Acts 13:22. I am asking you to pray it.
“Dear Lord. Remove the Saul in me and replace it with a David. Replace it with a man/woman after your own heart. Amen.”
Your brother, Steve
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