1
Samuel (the entire chapter)
I
hope you all have been enjoying our topical study this year as much as I
have. Since we’ve decided to put our
writing on hold for the summer, ending with perseverance seem fitting. We have to persevere in our faith
journey. The Lord “drives our trials out
little by little, one by one, as He grows us to full stature in Christ" (“When God Makes You Wait”). Exodus 23:29-30
When
I started this post, it was only supposed to be on 1 Samuel 12. But the entire book is about perseverance. Hannah's Prayer and her response to the Lord’s
blessing is the kind of faith I desire.
Waiting – persevering through the wait.
Glorifying and praising God through the process of waiting. I could share my long list of things I’m waiting
for, but I won’t.
1 Samuel 16 is where we see young David anointed as
King, yet it was nearly 15 years before he actually became king. If you turn to the Psalms, you will see just
how often David praised God while he waited.
We
persevere with people like Jonathan in our lives.
We need people to strengthen us in God.
The
writers here at Women In The Word may be taking a break from writing, but we
are here for you and we will continue to encourage you throughout the summer.
This
is a good time for all of us to persevere – quietly waiting through a
trial. To thank the Lord for giving us
blind faith and knowing that He will work it together for our good. It’s a good time to practice continual prayer
AND worship. Perhaps as you relax in
your yard this summer, you pray the entire time for the opportunity to rest and
for the beautiful weather. Thank the
Lord for the time to sit at His feet.
Pray all summer for wisdom. I
know God will always grant us wisdom. Perhaps let this summer be
only for praise! Pray for wisdom and
praise the Lord in the process!
As
you take the time to read the entire book of 1 Samuel, you will discover that
David was on the run for nearly 8 years!
It was during this time that God taught David perseverance. But God also humbled David. Just think about being anointed so young or
slaying a giant as a kid! Or how his
musical abilities calmed the mad-man Saul.
Pride could have taken over. But
instead, God used this trial of waiting and suffering to keep David humble and
relying on God. This time of suffering
produced perseverance and it molded and shaped David to trust God completely!
That
long list of mine… I’m going to thank
the Lord for the list and sit back and trust where and how He brings me to the
end of each issue. Some may end quickly,
others may stay on the list for a few more years.
