I Samuel 7- What happens if I mess up again?

 
Read I Samuel 7-
So since I have started this challenge,  truly I have been so refreshed by the power of God's Word. And finally, after decades of being in church and reading the Bible, something dawned on me. Maybe I knew this before I was a mom, or even after, but really these days it is hard for me to remember much before yesterday! But I digress. Suffice it to say, it has been a while since I really grasped the point, or the purpose, of that morning time with the Lord. Especially since I am not a morning person! Unless you count being up till after 12am being a morning person, as technically, that is morning! (credit to Sarah Williams for that joke :) )  But I remember thinking on those days that I had spent time reading the Bible in the morning, "Man, I can't believe today is so awful! I even read my Bible this morning!!" Can I get a witness?? Am I the only one that ever thought that? But today, as my day got harder, instead I thought something different. I thought, "What was I reading this morning, Oh, yeah, Samuel, leading the Israelites to repentance, fighting the Phillistines, I think I need to read it again, but I can't sit and read, I'll listen to the audio." And after about the 13th time through amidst the crazy happening all around me, I actually retained the storyline of the passage.  This time I wasn't expecting that one reading to magically alter the path of my day, instead I was meditating on it as I walked, or crawled along the path that I was given.

² So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.


³ Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths^[a] from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths,^[b] and served the Lord only.


How many times did they mess up? How many times did God take them back?
 Today was a rough day. We are all exhausted from too much fun.  And after completing their chores I tried to reward them with a trip to the pool, especially for my bouncing off the wall boys to get their energy out, but we had a short short time frame. Which can only mean one thing. It's related to Murphy's law, maybe you've experienced it, we'll call it "Ira's law"  but it goes like this: "The shorter your time frame, the more likely you will at some point be cleaning up broken glass." And since I had so little time, not only did our "fun" end with broken glass, but half of it was in the pool. And the reason was because of direct disobedience. And I overreacted. And although I managed to keep from yelling,  I laid the shame on thick, which is worse. And it was wrong. And I felt awful. So I apologized and hugged, and regardless of the forgiveness in his face, it didn't make me feel much better. So I fell back on my memory of my reading this morning. And suddenly it had more power. Reading about God's repeated forgiveness was nice this morning, but leaning upon it this afternoon was more than nice, it was necessary, and healing, and freeing.


  But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. ¹¹ And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. ¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer,^[c] saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
¹³ So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴ Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

Thank you God for your Thundering power! Thank you for Your undeserved forgiveness! And thank You for subduing my enemies.

Listen to this song by Plumb, inspired by her son. It's life changing.  "I don't deserve you"

I Samuel 6- Livin' on the Edge! *

 Read I Samuel 6

Now the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. ² And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.”
³ So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will bedgff healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”
⁴ Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?”

So in Chapter 4 the Ark of the Lord was captured, in Ch. 5 God wreaked havoc on the enemies of His people, those that had taken His Ark that did not belong with them. Now in Ch. 6, these enemies want to get RID of this Ark, but have grown to respect the God of the Israelites and are determined to do everything they can to stay alive while they figure out how to get it back where it belongs.

¹³ Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.......

 ¹⁹ Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men^[a] of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.

I was Beth Shemesh. I had just turned 18 and found a great spot to burn away my Friday nights, a club called the Edge. No big deal, just dancing and fun right? Yeah, there were some weirdos there, yeah there were the typical "serial killer type looking people" that drank too much and upon accidental eye contact you were immediately afraid, but there were also cute boys, so it was ok, apparently. Then one day, a girl I worked with, who didn't go to church, didn't read the Bible, and knew a lot more of the world than my sheltered little self, found out I went to "The Edge" and I never forgot her response of shock. "The Edge?? The world could end in the Apocalypse and you would never tell the difference in there."  huh. I thought. That's weird. Aren't I supposed to be the one with high morals and high standards? Yet she was the one to see that my actions weren't exactly following my beliefs. As I Christian, I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. And I was not holding that position in the highest regard. I was not respecting God's presence. 

