Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food.
The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out, yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint."
Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?"
That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. Then someone said to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it."
"You have broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over here at once." Then he said, "Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.' "
So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this.
Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." "Do whatever seems best to you," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here."
So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day.
Saul therefore said, "Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." But not one of the men said a word.
Saul then said to all the Israelites, "You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here." "Do what seems best to you," the men replied.
Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, "Give me the right answer." And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him, "I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?" Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan."
But the men said to Saul, "Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land. After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.
Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. His wife's name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul's army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul's uncle. Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.
1 Samuel 14:24-52
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
It had been quite a day for Saul, his son Jonathan and the Israelite army. Jonathan and his armor bearer had single-handedly defeated a Philistine outpost and Saul and his men had great success in their own attack on the Philistines after God had shook the ground and thrown the Philistine soldiers into confusion. With these accomplishments, you wouldn’t think there was anything that could spoil things for Israel…but there was.
For despite all the favorable events of the day, there were two others that counter-balanced those events and brought Israel into a negative light before God.
The first matter involved Saul’s imposed fast on his army. Scripture tells us that “Saul had bound the people under an oath” telling them that any man who ate before evening would be cursed and so “none of the troops tasted food” and because of it “were in distress”.
On the surface, there wasn’t anything wrong with Saul’s intent. It was common practice to fast during times that required focus and a reliance on God…and Saul wanted his men’s attention to be on defeating the Philistines, not what they would eat. The demand was not unreasonable since it was only for the day and the men would be able to eat in the evening.
But there were two problems with Saul’s demand.
First, his men were not devoted enough to keep it and, second, not everyone received his demand because you’ll recall that Saul’s son, Jonathan, and his armor bearer were off fighting and defeating the Philistine outpost during the first part of the day.
And so, as the “entire army entered the woods” and saw “honey on the ground”, they refused to eat it “because they feared the oath” but Jonathan, unaware of his father’s command, “reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb” before eating it and seeing “his eyes brightened”. The honey had given him energy…something the rest of Saul’s army lacked.
We read where one of the soldiers told Jonathan, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." Jonathan, in a display of disrespect for his father, admonished him in front of his men saying, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?" Jonathan unknowingly eating the honey against his father’s oath was not something that could be held against him. He didn’t know. But to undermine his father in front of his men was wrong and sinful…even if Jonathan showing support and sympathy for the army would benefit him in the end.
The second problem with Saul’s demand is that his men were not strong enough to keep it. We know because scripture tells is that the Israelites, exhausted after striking down “the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon”, “pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood”, a sin against God’s command to ensure all blood was drained from meat before eating. Scripture tells us that the sinful behavior was brought to Saul’s attention and he took immediate action, calling all his men together and giving them the following order:
"You have broken faith…Roll a large stone over here at once...(and) Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.' " So everyone listened to Saul and brought an ox that night, slaughtering the animal there. “Then Saul built an altar to the Lord…the first time he had done this”. By his actions, even if he had never built an altar and sacrificed before, Saul showed that he wanted to make things right with God and seek pardon for the sins of his army.
So at this point, Saul thought things were worked out and he was ready to go back into battle with the Philistines. He told his men, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." It was a common practice to attack at night where the element of surprise would usually give the attackers a benefit.
Saul’s men were ready to follow him but the priest intervened and injected spiritual wisdom telling Saul that they should inquire of God in the matter. And so scripture tells us that Saul asked God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?", only to not receive a reply from God on that day.
Saul sensed something was wrong. Why would God not answer?
Saul sensed that someone in his army had sinned and thus taken him out of favor with God so he summoned all the “leaders of the army” and told them they needed to “find out what sin (had) been committed”. And in what would be an ironic tragedy, Saul adds, “As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." His words struck the hearts of his army who knew Jonathan had eaten against the oath but the men remained silent, not saying a word.
So how would they find out who had brought God’s disfavor on Israel? Saul decides to cast lots, first having all the Israelites stand separate from him and Jonathan and, as Saul asks God in prayer to give him the answer, the lots are cast and the army is cleared of any wrongdoing.
Thus it came down to Saul and his son, Jonathan, and when the lots were cast again, they indicated that it was Jonathan who was guilty. Saul asks Jonathan about what he had done and Jonathan tells his father, “I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff” before asking, “And now must I die?" It just didn’t seem right or just to Jonathan for his to have to perish when he wasn’t aware of the oath given.
Saul had to be torn in what to do but, in the end, he felt his loyalty to God and the oath taken was more important than pardoning his son and so he said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." Note that Saul never asked God what he should do. Granted, God didn’t answer him the last time he sought him but that didn’t mean God wouldn’t answer him under the present circumstances. We’ve read over and over in the scriptures about how God is a righteous God of justice. Surely God would grant pardon in this case and spare Jonathan. But Saul never turned to Him…and as we’ll see, the call for proper justice had to come from a different place.
For we read where Saul’s men say to their leader and king, “Should Jonathan die — he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." Jonathan and his armor bearer had defeated the Philistine outpost because they turned to God who brought them victory. And because he carried out God’s plan and desire, the Lord saved Jonathan as Saul’s men kept him from being put to death.
I can’t help but think God had a hand in the words spoken by Saul’s men. For their selfless compassion for Jonathan spared his life and ensured proper justice was carried out. They weren’t afraid to speak up and ensure the right thing happened, even if it meant challenging their king.
I wonder if we would be as bold as Saul’s men to speak up against injustice when we see it in our lives. Would we be as compassionate and caring…as selfless and loving?
We would if we stayed obedient to God’s word. For Paul wrote important words for us in his letter to the Romans. These words, drawn from a series of exhortations for the Christian church, serve as a primer for us as we seek to discern how to handle matters when we need to stand up for others. Paul said:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10
Saul’s men were sincere in their love for Jonathan and showed it in their willingness to speak up in his defense. The men were clinging to what was good and right…for Jonathan deserved pardon and received it. Jonathan had to sense the devotion and brotherly love felt for him as well as the humility displayed by the men who were willing to place Jonathan above themselves.
O, what a better world we would have to live in if all peoples would embody these principles…to love sincerely…to hate what is evil and cling to good…to be devoted to one another in love…and to honor others above ourselves.
Come to think of it, Jesus was all of this and more. It’s why we admire and respect Him…why we love and desire Him…and why we follow and seek to emulate Him. It’s also why we were called to make disciples of Him, teaching all to obey what he commanded (Romans 28:18-20).
