From: May 7, 2024
‘But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord”‘ (1 Samuel 1:15 ESV).
Hannah was childless. At her family’s annual visit to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to worship and bring offerings, she was so stricken with grief that she could only mouth the words to her prayers. Her lips moved, but no sound came forth. She cried out from her heart that the Lord would give her a son. She promised to give him back to the Lord all the days of his life, if only she might bear a male child.
Eli, the priest, was sitting at the door of the Tabernacle watching Hannah. He saw her lips moving without sound and wrongly assumed that she was drunk. He admonished her to put away her wine. But Hannah corrected him, explaining that what he had seen was not the result of wine being poured in, but from the sorrow in her soul being poured out. So, Eli blessed her, asking the Lord to grant her petition.
Have you seen one like Hannah at your worship services or small group meetings? Don’t be like Eli and assume that you know what motivates their behavior. Wouldn’t it be better to ask what troubles her and offer to pray with her first? Eli ultimately makes it right. But only because of Hannah’s humility in answering.
Would those who are hurting like Hannah find a place of blessing and support in your church?
PRAYER: Dear Father, help us not to judge others according to their outward appearance or behavior. For only You know the condition of their souls. Instead, help us to offer blessing and real help in the name of Your Son, Jesus. For it’s in His name that we pray, amen.
From: May 7, 2023
‘So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does”‘ (John 5:17 NLT).
Jesus described His activity as being inspired by and empowered by the Father. He did nothing by himself. He spoke and moved as the Father did. There is a great principle on how to live the abiding life on display here. Rather than asking God to join us in our plans, we can begin to look and ask what God is already doing and then join Him in His work.
This kind of following means listening and looking before speaking and acting. When we look to join the Father in His work, we begin to follow as Christ did, and as His body, which is the church, should. This life relies on prayer and the Spirit’s power, which is always greater than our own plans and efforts.
PRAYER: Our Father, allow us to see where you are already at work in our world today. Show us how to join you there. Empower us to do that which you’ve planned for us to do. Help us to rely on you for all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: May 7, 2016
Jesus described His practice of first looking to see what the Father was doing and then joining Him in His work. This is a great spiritual principle. Rather than asking God to join us in our plans, we can begin to look and ask what God is already doing, and then join Him in His work. This kind of following means listening and looking before speaking and acting. When we look to join the Father in His work, we begin to follow as Christ did, and as His body, which is the church, should.
From: May 7, 2015
Honoring (worshiping) Jesus is the only way to offer acceptable worship to God. There is no lack of clarity in this. All other worship is vain. Jesus is the glory of God revealed to us. He is God’s fullest and final revelation. Rejecting Jesus is to reject God. Receiving Jesus is to receive all that the Father has for us, so that we may worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, receiving eternal life and adoption into God’s family. Honor Jesus.