It is a sad day when the outside world, shows more respect for the things of God then His children.

But this next verse brings it back to the present day. 
 
²⁰ And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?

And the answer???

We Can!! I wasn't struck dead for disrespecting the presence of God in my life because I have a high priest who read this "SYMPATHIZES with my weaknesses!!" Hallelujah!!   But he loves me too much to leave me stuck in my sin! He gives me GRACE in time of NEED!! (Sorry for the all caps, but I am having church up in here!!) Can I get a Hallelujah!! 

 Romans 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

They couldn't but WE CAN!! Can you imagine a conversation with them? Trying to explain how we are too busy to approach the throne of grace? What?  It's crazy. I am all about logic, and that don't make no sense!! 

One more verse since we are on the topic, and this one was just too good to leave out! 


¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and having a High Priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.


That is a lot to chew on! And I pray that these verses, these words of Life would stay on our mind and that we would hide them in our hearts as we approach the throne of grace and assemble together to stir each other up!

  *title provided by Julie  :)

I Samuel 5- The Power of His Presence

Read I Samuel 5  (It's only 11 verses!)

5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, ² brought it into the temple of Dagon and placed it next to his statue ³ When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. ⁴ But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. This time, both Dagon’s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold.

I love this story  as it displays the power of God. And although we do not see this same exact display happening, that I know of, in the US of A, you can believe this is happening in the spirit world, all day long! For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6.)

It was the presence of the Lord that destroyed the enemies.
And the same is true in our own daily struggles.

 Isaiah 61:3 The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

This is one verse I heard over and over and over growing up. And the truth of it is verifiable. What happens in your soul when you start to praise God? Here, I'll give you something to experiment with:

Natalie Grant's "Your great Name"

 

James 4:7-8

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

Although the reason for the season is Christ, the feeling of the season can be mixed with stress, depression and hopelessness. So when those feelings start to bubble to the surface, put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, and watch those Dag-gone Dagons tumble to the ground.

Check out moodypraise.org for some Christmas music that will really soothe the soul!

I Samuel 4- Why did the Lord let us get defeated?

Did I get your attention? ;) Ok, good. If you saw this movie, then it will give you some food for your imagination for our next chapter. I Samuel 4. It's not very long, but see if it doesn't come alive, with all the sounds of war, and desperation that are found in the battle scenes of this movie and many like it. See if you can picture the man, running up to Eli, to bring news all that had been lost in this war. See if you, like me, can hardly wait till tomorrow to continue with the story.

Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about 4,000 men on the battlefield.
³ When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord let us be defeated today by the Philistines?

Why? Why did the Lord let us be defeated? This just struck me. How could the people of God go into a battle, and come out, barely come out, defeated. 4000 men down. This is the Bible. This is real and raw. It is not a fairy tale, because if it was these parts would definitely not be in it. Nobody wants to hear these stories. Please tell us more of  rainbow sealed promises, and Jesus healing the sick, and Israelites crossing the Red Sea, but please leave out the part where God's people get slaughtered.  These accounts, told in the Bible, divide. This is where people struggle. Why? How could a loving God.....? But let's settle that question once and for all. We don't define love. God did. He *is* love. Period. So we don't get to say what love looks like. We just don't. I remember when I was in middle school and there was a girl who basically got to do whatever she wanted. I was NOT that girl. Man. I wished I was. I couldn't do anything! Nothing. (maybe exaggerating, maybe, but it felt that way) And one day I had a conversation with said girl that went like this "Man, you are so lucky. Your parents don't even care what you do!" And she replied "Yup, they don't. even. care." and with an empty stare she turned and walked away. That one moment gave my prepubescent self centered world view a little reality check.  Exhibit 2: My littlest ones regularly think I am mean because I don't let them watch t.v. night and day while eating candy dipped in soda. That, to them, is what love looks like. But they have no idea. They don't see the big picture, they don't see their future that I am trying to map out. 
We as Christians do not need to run from who God is in the Old Testament. We do not need to explain Him. We can't fully anyway. All I know is that He is. And the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. We cannot even begin to understand until we get straight who He is. And He is love.

