September 21 -- "Remember His Faithful Acts"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 6 & 7

"Remember His Faithful Acts"

“Ebenezer” means “stone of help.”  Many times in the Bible a stone, or a pile of stones, has been used as a reminder of how God has helped someone. The stories of Noah, Jacob, Joshua, and Samuel are just a few.  Here, Samuel sets up this stone of help so the people will remember all the times the LORD had helped them in the past.  Samuel knew that remembering God’s help in the past would build up the people’s confidence in His help for the future.

Memories of God’s faithfulness enable us to bring the joys and victories of yesterday into today.  If God has done it before, He will do it again.  As we recall God’s faithfulness, we remained centered on Him and we can move forward with a sense of God’s sure promises for our present and future circumstances.  It has been said that God’s past acts are a prophecy of His future acts.

There are things that the Scripture admonishes us never to forget.  We are to “not forget the works of God” (Psalm 78:&); “forget none of His benefits (Psalm 103:2); we are to “remember His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations” (1 Chronicles 16:15). The Psalmist said, “I will not forget your word” (Psalm 119:16); and, “you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you” (2 Kings 17:38).

In the midst of difficult and heartbreaking times, it can be challenging to remain confident in the future.  That’s one of the reasons God has exhorted all of us to remember His faithful acts in the past.  What are some of the times when God has come through for you?  When has He provided for you, protected you, or enabled you to conquer your rough times?  Remember, since He has done it in the past, He will continue to do it in the future.  His past acts are a prophecy of His future acts.

Have you set up your own “Ebenezer” - some tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness?  Something that you can look at and be reminded of God’s faithfulness?  It’s probably not a pile of stones (though it could be), but I would encourage you to find a tangible article you can look back at.  Perhaps it is a note in your journal, or a poster on your wall, or a stone on your nightstand.  Perhaps it is a Facebook post from years ago that you see and it makes you say, “I will not forget; God has helped me in the past, and I know He holds my future.”

September 20 -- "Misplaced Faith"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 4 & 5

"Misplaced Faith"

The Philistines killed about four thousand men on the battlefield that day (1 Samuel 4:2).  Afterwards, the Israelites retreated and began to assess their losses.  As they ponder the situation, they reach an unusual and unfounded conclusion: “We lost because the Ark of the Covenant wasn’t with us.  If we bring it here from Shiloh, surely it’s power and protection will save us from our enemies.”

This is an example of misplaced faith.  Rather than turning to Yahweh, Himself, the Living God, to deliver them, they turn to a lifeless artifact. It is true that God had given them the Ark of the Covenant.  And it is also true that God told them to place it at the center of their worship. But it had no power in and of itself.  It was there as an instrument meant to turn their hearts and minds to the True and Living God.  It is not wrong to respect the things of God, but it is wrong to place our faith and trust in those things.

This is why we should never place our faith or trust in “Christian trinkets” or manmade symbols of faith. Bible keychains, necklaces, crosses, beads, prayer cloths, medallions, statues, faith-stones, WWJD bracelets, and the like do not and can not produce any power or victory in our lives and we should never place our faith and trust in them.  There are so-called “preachers” who will send you a “prayer-hanky” which they have purportedly “anointed” with God’s healing power.  They tell their unsuspecting viewers to just send in their donation, and they will receive God’s mighty power through their hanky.  Tragically, many are drawn away after these types of things. It is wrong to place our faith and trust in anything or anyone other than our God, Yahweh, Himself.

The Israelites learned this lesson the hard way when their plan to bring victory through the Ark was soundly defeated.  Not only did they lose the ensuing battle, but the Ark of the Covenant was captured and taken by the Philistines.  Spiritual defeat is the inevitable outcome of misplacing our faith.

September 19 -- "Tuned In To God"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 3

"Tuned In To God"

In 1 Samuel 3:19, we witness the divine confirmation of Samuel's prophetic calling. The phrase "let none of his words fall to the ground" signifies God's commitment to ensuring that Samuel's words, inspired by Him, were fulfilled and carried weight in the lives of the people.

Not just when he was a child, but throughout his adult life, God spoke to Samuel. And Samuel heard Him clearly. Samuel then spoke the words of God and, as He spoke the words of God, God could move through those words to bring them to pass.  Samuel came to be recognized by all of Israel as being a prophet of God, and all of Israel had witnessed that when Samuel speaks, what he speaks comes to pass.  A mark of Samuel’s life was that God preserved his words so that they would not waste away.

Back in Deuteronomy 18, Moses had taught the people of Israel how to recognize a true prophet from God.  The first test was this, “And I will put my words in his mouth.”  In other words, when a prophet speaks, He speaks not from his own whims or intellect, but he speaks the words given to him by God.  Anyone who claims to be speaking for God must speak words that are given to him/her and that are consistent with the already revealed Scriptures.  God will not contradict Himself.  When He speaks, His words are true. 

