If the Muppets didn't teach us anything else, the show at least taught us that there's always a critic who is ready to pounce on your every move regardless of what it is.  The challenge of following God's direction and leading is that critics get in the way.  David was not exempt from this as he had to deal with even those closest to him (his ... [Continue Reading]

One of the amusing things about Saul’s story was his debilitating fear that caused him to hide on the day of his coronation.  Right at the moment when he was proudly being introduced to the people of Israel, he was found hiding among the luggage!  What’s particularly baffling about his response is how obviously divine his call to the kingship truly was.  Samuel surprised ... [Continue Reading]

There is a tendency to believe that God can be managed.  Rather than seeking to do as He pleases, the temptation exists to manipulate God into doing what we want.  Such was the case with the Israelites and the Ark of the Covenant.  The Israelites believed that they could manipulate God into winning the battle against the Philistines by merely taking the ... [Continue Reading]

I really appreciate the book of Ruth because it's a story of things gone wrong that are made right.  To begin with, the lack of obedience by the Israelites led to famine, and Elimelech was forced to move his family to find food.  And his sons took wives from foreigners - a practice that was forbidden by God.  When the boys died, however, Ruth chose to ... [Continue Reading]

As the book of Judges draws to a close, the emphasis on a lack of a king becomes more and more apparent and tragic.  The truth is that God wanted to be Israel's king - and the lack of a king really signified a lack of God.  A lack of of God led to all kinds of corruption then just as it does now.  I don't mean to get on a soapbox here, nor do I ... [Continue Reading]