The Grace of God (1 Samuel 2:4-8a)

4/14/2010 8:52 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  The grace of God

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  1 Sam. 2:4-8a

 

            Message of the verses:  “4  "The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. 5  "Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. 6  "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7  "The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8  "He raises the poor from the dust,”

            I would suppose that when one reads this portion of Scripture that there could be some confusion found, however I think that one thing should be made clear in order to help understand this section and that is that God is sovereign and when this is understood then Scriptures like this one are much more understandable.  Dr. Wiersbe writes something in his commentary on this section that is helpful for me to understand some of the things that are in these verses and also some of the things that have happened in my life that at times seem hard to understand.  He writes “Because He is sovereign the Lord is in charge of life and death and everything in between (v6).  He can rescue us from the grave or permit us to die.  If he allows us to live, He can make us rich or poor, exalted or abased, for He knows what’s best.  This doesn’t suggest that people should meekly comply with difficult circumstances and do nothing about them, but that we can’t change these circumstances  without the Lord’s help.  (Deut. 8:18, “"But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”  He goes on to write “In His grace, God can choose the poor and raise them up to sit among the princes (see Ps. 113:7-8 and Luke 1:52).  He takes them from the dust and the garbage heap and puts them on glorious thrones!  But isn’t that what God did for Jesus (Philippians 2:1-10) indeed, because of the cross, the Lord has ‘turned the world upside down’ (Acts 17:6), and the only people who have clear vision and true values are those who have trusted Jesus.”  What a true and wonderful statement.

            Hannah did understand the Lord as seen from her prayer, and it just could be that while she was barren for all of the years that she was barren that she took the time to understand the Lord and not become bitter, but became better. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The statement that Dr. Wiersbe made about how to handle difficult circumstances, that I am to stand up when difficult circumstances happen, but at the same time I am to trust the Lord with the outcome, and if things don’t work out the way that I am hoping and praying that they will I am to remember that God is sovereign and that the word sovereign has the word reign in it, meaning that God does reign, and must reign in my life in order for it to make sense.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.    Trust the Lord in all difficult situations, do what I believe is right in order to work out theses situations for good, but remember that the Lord is on the throne and that He does work out everything in my life for my good and for His glory.

 

4/14/2010 9:36 AM