Yes, this world can be a better place to live in…but it’s only going to be that when everyone turns their hearts, minds and souls over to Jesus…the Savior, Redeemer and Friend…the One who was devoted to us first so that we might know how to be devoted to one another. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A LORD WHO RESCUES
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.
Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. Then Saul said to the men who were with him, "Muster the forces and see who has left us." When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.
Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." (At that time it was with the Israelites.) While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. So the Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.
1 Samuel 14:15-23
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
At the start of Chapter 14, we saw where Jonathan and his armor bearer defeated a Philistine outpost. After their victory, the Philistine army was in disarray, struck by a panic that scripture tells us was “sent by God”. As the “ground shook”, the whole army…“those in the camp and field…in the outposts and raiding parties”…were seen by Saul’s lookouts as “melting away in all directions”.
So Saul mustered his forces and found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were missing before commanding the priest Ahijah to “Bring the ark of God”. Meanwhile, the “tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more”…so much more that Saul assembled all his men and went to battle where they “found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords”. Scripture tells us that Saul and his men were joined by the “Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp” as well as “all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim”. The “Philistines were on the run” as the “Lord rescued Israel that day”.
Note the word of God here. For the Lord rescued Israel. Not Saul. Not Jonathan. Not any man or woman. No…God was the One who did the rescuing. He did it then and He does it today.
We need to keep this in mind as we face difficulties in our lives. We serve a God who rescues us and with that rescue, brings us so much more. Consider these scripture passages:
1. The Lord provides us support and rescues us because He delights in us.
He (the Lord) reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. Psalm 18:16-19
We can’t rescue ourselves. We need a rescuer, someone who will support us when we are in distress…someone who can snatch us away from danger and move us to a more secure place…someone who loves and delights in us enough that He desires for us to be saved.
This is the God we serve. Always there for us. Always ready to intervene and save us. Always loving us.
2. The Lord avenges us, subdues our enemies and exalts us over our foes.
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord; I will sing praises to Your name. Psalm 18:47-49
Many people will come against us in life but we need never worry about our foes because we serve a God who rescues and avenges us, exalting us above our foes. In Him, we are protected and lifted up.
Truly, if God is with us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) The answer is no one and this is why we, like the Psalmist should praise God among the nations and sing praises to His name…now and forever.
3. The Lord hears our cries, saves us from distress and heals us with His word.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Psalm 107:19-21
How often do we find ourselves in need…looking for help? And how often do we find ourselves turning to the Lord, our refuge and ever present help (Psalm 46:1), in those times?
We turn to the Lord because we know He’s the only One who is ALWAYS there for us…every day and every night. And because He is with us always, He is always there to hear our cries for help, come to us in our distress and heal us through His word…a word that would ever tell us to not be afraid for He is with us. No one else can do this for us and this is why we give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and wonderful deeds for us.
4. Ultimately, the Lord rescues all of us through His Son.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14
We can’t talk about the Lord and the matter of rescuing without talking about Jesus...the Son that God loves…the Son that God sent to rescue us from darkness and bring us redemption…the One who brought us deliverance from our sins and the opportunity to enter the God’s Kingdom to share life forever with Him and His Son.
Do you know that you are rescued by God today through His Son? Better yet, do you know your Rescuer…your Savior, Jesus Christ?
If you know Him, continue to grow in Him this advent season as we once again anticipate the celebration of His coming.
If you don’t know Jesus, there’s no better time to get acquainted with Him than now. He’s waiting for you and ready to rescue you forever. And there’s no better gift you’ll receive this year than your salvation. Trust in that. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.
Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. Then Saul said to the men who were with him, "Muster the forces and see who has left us." When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.
Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." (At that time it was with the Israelites.) While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. So the Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.
1 Samuel 14:15-23
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
At the start of Chapter 14, we saw where Jonathan and his armor bearer defeated a Philistine outpost. After their victory, the Philistine army was in disarray, struck by a panic that scripture tells us was “sent by God”. As the “ground shook”, the whole army…“those in the camp and field…in the outposts and raiding parties”…were seen by Saul’s lookouts as “melting away in all directions”.
So Saul mustered his forces and found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were missing before commanding the priest Ahijah to “Bring the ark of God”. Meanwhile, the “tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more”…so much more that Saul assembled all his men and went to battle where they “found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords”. Scripture tells us that Saul and his men were joined by the “Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp” as well as “all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim”. The “Philistines were on the run” as the “Lord rescued Israel that day”.
Note the word of God here. For the Lord rescued Israel. Not Saul. Not Jonathan. Not any man or woman. No…God was the One who did the rescuing. He did it then and He does it today.
We need to keep this in mind as we face difficulties in our lives. We serve a God who rescues us and with that rescue, brings us so much more. Consider these scripture passages:
1. The Lord provides us support and rescues us because He delights in us.
He (the Lord) reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. Psalm 18:16-19
We can’t rescue ourselves. We need a rescuer, someone who will support us when we are in distress…someone who can snatch us away from danger and move us to a more secure place…someone who loves and delights in us enough that He desires for us to be saved.
This is the God we serve. Always there for us. Always ready to intervene and save us. Always loving us.
2. The Lord avenges us, subdues our enemies and exalts us over our foes.
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord; I will sing praises to Your name. Psalm 18:47-49
Many people will come against us in life but we need never worry about our foes because we serve a God who rescues and avenges us, exalting us above our foes. In Him, we are protected and lifted up.
Truly, if God is with us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) The answer is no one and this is why we, like the Psalmist should praise God among the nations and sing praises to His name…now and forever.
3. The Lord hears our cries, saves us from distress and heals us with His word.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Psalm 107:19-21
How often do we find ourselves in need…looking for help? And how often do we find ourselves turning to the Lord, our refuge and ever present help (Psalm 46:1), in those times?
We turn to the Lord because we know He’s the only One who is ALWAYS there for us…every day and every night. And because He is with us always, He is always there to hear our cries for help, come to us in our distress and heal us through His word…a word that would ever tell us to not be afraid for He is with us. No one else can do this for us and this is why we give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and wonderful deeds for us.
