Vince Miller Podcast Vince Miller

Are you a leader who can claim victory with restraint?
Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.
This week, we are in 1 Samuel 11. I've titled this chapter "The First Test of Saul’s Leadership."
At this point in the story, Saul has defeated his first enemy. Nahash and the Ammonite army. But now he has to deal with a battle within. Here is the text in verses 12-13:
Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.”  But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” — 1 Samuel 11:12-13
So what happens here is a truism about leadership: One test of leadership leads to another. For the leader, the tests never end. If you lead, you will encounter challenges from outside and inside opposition that will test you continually. They will test not only your abilities, skills, and talents but also your character, integrity, and in whom you trust.
At this moment, Saul could have used this momentum to put down his dissenters, but he didn't. He regulated his desire and restrained himself because he understood something that some of the people failed to see—it was not his strategy, strength, or skill that worked salvation in Israel—it was the Lord. This is a remarkably humble statement from Saul. He did not always make declarations like this, but here, Saul's understanding of humility and trust in leadership is inspiring.
Believers who lead must have an undivided understanding that God is the ultimate leader. God is the King. If we truly submit to this belief, then when we encounter his salvation, it's his salvation. But this is where many spiritual leaders get it wrong. They conflate the salvation gained with something provided by their abilities, skills, and talents. As soon as a leader does this, they become king in their mind, and they will do anything to protect and preserve this, including putting down dissenters.
Today, if you sense you have made too much of yourself in a current situation or recent win, take another look at that situation. Review how you responded and what you thought of yourself. Instead of thinking so much of yourself, think about what God did and what he did that you could not do. Then if you failed to give glory to God, do that now. Thank him and celebrate him and the King. Maybe the next time you win, see the win as God's win, not yours, and lead faithfully through the daily tests that all leaders encounter.
#LeadershipLessons, #HumbleLeadership, #TrustInGod
Ask This: In what areas of your life or leadership have you taken credit for a victory that truly belonged to God, and how can you redirect that credit to Him today? How can you cultivate humility and trust in God’s guidance in your daily leadership, especially when faced with internal and external challenges? Do This: Believe God is King, and you are not.
Pray This: Lord, help me to recognize and celebrate Your hand in every victory, remembering that it is Your strength and not my own. Grant me the humility to lead with integrity and to trust in Your ultimate leadership. Amen.
Play This: King of Kings.

Are you surrounded by an enemy and feel like giving up?
Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.
This week, we are in 1 Samuel 11. I've titled this chapter "The First Test of Saul’s Leadership."
Here's what's happening in this chapter. Saul has been appointed king. He returned to family farming because his time for fighting had not yet come. Then, the Ammonite enemy, Nahash, came against an Israelite city called Jabesh-Gilead. Saul heard about it and gathered three hundred thirty thousand soldiers at a Bezek, about 10 miles away. Then the people of Jabesh-Gilead, knowing salvation is coming, communicate some "disinformation" to Nahash in verses 10-11:
Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. — 1 Samuel 11:10-11
Today's text contains two pieces of vital military intelligence for the people of Jabesh. First, it confirms that Saul will attack with three companies from three different positions. Second, it confirms that it would happen early, between 3 and 6 a.m. This military strategy is very strategic, given that Saul has never been in battle, as far as we know, and he has never led people into a battle in his life. He devised an unexpected triple-coordinated attack in the wee hours of the morning.
But I think the most interesting aspect of this text is how the men of Jabesh use this military intelligence. They use it to stall the Ammonites. At first read, it looks like disinformation, but it's not. It's actually a statement of truth, trust, and faith in God that salvation is coming through Saul, who has never fought a battle in his life.
Today, face your challenges in the same way. God has given you access to all the military intelligence you need. It's all found in God's Word. There is plenty of intelligence in it to help you plan a defense or offense. God's intelligence enables you to fight against a spiritual enemy that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. And yet, I recognize that for some of you, the battle is close. The enemy has you surrounded. He has now infiltrated your ranks. He is bargaining with you and wants to make a treaty with you. But don't. Stall a little longer. Trust in faith. The God of your salvation is coming, and he is mounted with three companies of soldiers prepared to attack in the wee hours of the morning.
#FaithInTheBattle, #TrustGodsTiming, #DivineStrategy
Ask This: How can you use the "military intelligence" found in God’s Word to prepare for and face the battles in your own life? Are there specific verses or principles that stand out to you as particularly relevant?  
In what ways can you demonstrate trust and faith in God when you feel surrounded by challenges or difficulties? How can you apply the lesson of Saul’s unexpected victory to your current struggles? Do This: Do not surrender to the enemy. Surrender to the Lord.
Pray This: Lord, when I feel overwhelmed by the battles in my life, help me to trust in Your divine strategy and stand firm in Your Word. Grant me the strength and faith to hold on, knowing that You are always at work, preparing the way for my deliverance. Amen.
Play This: Surrounded (Fight My Battles).