Secondly, when a so-called prophet speaks in the “name of other gods,” he/she is a false prophet. 

Finally, the Law said that when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. This is the “acid test” of prophecy.  Did it come to pass?  Or did the “prophets” words fall to the ground and waste away? 

Samuel was a prophet in tune with God.  When God spoke to him, he heard His voice.  And when Samuel spoke in the name of the LORD, none of his words fell to the ground.  As we continue our journey through Samuel’s life, we will see that he was a man in tune with God and who was used mightily by God to speak forth His words.

If you are called to speak for God, make certain you are speaking only the words God puts in your mouth; that you are not speaking in the name of other “gods;” and then allow God to work.  If the words were from Him, they will come to pass.

September 18 -- "The 'Otherness' of God"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 2

"The 'Otherness' of God"

In Chapter 2, the Holy Spirit records for us the prayer-song of Hannah after the birth of her son, Samuel. Hannah’s prayer begins on a high note with personal expressions of pure joy and enthusiastic delight in the Lord and His salvation.  In verse 2 she declares, “there is none holy like the LORD.”  By these words, she is declaring the distinct and utter uniqueness of God. 

The root word for “holy” in the original Hebrew language is, “qodesh.”  It means “apartness” or “set-apartness.” It is a word that describes the matchlessness and exclusiveness of God.  Someone has rightly said that this word means “otherness,” thus describing the total exceptionalness of God.  This word applies to God because He is – in His person and substance – totally “other than” anyone or anything else.  The Oxford Dictionary defines “otherness” as “the quality or fact of being different.”  The LORD is exceptionally rare – in fact, so rare that He is other than anything or anyone else.

Hannah goes on in her prayer-song to point out some of the rare qualities of God that make up His “otherness.”   For the Lord alone is a God of knowledge - God knows what’s going on. He alone takes into account everything that is going on. Even mighty people can be defeated – and their weapons destroyed, but not the LORD, who is not feeble in any way. God is the only One who can bring life out of barrenness.  He alone has the power of life and death.  The LORD is the One who controls poverty and wealth.  He makes some poor and some rich. He alone can put poor people on their feet again. He rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope. 

Hannah goes on to say the “otherness” of God extends to His creative acts and His care for His faithful ones.  The very structures of earth are within the realm of God, and God alone. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.  He will guard the feet of his faithful ones but will leave the wicked to stumble in the dark.  The strength of the mighty warriors in insufficient to defeat God’s purposes - for not by might shall a man prevail.

God is not like any human.  He is other than us.  God is not like any “superhero” or “champion.”  He is other than them in every way.  God is not like any so-called “god” or “deity” which has been fabricated in the minds of men.  He is other than them.  He is holy.  He is apart.  He is other than anyone or anything ever conceived. There is none holy like the LORD; for there is none besides You; there is no rock like our God!

September 17 -- "On Loan to God"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 1

"On Loan to God"

In deep distress, Hannah cried to God, asking him to give her a son. She promised that if God answered her prayer, she would give her son back to God to serve him as a Nazirite for life.  The priest Eli encouraged Hannah to believe that God would answer her prayer. And sure enough, in due course, she gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel.  The Hebrew name Samuel, was “Shaulme’El” – a contraction of “shaul” (lent) and "meEl" (to God). When the child was two or three years old, Hannah took him to Shiloh, where she dedicated him to God for life.

When verse 28 says she “lent” him to the LORD, it doesn’t mean that she ever expected to receive him back again. This was no temporary “loan.” She “gave” her son to God.  Whatever we give to the Lord may said to be lent to him, because, though we may not get it back, yet he will certainly repay it to our unspeakable advantage.   Hannah realized this truth and gladly gave her son to God in deep appreciation for the blessing He had bestowed upon her.  In reality, Hannah realized that Samuel belonged to God and it was God who had “lent” him to her for a brief period.

As Christian parents, it should be our number one priority to “lend” (give) our children to the Lord.  We are exhorted throughout Scripture to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  To impart God’s truth into their hearts and minds.  To guide them to lives devoted to the service and worship of their Creator.  It is wonderful when parents put their children’s welfare ahead of their own.  It is wonderful when parents sacrifice their time and resources to support their child’s intellectual, emotional, and physical growth.  But it is a tragedy if, while doing so, they neglect their spiritual development. This should never be.

As parents, we must always keep in mind that our children are God’s and they are on loan for us to raise for His Kingdom purposes.  If you are a parent, know that you were created, called, for this task. Probably the single most important thing you can do for your children is to constantly pray that they would have a personal encounter with God, Himself, and wholeheartedly dedicate their life to serving and worshipping Him. Never underestimate the power of your prayers on this matter.

As the Apostle John said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4) The inverse of this is also true, “I have no greater sorrow than to hear that my children don’t.”  Hannah could live her life in blessed peace knowing that her “loan” to the Lord was reaping eternal dividends.

