I know... another week and a half or so without new content. I sincerely apologize. It's been a busy month. Actually, a busy year, but... yeah. I had my GI appointment on the 22nd, as I may have already mentioned in my previous post. I just got the official results in the mail today and everything is clear, which is good, except that it doesn't explain my swallowing issues. I have a Physical on Tuesday and I'm thinking of asking for another Swallow Test focusing on foods that I specifically have a problem with. Meanwhile, not only was Mike here for the GI thing so I had someone to drive me and monitor the following few hours, but he was back last Monday, theoretically to get insurance on the car with me, but as he's been discovering that the problems with the car are more than we can really handle, he's now switched it out for a minivan*. Anyway, we ended up going to lunch and then shopping for a king size mattress for my place. He went home right after, so essentially, he did a "zip-zip" trip just to spend about 1 1/2 hrs. with me. (the trip itself takes about that each way) ;p So that's the reason I haven't blogged all week. I've been rearranging my bedroom to accommodate the new bed. Trust me, a king size bed in a 10x10 room is a biiiit tight!!* At the same time, I've discovered that someone has been coming into my apartment and smoking cigarettes on my balcony. I just had the police here before starting this blog entry. Three times this month, and one of those while I was in Brattleboro the other week!! I have pictures and you'd better believe I'll be showing them to Management when I pay rent Tuesday!!
In other news, my oldest, Carissa, turned 30 last Sunday* and my granddaughter, Brandi, started 7th grade. And then I discover the other day that Brandi has officially passed me in height!! What!!?? LOL She's 12!! But realistically, it was bound to happen, as her father's side are all tall*.
The latest with Andrea and Matt is that she and their helper/cousin, Gary, both got Covid last week. We were praying that Matt would stay clear, but he hasn't. He's been back in the hospital most of the past 5 or 6 days now. First, the driver refused to take him to Elliot in Manchester where he has a good history of recent care; so he ended up here in Concord (I'm guessing because it's local). Sadly, his history of care there in the past year and a half has been nothing short of horrific*. Thankfully, they were able to get him transferred down to Elliot. They're hoping to have him home in the next couple of days, I believe, so Praise God for that!!
Finally, (for this part) ;) if you've been following recently, Mike and I leave for Hawaii in 2 weeks!! We leave the 12th and get back the 18th. I'm both excited and a bit scared as I've never flown commercial before. But I know God has everything well in hand. Prayers are always appreciated though. :) Oh, and I am currently waiting to hear back on a venue for Mike's and my Engagement Party on Halloween... So. Much. Going. On...
So now we can get to the main purpose of this message, which is, of course God's Word --
Considering that this sermon was originally delivered in the middle of June, looking at the changing seasons, both in Nature with the approach of Summer and in some people's lives with Graduation; the irony is not lost on me that I'm typing this as Summer is winding down and the kids are starting back to school. So, it still works, right?? ;p Of course, being the music lover that I am, the song "Landslide" comes to mind as well, seeing as how it talks about the changing seasons of life. It also occurs to me that I was just looking at my flash drive with pics of my youngest, Jasmine's, Graduation earlier this morning to remind myself what was on it ahead of prepping the music for Mike's and my Party. She graduated "Senior Strong" in 2020. <3
Our passage today is 1 Samuel 12 --
1 Samuel 12
New International Version
Samuel’s Farewell Speech
12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”
4 “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
5 Samuel said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”
“He is witness,” they said.
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. 7 Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your ancestors.
8 “After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9 “But they forgot the Lord their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. 10 They cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal,[a] Barak,[b] Jephthah and Samuel,[c] and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.
12 “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! 15 But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.
16 “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! 17 Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”
18 Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.
19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As parents saw their Seniors graduate about 2 1/2 months ago and prayed over them for God's guidance in their futures; this passage finds Samuel at a place of retirement by God's instruction. In both, we find the heart of a father for his kids, just as God has the heart of a father for us. Whether we find ourselves sending kids to college (or not), whether we are seeing our kids get married, (or getting re-married ourselves), whether we are at a point of retirement, or even preparing for death, the point lies in moving forward with God, doing everything from the perspective of dedication to Him.
In our passage above, we see Samuel speaking from the same heart of love for his people that God had shown him. Open-handed, and with both rescue and provision at the ready. The problem at hand here was that the people of Israel had, once again, gotten comfortable and forgotten God. Their reaction to this had been fear, leading them to then demand a king like their neighbors.
While I would encourage you to read the entire chapter on your own time, the focus of today's message is found in verses 20-25. (I would name a Pastor here, but I forgot to write down who it was) ;p Regardless, the following list shows the loving care of Samuel's speech prior to retirement --
Verse 20 -- Don't be afraid, just serve God. In this, Samuel becomes like the Holy Spirit, taking on the roll of comforter and intercessor to the Israelites.