4. Ultimately, the Lord rescues all of us through His Son.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14
We can’t talk about the Lord and the matter of rescuing without talking about Jesus...the Son that God loves…the Son that God sent to rescue us from darkness and bring us redemption…the One who brought us deliverance from our sins and the opportunity to enter the God’s Kingdom to share life forever with Him and His Son.
Do you know that you are rescued by God today through His Son? Better yet, do you know your Rescuer…your Savior, Jesus Christ?
If you know Him, continue to grow in Him this advent season as we once again anticipate the celebration of His coming.
If you don’t know Jesus, there’s no better time to get acquainted with Him than now. He’s waiting for you and ready to rescue you forever. And there’s no better gift you’ll receive this year than your salvation. Trust in that. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Monday, December 15, 2008
NOTHING CAN HINDER THE LORD
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert.
Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!" So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash. One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.
On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba.
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."
Jonathan said, "Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands."
So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look!" said the Philistines. "The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in." The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson."
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
1 Samuel 13:16-23, 14:1-14
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 13 of 1st Samuel ends, we find the Israelites at a disadvantage because the Philistines took control of all blacksmithing and charged an exorbitant price for “sharpening plowshares and mattocks…forks and axes and for repointing goads”. So Israel, “on the day of the battle”, was left with “not a soldier…(having) a sword or spear in his hand”. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had a suitable weapon. Jonathan put his to use as Chapter 14 opens.
For we read where Jonathan “said to the young man bearing his armor, ‘Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.’ " And so he went but didn’t tell Saul who was “staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron” with “six hundred men”.
As Jonathan and his armor bearer traveled to the Philistine outpost, they came to a pass they needed to cross that had a cliff on each side, “one…(standing) to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba”. At the pass, Jonathan makes an important statement to his armor bearer saying, “Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." And the armor bearer replied, “Do all that you have in mind…Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." And with that they prepared to cross over but not before Jonathan shared another important matter with his accomplice.
For Jonathan further said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands."
And so the stage was set. Jonathan and his armor bearer “showed themselves to the Philistine outpost” and got the Philistine’s attention. We read where a challenge is issued as the Philistines “shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, ‘Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson.’ "
The Philistines soon found out they had it wrong. For it was Jonathan and the armor bearer who taught the lessons on this day.
For Jonathan took action after the Philistine challenge telling his armor bearer to “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." And so they climbed up and the “Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him”. The results were devastating for the Philistines for in the first attack, “some twenty men in an area of about half an acre” were killed. Truly, the Lord had handed the Philistines into their hands.
So what does this teach us? The key comes in Jonathan’s words about the Lord in Chapter 14, verse 6, as he says, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
Jonathan knew that he and the armor bearer would be outnumbered by the Philistines at the outpost. They could have faced certain death at the hands of a more superior opponent, and yet, they went forth boldly and in confidence because they had something the Philistines didn’t. They had the Lord on their side…a Lord who can’t be hindered from saving.
Indeed, we serve a Lord who can’t be hindered…period. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from saving. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from protecting. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from blessing. And He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from loving.
We could go on and on but let’s just sum it up by saying, We serve a Lord who cannot be hindered from doing anything that he wants to do. He is unstoppable because He is God and no one or nothing is at His level.
Jonathan believed that he could do anything as long as the Lord was with him because the Lord cannot be hindered from saving. And the Lord delivered.
Paul believed that he could do all things through the Lord because nothing can hinder His strength from helping us through any and all circumstances. (Philippians 4:13) And the Lord delivered Paul time and time again as he labored for the gospel.
And we should never doubt or lose faith in the Lord’s ability to do anything in our lives as well. For God’s word assures us that nothing can hinder Him…nothing. In Him, all things are possible (Luke 1:37). Thanks be to God for that. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert.
Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!" So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash. One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.
On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba.
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."
Jonathan said, "Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands."
So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look!" said the Philistines. "The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in." The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson."
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
1 Samuel 13:16-23, 14:1-14
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 13 of 1st Samuel ends, we find the Israelites at a disadvantage because the Philistines took control of all blacksmithing and charged an exorbitant price for “sharpening plowshares and mattocks…forks and axes and for repointing goads”. So Israel, “on the day of the battle”, was left with “not a soldier…(having) a sword or spear in his hand”. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had a suitable weapon. Jonathan put his to use as Chapter 14 opens.
For we read where Jonathan “said to the young man bearing his armor, ‘Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.’ " And so he went but didn’t tell Saul who was “staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron” with “six hundred men”.
As Jonathan and his armor bearer traveled to the Philistine outpost, they came to a pass they needed to cross that had a cliff on each side, “one…(standing) to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba”. At the pass, Jonathan makes an important statement to his armor bearer saying, “Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." And the armor bearer replied, “Do all that you have in mind…Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." And with that they prepared to cross over but not before Jonathan shared another important matter with his accomplice.
For Jonathan further said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands."
And so the stage was set. Jonathan and his armor bearer “showed themselves to the Philistine outpost” and got the Philistine’s attention. We read where a challenge is issued as the Philistines “shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, ‘Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson.’ "
The Philistines soon found out they had it wrong. For it was Jonathan and the armor bearer who taught the lessons on this day.
For Jonathan took action after the Philistine challenge telling his armor bearer to “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." And so they climbed up and the “Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him”. The results were devastating for the Philistines for in the first attack, “some twenty men in an area of about half an acre” were killed. Truly, the Lord had handed the Philistines into their hands.
So what does this teach us? The key comes in Jonathan’s words about the Lord in Chapter 14, verse 6, as he says, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
Jonathan knew that he and the armor bearer would be outnumbered by the Philistines at the outpost. They could have faced certain death at the hands of a more superior opponent, and yet, they went forth boldly and in confidence because they had something the Philistines didn’t. They had the Lord on their side…a Lord who can’t be hindered from saving.
Indeed, we serve a Lord who can’t be hindered…period. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from saving. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from protecting. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from blessing. And He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from loving.
We could go on and on but let’s just sum it up by saying, We serve a Lord who cannot be hindered from doing anything that he wants to do. He is unstoppable because He is God and no one or nothing is at His level.
Jonathan believed that he could do anything as long as the Lord was with him because the Lord cannot be hindered from saving. And the Lord delivered.
Paul believed that he could do all things through the Lord because nothing can hinder His strength from helping us through any and all circumstances. (Philippians 4:13) And the Lord delivered Paul time and time again as he labored for the gospel.
