Resolutions and Revelations

It's that time again!  Time for us to decide what our yearly resolution or resolutions will be.  Some will decide to give up something.  Many will join a gym.  Sadly, most resolutions will only last till February or March.  I will be the first to confess to making a resolution on Jan. 1 only to break it on Jan. 2.  Most of the resolutions we make every year are self-focused and self-pleasing.  Many of them have nothing to do with seeking God first.  What if this year we all resolved to pray more, or to spend more time studying God's Word, or to get plugged in and serve in church?  What if our resolutions this year was focused on building God's Kingdom and not our Kingdom?  I challenge myself as well as anyone reading this to resolve this year to making an impact for eternity.  (James 4:14)

That being said, I would like to offer another thought.  Many of you know I am so fascinated with the life of Samuel.  He began serving in the temple at a very very young age (possibly as young as 3).  He spent his whole life in service to his Lord.  His life was in stark contrast to the two boys (Hophni and Phineas) who were supposed to inherit the priesthood but instead they repeatedly and blatantly disobeyed God.  God eventually took the lives of those two boys because of their sin and He put His hand of blessing on Samuel in their place.  Samuel, as a young boy was audibly called by God, Himself.  This young 10 or 12 year old boy heard the awesome voice of God in time when "the Word of the Lord was very rare"! 

Have you ever been standing in front of something so obvious yet you don't see it? Well that is how I have been this week.  I kept looking at this boy Samuel and what God did through him and it struck me, like a puzzle finally fitting together, that many if not most of the great leaders and great people of faith mentioned in Scripture,  were first introduced to us in their childhood or adolescence!!!!! What profoundly simple fact that I stood in front of, like a giant puzzle on a wall, was that people who minister with and to children have HUGE significance and INFLUENCE for God's Kingdom.  What if Hannah, Samuel's mother, had said, "no Lord, I'm to busy to train little Samuel?" Oh the impact Samuel's teacher, trainer, molder, had on Israel and for that matter on HISTORY!

Let me leave you with that this thought? Maybe it's your turn to impact God's Kingdom in a tangible way by serving in a children's ministry or in a nursery?  I know those that know me are thinking "well this is an obvious post from a children's director" :), but I don't think it's just because of my bias! I think it's God's pattern! Consider this? Could your resolution this year be to step in and influence the life of a child by serving in your church's children's ministry?  And if you already serve in that capacity, be encouraged because you are touching eternity! 

The Gift We Want or the Gift We Need?

Each year on this day we celebrate by giving gifts to our children and to our loved ones.  We spend time picking out the right gift and wrapping it carefully so that special person will love our gift.  If we were honest we would admit that not every gift we gave was as loved as we had hoped and some will even be exchanged.  In the same way we are all given "gifts" throughout ALL of the year.  Only these "gifts" are not tangible or material.  Instead these "gifts" are often experiences, trials, tests, or blessings and they come from the Lord.  Sadly, many Christians choose to not even open these "gifts" because at first sight they aren't attractive.  There are no pretty bows or shiny paper.  These gifts are plain or sometimes even ugly to look at.  Because God's gifts don't seem attractive, we choose to open the "gifts" from the World that at first glance look shiny and pretty.  Unfortunately the world's gifts ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS are empty and lead to destruction. 

There are two women in Scripture that were given incredibly difficult and incredibly wonderful gifts from the Lord.  Both offered a song of praise and prayer to God after receiving their gift.  Hannah and Mary both offered God a beautiful song of praise as a result of their gifts.  It is interesting that both of these songs (Hannah in 1 Sam. 2:1-10 and Mary in Luke 1:46-56) are very similar.  Mary must have known the OT Scriptures very well. 