This chapter goes from bad to worse. 

⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. ⁵ When the ark of the covenant of the Lord entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a loud shout that the ground shook.

They get the bright idea that if they bring the Ark of the Covenant into battle on the shoulders of Hophni and Phineas then they can't lose! Hophi and Phineas, the sons of Eli that have been given a death sentence. Oy vey!

The ark gets captured, the brothers are killed, and the battle is lost. Eli hears the news, and at 98 years old he falls over backwards off a wall and dies. Listen. I warned you. This is not an upbeat chapter. But it is the Bible. It has purpose. And it has something to tell us about who God is and what our responsibility is. This is not an isolated incident in the Bible. Time after time, the people get so corrupt that there is no way out but through drastic measures. And look. This was the priest. And his sons. We, who claim the name of Christ need to get serious. We need different statistics then the world. We need to follow the Word that is not "rare" for us. It is available every day. And it is inspired and life changing. Let's let the Word change our lives, and we will see victory through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I Samuel 3- I hear, the secrets that You keep....when Your talking in *my* Sleep

 
Read 1 Samuel 3 , then come back :)
1 Samuel 3:1 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.

That verse literally brought tears to my eyes. Because I know how I need and am refreshed and renewed by the Word of the God. I know how nothing, brings me back to truth like thee truth. I know how even if I have gone too long without opening up my Bible to read, I can pick right back up where we left off and hear His voice, in my soul. So picturing a time where His words were rare. That is heavy. 

The next story is a story I heard a hundred times growing up.  


² And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, ³ and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, ⁴ that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” ⁵ So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.

This scenario plays out a couple more times until Eli gets smart and realizes it is the voice of The Lord  and tells Samuel that the next time he hears his name, to answer "Speak: for your servant hears."

 Growing up, every time one of us thought we heard our mom calling us, but she hadn't called  us, she would tell us to go back and  say "speak: for your servant hears"!!! Every.time. :) So I am very familiar with this story!

So Samuel follows Eli's instructions, and subsequently hears from God himself, which we already learned was rare! And the message is not good news for his boss, Eli.  God told Samuel that Eli, and his house, would be punished for the sins he knew about, committed by his son's, who went unrestrained.

Then this scene. Disclaimer: I don't know what it is, but lately in my life I can almost see the scenes unfolding like a movie,  in my head, but when I read this next bit the first time through it seemed like a just a conversation. But the second time I really read it, noticing the wording,  I realized this was a desperate,  plea, from an old man, who had had also heard from the Lord, and what he heard was not good. (I Samuel 2:34) He was in trouble, and I would imagine he hadn't slept much since the last time he heard from God. This was no ordinary "Hey, so what did God say last night?" No, instead, picture the veins bulging on Eli's forehead, and the urgency in his request that would not be denied.

 
¹⁷ And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” ¹⁸ Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”

This chapter has about 101 different lessons in it! Wow! But in my life, right now, I can relate with Samuel's fear.  
 ⁵ So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.

 Can you relate with fearing what the reaction will be if you share the "Word of the Lord"?  Eli's reaction was quite unpredictable. But Samuel's obedience was not optional. And it is our responsibility to share the God's truth, regardless of the reaction.  These days our society is based on shifting sands. But we must build our faith on a Rock. The Rock. You have to listen to this song by Sara Groves. 
 "We've had every conversation in the world....but have I mentioned to you that this is all that I am.....this is all that i have..Somewhere somehow this subject became taboo, I have no other way to communicate to you...that is all that I am, this all that I have.... I would like to share with you, what makes me complete, I don't claim to have found the truth, but I know it has found me, The only thing that isn't meaningless to me, is Jesus Christ and the way He set me free......

