Year after year after year

I Samuel 1:7 So it went on year by year.

What is it that went on year by year?  There are several things that are either mentioned specifically or implied that happened regularly, yearly, for who knows how many years.  Elkanah, Samuel’s father, went to offer sacrifices year by year.  He cared about his family and was very sensitive to childless Hannah.  Year by year Hannah felt her pain of childlessness.  It was a pain that did not disappear in spite of her faithfulness along with Elkanah, year by year.  She was deeply distressed and weeping (see v. 10) year after year.  There was not an overnight answer to that distress.  It went on for many years, we don’t know how many.  The beauty of the story, however, lies in the fact that Elkanah and Hannah remained faithful to God through the pain of childless years and in God’s time, He answered Hannah’s prayer.  After Samuel was born, we read of another “year by year” when Hannah cam to see the child she gave back into God’s service, year by year.  She remained faithful through it all, year by year.  Sometimes we can see God in the mundane, the things that never seem to change even though we wish they would.  That's what Hannah learned.

Determination

II Kings 18:3-8 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord … he removed the high places … he trusted in the Lord … he held fast to the Lord … he rebelled against the king of Assyria and world not serve him … he struck down the Philistines.

King Hezekiah is a good example of what one does when determined to do what is right and honorable in following the Lord.  He did not just decide to do what was right, he acted on his decision.  He got rid of everything that might keep him from following through on his decision.  He removed things that would tempt him to sin (the “high placed” and idols).  He rebelled when he couldn’t do anything else, and refused to let outside influenced control his actions.  He destroyed (“struck down”) things that could cause him present or future distraction and trouble.  And he was proactive in his pursuit of doing what was right.  These verses tell us he not only trusted in the Lord.  He held fast to the Lord.  This tells me he was not naïve about the potential he had to give up and give in to the things that could tempt him away from his determination to follow God.

Prepared for service

I Chronicles 12:38 All these men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel.

I keep being drawn to this chapter in the history of the reign of King David.  It seems to be rich in spiritual lessons for me.  I know I have journaled about it before, and here I am again!  As I read through this listing of the groups of men coming to fight for David, I found some of the information about them to be inspiring.  They all came “arrayed in battle order” because they recognized the possibility of actually having to fight to make this happen.  They had no disillusions about this … they knew there might be some difficult days ahead so they came prepared.  For example, 6800 men from Judah came “bearing shield and spear” (v.24) and Zadok brought twenty-two commanders from his own father’s house (v.29).  The Benjaminites switched their allegiance over to David and came to fight for him and the Ephramites left their own fame in their area to be a part of this large army.  Evidently, helping this cause of David on a wider scale was more important to them than being a “big frog in a little pond.”  That says a lot about them, and serves as a great example of humble service, I think.  Then there were the 18000 men from the tribe of Manasseh.  I find it very inspiring to read that they had been expressly chosen to represent their tribe.  There were not just joining for themselves … they had a higher, more noble goal, if you will.  The representatives from Issachar had a special ability that would be of particular importance to this new army.  Verse 32 says they had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.  I can imagine how important such skill would be when facing war.  The army from Zebulun was seasoned men and single minded in their sense of purpose.  They knew exactly why they were there.  Finally, the Danites, the Asherites, the Reubenites, the Gadites … all came equipped and ready for battle.  I see all of these men (340,000 by my calculations) as purposeful, prepared men, men who serve as my example of how I should serve my heavenly King Jesus.

In the shadow of God's wings

Psalm 17:3b I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

In the Bible I am currently using for my devotions, each psalm has been given a title by the publisher/editor, and the title of this psalm is “In the Shadow of Your Wings.”  As I read through the fifteen verses this morning, I noticed numerous ways “another “top ten list is coming!) in which the one who lives in the shadow of His wings displays that way of living.  My prayer is that my life will reflect these same characteristics.

            1. Living free of deceit (v. 1b)

            2. Determination to not sin (v.3b)

            3. Avoiding sinful ways (v.4b)

            4. Carefully obeying God (v.5)

            5. Praying regularly (v.6)

            6. Experiencing God’s love (v.7)

            7. Protection by God (v.8)

            8. Deliverance from the wickedness around me (v.13)

            9. Seeing God work (v.15a)

            10. Finding satisfaction in God (v.15b)