I find in 1 Samuel 5 an example of God’s humor. The people of Israel were using the Ark of the Covenant like a good-luck charm, taking it to battle with them. Their enemies,the Philistines, ended up slaughtering them and capturing the Ark. They place it in their temple before their god, Dagon. … More Who’s laughing?
1 Samuel 3-5 describes a very dark period in the history of Israel. In 1 Samuel 4:10-11 we read, “ So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. And the ark of God was … More Draw near
In Him we have set our firm hope, that he will deliver us, as you join in working for us by prayer, so that the blessing that comes to us from the prayers of many persons might result in thanksgiving to God by many as they see our deliverance. —2 Corinthians 1 Pastor Coty Pinckney asks: … More What is the purpose of prayer?
And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” —Mark 9:35 Pastor Kim Riddlebarger, at the Riddleblog: From these sayings of Jesus, three important themes emerge. First, membership in the kingdom of God is bestowed upon us, we don’t earn it. The very idea that membership … More The cross comes before the empty tomb
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.—Psalm 95:3 Charles Spurgeon, from the Treasury of David: No doubt the surrounding nations imagined Jehovah to be a merely local deity, the god of a small nation, and therefore one of the inferior deities; the psalmist utterly repudiates such an idea. Idolaters … More All in all
And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. “There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. As we begin our readings of 1 & 2 Samuel this month, … More Praising God, Who has purpose for our pain
On 1 Corinthians 15, from a 1999 message “Living and Loving” by Doug Groins of Penisula Bible Church: The theme of love in the body of Christ is like an arrow that shoots all the way through our passage. [1 Corinthians 15] It starts in verse 14: “Let all that you do be done in love.” … More A loving letter
Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, … More Jesus’ Announcement
He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge— the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, to give … More God Knows
John Piper, in the last sermon in a series on Ruth, “Ruth: The Best is Yet to Come” What one main thing does the author want us to take away from reading this story? Here’s what I would suggest as the main lesson: The life of the godly is not a straight line to glory, but … More Not a straight line to glory, but we do get there
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 