What part of God's character do you see in this passage?  
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I Samuel 2b- Sowing and Reaping

Read Samuel 2:12-36

Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord. Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord ’s people transgress. (I Samuel 2:12, 22-24 NKJV)

But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men. (I Samuel 2:18, 26 NKJV)

Eli's sons were committing such evil acts. Surely Samuel knew. Surely it grieved his heart. Surely he wondered when, when God would act and put a stop to it. 

I feel this way so often. We are a country,  that destroys our most vulnerable, the least of these, in a unbearable and horribly barbaric fashion. But it doesn't end there. The crimes committed that our police officers have to witness, and process, crimes against children. They are all too common. Every 10 seconds a there is a report of child abuse. I read that. Today. And honestly, we don't even know the half of it.  It's times like these that I wonder how people can  say things like "we are all good on the inside." You have heard these statements. Maybe you have even said them. But the Bible vehemently disagrees. The Bible says, there is none righteous, no not one. And also that the heart is wicked and deceitful, who can know it? These truths are easy for me to believe, because I have experienced my own wicked heart in action.   How long? We question, How long will The Lord let evil continue? Little Samuel didn't know how long. He didn't know that judgement was coming, and it would be swift and right and perfect. 

Therefore the Lord God of Israel says ( to Eli ) : ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. (I Samuel 2:30, 34, 35 NKJV)

We know......we ,who read and believe scripture, know...that judgment is coming. And we have specific directions while we wait. We are to humble ourselves in the sight of The Lord. We are to seek His face. And Stand firm. Putting on the whole armor of God. We are to go and make disciples. And in the midst of it all we are to be still. And know, that He is God. And His ways are perfect. Breathe in that truth. And rest in it, while we walk in obedience, following the call that He has placed on our lives, just as Samuel did. 

For extra reading and empowerment.....check out 2 Peter 3 where Peter reminds us that the Lord is not slow! And He will return as a theif in the night. Our job is to stand steadfastly in the Word, not being swayed by every wind of doctrine! Can I get an AMEN???  :)

This chapter was so full! What else did you see of God's character? His abundant grace poured out on Hannah?

I Samuel 2-What is going on in the world??

Read Hannah's song:

1 Samuel 2:1-11

 Reading articles and blogs is necessary for me. I know some can't because it can be too overwhelming, and I do feel that way too sometimes, but I am wired for information. Reading, processing, and sharing, I love it. But lately, I don't know what it was, maybe the intensity of participating in 40 days for life, or the idea of a total grid shutdown, (You can google it later, don't worry, it didn't happen ;)) or the vile words spewed at me from someone I don't know for no good reason on FB, but I have been feeling the weight of the fallen world on my shoulders. But this is a weight that my Father had no intention of me bearing. And then this I read this.  These words from  a woman thousands of years ago, inspired  by the very heart of God, speaking to my need so specifically today.  

Read as Hannah praises her sovereign God and reminds me why I can relax..

I Samuel 2:1-10 NKJV

"And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

Perspective comes from  true understanding  and appreciation for my salvation which allows me to smile at my enemies. On the flip side, if I am responding at their level, that it is an indicator that I have forgotten where my joy comes from .

 “No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.

Only God is holy. If I expect perfection from others, I will be sorely disappointed.  And more importantly, I am not Holy, or without sin, either.

 “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.

Is arrogance coming out of my mouth? What do I have to boast of? I am nothing without Him. I only know what is revealed to me. 

 “The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.

 “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory.

 “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord ’s, And He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

 “For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed.”

Wow, just wow. I hope you don't read through those words too fast. Read it again. Take it in. He is in control!!!! Humble yourself and pray, walk in obedience even when it's hard. Trust in the Lord and He will make your paths straight! 

How have you seen this played out in your life?  How does this change the way you live? (Click on the title of the post to comment, if you don't see the comment box right away.)