1 Samuel L 4:18

Eli was a judge and a high priest, yet because he "failed to plug the leak" in his home, he faced the judgment of God. In this 5-day devotional, learn lessons from Eli’s life that will convict you to plug the leaks in your life.

This week, we will explore the book of 1 Samuel, engaging the transition of Israel from the age of judges to the age of kings. We will spend two days with each of the main characters—Samuel, Saul, and David—seeing both things to emulate and things to avoid as men of God.

Sometimes our desire to succeed or prosper makes us vulnerable to manipulation. Or worse, we manipulate others to get what we want. Sometimes we even try to manipulate God. The Bible passages in this reading plan help us guard against manipulation—either being manipulated or being the manipulators. These passages help us embrace the true prosperity God offers us instead.

Have you been more concerned about God’s usefulness to you than about the implications of his holiness for your life? In this 10-Day plan, we discover from a gospel view of 1 Samuel 4, that when we abuse the sovereignty of God, failing to solemnly appreciate His holiness, in the end, we experience the absence of His presence with us. In short, we lose God when we try to use Him. This study is adapted, with his permission, from a sermon preached by Rev. John Musyimi at North Point Baptist Church in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 8th, 2026.