Month: March 2025

God Delivers His People

The rejection of a king after the
people’s heart (Saul) sets the stage
for the choice of a king after God’s
own heart (David).A young shepherd
with a disposition more suited to
the pasture than the palace, David
possesses few claims to fame.
He is a good marksman with a sling,
an excellent lyre player and the
youngest of eight sons from an
insignificant family in Bethlehem.
But his heart attitude is one of
undivided devotion; a quality readily
visible in the way David dispatches
the Philistine giant Goliath and
handles Saul’s jealous attacks.

Lord,we Remember Yr Deliverance:
Saul said to David: You are not
able to go against this Philistine;
for you are a youth, and he a
man of war from his youth…(But)
David said: The Lord Who Delivered
me from the paw of the bear,
He Will Deliver me from the hand
of this Philistine (1 Sam 17:33-37).
Then David said to the Philistine:
You came to me with a sword,
with a spear and with a javelin.
But I come to You in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel whom you have defiled…
So David prevailed over the
Philistine with a sling and a stone
and… killed him (1 Sam 17:45-50)
I sought the Lord and He heard me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him are radiant;
their faces are never covered
with shame (Psalm 34:4-5).

Father God, just as You taught
David to trust You when he killed
the bear and the lion, prepare me
for the battles I will face one day.
And when I reach those battles,
remind me I had overcome in other
situations and that as You were with
me then, You will be with me again.
Give me the courage of David to
take up the armour of God, for with
it I can overcome anything. Amen.

Lord, help us remember our past
deliverance and know that You
will continue to be our Deliverer.
Help us have the same perspective
of David where size of the giant
is irrelevant, for Goliath was puny
when compared with almighty God.
Help us to be trained in the power
of God, fixing our eyes on You God,
then we’ll not fear the giant. Amen.

Lord, You tell us not to be afraid
or discouraged. And You pledge
Your presence everywhere we go.
You promise in Ps 34:5 that when
we seek You, You will give us joy;
and not allow shame to touch us.
Help us believe it, not just in our
head, but deep within our soul.
Let us exalt the Lord & seek Him
and He’ll deliver & bless us. Amen.

Spirit of God Empowers Us

From all outward appearances,
Saul’s selection as the first king
of Israel is an outstanding choice.
His kingly demeanour & imposing
presence make him a promising
candidate fr a human perspective.
But while man looks on the outward
appearance, the Lord looks on the
heart. Saul is anointed by Samuel,
installed as king at Mizpah, proven
in battle against the Ammonites
and confirmed as king at Gilgal.
But the fact remains (as pointed
out by Samuel in his final address
to the nation) that God not Saul
should be king over Israel.

Holy Spirit, empower us O Lord:
Then Samuel took a flask of olive
oil and poured it over Saul’s head.
He kissed Saul on the cheek and
said: I am doing this because the
Lord has appointed you to be the
leader of His pple Israel (1Sam 10:1)
When you arrive at Gibeah of God,
where the garrison of Philistines
is located, you will meet a band
of prophets… and they will be
prophesying. At that time the
Spirit of the Lord will come upon
you with power & you will prophesy
with them. You will be changed
into a different person (v5-6).
When they came to the hill there,
behold a group of prophets
met Saul; and the Spirit of God
came upon him mightily, so that
he prophesied among them (v10).

Lord Ruach Elohim, in You we
put our hope and trust for You
are the Spirit of the Living God.
Because of You we can experience
the fullness of God in our lives.
Thank You Lord for imparting the
wisdom of Your Word in our heart
and as You direct our thoughts.
Help us pray with words we don’t
even know we need to pray. Amen.

Lord Holy Spirit, forgive me for
the sins I harbour in my heart.
Forgive me for envy and becoming
ungrateful for all You’ve done for me.
Forgive me Lord when I am jealous,
comparing Your path for me with
the favour You have given to others.
Grant me the strength and help
to keep me from mortal sins.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Ruach Elohim, I ask You to be
ever present in my spirit; and may
Your Spirit lead and direct my own.
I don’t want to wrestle with fear
or doubt; instead let trust and rest
from Your presence be evident
in my life. I seek Your presence
to be gracious and be effective.
And help me to know You and love
You as I ought to. In Jesus’ name.

