365 Reflections

First Samuel starts in a strange fashion. The story leading to Samuel's birth will highlight the travail of his mother long before. For certain, this woman Hannah has it pretty bad. She's in a polygamous marriage and has born the man no children while her "rival" wife (note the Bible's use of that term instead of modern pop-culture's 'sister' term) has borne sons and daughters. As if the situation for Hannah was not bleak enough on the merits, she's surrounded by people quite clueless to her feelings. For instance, her rival wife "grievously" teases her: 1 Samuel 1:6–7 (ESV) And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord , she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Note her husband's typical "man" attitude, oblivious to her pain 1 Samuel 1:8 (ESV) A...

Psalm 4 has a specific structure that centers the Psalm on verse 4: Psalm 4:4  (ESV)   Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.  The first verse is a cry of distress based on the goodness of God from the past. The second verse is a renunciation of all who come against him in godlessness. The third verse is a reminder of God's promise and protection. The fifth verse is another call for trust in God. The sixth verse denounces those who question God. The seventh verse is reminiscent of God's goodness in the past. The eight verse is confident assurance of God's peace. But in the middle, the fourth verse is what we do when we pray. We refuse to let our emotions get the best of us. We don't let our feelings control our actions. Be angry, sure that's a feeling, an emotion. Do not act on it. Remember who God is, ponder this in your heart and mind. Think about God and stop talking for a few moments. Let His presence...

They have never found a culture that didn't worship. And even atheists and agnostics ascribe worth, like that of religious people, to science and the wonder of our universe. The bottom line is - we are beings who worship. We are creatures who love things. St. Augustine said that people are defined not by what they believe but by what they love. If that is the case that a good question for all of us is, what do you worship? Revelation 13 presents a dichotomy of people. Those who love God, and those who love anything but God. Revelation 13:2 (ESV) And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, ...

If you want to last in the work of God you are going to have to learn to handle conflict. Maybe it was the Jerusalem council that wore on their nerves. Perhaps the hours of endless preaching and raising up leaders in every city where they travelled. For whatever reason Paul and Barnabas got into a very heated dispute over John Mark... Acts 15:36–41 (ESV) And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, str...