The Well Ministry

Saul had been chosen and anointed king, but before he could step into what God had promised, he had to face a battle. And just as God used that battle to establish Saul and redeem Israel's past, He is at work in the trials we face today. This week, Pastor Nathan encourages us to hold fast to God's promises, even when our circumstances seem to contradict what He has spoken.

Israel wanted a king, and Saul seemed like the perfect choice. But God's plan was bigger than what made sense in the moment. This week, Pastor Nathan reminds us that even when we know what God has promised, we can't rush His timing or force His hand. Rather than trying to make things happen on our own terms, we're called to trust Him to bring His plans to pass in His way and His time.

Saul went looking for his father’s donkeys and found himself being anointed as Israel’s king. His response? Surely God couldn’t mean him. This week, Pastor Nathan reminds us that when God calls us, our confidence comes from His power and presence. Even when we feel unprepared, He doesn’t leave us to face what’s ahead alone.

When Israel demanded a king, God warned them of everything that king would take from them. Yet even knowing the cost, they refused to listen. In 1 Samuel 8, Tim Brooks contrasts Israel's determination to have things their way with Samuel's faithfulness to seek the Lord, reminding us that God's warnings come from a place of love, even when they challenge what we've already decided is best.

Israel found themselves back in the same place where they had once been defeated, but this time, something was different. They had repented, turned from their idols, and placed their trust in God alone. This week, Pastor Nathan reminds us that God may bring us back to the same battle we once lost, but when we stop relying on ourselves and allow Him to lead, the outcome can look entirely different.

Sometimes the hardest things to surrender are the things we believe belong to us. The Philistines clung to their prize even as it brought pain and destruction, and we can find ourselves doing the same with the things God has already told us to give up. This week, Pastor Nathan reminds us that surrendering to God isn't about losing something good; it's trusting that His voice is leading us away from what will ultimately hurt us.

Israel went into battle without seeking God, then expected Him to bless the course they had already chosen. They wanted God behind them, supporting their plans, instead of before them, directing their steps. This week, Pastor Nathan challenges us to consider who is truly leading our lives, and reminds us that when we trust God to direct our steps, we can walk in the peace, joy, and blessing found in following Him.

It's possible to know how to do church without truly knowing God. In 1 Samuel 3, the routines of worship continued even as the word of the Lord had become rare and God's people had stopped listening. This week, Pastor Nathan challenges us to look beyond the rituals and routines of our faith and ask whether we're actually listening, following, and allowing the Spirit of God to have His way in our lives.

When it seems like wickedness is prospering and faithfulness is being overlooked, it can be easy to wonder if God sees what's happening. This week, Pastor Nathan reminds us through the story of Samuel that God sees both the wrong around us and our faithfulness in the middle of it. Even when we can't see what He's doing, we're called to continue honoring Him in simple, everyday obedience.

Last week, Hannah laid her sorrow at the feet of God. This week, she returns with answered prayer and lays her joy there too. Her prayer doesn't simply celebrate what God has done; it becomes a declaration of who He is: holy, sovereign, faithful, and worthy of praise. This week, Pastor Nathan reminds us to remember God's goodness through what He has already done and trust that, even in the prayers still unanswered, He's up to something.