“So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the Lord. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest. Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest…
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 I woke up this morning to a white world. Snow had fallen through the night, and everything looked clean and new. All the marks and imperfections in the yard from yesterday were gone. This verse in Isaiah came to my mind. The prophet Isaiah was sent to the nation of Judah to convict them of their sins and their need to seek the Lord. Even though they were bringing their offerings and sacrifice their hearts were full of sin. They had forgotten how much God had done for them. He calls for them to repent and return to the Lord. Isaiah 1:4 describes them: “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.” Crimson and scarlet are long-lasting colours. They are the most difficult stains to remove from linens or clothing. How fitting that God used them…
Then the Lord called Samuel.Samuel answered, Here I am. And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me. But Eli said, I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 1 Samuel 3:4–5, NIV. Samuel, at this moment, did not know the voice of the Lord, but it is important to note that he had a spirit to listen. Samuel ran to Eli without hesitation because he was submitted to his authority. This story teaches me to have a willing-spirit and a servants-heart. It all began with “Here I am.” The voice of the Lord continued to call out to Samuel in the night, but it wasn’t until the forth time when Samuel could differentiate the voice of Eli, from the voice of the LORD. 1 Samuel 3:10 explains, “The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” How Can I Hear God’s Voice? Many people ask, “How can I hear the voice of the Lord?” Well, it may be that God has been speaking to you, but you have not known the tone and cadence of His voice just yet. This…
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 1 John 3:1, NLT. God loves you so much. However, there are times when we wonder, “Am I enough?” This quandary of worth is usually a result of rejection, a negative word spoken to us, or someone breaking their promise. We take the emotion and opinion of someone else and wear it like a garment of dishonor, when their judgment…
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3, KJV. Do you know those nights? The kind of night when tears hit your pillow as life overwhelms you or the nights you toss back and forth. Sometimes, we miss the nudge from God and think that all we need to sleep well is a comfortable position, but what we need is His peace. Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, John 14:27. Jesus has left us peace. The peace of God is not a worldly peace that comes from perfect circumstances, a robust savings account, or a world void of disease. His perfect peace is supernatural and flows from the throne room of God. When your life is being shaken, when your faith is tested, when you are grieving, there is hope. Just recently someone said to me, “life is so uncertain.” Yes, that can be true, I responded. However, with all the uncertainties of this world we serve a God who changes…
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 Do you know those days that you want to give up? Life has taken another twist and you are blindsided once again with circumstances that are out of your control. Maybe the holiday season didn’t live up to the expectation of, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” as you looked around and saw the brokenness of your family. Or, you’ve suffered so much loss this year and you looked around at the empty seats around your table and the waves of grief washed over you again. Maybe there are days when your faith in the Lord surprises you, then other days you may crawl into bed, cover yourself in blankets, and try to sleep your stress away. Have you ever listened to music or watched a show for hours because you did not want to be left in silence. Or, you go shopping and buy way too much, because…