Waiting and Wondering
Read: 1 Samuel 6:10-7:2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. (v. 2) Sometimes we find ourselves in a long season of waiting and wondering. Some of my own most difficult waiting has happened during the […]
The Ark Properly Understood
Read: 1 Samuel 5:1-12 The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. (v. 12) My family recently enjoyed a special night out at the movie theater. Seated in the second row of a small theater, we were frustrated when the front row was rushed […]
Wrong Thinking
Read: 1 Samuel 4:1-11 The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. (v. 10) Misguided, short-term thinking can get us into trouble. Middle schoolers think they’ll make the right friends if they wear the right clothes. College students think they’ll pass the test if they cram the night before. […]
Trustworthy Words
Read: 1 Samuel 3:11-21 Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. (v. 19) Have you ever struggled to be heard? Maybe you have shouted into the wind while searching for your children or your dog. Or maybe you’ve been the young graduate, fresh on a […]
The Presence of God
Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (v. 10 NRSV) My son wakes up with an alarm clock each morning, but he enjoys lying in bed for a few minutes before rising to greet the day. After a […]
God’s Heart in the World
Read: 1 Samuel 2:27-36 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. (v. 35) I occasionally substitute teach at our local middle school. As you might imagine, middle schoolers sometimes have a tendency to forget what their regular teacher expects of […]
Learning to Walk
Read: 1 Samuel 1:21-2:10 He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. (v. 9) My daughter never learned to crawl as a baby. Crawling is an essential skill that teaches balance and valuable parallel movement. So when she […]
To Make the Empty Full
Read: 1 Samuel 1:1-11 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. (v. 10) The best stories begin with someone in a serious predicament. Important dreams or plans have fallen to pieces. Someone gets fired from a job, jilted by a love interest, or goes bankrupt. First Samuel begins, almost classically, with […]
Passing the Test
Read: 2 Corinthians 13:1-10 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. (v. 6) I have a recurring stress dream. It’s the last day of a semester, and I’m about to enter an exam for which I have not studied. Upon further reflection, I realize I haven’t done any of the […]