Bible League: Living His Word "The bows of the mighty men are broken,And those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble." Our verses for today are part of the prayer of praise and worship that Hannah said after she had dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord at the house of the Lord in Shiloh. Filled with thanksgiving for what the Lord had done for her in giving her Samuel, her poetic words reveal the sovereign power of the Lord to bring down those who do not turn to Him for help and to lift up those who do turn to Him. First, the Lord can break the bows of mighty men. This means that those who rely on their own strength and power to accomplish anything in life are courting disaster from the Lord. Instead of victory in the affairs of life, they will have failure. On the other hand, the Lord can gird those who have stumbled with strength. Those who have failed in life in some way can turn to the Lord and triumph over the problems that brought them down. Second, the Lord can force those who were full to hire themselves out for bread. This means that those who rely on their wealth can be impoverished by the Lord. Instead of living off of what they have, they can be compelled to work for someone else just to scrape by. On the other hand, the Lord can feed the hungry. Those who had nothing can turn to the Lord and be enriched with whatever they need. Finally, she who has many children can become feeble. This means that those who rely on their own constitution and vigor can be debilitated by the Lord. Instead of enjoying the fruitfulness of health, they can be diminished and weakened. On the other hand, the Lord can cause the barren woman to have seven children. Those who were incapacitated in some way can turn to the Lord and be healed. The message in Hannah's prayer is that radical change is a real possibility in life. It all depends on who we rely upon. Like she did, then, let us rise up by turning to the Lord for whatever we need. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 82, 83, 84 Psalm 82 -- God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 83 -- God, don't keep silent. Don't keep silent, and don't be still, God. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 84 -- How lovely are your dwellings, O Lord Almighty! NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Romans 8:19-39 Romans 8 -- No Condemnation for those in Christ Jesus; We Are More than Conquerors NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”Insight “God is Spirit” means he is not a physical being limited to one place. He is present everywhere and he can be worshiped anywhere, at any time. It is not where we worship that counts, but how we worship. Challenge Is your worship genuine and true? Do you have the Holy Spirit's help? How does the Holy Spirit help us worship? The Holy Spirit prays for us, teaches us the words of Christ, and tells us we are loved. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Mark 9:23 All things are possible to him that believeth.Many professed Christians are always doubting and fearing, and they forlornly think that this is the necessary state of believers. This is a mistake, for "all things are possible to him that believeth;" and it is possible for us to mount into a state in which a doubt or a fear shall be but as a bird of passage flitting across the soul, but never lingering there. When you read of the high and sweet communions enjoyed by favored saints, you sigh and murmur in the chamber of your heart, "Alas! these are not for me." O climber, if thou hast but faith, thou shalt yet stand upon the sunny pinnacle of the temple, for "all things are possible to him that believeth." You hear of exploits which holy men have done for Jesus; what they have enjoyed of him; how much they have been like him; how they have been able to endure great persecutions for his sake; and you say, "Ah! as for me, I am but a worm; I can never attain to this." But there is nothing which one saint was, that you may not be. There is no elevation of grace, no attainment of spirituality, no clearness of assurance, no post of duty, which is not open to you if you have but the power to believe. Lay aside your sackcloth and ashes, and rise to the dignity of your true position; you are little in Israel because you will be so, not because there is any necessity for it. It is not meet that thou shouldst grovel in the dust, O child of a King. Ascend! The golden throne of assurance is waiting for you! The crown of communion with Jesus is ready to bedeck your brow. Wrap yourself in scarlet and fine linen, and fare sumptuously every day; for if thou believest, thou mayst eat the fat of kidneys of wheat; thy land shall flow with milk and honey, and thy soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness. Gather golden sheaves of grace, for they await thee in the fields of faith. "All things are possible to him that believeth." Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 10:13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."John 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. Luke 23:42,43 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" • And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Matthew 20:32-34 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" • They said to Him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened." • Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. Luke 11:13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" 1 John 5:14,15 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. • And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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