Gracious God Is Our Mighty Helper

Robert Robinson (1735-1790)
had always been prone to wander.
Apprenticed to a barber, he spent
more time playing than cutting hair.
And as a wild youth, he repented,
became pastor & wrote some hymns
Come Thou Fount was written
in 1757, inspired by 1 Samuel 7.
Later in life he wandered from the
Lord and felt he could not return.
But he met a lady in a coach who
shared the hymn Come Thou Fount
to him. He replied: I’m the unhappy
man who wrote the hymn years ago
and I would give a thousand worlds
to enjoy the feelings I had then.”
She responded by telling him:
“Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are
still flowing.” And he repented.

Lord, we Call on You for Help:
And Samuel said: Gather all Israel
to Mizpah and I will pray to the
Lord for you… And they fasted
that day and said: We have sinned
against the Lord (1Sam 7:5-6).
(Samuel) pleaded with the Lord
to help Israel & the Lord answered.
Just as Samuel was sacrificing
the burnt offering, the Philistines
arrived for battle. But the Lord
spoke with a mighty voice of
thunder… and the Philistines were
thrown into confusion that the
Israelites defeated them (v9-10).
Then Samuel took a stone… set it
up and called its name Ebenezer,
saying: Thus far the Lord has helped
us. So the Philistines were subdued,
and they did not come anymore
into the territory of Israel (v12-13).

Lord, we realized You are more
ready to hear the prayers of Your
people when they are repentant.
You listened to Your servants’
intercession for divine favour.
We note Samuel’s good practice
of erecting Ebenezer memorial
as Thanksgiving, which reminds us
of Your goodness and power that
we can call on You for help. Amen.

Father, thanks for streams of mercy
that call for songs of loudest praise.
We yearn to be able to erect our
Ebenezer like Samuel & testify of U.
But Lord, we are human, and like
Robertson we are prone to wander.
Cause us to always remember the
Lord has helped us and be grateful.
So, here’s my heart; take and seal it;
seal it for Your courts above. Amen.

Lord, Thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wondering from the fold of God.
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood…
Lord, I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by Thy help I come.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander Lord I feel it;
prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above. Amen.

Listen for the Lord Speaks

Israel has been ruled by judges
for over 200 yrs. Eli and Samuel
are the last of those judges.
Samuel grows up in the tabernacle
as a priest-in-training under Eli
and is well qualified to serve
Israel as both a priest and a judge.
Although the nation had fallen
away from God, it is clear that
He is preparing Samuel to lead
the nation back to right living.

Lord, we aspire a Listening Heart:
One night, Samuel was sleeping
in the Tabernacle. Suddenly the
Lord called out: Samuel ! Yes?
Samuel replied: What is it? He
got up and ran to Eli: Here I am…
Eli realised it was the Lord who was
calling the boy. So he said to Sam
If someone calls again, say: Yes
Lord, Your servant is listening…
And the Lord came and called
as before: Samuel ! Samuel !
And Samuel replied: Yes, Your
servant is listening (1Sam 3:1-10).

Lord, call me out of my slumber;
speak for I want to hear what
You have to say into my life.
Make my heart come alive by
the power of Your word of life.
I don’t just listen to You in
order to consider my options
for I need Your direction and You
are my master and Sovereign God.
Speak Lord for Your servant
is listening. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, listening and responding are
vital in the relationship with You.
Quieten my mind and my heart
so that I can hear You clearly.
Remove Lord any distractions
that will keep me from being
attentive and open to what Your
Spirit is impressing on my heart.
Make me receptive to Listen to You
and willing to answer obediently
when You call on me. Amen.

Lord, I need Your divine direction
for my life; and I don’t just listen to
You in order to consider my options.
You know Lord my deepest needs
and You also love and care for me.
I purposed to commit that Your will
is my direction; for You are good.
I quieten my heart to hear what You
want to say. Speak Lord Shepherd
for Your sheep is listening. Amen.

Loving God Cares About You

The period of the judges is nearly
at an end. One last judge remains:
Samuel, a man of godly character
and integrity who will guide the
nation from judgeship to kinship.
Samuel is the offspring of barren
woman and the answer to fervent
prayer. And he is consecrated
to the Lord’s service from birth.