And we should never doubt or lose faith in the Lord’s ability to do anything in our lives as well. For God’s word assures us that nothing can hinder Him…nothing. In Him, all things are possible (Luke 1:37). Thanks be to God for that. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, December 14, 2008
WAIT ON THE LORD
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!" So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel.
Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."
Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
1 Samuel 13:1-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Up to this point in 1st Samuel, all has seemed well with Saul, the king selected by God to lead Israel. But we can’t forget the warnings that God gave His people as they asked for a king…warnings that would indicate that Saul wouldn’t turn out as well as first indicated. In chapter 13, we see this begin to come to fruition.
For as Saul is encamped at Micmash and near the hill country of Bethel with two thousand men from Israel, his son, Jonathan, attacks a Philistine outpost at Geba…an act that angers the Philistines who “assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore”. So while Saul sends word to the Israelites that a battle is soon to happen with the Philistines, all Israelites were “summoned to join Saul at Gilgal”. Ironically, the Philistines assembled at Micmash, where Saul had just left.
So the battle lines were drawn and the sheer number of Philistine troops resulted in panic among the Israelite troops. Scripture tells us that some men “hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns” while others “crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead”. Meanwhile, “Saul remained at Gilgal” and “all the troops with him were quaking with fear”. The situation wasn’t looking good for Israel but note one important thing. No one, including the king, was turning to the Lord for guidance or help. Instead, we see a flaw in Saul revealed as he decides to follow his own judgment before God’s…and in doing so, refuses to wait on the Lord.
How often do we do this as well? When situations in life tend to get difficult, we tend to turn from trusting that God will help us get through our challenges and instead try and take control of our situations ourselves. And the Lord will allow us to do this, just to show us how much we can mess up things when we try to take control. He teaches us that we are far better ahead with Him than we are without Him.
There are several scriptures that speak to us about the matter of waiting on the Lord. Allow me to use them in breaking down Saul’s actions at the end of this passage and in doing so, teaching us to not repeat the mistakes he made.
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
As the Philistines assembled and prepared for their assault on Israel, Saul waited at Gilgal for Samuel. You’ll recall that Samuel told Saul to go there and wait seven days for him, at which time Samuel would tell Saul what to do. (1 Samuel 10:8)
Now given that Samuel was a prophet, we know that when he spoke he was speaking messages from God Himself. And so when Samuel told Saul to wait for him to come and tell him what to do, Samuel was essentially telling Saul to wait to receive word from God as to what he should do. And so Saul “waited seven days…but Samuel did not come to Gilgal”. Meanwhile, “Saul's men began to scatter”. Saul’s situation was starting to unravel as he faced a growing enemy force while his own was fleeing. He decided he could no longer wait and so he demanded that the “burnt offering and the fellowship offerings” be brought to him and instead of waiting for Samuel, Saul “offered up the burnt offering” himself.
Saul’s actions showed he wasn’t very strong nor willing to take heart and wait for the Lord. He felt he could act and bring the victory himself. After all, he was the king. As we will see, his actions would be the start of his downfall. And we will find as well that we will fail and fall as well, every time we decide to not wait for the Lord in our circumstances.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word, I put my hope.
Scripture tells is that “just as (Saul) finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him”. Sensing that something was amiss, Samuel asks Saul, “What have you done?"
Saul tries to justify his actions to Samuel saying, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." His reasoning did not set well with Samuel who told Saul that he had acted foolishly because he had not “kept the command the Lord gave (him)”.
As we saw before, Saul had grown impatient to the point where he decided to not wait on the Lord. As we continue to study this passage, we see where he made a second error as well…for he failed to place his hope in the word of the Lord. If he had, then he would have waited for Samuel to come and tell him what he should do…or in other words, what God wanted him to do.
Friends, we need to remember Saul’s error and never fail to place our hope in God’s word. For in His word, we find the strength, power and faith to persevere and carry on through whatever difficulties we go through. His word instructs us, guides us, comforts us and strengthens us through life’s circumstances…and helps us to wait on the Lord…to wait for His will and way to be revealed to us.
Isaiah 30:18b …For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
So Saul had chosen to not trust in the Lord…to not place his hope in God’s word. Going back to our passage from 1st Samuel, we see where Saul will now face the consequences for his actions…for the Lord is a God of justice. Samuel passes the sentence to Saul from God.
First, Samuel tells Saul what could have been. For had Saul trusted in God and waited for His word to come, then the Lord would have “established (Saul’s) kingdom over Israel for all time”. But Saul failed to wait and his error would not cost him just a little…but his entire kingdom. For Samuel tells Saul that his “kingdom will not endure” because “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." The Lord will not tolerate someone who decides to lead His people separate from Him and so since Saul had decided to turn from God, God would now turn from Saul and to a man after His heart…a man we know as David.
So this passage leaves us with a stern warning. We should never forget that we serve a God of justice…a God who will discipline us as a father might discipline his child when they error. He is after all our Heavenly Father. Saul lost his kingdom because he failed to wait on the Lord and place his hope in His word. We can expect consequence as well if we do likewise.
My prayer is that we all will choose to never stop waiting for the Lord to do mighty works in our lives…to reveal His power and goodness to us as we trust Him to help us through whatever might trouble us. For His word assures us that “Blessed are all who wait for Him”.
Let us all ever stay blessed. We will if we simply wait…wait on the Lord. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!" So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel.
Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."
Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
1 Samuel 13:1-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Up to this point in 1st Samuel, all has seemed well with Saul, the king selected by God to lead Israel. But we can’t forget the warnings that God gave His people as they asked for a king…warnings that would indicate that Saul wouldn’t turn out as well as first indicated. In chapter 13, we see this begin to come to fruition.
For as Saul is encamped at Micmash and near the hill country of Bethel with two thousand men from Israel, his son, Jonathan, attacks a Philistine outpost at Geba…an act that angers the Philistines who “assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore”. So while Saul sends word to the Israelites that a battle is soon to happen with the Philistines, all Israelites were “summoned to join Saul at Gilgal”. Ironically, the Philistines assembled at Micmash, where Saul had just left.
So the battle lines were drawn and the sheer number of Philistine troops resulted in panic among the Israelite troops. Scripture tells us that some men “hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns” while others “crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead”. Meanwhile, “Saul remained at Gilgal” and “all the troops with him were quaking with fear”. The situation wasn’t looking good for Israel but note one important thing. No one, including the king, was turning to the Lord for guidance or help. Instead, we see a flaw in Saul revealed as he decides to follow his own judgment before God’s…and in doing so, refuses to wait on the Lord.