Are you surrounded by defeat? Salvation is coming.
Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.
This week, we are in 1 Samuel 11. I've titled this chapter "The First Test of Saul’s Leadership."
Let's set up the scene. Saul has been appointed king. Nahash has besieged Jabesh-Gilead. Saul gives the nation orders to gather and come to the aid of the people of Jabesh-gilead. Then here is what happens in verses 8-9:
When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have salvation.’” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. — 1 Samuel 11:8-9
Four key details in this short text are insightful about the situation. First, Bezek is on the west side of the Jordan, and Jabesh is on the east side of the Jordan. Second, the two towns are about 10 miles apart, so Saul has an easy march to Jabesh. Third, three hundred and thirty thousand was a massive assembly. In fact, it was the second largest mounting noted in the Bible from the book of Genesis to 2 Kings. Fourth, after they mount to march against Nahash, Saul sends a message to the people of Jabesh that they are hours away from salvation and the defeat of the enemy.
There have been many times in this life when I have felt on the edge of defeat. We have all been there—surrounded, opposed, threatened, and hopeless. You might feel like this right now in your marriage, with your finances, because of a compulsion, due to your health, or in your career. These moments are terrifying. But nothing brightens the eyes and gives hope to the soul more than someone stronger with a message that guarantees deliverance.
In a very natural sense, Saul is going to gather the tribes to rescue the people of Jabesh-gilead. And [spoiler alert] there is going to be a great victory.
But this message of guaranteed victory is just a distant whisper of Jesus's victory over the enemy of sin in this world. Jesus conquered the seed of all sin that led to the oppression and hopelessness depicted in moments like this in Jabesh-gilead. Jesus rescues those who cry to him when they are on the edge of defeat because of sin. My friend, a message of salvation has been proclaimed, and the man of salvation has come, and his name is Jesus. Today, salvation can come to you, led by King Jesus and the angelic armies of God. But you must surrender to him as your Lord to know his total and complete salvation.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. — Acts 4:12
God, I come to you. I call on you as my Savior, recognizing that I am beaten down by the sins of others and the sin that lives in me. I need your salvation from sin. I choose to surrender all my life to you as my Lord and Leader. I will no longer lead my life, and I surrender to your leadership. I receive your eternal salvation and the joy that comes with this message. Amen.
#SalvationInChrist, #VictoryInFaith, #OvercomingDefeat
Ask This: In what areas of your life do you currently feel surrounded by defeat, and how can you invite Jesus into these situations to bring His salvation and hope? How can you share the message of Jesus' victory and salvation with others who may be feeling hopeless or defeated? Do This: Surrender to Jesus's salvation and his Lordship.
Pray This: Father, Help me to trust in your strength and surrender my battles to you. Amen.
Play This: Surrounded (Fight My Battles).

