Daily Devotional 6/14/26
1 Samuel 2:7 (NKJV): The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.
The Hebrew word that is translated “makes poor” means “to occupy”. It contains the idea of replacing the previous tenants and possessing in their place. The word translated “makes rich” means “to accumulate”. It contains the idea of growing. What if instead of occupying land and places, what the LORD occupies is us? What if instead of accumulating a bunch of stuff, the LORD accumulates people? We like to make God’s blessings about stuff and wealth. The LORD our God seems to make these things about the Kingdom. There is no need for gold in the Kingdom. There is a need for love in the Kingdom. There is no need for more land in the Kingdom. There is a need for more justice and wholeness in the Kingdom. Some days I think we get more focused on the stuff of the world and need reminders that the LORD our God wants more for us than just some stuff. The LORD our God wants for us to live in forgiveness and love. The LORD our God wants for us to live in joy and mercy. So, the LORD gathers people to God by occupying their lives and bringing them into community. The Lord changes us by bringing us together in the Kingdom which allows the Spirit to live and move in our lives. Today, may we allow ourselves to be accumulated by the LORD our God, so that love and mercy may flow into our lives and into the lives of those around us.