How often do we do this as well? When situations in life tend to get difficult, we tend to turn from trusting that God will help us get through our challenges and instead try and take control of our situations ourselves. And the Lord will allow us to do this, just to show us how much we can mess up things when we try to take control. He teaches us that we are far better ahead with Him than we are without Him.
There are several scriptures that speak to us about the matter of waiting on the Lord. Allow me to use them in breaking down Saul’s actions at the end of this passage and in doing so, teaching us to not repeat the mistakes he made.
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
As the Philistines assembled and prepared for their assault on Israel, Saul waited at Gilgal for Samuel. You’ll recall that Samuel told Saul to go there and wait seven days for him, at which time Samuel would tell Saul what to do. (1 Samuel 10:8)
Now given that Samuel was a prophet, we know that when he spoke he was speaking messages from God Himself. And so when Samuel told Saul to wait for him to come and tell him what to do, Samuel was essentially telling Saul to wait to receive word from God as to what he should do. And so Saul “waited seven days…but Samuel did not come to Gilgal”. Meanwhile, “Saul's men began to scatter”. Saul’s situation was starting to unravel as he faced a growing enemy force while his own was fleeing. He decided he could no longer wait and so he demanded that the “burnt offering and the fellowship offerings” be brought to him and instead of waiting for Samuel, Saul “offered up the burnt offering” himself.
Saul’s actions showed he wasn’t very strong nor willing to take heart and wait for the Lord. He felt he could act and bring the victory himself. After all, he was the king. As we will see, his actions would be the start of his downfall. And we will find as well that we will fail and fall as well, every time we decide to not wait for the Lord in our circumstances.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word, I put my hope.
Scripture tells is that “just as (Saul) finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him”. Sensing that something was amiss, Samuel asks Saul, “What have you done?"
Saul tries to justify his actions to Samuel saying, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." His reasoning did not set well with Samuel who told Saul that he had acted foolishly because he had not “kept the command the Lord gave (him)”.
As we saw before, Saul had grown impatient to the point where he decided to not wait on the Lord. As we continue to study this passage, we see where he made a second error as well…for he failed to place his hope in the word of the Lord. If he had, then he would have waited for Samuel to come and tell him what he should do…or in other words, what God wanted him to do.
Friends, we need to remember Saul’s error and never fail to place our hope in God’s word. For in His word, we find the strength, power and faith to persevere and carry on through whatever difficulties we go through. His word instructs us, guides us, comforts us and strengthens us through life’s circumstances…and helps us to wait on the Lord…to wait for His will and way to be revealed to us.
Isaiah 30:18b …For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
So Saul had chosen to not trust in the Lord…to not place his hope in God’s word. Going back to our passage from 1st Samuel, we see where Saul will now face the consequences for his actions…for the Lord is a God of justice. Samuel passes the sentence to Saul from God.
First, Samuel tells Saul what could have been. For had Saul trusted in God and waited for His word to come, then the Lord would have “established (Saul’s) kingdom over Israel for all time”. But Saul failed to wait and his error would not cost him just a little…but his entire kingdom. For Samuel tells Saul that his “kingdom will not endure” because “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." The Lord will not tolerate someone who decides to lead His people separate from Him and so since Saul had decided to turn from God, God would now turn from Saul and to a man after His heart…a man we know as David.
So this passage leaves us with a stern warning. We should never forget that we serve a God of justice…a God who will discipline us as a father might discipline his child when they error. He is after all our Heavenly Father. Saul lost his kingdom because he failed to wait on the Lord and place his hope in His word. We can expect consequence as well if we do likewise.
My prayer is that we all will choose to never stop waiting for the Lord to do mighty works in our lives…to reveal His power and goodness to us as we trust Him to help us through whatever might trouble us. For His word assures us that “Blessed are all who wait for Him”.
Let us all ever stay blessed. We will if we simply wait…wait on the Lord. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Saturday, December 13, 2008
IT'S A MATTER OF SUBMISSION
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:21-27
The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:3
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
December 12th, 1992. On this day, 16 years ago, Grace and I exchanged vows at David Adams Memorial Chapel on Norfolk Naval Base. It was a magical day, one that we will forever cherish as the Lord ordained and consummated our relationship with one another…and He has blessed us ever since.
Not that it has always been easy. Making a marriage good is hard work because there are specific duties to perform, duties that Satan is always trying to meddle in so we might fail in meeting our responsibilities…responsibilities that we only need to go to Ephesians, Chapter 5, to see.
God's word tells us that we are first to "Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ".
Submit to one another. That means that you don't think of your self as better than another…that you are willing to surrender and sacrifice for them to meet their needs…just as Jesus Christ did for us. Yes…if we are to respect Christ…to show Him proper reverence…then we had better strive to live as He did and submission is a great place to start. Submit to God first and one will easily submit to others as well.
Once we're in the mindset of submission, then we're ready to fulfill our marital duties as husband and wife. Before we continue in Ephesians, Chapter 5, we need to understand the context in which these words were written because this passage gets abused by people who twist it to meet their desires vice God's.
In the days of biblical Ephesus, men treated women and children badly. In marriage, wives and children were treated worse than slaves were. A husband would leave home for days on end but when they returned, the wife and child were expected to wait on them hand and foot, not expecting any love or appreciation in return…mostly because there would be none.
So when Paul writes, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior…Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything", he is not telling the wives to do anything that they weren't already doing. They were already submitting to their husbands in every way. No…this passage was all about the men of Ephesus…and in turn, many men today as well who want women to do all the submitting while refusing to submit themselves.
Paul told the men of Ephesus…and men today as well…"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless…In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself".
Love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy.
These words had to rock the world of the men of Ephesus because they were in no way treating their wives as Christ loved the church. Maybe these words rock your world as well. For to love as Christ loved the church means that we must be willing to sacrifice everything for our wives…to self sacrifice and submit…to be willing to love in a way that says, I would be willing to die for you if that's what is needed".
For 16 years, Grace and I have lived these words of scripture and we have found more joy than we could ever imagine…all because of our obedience to God's word and, with that, the blessing of a loving, submissive relationship with the Father first and then with one another. Through it all, we both share a deep reverence and love for our Savior Jesus.
