The Gospel Project Devotional for the Week of July 1-July 6.

Unit 11: Session 1: Israel Demanded a King

1 Samuel 8–10

Christ Connection: The Israelites demanded a king, so Samuel anointed Saul. God intended for a heavenly king to rule over them, but the Israelites didn’t trust God’s plan. God had a plan to one day send His Son, Jesus, to rule the entire world. Jesus would be the perfect King who would bring peace and salvation to the world.

Adult Connection Point:

God is omniscient (all-knowing). God’s plans are always based on His own perfect knowledge. He says: “I am God … I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: My plan will take place” (Isa. 46:9-10). God is in control in a way that is unfathomable to human reason. God’s knowledge of the future means that none of my trials or difficult circumstances are a surprise to Him. God knows me much better than I know myself. He knows the good things about me. He knows the sinful things about me, yet He still loves me. He still desires my salvation. He has always had a plan to save His people.

Family Devotion:

Materials: paper, marker, envelope

Prior to beginning your devotion, write a number on a piece of paper and seal it inside the envelope. Begin by showing your family the sealed envelope. Ask them to tell you what number you’ve written on the paper inside the envelope, but don’t reveal the answer just yet.

Read Isaiah 46:9-10 aloud. Say, “The Bible tells us that God knows all things, including what number I wrote on this paper. Isaiah tells us that God knows what happened in the past, He knows what is happening now, and He knows what will happen in the future. As humans, we only know things based on our experiences, and it is impossible for us to know what our future will look like.” 

Reveal that anyone’s attempt to figure out the number you wrote would be a guess. Tell your family what number you wrote on the paper, and then show it to them. Say: “I knew what number I wrote on this piece of paper, so I knew how this exercise would end. God knows what the future holds for each person on earth, not just those in our family. A long time ago, the Israelites demanded a king from God. They did not rely on God to guide them, and that made God sad. They did not know that God’s plan was to send Jesus to earth to be the perfect king.”

Ask your family to close their eyes and pray silently, asking God to help them rely on Him right now and in the future. Close the prayer time yourself after a few minutes.