What would you do if you were walking down the street and someone came up to you and said that you were now the president? Would you take them seriously? I would think the person was crazy. In 1 Samuel 9 and 10 we are introduced to a Benjamite named Saul who is from the smallest tribe of Israel, and his family was the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul will be transformed from a man of no renown to a man lifted up and blessed by God to lead the Israelites as their king. Continue Reading…
Tag Archive - Faith
God’s sovereignty displayed in the refinement of life: 1 Samuel 9 and 10
Trust in God not in who you are: Judges 11 and 12
Do you ever feel like outcast who isn’t welcomed or doesn’t belong? In Judges 11 we are introduced to Jephthah, the son of Gilead and a harlot, who is ostracized by his brothers because of his mother. How would you feel if you were to have people ridicule your mother and infer your value based on prejudice. Jephthah is driven out of the land of his father and family by his brothers. This sets the stage for the next deliverer. Continue Reading…
Strong spiritual leadership a catalyst for success: Joshua 17 and 18
Dividing the inheritance of each tribe is continuing in Joshua chapters 17 and 18. It was easy for me to think that the division of land was a simple task that would be accomplished quickly and easily. I forgot that there were many thousands of people within each tribe that needed to move all their families, livestock, and belongings into the lands of their inheritance. That would be a major undertaking. What did people think then they moved to take their inheritance? As the tribes moved to the land they inherited was there a sense of loss as they left the camp around the Tabernacle? I would think that this time was bitter sweet because they were inheriting the promised land but everyone encamping around the Tabernacle was ending. Continue Reading…
Caleb’s foundation for success glimpsed in Joshua 15 and 16
Joshua chapters 15 and 16 detail the inheritance the sons of Judah and Joseph receive and there was little that initially stood out of great interest. After thinking about these chapters the details of Caleb’s work in the land he was given started to stand out. In Joshua 14 Caleb requested the land that God had promised him when he spied out the promised land. The land was inhabited by the Anakim who Caleb sought to drive from the land if the Lord choose to enable him. Continue Reading…
Pondering the Nephilim brings Hope for tomorrow: Joshua 11 and 12
I have had a few conversations with people recently where they claimed the Bible contradicted itself. The argument rests in the fact that God forbids murder but there is all the bloodshed that happens. I was reminded of the conversation I had because of all the bloodshed and killing in Joshua 11 and 12. Why did God allow these people to be killed? Is this a contradiction? How do we find the answers? As I have blogged my way through the Bible I have developed a greater understanding of the story. Let me share my thoughts with you. Continue Reading…
Following God in the face of deception: Joshua 9 and 10
What happens when we disobey God? What happens when we obey God? Why should we care? There is a story to be found about following and obeying God in Joshua chapters 9 and 10. In Joshua chapter 7 when the Israelites attacked Ai they were defeated by a substantially smaller force because they did not have God’s blessing and in fact God’s anger was kindled against Israel. The disobedience of Achan had made the Israelites unable to fight. Did pride filled their hearts as they thought the people of Ai to be an easy to defeat? In Joshua 9 and 10 the Israelites had moments where they could have again had the wrath of God turn upon them but in this moment the leaders choose to obey God instead of following their own way. Continue Reading…
Crossing the Jordan upon the promises of God: Joshua 3 and 4
Do you live in awe and wonder of the world around you? Today is a beautiful day with a bright blue sky with the sun shining. It is easy to just notice the how nice the day is but that is far from being filled with awe and wonder. The most awe inspiring thing that I have seen to date is Niagara Falls but that awe and wonder pales in comparison my awe and wonder of God. Do you have a proper sense of awe and wonder when you think of God? In a moment when you see God working in your life or the lives around you what emotions are evoked? Continue Reading…
Death of Moses on Mount Nebo in Deuteronomy 33 and 34
What final words would you speak if you knew you were about to die? When you think about someone who is about to die what do you picture in your mind? Do think of an old frail person with illness who is too weak to speak and just slips into death? This was not Moses at the end. In Deuteronomy chapters 33 and 34 the end of Moses’ leadership in Israel arrives. Mouses was going to die and be gathered to his people but “although [he] was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye [were] not dim, nor his vigor abated.” (Deuteronomy 34:7) Moses was still fully alive and able to speak to the people of Israel at the time of His death. Continue Reading…
Where is your confidence for the future placed: Deuteronomy 31 and 32
Have you ever noticed that you can more easily remember song lyrics that you hear instead of something that you read? There are many songs that have cluttered up my mind but unfortunately I not have the same affinity to remember truly important things. As I type up this post I am listening to music that is mindlessly being remembered.
In Deuteronomy chapters 31 and 32 Moses’ time of leadership is concluding and Joshua’s leadership is starting. God forbid Moses to lead the people into the promised land because of his disobedience and lack of faith. What was Joshua thinking? He had only known Moses’ leadership since Egypt. How would you feel stepping into a leadership position that had been held for over forty years by Moses? Was despair creeping into the corners of Joshua’s mind? Continue Reading…
Choose life for you and your descendants: Deuteronomy 29 and 30
The time Moses has with the Israelites is coming to a close. He is summing up what God desires for the people. In Deuteronomy chapters 29 and 30 Moses takes a moment to give one last reminder to the people of Israel, “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders. Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor the eyes to see, nor ears to hear.” (29:2-4) The people were hard of heart and they didn’t understand, which sounds just me today. Continue Reading…