My prayer for all marriages is that they might be as great as ours is and has been. And the good news is that they can be. It's a matter of submission. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:21-27
The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:3
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
December 12th, 1992. On this day, 16 years ago, Grace and I exchanged vows at David Adams Memorial Chapel on Norfolk Naval Base. It was a magical day, one that we will forever cherish as the Lord ordained and consummated our relationship with one another…and He has blessed us ever since.
Not that it has always been easy. Making a marriage good is hard work because there are specific duties to perform, duties that Satan is always trying to meddle in so we might fail in meeting our responsibilities…responsibilities that we only need to go to Ephesians, Chapter 5, to see.
God's word tells us that we are first to "Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ".
Submit to one another. That means that you don't think of your self as better than another…that you are willing to surrender and sacrifice for them to meet their needs…just as Jesus Christ did for us. Yes…if we are to respect Christ…to show Him proper reverence…then we had better strive to live as He did and submission is a great place to start. Submit to God first and one will easily submit to others as well.
Once we're in the mindset of submission, then we're ready to fulfill our marital duties as husband and wife. Before we continue in Ephesians, Chapter 5, we need to understand the context in which these words were written because this passage gets abused by people who twist it to meet their desires vice God's.
In the days of biblical Ephesus, men treated women and children badly. In marriage, wives and children were treated worse than slaves were. A husband would leave home for days on end but when they returned, the wife and child were expected to wait on them hand and foot, not expecting any love or appreciation in return…mostly because there would be none.
So when Paul writes, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior…Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything", he is not telling the wives to do anything that they weren't already doing. They were already submitting to their husbands in every way. No…this passage was all about the men of Ephesus…and in turn, many men today as well who want women to do all the submitting while refusing to submit themselves.
Paul told the men of Ephesus…and men today as well…"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless…In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself".
Love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy.
These words had to rock the world of the men of Ephesus because they were in no way treating their wives as Christ loved the church. Maybe these words rock your world as well. For to love as Christ loved the church means that we must be willing to sacrifice everything for our wives…to self sacrifice and submit…to be willing to love in a way that says, I would be willing to die for you if that's what is needed".
For 16 years, Grace and I have lived these words of scripture and we have found more joy than we could ever imagine…all because of our obedience to God's word and, with that, the blessing of a loving, submissive relationship with the Father first and then with one another. Through it all, we both share a deep reverence and love for our Savior Jesus.
My prayer for all marriages is that they might be as great as ours is and has been. And the good news is that they can be. It's a matter of submission. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
MADE TO BE GOD'S OWN
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your forefathers up out of Egypt. Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your fathers.
"After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. But they forgot the Lord their God; so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. They cried out to the Lord and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.' Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely."
"But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, 'No, we want a king to rule over us' - even though the Lord your God was your King. Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against His commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God - good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against His commands, His hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers."
"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king."
Then Samuel called upon the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel. The people all said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king."
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."
1 Samuel 12:6-25
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How often do we forget about all the good things God has done for us in life? Sometimes we allow circumstances to overwhelm us to the point when we feel helpless and hopeless, forgetting how much God has blessed and delivered us through times prior. And sometimes, we just needed reminded by someone as to how great God really has been…so we can refocus our trust and faith in His power to deliver us in the present and future.
In our scripture, we are reminded about how Israel forgot how great God had been in their lives and in the lives of their ancestors. Indeed, God had ruled over mankind as the King of Kings since He created it and had especially cared for His chosen people, Israel, during their history. And yet, the people of Israel demanded to have a king to lead them…despite the fact that they had the greatest King they could ever hope for. Israel turned their backs on God for a man…and Samuel wasn't about to allow them to forget it.
And so in Chapter 12, Samuel reminds the people of Israel just how much God had done for their forefathers and them, performing many righteous acts. Beginning with the deliverance of Israel from Pharoah and Egypt's oppression and their subsequent arrival in the Promised Land, Samuel tells the people that they weren't the only ones to turn from God for their relatives had done the same.
Those relatives "forgot the Lord their God" and suffered the consequences for it as "He sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them". In the grips of enslavement, the people "cried out to the Lord and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.'" And with the people turned back to Him, the Lord delivered them from the hands of their enemies, sending Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel to their rescue." You would have thought Israel would have learned their lesson but they didn't.
For as "Nahash, king of the Ammonites was moving against" Israel, they went to Samuel and requested a king to rule over them, "even though the Lord…was (their) King. And so a king they received as God chose Saul and placed him in rule over Israel. This didn't change God's basic requirement for His people…for they were still required to "fear the Lord and serve and obey Him", not rebelling "against his commands". All would be fine if the people and the king followed God in every way. However, if they chose to be disobedient and rebel, then God's hand would be against them "as it was against (their) fathers."
Samuel could have just stopped here and would have made his point verbally but God had more in mind. In fact, God was ready to put an exclamation point on Samuel's message.
For Samuel tells Israel that the Lord was about to do a great thing before their eyes. After remarking that it was the wheat harvest, Samuel called on the Lord to "send thunder and rain" so that the people would "realize what an evil thing (they) did in the eyes of the Lord when (they) asked for a king." And so Samuel did as he said, calling upon the Lord and "that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain".
The end result?
"…All the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel and said, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king." The people were afraid for their lives as they should have been. For God doesn't take lightly to being placed second in life, especially since He and He alone created it.
But as the chapter closes, we learn much more about the Almighty, Powerful God of Israel…our God.
For in the midst of the people's fear, Samuel reassures them saying:
"Do not be afraid…You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own...But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."
Do not be afraid. We have heard these words spoken before by God Himself when He was seeking to comfort His people. Samuel did the same, not glossing over Israel's wrongs, but telling them that there was redemption for them because of the loving, caring, merciful God they served…the God who would not reject them…the God who was pleased to make them His own. All Israel had to do was turn from their wicked ways…to not turn from the Lord but instead to serve Him with all their heart. And to do this, they had to give up the useless idols that the Canaanites worshipped for God had commanded that there would be no other gods before Him.
As long as Israel feared the Lord, served Him faithfully with all their heart and considered all He had done for them, Israel would find themselves in God's favor. If they refused to abandon their evil ways, then they would be swept away…and unfortunately, as we go through the Old Testament, we will see where Israel does indeed fail and fall…persist in doing evil and become swept away. At least they could never say they didn't have a chance.