Verse 21 -- the power of God vs useless idols
Verse 22 -- here, Samuel encourages the people in the fact that God will not reject them if they turn their hearts back to Him. Their very identity as a Nation is tied up in the Covenants God made with both Abraham and Moses. (It still is)
Verse 23 -- Samuel promises to pray for them and teach them. In this we see his open heart of love, as he doesn't begrudge them any help he can still give them. Seeing that the situation is not right, Samuel doesn't hold anything back that could aid in their restoration of fellowship with God. Like I suggested above, Samuel shows the heart of a parent for his kids here in the fact of serving for their sake and not for his own personal gain or glory.
Verse 24 -- Don't just serve God, but be present with Him consistently. Consider what He has done in the past. Verse 25 -- Samuel gives a final warning here that if they persist in evil, not only will their king die, but they will die with him. Don't worship the king like a god or other idols. (As we see later on in Scripture, this warning turns into prophecy; but I can't figure out where just now)
The fact is that we are all "shifted around" by changes in our lives -- relationships, jobs, kids, churches, etc... What's important to keep in mind is that God's intention through all of it is Spiritual Growth. Not perfection, but empowerment. The stages, though named for physical human maturity, as we start our journey in infancy, through childhood, young adulthood, and parent; none of these are based purely on the physical age of the Believer. (For example, while I've been Saved since I was 6 or 7, my ex-boyfriend, Jeremy's, grandmother didn't accept Christ until just before she died. She was 99, I believe)
God wants us all to be like Samuel, serving others with open hands. We shouldn't be taking away from our kids the things He wants for them just for the sake of living out our own unrealized visions through them. One mark of Spiritual Maturity lies in giving to others as we walk with God.
Where have we seen Him at work this week?? Sharing our stories with other instills faith and helps others grow. And don't make the mistake of skimming over the rough spots. Show God's faithfulness in every single part of your life. As we've seen in recent weeks, God's hand in our lives isn't always going to be huge and spectacular. It's in the simple things of daily life that He shows up most often. Remember that God has given us life and unique abilities in order to show Himself strong on our behalf.
To encapsulate the parallels of Samuel's message to our own lives, the above list from Scripture gets reviewed here --
Don't be afraid, turn toward God and experience His freedom and abundance.
Don't chase the useless idols of money, power, influence, or relationships that are pursued for the wrong reasons. Keep in mind that sewer water won't quench your thirst.
The Lord has made you His Own. Our identity as the Church lies in Him. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:15 that, through Christ, we have received the Spirit of sonship as His love draws us in*.
Pray and teach the good and right way* -- have a posture of giving, even in the place of rejection.
Fear the Lord and serve faithfully in proper respect and awe. Remember that God has placed you on purpose.
Warning -- remember to walk in community with God's people and your life will be more abundant.
May we all live in line with these concepts as we follow Him in each season of our lives.
-- God Bless!!
Footnotes:
I don't know what's actually happening with the car yet, as he hasn't told me. I'm not even sure if he knows yet. All I know for sure is that the guy he bought the minivan from rejected it outright. Beyond that, Mike was going to ask Kevin, his friend that he bought it from, if he wants to buy it back. If not, he was going to ask a few other friends if they wanted it for a "beater". Right now, I'm waiting for him to call after getting back from a visit to his son's place up in Colebrook, NH..
In rearranging my bedroom, I was trying to set up a shelf as a space-saving desk, but not only was that not working on the wall, but there wasn't room to put the chair in front of it once the bed arrived. As a result, I'm now typing this from my dining/craft table in the living room.
You can find the pics of my homemade birthday gifts on the Card and Jewelry Page.
Brandi's other grandmother is 5'10"... so, yeah... (I'm only 5'1 3/4") ;p
For those of you just joining us, my friend's husband had multiple strokes on Thanksgiving Day of 2022. He was in the Intensive Care unit for about 7-8 months before getting strong enough to be transferred. And this was on top of partial blindness due to Diabetes AND ongoing Kidney Dialysis. He was actually about to get a new kidney when all of this happened. His recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. (and this is quoting an unsaved Doctor!!) Praise God!!
As I see it, Romans 8:15 is one of many verses that supports the truth of Eternal Security. The terms of "Sonship, Adoption, Children of God, sealed unto the day, etc..." all speak to the permanency of our position in Christ.
Along with teaching the "good and right way", I would add the importance of teaching the right THINGS. Some churches get the details wrong, and while that may not matter to God so much as it does to us; there are concepts of both Biblical teaching and general treatment of others that, if not corrected, will only serve to turn people away. And that's both Saved and Unsaved.
I would wish you all a Happy Labor Day Weekend, but I don't agree with the concept. Just have a good weekend regardless!! :D
Music -- Never any rights here!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iZ6CQxXTFk