September 16 -- "Bitter Weeping at Beth'el"

 Today’s Reading: Judges 21

"Bitter Weeping at Beth'el"

It was a sad and bitter end for the period of the Judges. The people came to Bethel and wept before God.  Weeping over the moral degeneracy that had invaded their land.  Weeping over the loss of so many lives in the battle with the Benjaminites.  Weeping over the shattered condition of their nation and their fellow tribesmen from Benjamin.  Weeping is the inevitable end for a people that disregards the Lord and builds a society where everyone does “what is right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)

The nation came together at a national historic site, known as Bethel.  This was a place in Israel located about 10 miles north of Jerusalem.  It seems that every nation on earth has its own historic sites and national monuments. Places where decisive battles were won.  Places where monumental decisions were made.  Places where people banded together and forged a new country.  The United States has many of these historic sites that have become national monuments.  Places that stand to tell the story of our founding as a nation.  Places like the Battlefields of Gettysburg, Independence Hall, Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, the Alamo, and many others.  It is in these places that we remember the battles, the struggles, the countless lives lost, and the hand of God enabling the birth our nation.

For Israel, one of these places was Bethel.  The word “Bethel” is the contraction of two Hebrew words, “Beth” meaning “house” and “El” meaning “God.”  Thus, Beth’el was the “house of God.”  The history of Bethel goes all the way back to Abram who, when he entered Canaan, formed an encampment between Bethel and Hai (Genesis 12:8 ); and on his return from Egypt he came back to it, and again "called upon the name of the Lord."  Later on, Jacob (Abram’s grandson) had an encounter with God at this same place.  Genesis 35:15 tells us that “Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken to him, Beth’el.”

At times of national tragedy, it is not uncommon for the people of a nation to reach back to their history.  Perhaps this is humanity’s way of attempting to find its roots and returning to a more glorious day.  For Israel, the nation had been struggling for 400 years to find its way in their new Land.  For 400 years they had repeatedly gone through the cycle of falling away from God, being defeated by their enemies, then returning to God in tears of repentance.  Now, after 400 years, they are weeping bitterly before God once again as they have drifted so far from Him.

It is time for all of us to get “back to Beth’el” and weep bitterly before our God.  We need to recognize the shattered condition of our nation and return to the House of God and seek His forgiveness.  Our nation – without God – is not invincible.  If we don’t return to Him in weeping and repentance, we cannot long stand. Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” (Luke 11:17)  A society without divine blessing cannot prosper; a nation without faith cannot endure because justice, goodness, and peace cannot prevail without the glory of almighty God.

September 15 -- "Holy Tears"

 Today’s Reading: Judges 20

"Holy Tears"

The people of Israel were rightly offended by the atrocities of rape and murder that had occurred within their borders.  Brutal acts performed by their own countrymen from the tribe of Benjamin.  They weren’t going to stand for it any longer. They knew something had to be done. So, they gathered together and considered the situation, took counsel with one another, and sought the LORD.  They confronted the tribe of Benjamin and demanded an explanation for the great evil that had taken place. They insisted that the men guilty of this crime be brought forward and punished.  But the people of Benjamin refused. Instead they mustered their armies and gathered to battle their fellow tribes.

That’s when the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD. They fell on their faces and sobbed about sin and evil and the terrible predicament they now faced. Their prayer meeting lasted all day and into the evening. 

There are many times in Scripture that we find people weeping before God in an act of intense prayer and questioning. Weeping – the shedding of tears – is a uniquely human method of expressing emotions such as pain, despair, remorse, and disappointment.  In this case, the people are weeping for three reasons: (1) because of the moral degeneracy of the men of Gibeah; (2) because of the division that has occurred between their fellow countrymen; and, (3) because they are acutely aware that more blood is about to be shed.  They don’t take this situation lightly or enter into it impetuously.  They fall on their faces before the Lord and inquire of Him. They wanted to make sure that going up against their fellow countrymen was the correct action to take.

These were holy tears. Tears of remorse. Tears of repentance. Tears of heartfelt dependence upon God. The God of all comfort keeps watch over your weeping. He gathers up all your tears and “puts them in his bottle” (Psalm 56:8).  God marks every cry of discomfort and pain. No matter how much of your anguish has gone unnoticed by others, not one moment has escaped the attention of the God who neither slumbers nor sleeps. In 2 Kings 20:25, God says to Hezekiah, “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears.”

Many of us feel ashamed of our tears, especially if others see them. In a culture that prizes strength and grows uncomfortable with prolonged grieving, many of us respond to our own tears with a hasty wipe of the sleeve and a quick, “Get over it.”  Not so with God, whose fatherly compassion compels him to draw near to the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). The God who said, “Blessed are you who weep now” (Luke 6:21) will not reproach you for the tears you shed as you walk through the ruins of our broken world.