As we seek to apply this scripture to our own lives, we are reminded that we were all created in God's own image on the sixth day and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:27) In other words, God was pleased to make us His own and unwilling to see us rejected, He gave us a way to redemption by sacrificing His only Son for us to pay the price for our sins. Thus because His Son died, we were given the chance to live and live eternally…all because He was pleased to make us His own.
Friends, we are not to take this for granted as we go forth in each day that God blesses us with. Instead, we are to live our lives with an attitude of gratitude…showing God our appreciation for His mercy, grace and love…for the sacrifice He and His Son made for us…by being obedient to His word and will for our lives. For in doing so, we will show Him that we…like Him…are pleased to be His own…not just now but forever more. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your forefathers up out of Egypt. Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your fathers.
"After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. But they forgot the Lord their God; so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. They cried out to the Lord and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.' Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely."
"But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, 'No, we want a king to rule over us' - even though the Lord your God was your King. Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against His commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God - good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against His commands, His hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers."
"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king."
Then Samuel called upon the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel. The people all said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king."
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."
1 Samuel 12:6-25
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How often do we forget about all the good things God has done for us in life? Sometimes we allow circumstances to overwhelm us to the point when we feel helpless and hopeless, forgetting how much God has blessed and delivered us through times prior. And sometimes, we just needed reminded by someone as to how great God really has been…so we can refocus our trust and faith in His power to deliver us in the present and future.
In our scripture, we are reminded about how Israel forgot how great God had been in their lives and in the lives of their ancestors. Indeed, God had ruled over mankind as the King of Kings since He created it and had especially cared for His chosen people, Israel, during their history. And yet, the people of Israel demanded to have a king to lead them…despite the fact that they had the greatest King they could ever hope for. Israel turned their backs on God for a man…and Samuel wasn't about to allow them to forget it.
And so in Chapter 12, Samuel reminds the people of Israel just how much God had done for their forefathers and them, performing many righteous acts. Beginning with the deliverance of Israel from Pharoah and Egypt's oppression and their subsequent arrival in the Promised Land, Samuel tells the people that they weren't the only ones to turn from God for their relatives had done the same.
Those relatives "forgot the Lord their God" and suffered the consequences for it as "He sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them". In the grips of enslavement, the people "cried out to the Lord and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.'" And with the people turned back to Him, the Lord delivered them from the hands of their enemies, sending Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel to their rescue." You would have thought Israel would have learned their lesson but they didn't.
For as "Nahash, king of the Ammonites was moving against" Israel, they went to Samuel and requested a king to rule over them, "even though the Lord…was (their) King. And so a king they received as God chose Saul and placed him in rule over Israel. This didn't change God's basic requirement for His people…for they were still required to "fear the Lord and serve and obey Him", not rebelling "against his commands". All would be fine if the people and the king followed God in every way. However, if they chose to be disobedient and rebel, then God's hand would be against them "as it was against (their) fathers."
Samuel could have just stopped here and would have made his point verbally but God had more in mind. In fact, God was ready to put an exclamation point on Samuel's message.
For Samuel tells Israel that the Lord was about to do a great thing before their eyes. After remarking that it was the wheat harvest, Samuel called on the Lord to "send thunder and rain" so that the people would "realize what an evil thing (they) did in the eyes of the Lord when (they) asked for a king." And so Samuel did as he said, calling upon the Lord and "that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain".
The end result?
"…All the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel and said, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king." The people were afraid for their lives as they should have been. For God doesn't take lightly to being placed second in life, especially since He and He alone created it.
But as the chapter closes, we learn much more about the Almighty, Powerful God of Israel…our God.
For in the midst of the people's fear, Samuel reassures them saying:
"Do not be afraid…You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own...But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."
Do not be afraid. We have heard these words spoken before by God Himself when He was seeking to comfort His people. Samuel did the same, not glossing over Israel's wrongs, but telling them that there was redemption for them because of the loving, caring, merciful God they served…the God who would not reject them…the God who was pleased to make them His own. All Israel had to do was turn from their wicked ways…to not turn from the Lord but instead to serve Him with all their heart. And to do this, they had to give up the useless idols that the Canaanites worshipped for God had commanded that there would be no other gods before Him.
As long as Israel feared the Lord, served Him faithfully with all their heart and considered all He had done for them, Israel would find themselves in God's favor. If they refused to abandon their evil ways, then they would be swept away…and unfortunately, as we go through the Old Testament, we will see where Israel does indeed fail and fall…persist in doing evil and become swept away. At least they could never say they didn't have a chance.
As we seek to apply this scripture to our own lives, we are reminded that we were all created in God's own image on the sixth day and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:27) In other words, God was pleased to make us His own and unwilling to see us rejected, He gave us a way to redemption by sacrificing His only Son for us to pay the price for our sins. Thus because His Son died, we were given the chance to live and live eternally…all because He was pleased to make us His own.
Friends, we are not to take this for granted as we go forth in each day that God blesses us with. Instead, we are to live our lives with an attitude of gratitude…showing God our appreciation for His mercy, grace and love…for the sacrifice He and His Son made for us…by being obedient to His word and will for our lives. For in doing so, we will show Him that we…like Him…are pleased to be His own…not just now but forever more. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, November 27, 2008
GIVE THANKS
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
Today, I want to take a pause from the scriptures in 1st Samuel to focus in on the Thanksgiving holiday and specifically, the matter of giving thanks.
Now we can (and do) give thanks for many things in life. We give thanks for life…for loved ones and friends…for our jobs and the money we make from working…for the food we eat for the nourishment of our bodies…and for the shelter we have as well as what we have within that shelter. Truly we could go on and on about all the things we should be thankful for but we could save ourselves a lot of time and space by just giving thanks to the One through which all things come from. In other words, our thanks, first and foremost, need to be directed toward the Lord.
God’s word has a lot to say on the matter of giving thanks to the Lord and I will use just a few of the many verses available to highlight just some of the reasons why we are to show Him our full gratitude and praise.
1. Give thanks to God for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
As we seek to associate with others in life, we want to make sure we affiliate with the right people…those who are good and trustworthy…loyal, faithful and loving. The problem is that it’s very difficult (and actually impossible) to find someone in this world who can be perfectly good and loving all the time. That’s why we need to turn our attention away from the world and to the One and only One who is perfect, not only in goodness and love, but in all things…not just today and tomorrow but forever. For this we are to give Him our thanks.