Lord, we cast our cares for You Care:
Hannah was in bitterness of soul,
and prayed to the Lord and wept
in anguish. Then she made a vow:
O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed…
give Your maidservant a male child,
then I will give him to the Lord all
the days of his life (1Sam 1:10-11).
As she continued praying… Hannah
spoke in her heart; only her lips
moved but her voice was not heard.
So Eli thought that she was drunk.
But Hannah answered: No my lord,
I am a woman of sorrowful spirit.
I’ve poured my soul before the Lord..
Then Eli answered: Go in peace
and the God of Israel grant your
petition which you’ve asked of Him…
So the woman went her way, ate,
and was no longer sad (v12-18).
I asked the Lord to give me this boy
and He has granted my request.
Now I am giving him to the Lord,
and he will belong to the Lord
his whole life (1 Sam 1:27-28).

Lord, Hannah struggling with
heartbreak of infertility & taunting,
poured out her heart to You God.
After she did, she ate something,
and her face was no longer sad.
Here we see a woman who knew
how to give her worries to God.
Help us Lord learn from Hannah
to cast our worries over to You;
for after all You care for us. Amen.

Lord, Your Word says in 1Pet 4:7
to Cast all our anxieties on You
God because You care for us.
Yet sometimes we take back the
worries we claim to give to You.
Help us Lord learn from Hannah;
help us to rest the full weight of
our worry in Your capable hands.
Help us know You care for us and
thanks for the peace You give. Amen

Lord, although we’re not in position
to bargain with the Almighty God,
You may choose to answer a prayer
that has an attached promise to it.
You God keep Your promises and
will also expect us to keep ours.
Help us Lord to be earnest by
asking ourselves whether we will
follow thru on the promise we make
when God grants our request. Amen.

The Lord of Peace Is With Us

Gideon, Israel’s fifth judge, receives
God’s call while hiding in winepress.
Midian’s oppression is indeed severe
and Gideon is God’s man to lead
the people in throwing off that
yoke of bondage – an assignment
Gideon is not keen to accept!
But once convinced of his calling
thru two miraculous signs, Gideon
leads a humble army of 300 men,
equipped only with pitches, torches
and trumpets, in a stunning victory
against the mighty Midianite forces!
Israel’s unconventional weapons and
unusual battle plan leave no room
for doubt: The victory is the Lord’s!

Lord, we Claim Your Presence:
When the angel of the LORD
appeared to Gideon, he said: The
LORD Is With you, mighty warrior.
But sir, Gideon replied, if the LORD
is with us,why has all this happened
to us? Where are all his wonders
that our fathers told us?… But now
the LORD has abandoned us and
put us into the hands of Midian.
The LORD turned to him and said:
Go in the Strength you Have and
Save Israel out of Midian’s hand.
Am I not sending you?… I Will Be
With you, and you will strike down
all the Midianites (Jdgs 6:12-16).
Then the angel of the Lord touched
the meat and bread with the staff,
and fire flamed up from the rock
and consumed all he had brought.
Gideon then said: Sovereign Lord,
I have seen the angel of the Lord
face to face! Then the Lord said:
Peace be with you; do not fear…
So, Gideon built an altar there to the
Lord and named it The Lord Is Peace
Jehovah Shalom (Jdgs 6:21-24).

Lord, Gideon was well aware of
his own inadequacy. But when he
told the Lord that he wasn’t up
to the job, the angel didn’t try to
assure Gideon he was adequate.
Instead of pumping up Gideon’s
self confidence, he infused Gideon
with the confidence from God.
Lord, we agree that You are with
us and that victory does not lie in
our own adequacy or abilities, but
in Your presence & power. Amen.

Lord, our perceptions tend not
to judge You well as it should.
Like Gideon, we tend to focus
on what God hadn’t done; that
He hadn’t delivered His people yet.
We note Your reply to Gideon:
to go with the strength he has.
Lord, thank You for all that You
have done; and help me now
focus only on what You have
said You will do. Amen and amen.