After they each open their song in praise, there are 3 distinct parts that is common in both of their songs.  First, they Experienced God (Luke 1:48 and 1 Sam. 2:1)  Mary truly experienced God because she gave birth to him and Hannah experienced the hand of God through the gift of Samuel.  Secondly they both Recognized God (Luke 1:49-54 and 1 Sam. 2:2-9).  They both saw God for who He was and they recognized that He is the ALMIGHTY.  They recognized that He helps the 1. Humble, the 2. Hungry, and the 3. Helpless.  I think those 3 categories just about cover us all!! Finally they Remembered God's Promises (Luke 1:55 and 1 Sam. 2:10).  They both remembered what God had done for them and Hannah even prophesied of the of the coming Messiah!  These 3 things were the result of the gift they received from God!  What if they had said NO?! What if Mary had told the angel that this gift was too frightening for her and she didn't want it?! What if Hannah had not done the difficult thing with her gift, Samuel, and kept him instead of giving him to the Lord?! 

Had Hannah and Mary not received their "gifts" from the Lord, they would have missed their EXPERIENCE WITH GOD, they would never have RECOGNIZED GOD for who He is, and they would have never been REMINDED OF GOD'S PROMISES!!!!!! 

What gift is God trying to give you? Is it the gift of a trial, or an illness, or a blessing, or even an experience? Don't reject His gift because it may not be the most attractive!!! Accept it with open arms and surrender to His plan even if is difficult.  If you choose the sparkling gift all wrapped up by the world, you will find it's pretty on the outside but it will leave you with nothing but emptiness.  If you choose the gift God is giving you, you will find that you EXPERIENCE GOD, RECOGNIZE GOD , and you are REMINDED OF HIS PROMISES.

Prepared for Battle?

For years I have been fascinated with the life of Samuel.  It always intrigued me how God shows such contrast between the boy Samuel and Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phineas.  Hophni and Phineas were set to inherit the priesthood but they lived very wicked lives and they chose to deliberately disobey God.  So God had to "raise up a faithful priest" in a young boy named Samuel. This lays the foundation for the story at hand.  The Israelites continually faced the Philistine army. This army was their "giant".  In fact many of the Philistines were actual giants.  God's people faced them again and again throughout Scriptures and many times we see them scared to death to face them.  In 1 Sam. 4:1-10, Israel goes to war with the Philistines and are defeated and they lose 4,000 men in the battle.  When they return they are upset and discouraged and so, under the leader ship of Hophni and Phineas, they decide to take the Ark of the Covenant out of it's Holy place and into their battle in order to "insure" their win against the Philistines.  However, we see that instead of a great victory, they lose terribly and 30,000 men are killed including Hophi and Phineas.

Why did this happen? Why would God's people lose a battle especially when they had the Ark with them?  First of all, they put their trust in holy objects instead of a Holy God!  The Ark of the Covenant was an amazing, beautiful symbol of God, but it WAS NOT GOD!  They didn't need the help of "objects" or "things", they needed the help of the Living God! Secondly, they moved in haste and in their own strength instead of seeking God and asking Him to fight for them.  I find myself standing in the "Israelite line" so many times.  I see their choices and realize that I often make the same ones.  How many times do we as Christians, put our trust in symbols and things? We lean on everything and everyone else but God, Himself.  The problem is, people and things will ALWAYS fail us but God never fails!  Facing our battles while trusting in symbols and objects is like fighting with a gun with no bullets.  We will never advance.  We will never see victory.  Maybe God has NOT done BIG things in your life because you haven't completely relied on Him for the strength?

The next time the Israelites meet with the Philistines, 1Sam. 7:3-13, we find them in a completely different position.  Samuel had gathered the people together to confess their sins, then fast and pray.  While they were meeting the Philistines mobilized to attack them, but God fought for them and the army was defeated.  This time instead of trusting in symbols, they trusted in the Almighty God.  They stood clean before Him, with their hearts humbled, and sought His strength.  Three simple things that I'm sure we'd never find in a military handbook, but 3 simple things that brought them victory against their giants.  

I don't know what you face.  But I do know it's "giant" to you.  Remember as you battle to carry your 3 most valuable weapons: A clean heart before God, humility that realizes your need, trust in the Almighty God to fight your battle!

Listen to this song:  Remind Me Who I Am