2. Give thanks to the God for His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.
Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced…
1 Chronicles 16:8-12
Paul summed things up when it comes to our reliance on the Lord’s strength saying, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Left to our own strength and power, we are limited to what we can achieve and endure. But when we turn to the Lord in our lives, then we find the strength to do all things…to carry out His will…to handle any form of affliction or persecution…to deal with life’s difficult circumstances when they arise. And for this we give thanks.
We also give thanks because we serve a Lord who is ever in our midst. He is Emmanuel…God with us…though all of our life. And since He is always in our midst, He is always ready and willing to teach, guide, heal, correct and love in accordance with His perfect will for us. We need only seek His face always…asking, seeking, knocking and knowing He is there for us when we need Him.
This God who is ever present and all powerful is consistently performing great wonders and miracles. Indeed He is the Author of all miracles and wonders, having put them on full display when He created everything in just six days, beginning with the heavens and the earth. Think about that for just a minute and then ask yourself if there is any difficulty you will go through in life that God cannot work a wonder or miracle…in accordance with His will.
Friends, there is nothing beyond the power and work of God’s holy hands. Indeed, we should make known among the nations what He has done, telling all of His wonderful acts. Indeed, we should sing praise to Him. Indeed, we should glory and rejoice in His holy name. And in doing all this, we should ever and always give thanks to the Lord.
3. Give thanks to the Lord for He has given us the victory in Christ Jesus. His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:54b-58
Just think that before Jesus, perfect fulfillment of the law was the requirement for salvation. Unfortunately, keeping the law perfectly was an impossibility that even the most devout Jewish believers, the Pharisees and Sadducees, couldn’t maintain even though they did try and make everyone believe they were perfectly righteous…a hypocritical attitude exposed by Jesus.
No, all mankind was doomed to sin with no sacrifice suitable enough to atone unless there were a perfect unblemished Lamb that could be slain to pay the price. God gave all of us that Lamb in the way of His only Son Jesus who suffered and died for you and I so that the sting of death might be taken away…so that death might be “swallowed up in victory”..a victory that not only Jesus enjoyed but we can as well if we believe and trust Him to be our Savior.
Indeed, thanks be to God, not just this Thanksgiving, but on every day that we are allowed to go forth and fully give ourselves to the work of the Lord. For in Christ Jesus, we are set free to do as He commanded, making disciples of all nations while knowing that our eternal future is sealed by the atoning blood He shed for us on Calvary’s cross.
Yes…let us give thanks to God and to His Son Jesus...now and forever.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Today, I want to take a pause from the scriptures in 1st Samuel to focus in on the Thanksgiving holiday and specifically, the matter of giving thanks.
Now we can (and do) give thanks for many things in life. We give thanks for life…for loved ones and friends…for our jobs and the money we make from working…for the food we eat for the nourishment of our bodies…and for the shelter we have as well as what we have within that shelter. Truly we could go on and on about all the things we should be thankful for but we could save ourselves a lot of time and space by just giving thanks to the One through which all things come from. In other words, our thanks, first and foremost, need to be directed toward the Lord.
God’s word has a lot to say on the matter of giving thanks to the Lord and I will use just a few of the many verses available to highlight just some of the reasons why we are to show Him our full gratitude and praise.
1. Give thanks to God for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
As we seek to associate with others in life, we want to make sure we affiliate with the right people…those who are good and trustworthy…loyal, faithful and loving. The problem is that it’s very difficult (and actually impossible) to find someone in this world who can be perfectly good and loving all the time. That’s why we need to turn our attention away from the world and to the One and only One who is perfect, not only in goodness and love, but in all things…not just today and tomorrow but forever. For this we are to give Him our thanks.
2. Give thanks to the God for His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.
Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced…
1 Chronicles 16:8-12
Paul summed things up when it comes to our reliance on the Lord’s strength saying, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Left to our own strength and power, we are limited to what we can achieve and endure. But when we turn to the Lord in our lives, then we find the strength to do all things…to carry out His will…to handle any form of affliction or persecution…to deal with life’s difficult circumstances when they arise. And for this we give thanks.
We also give thanks because we serve a Lord who is ever in our midst. He is Emmanuel…God with us…though all of our life. And since He is always in our midst, He is always ready and willing to teach, guide, heal, correct and love in accordance with His perfect will for us. We need only seek His face always…asking, seeking, knocking and knowing He is there for us when we need Him.
This God who is ever present and all powerful is consistently performing great wonders and miracles. Indeed He is the Author of all miracles and wonders, having put them on full display when He created everything in just six days, beginning with the heavens and the earth. Think about that for just a minute and then ask yourself if there is any difficulty you will go through in life that God cannot work a wonder or miracle…in accordance with His will.
Friends, there is nothing beyond the power and work of God’s holy hands. Indeed, we should make known among the nations what He has done, telling all of His wonderful acts. Indeed, we should sing praise to Him. Indeed, we should glory and rejoice in His holy name. And in doing all this, we should ever and always give thanks to the Lord.
3. Give thanks to the Lord for He has given us the victory in Christ Jesus. His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:54b-58
Just think that before Jesus, perfect fulfillment of the law was the requirement for salvation. Unfortunately, keeping the law perfectly was an impossibility that even the most devout Jewish believers, the Pharisees and Sadducees, couldn’t maintain even though they did try and make everyone believe they were perfectly righteous…a hypocritical attitude exposed by Jesus.
No, all mankind was doomed to sin with no sacrifice suitable enough to atone unless there were a perfect unblemished Lamb that could be slain to pay the price. God gave all of us that Lamb in the way of His only Son Jesus who suffered and died for you and I so that the sting of death might be taken away…so that death might be “swallowed up in victory”..a victory that not only Jesus enjoyed but we can as well if we believe and trust Him to be our Savior.
Indeed, thanks be to God, not just this Thanksgiving, but on every day that we are allowed to go forth and fully give ourselves to the work of the Lord. For in Christ Jesus, we are set free to do as He commanded, making disciples of all nations while knowing that our eternal future is sealed by the atoning blood He shed for us on Calvary’s cross.
Yes…let us give thanks to God and to His Son Jesus...now and forever.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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