“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22) It's tempting to play games with God as if we have Him all figured out. The game goes like this: God, I know you'll forgive me if I ask you to, so I'm going to do what I want now and then ... [Continue Reading]
God of the Impossible (1 Samuel 13-14)
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. (1 Samuel 14:15) God is the One who moves hearts and minds. When I think about how hard it is for me to simply change myself, I come to the realization of just how hard it is to try and change someone else. Why ... [Continue Reading]
Leading with Courage (1 Samuel 10-12)
But when they looked for [Saul], he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.” (1 Samuel 21b-22) King Saul's momentous coronation was fraught with problems from the get go. As the ceremony was about to begin, Saul wasn't found wooing the crowds but hiding in ... [Continue Reading]
On the Throne (1 Samuel 7-9)
But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. (1 Samuel 8:6-7) God allows us to have things that are outside of His plans for our lives. Though He's omnipotent, He allows ... [Continue Reading]
Controlling God (1 Samuel 4-6)
When the [Israelite] soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” (1 Samuel 4:3) There is a human tendency to believe that God can be managed. Rather than seeking to do ... [Continue Reading]
Beauty from Ashes (1 Samuel 1-3)
Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. (1 Samuel 1:6-7) It seems that brokenness is often a character trait of those who are going to be used by God. Why? Perhaps it's because ... [Continue Reading]
Going the Distance (Ruth)
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ... [Continue Reading]
Not Even a Hint (Judges 20-21)
The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They said, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” The Lord replied, “Judah shall go first.” (Judges 20:18) At first glance, it's uncomfortable to imagine that God encouraged Israel to fight against the Benjamites - one of the nation's own tribes of people. What could possibly have been worthy ... [Continue Reading]
True North (Judges 18-19)
When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!” (Judges 19:29-30) Isn't it true ... [Continue Reading]
Connect the Dots (Judges 16-17)
When Micah returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you.” (Judges 17:3) Have you ever had a moment when someone said something that was logical to him or her but that, in reality, made no sense at all? You wonder to yourself ... [Continue Reading]
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