Day: March 10, 2025

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.