[Friday, August 21, 2026 | One-Verse Meditation]

1 Samuel 31:12–13 (NKRV)

“Then all the valiant men arose and went all night, took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons down from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh and burned them there. Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.”

(Meditation)

In the battle against the Philistines, Saul’s three sons, including Jonathan, are killed. And Saul himself, with no way left to escape, falls on his own sword and meets his end. That is how Saul’s life comes to a close. Meanwhile, when the Philistines find their bodies on Mount Gilboa, they cut off Saul’s head, strip off his armor, and fasten his body to the wall of Beth-shan. It was their way of showing that they had utterly trampled Israel.

And yet, when the people of Jabesh-gilead hear this news, they rise up. They run all night and recover the bodies of Saul and his sons. Then they return to Jabesh, burn the bodies, bury the bones, and fast for seven days. It took remarkable courage for them to do this. But who were these people of Jabesh-gilead, that they would take such a risk?

They were a people who had suffered deep wounds in the midst of Israel’s civil war long before this (Judges 19–21). And later, they were the ones who were delivered from the hand of the Ammonites through Saul (1 Samuel 11). The people of Jabesh-gilead remembered that grace. That is why David later commends them in these words: “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this kindness to Saul your master by burying him” (2 Samuel 2).

Of course, this story could be read simply as an ethic of human loyalty or repaying a favor. But Scripture does not stop there. The story of the people of Jabesh-gilead shows us what the life of those who have received grace looks like. It is not a matter of obligation—of feeling that one must repay what one has received—but a response of joy and gratitude for what has been given. Yes, when we come to know God in Christ Jesus, joy and gratitude begin to overflow. We begin to delight in Him. This is worship. And those who live by this worship are the saints.

(Prayer)

Lord, do not let me lose the wonder of the salvation You accomplished in Christ Jesus. And so, at every time and in every place, let me sing of You. Amen.
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(Daily Meditation)

1 Samuel 31:7–13