Do you feel torn between two different callings?
Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.
This week, we are in 1 Samuel 11. I've titled this chapter "The First Test of Saul’s Leadership."
To set up the moment. Saul has just been appointed king, and everyone was sent to their home. We are not sure how much time has transpired, but Nahash, an Ammonite enemy, has besieged Jabesh-Gilead. And now the word is going to get back to Saul. Here are verses 5-7:
Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. — 1 Samuel 11:5-7
There are numerous details in this text: First, the word about the capture of Jabesh-Gilead finally gets back to Saul. Second, when it does, the Spirit of God rushes back upon him for the second time. Third, Saul experiences what we call "righteous anger" because he is rightly angered at what has happened with God's people. Fourth, we learn that this all happens as Saul is farming and doing his family's job. Fifth, in his anger, Saul takes two of his oxen (a.k.a. drafting animals) and cuts them into pieces, essentially killing his career and livelihood. Draft animals were important and expensive assets in farming, and Saul used them to send a message to all the tribes of Israel. Fifth, Saul seizes this defining moment to step into his role and use it to unify the people of Israel.
In life, we all have defining moments. For Saul, this was one of those moments. While he was anointed and appointed the first king of Israel, he had yet to take hold of his kingship and become the warrior that God intended him to be. But here, the opportunity presents itself. Notice what he does. He kills his drafting oxen. He slaughtered his former way of life and used the slaughtered oxen to issue a call to all of Israel. By the way this is not the only time something like this happened in the Bible. Look up the story of Elijah and Elisha in 1 Kings 19:19-21.
In my own life, I have had moments like this.
One of these moments happened when I was 20. My grandfather was dying of cancer, and I watched him painfully die for hours in a hospital bed. In the silence of that room, listening to his gasp for air, I knew that God was calling me to do for other men what my grandfather had done for me — disciple men. That was 34 years ago. That moment was a defining moment for me. A week later, I returned to college, and I "killed the oxen." I changed my field of study from business to the bible, and I began studying the Bible like crazy in hopes of one day being able to disciple other men like my grandfather had done for me, which is what we are doing right here. Daily discipleship provided to those who want to grow in their faith.
But to live out this calling, I learned one very valuable lesson. You have to kill the oxen, burn the ships, break the chains, and cut the lifeline. There has to be a point of no return where you decide to go all in and live out the calling God has given you. You cannot live in two callings. They will always compete for your time, attention, energy, and resources.
So I have only one question for you today. What oxen do you need to kill?

#FaithfulLiving, #DivineCalling, #BiblicalLeadership
Ask This: What "oxen" in your life are holding you back from fully embracing the calling God has placed on your heart, and how can you take steps to "kill" them and move forward?
 
Reflect on a defining moment in your life when you felt God's calling. How did you re

Don't be deceived by slippery alliances.
Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.
This week, we are in 1 Samuel 11. I've titled this chapter "The First Test of Saul’s Leadership."
I am going to be reading verses 1-4 today, which state:
Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.” The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud. — 1 Samuel 11:1-4
There are three interesting details in the opening of this chapter. First, it is important to note that Jabesh-gilead is on the eastern side of the Jordan. It was the stretch of land from the river looking toward the desert. There were two and a half tribes that had their homes on the eastern side. They were vulnerable to enemies from the east, like the Ammonites, because of the separation by the river. Second, even though the Ammonites have already gained control of Jabesh-gilead they engage them in a proposal. The agreement was to take control peacefully but at the cost of the right eye of all the people. Removing the dominant eye would be an identifier and weaken any future revolt. Third, Nahash agrees to a seven-day interlude, and we are not told why. This was probably because he knew these people were more than a single city and tribe, and he did not want to risk awakening the sleeping giant of Israel, which he did.
As this story develops, we discover two lessons that are especially applicable to believers. First, we should be guarded and cautious about engaging in relationships, doing business, or entering into agreements with a person or group who does not share our values and beliefs, especially if we suspect they intend to harm us. Second, we have a spiritual obligation and priority to engage in relationships, do business, and enter into agreements with other believers who need our support and services.
We can all agree that there is a spiritual enemy who opposes the work and the people of the Lord. This enemy seeks to divide, weaken, and conquer believers like Nahash did here. In fact, the Hebrew word Nahash means "snake," which is the same Hebrew word used for the serpent in Genesis 3:1-24. One way to avoid being deceived by a snake is to avoid relationships with them and be in relationship, do business, and enter into agreements with brothers and sisters in the faith.
There was a time in my life when I was more open to engagements with people who were not Christians and with whom I did not share biblical values. But after you have been burned a few times by slimy friends, slippery deals, and bitten by deceptive agreements, you learn that it's better to be burned by a believer who might turn back to fear God than one who will have you enter into an agreement only to pluck out your eye, subject you to slavery, cut your off from your family forever.
What's ironic about this exhortation is there are Christians out there today who will contest this. There are young men and women dating people who are not believers, who believe that one day they will persuade the other person and then enter into a permanent marital covenant based on the hope of conversion because they feel compatible with the person on the other end. There are business owners who engage in agreements with vendors and suppliers who do not share biblical values in hopes of influencing them for the kingdom, only to wake up one day and realize that they have compromised their biblical values to maintain the momentum, money,