Lord Jehovah Shalom, I speak
shalom into my body and health.
I speak shalom into my mind,
my thoughts and my heart.
Let there be shalom in my plans,
in my future and in my relationships.
Lord, reveal to me the choices
I need to make to enter into an
even greater level of Your Peace.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Hearing God thru His Word

The purpose of the book of
Judges is to show that God’s
judgment against sin is certain,
and His forgiveness of sin and
restoration to relationship are just
as certain for those who repent.
And the purpose of the book of
Ruth is to show how three people
remained strong in character
and true to God even when the
society around them was collapsing

On Monday, we learn from Jdgs 1-3
that Compromises Results In Failure.
On Tuesday, we learn from Jdgs 6
that the Lord of Peace Is With Us.
On Wed, we learn from Jdgs 7 that
God Loves to Do the Impossible.
On Thursday, we learn fr Jdgs 17-21
to Be Weary of What Seem Right.
On Fri, we learn from Ruth 1-2 that
Faithful God Inspires Faithfulness.
On Sat, we learn from Ruth 3/4 to
Trust God During Tough Times.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Hear You:
For God Loves to do the Impossible
and the Lord of Peace Is With Us;
For Compromises Result In Failure
and Be Weary of What Seem Right;
For faithful God Inspires faithfulness
& to Trust God During Tough Times.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Trusting God During Hard Times

Set in the context of unrest during
time of Judges & faced with famine,
Ruth a young widow, leaves her
native land to travel with her
mother-in-law to Bethlehem.
There she gleans in the field of
Boaz, who grows to love her and
becomes her kinsman-redeemer.
In their marriage, Ruth and Boaz
become ancestors of Jesus.
With twin themes of faithfulness
and redemption, the book of Ruth
shows God’s love to mankind.

Dear Lord, thank You for working
through willing people like Ruth and
fulfil Your perfect plan in Your time.
Help us O Lord be willing players,
taking steady steps of faith & thus
lead lives of eternal significance.
Help us Lord to learn from Ruth,
Trusting You during Hard Times;
Trusting in Your Plan for our lives;
Trusting You by Waiting & Acting
In Faith when opportunity comes.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we’ll Wait Upon You and Act
In Faith when opportunity comes:
Naomi said to Ruth: Take a bath,
put on perfume and dress in your
nicest clothes. Then go to the
threshing floor, note where Boaz
lies down; uncover his feet & lie
down there… Around midnight
Boaz woke up and was surprised
to find a woman lying at his feet!
Who are u? he demanded I am
your servant Ruth, she replied.
Spread the corner of yr covering
over me for you are my family
redeemer. Boaz said: I will do
what is necessary for you are an
honourable woman (Ruth 3:3-11)
Lord, we note the advise of
an experienced person can be
invaluable & listening to them can
change our life. And exercising
faith sometimes bring us to the
point, where not acting at all is
worse than acting & risking.Amen.

Lord, we Trust You In Hard Times:
Then Boaz said: On the day you
buy the land from Naomi and Ruth,
you acquire the dead man’s widow
to maintain the name of the dead…
At this, the kinsman-redeemer said:
Then I cannot because I might
endanger my own estate. Buy it
yourself… Then Boaz announced
to the elders and all the people:
Today you’re witnesses that I bought
from Naomi and the property of
Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. I have
also acquired Ruth, Mahlon’s widow,
as my wife, in order to maintain
the name of the dead (Ruth 4:1-12).
Lord, we learn the story is never
over until it’s over. For what looks
hopeless can be turned around
when You God is at work. So we
trust in You in times of pain and
whenever facing challenges. Amen.

Lord, we will Trust In Your Plan:
Boaz married Ruth. When he
slept with her, the Lord enabled
her to become pregnant and she
gave birth to a son. The women
of the town said to Naomi: Praise
the Lord who has given u a family
redeemer! May this child care for
you in your old age. They named
him Obed. He became the father
of Jesse and the grandfather
of David (Ruth 4:13-17).
Lord, in Ruth we see You At Work
behind the scene orchestrating
events and working thro willing
people towards Your perfect plan.
Altho we cannot know the future,
but we can Trust God who does.
And we know all things will work
together for good according to
Your purpose (Rom 8:28) Amen.

Faithful God Inspires Faithfulness

Set in the context of unrest during
time of Judges & faced with famine,
Ruth a young widow, leaves her
native land to travel with her
mother-in-law to Bethlehem.
There she gleans in the field of
Boaz, who grows to love her and
becomes her kinsman-redeemer.
In their marriage, Ruth and Boaz
become ancestors of Jesus.
With twin themes of faithfulness
and redemption, the book of Ruth
shows God’s love to mankind.

Lord, we see Your Faithfulness:
When she heard the Lord helping
his pple by providing food, Naomi
& her daughters-in-law set out to
Judah. Then Naomi said: Go back
to your mother’s home… But Ruth
clung to her: Don’t urge me to
leave you…Where you go I will go.
Your people will be my people &
your God my God (Ruth 1:6-16).
Boaz said to Ruth: Do not glean
in another field but stay close by…
She said Why have I found favour
in your eyes? Boaz answered;
it has been fully reported to me
all that you have done for your
mother-in-law since the death
of your husband. The Lord repay
your work and a full reward be
given you by the Lord God of
Israel, under whose wings you
have come for refuge(Ru 2:8-12)

Lord, we see in the love story
that Ruth’s life was guided by
faithfulness toward God and
showed itself in loyalty towards
the people she knew. And through
the story we can also perceive
Your faithfulness to Your people.
Help us Lord be loyal & loving by
imitating Your faithfulness in our
relationships with others. Amen.

Lord, during difficult times,
in the current troubled world,
it is easy to be inward looking and
not to be faithful to one another.
We are inspired by the loyalty
of Ruth whose affirming words
greatly encouraged Naomi.
Lord, we need Your empowering
of courage so that we can be
so faithful to one another. Amen.

Lord, we see Your loving care and
protection over the lives of Naomi
and Ruth. For Your supreme control
over circumstances brings security.
For You guide the minds and action
of people to fulfill Your purpose;
like impressing Boaz of Ruth’s
loyalty that he gave her favour.
Grant us the faith that no matter
how tough our situation may be,
our hope is in God for Your power
and resources are infinite. Amen.

Be Weary of What Seemed Right

Thematically Judges 17-21 provide
a fitting conclusion to the book of
Judges. What happens to a nation
when “every man does that which
is right in his own eyes.” The grisly
details of gross idolatry (J17-18)
and gross immorality (J19-21) show
total disregard for the Word of God.
When at last Israel’s conscience is
pricked by a shocking letter to the
12 tribes, the response is brutality.

Lord, we note despite the efforts
of Israel’s Judges, the people still
would not turn wholeheartedly to U.
They all did whatever they thought
was best for themselves, resulting
in the spiritual, moral and political
decline of the nation. Lord we learn
our lives will likewise fall into decay
unless we live by Your guidelines.
Grant us grace Lord as we purpose
to only Worship You, to Inquire of U
and to Follow Your Direction. Amen.

Lord, we will only Worship You:
Micah had a shrine and made an
ephod and household idols; and
he consecrated one of his sons who
became his priest… Micah said to
him: Be a priest to me & I will give
you ten shekels of silver per year a
suit of clothes & your sustenance…
So Micah consecrated the Levite &
the young man became his priest.
Then Micah said: Now I know that
the Lord will be good to me since I
have a Levite as priest(Jdgs 17:5-13)
Lord, we will do what is right in
God’s eyes and not what seems
right within culture of society.
We purpose not to have idols but
instead worship You out of gratitude.
And we will seek Your kingdom and
righteousness, knowing that You
will bless us accordingly. Amen.

Lord, we will Directly Inquire of You:
He told them what Micah had done
for him and said: He has hired me
and I am his priest. Then they said
to him: Please inquire of God to
learn whether this journey will be
successful. The priest answered:
Go in peace. Your journey has
the Lord’s approval (Jdgs 18:4-6).
Lord, I purpose to turn to You for
all wisdom, direction and guidance.
Where I must seek advice from
another person, help me to know
when that person speaks from
godly knowledge and when this is
not the case. Help me to always test
the input of others with Your Word.
For I want You to be my ultimate
source for all knowledge. Amen.

Lord, we will Follow Your Direction:
The people said: why there shld be
one tribe missing in Israel(Jdg21:3)
The Israelite assembly sent a peace
delegation to remnant of Benjamin…
And 400 women of Jabesh-gilead
were given to them as wives. But
there were not enough women for
all of them (v13-14). So the men of
Benjamin… kidnapped the women
who took part in the celebration…
In those days Israel had no king,
so the people did whatever seemed
right in their own eyes (v23-25).
Lord, we note during time of Judges,
the people of Israel experienced
great trouble because everyone
became their own authority and
acted based on their own opinions.
Lord, we realise our standards and
convictions come from God’s Word.
Help us Lord to do what is right
in Your eyes and not ours. Amen.