Are you ready to have your leadership tested from beginning to end?
Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.
This week, we are in 1 Samuel 11. I've titled this chapter "The First Test of Saul’s Leadership."
The key verse of this chapter is verse 13, which reads:
But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” — 1 Samuel 11:13
This statement by Saul is awesome. It demonstrates his ability to steward the leadership authority he was given by God. Throughout this chapter, we will watch as Saul fights for the vulnerable, defeats enemies, leads the people to salvation, and even (right here) spares those who were early dissenters.
This chapter is a profound example of Saul's spiritual leadership. But as we all know, Saul begins well yet ends poorly. And guess what? God is concerned about how you start but even more about how you finish this life. You begin this life in a deficit, as a sinner. God's hope is that you will finish this life as victorious saints, holding dearly to his salvation until we take our last breath. Saul did this life in reverse, exactly the opposite of what he intended for you to do, which led to a tragic end.
I recently competed in a 10-mile obstacle event. About 6 miles in, I came to one of those American Ninja Warrior obstacles with the ascending and descending monkey bars, rotating wheels, and rope swings. As I was approaching, I slowed my run to decrease my heart rate and found an open lane that I wanted to get in. Five steps away from my lane, a 30-year-old guy in pretty good running shape jumped right in front of me. I was a little irritated with him but I bit my tongue thinking, he is young and probably ready to go. So he stood there, wiped his hands, and then he could tell he was out of breath. He had run too hard to the starting line. He stood there for about 90 seconds, trying to catch his breath, while I became more and more irritated with him. I looked for another lane, but there wasn't one, so I waited until he finally took the leap about 2-minutes in. He grabbed the first bar and fell straight into the pool of water beneath. Seconds later, I jumped up and flew over him and this 54-year-old man completed the obstacle while he was wading in the water below. I don't share this to gloat, but your enthusiasm at the start is irrelevant if you are not prepared from the start to finish the race.
So today, set your sights on the finish. Aim to finish well because it's irrelevant how you start the race of life. The only thing that matters is how you finish.
#LeadershipTested
#FinishStrong
#SpiritualLeadership
Ask This:
How does Saul's decision to spare those who opposed him challenge your own approach to handling dissent and opposition in leadership roles?
Reflecting on Saul's journey from a promising start to a tragic end, what steps can you take today to ensure you finish your own race of faith well, consistently honoring God until the end?
Do This:
Set your eyes on the finish and then come in sliding.
Pray This:
Father, guide me in stewarding the leadership roles You've entrusted to me with humility and wisdom, reflecting Your grace and mercy in all decisions. Help me to finish my race faithfully, keeping my eyes fixed on You until the very end. Amen.
Play This:
O Come To The Altar.