Dad's Ramblings -- A Changed Heart

[Samuel said to Saul] " 'Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.' ....So it was...that God gave him another heart...And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, 'What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?' "
 
                                        I Samuel 10:6, 9b, 11
 
God gave evidence that He was indeed at work in Saul's life. When the Spirit of God invades a person's life, he will truly be changed. He will have a different heart, and others will see the change. Change my heart, O God! As for the prophesying, God uses whomever He wants. We may not think they are the most holy people, but God can use anyone He desires. "But one and the same Spirit works all things, distributing to each one individually as He wills" (I Cor. 12:11).
 
Today's Thought: People will notice the change when God gives a new heart.
 
Have a "new heart" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Getting What We Deserve

"Then Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah, and said...'You have today rejected your God...and you have said to Him, "No, set a king over us!" ' ... And Samuel said to all the people, 'Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?' So all the people shouted and said, 'Long live the king!' "
 
                                          I Samuel 10:17, 18a, 19b, 24
 
It is clear that Saul was chosen by God to be king. Did God make a mistake? When Saul turned out to be a bad dude, did God wring His hands and say, "Boy, if I had known Saul was going to be like this, I sure wouldn't have chosen him"? I don't think so. God knew from the beginning that Saul would be a bad king, but He chose him as judgment on the nation for rejecting God's kingship. God gives us what we demand even though it will bring us pain. As the Psalmist said, "He gave them their request, but sent leanness to their soul" (Psalm 106:15). We get what we deserve.  How much better it is to trust His ways than to get what our flesh wants only to suffer heartache and sorrow.
 
Today's Thought: God may give us what we want as judgment for rejecting His ways.
 
Have a God-desiring day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Providence

"Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, 'Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.' "
 
                                                   I Samuel 9:3
 

The Case of the Lost Donkeys. This story is an example of Providence – God's plan being accomplished. Providentially, the donkeys wandered away. Providentially, Saul headed in the direction of Zuph looking for them. Providentially, Samuel came to visit Zuph on the very day that Saul was visiting. Providentially, they met on the street as Saul was going into the city and Samuel was going out. Providentially, God had already prepared Samuel for meeting Saul. Providentially, the donkeys were found. God's Providence is often being worked out in the mundane things of life. Last year, Mildred's Bible was lost, and God providentially had a woman find it who needed Mildred's ministry. Who knows but that today God has a providential meeting in store for me.
 
Today's Thought: God's Providence is often seen in the mundane act of living.
 
Have a Providential day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Tall, Dark, and Handsome

"There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish...a mighty man of power [wealth]. And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders up he was taller than any of the people."
 
                                  I Samuel 9:1-2
 
Tall, dark, handsome, and rich. What a man!!! Sigh!! He must have been some specimen of humanity! I would be happy if I had any one of these things!!!   But outward appearances are not a true indicator of inward character.  It is interesting that people were not attracted to Jesus because he was "tall, dark, and handsome."  In fact, Scripture says that "he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him"  Isaiah 53:2, NIV).  To our regret, we often are attracted to people based on their charisma rather than their character (a la Bill Clinton).
 
Today's Thought: Inward character is more important than outward persona.
 
Have a character day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Rejected Warnings

" 'Now therefore, heed their voice. However you shall solemnly forewarn them and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.' So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king....Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, 'No, but we will have a king over us.' "
 
                                              I Samuel 8:9-10, 19
 
The people knew what they would be getting for a king because Samuel told them what to expect. The king would require a large entourage every time he traveled (vs.11); he would make people his servants for his own purposes (vss. 12, 13, 16); he would take from the rich and redistribute the wealth to his cronies and the poor (s. 15); he would raise taxes (vs. 17); and the day would come when the people would despise him but it would be too late (vs. 18). But the people rejected the words of the prophet, and they got what they deserved. Pardon this political observation, but does this sound like anything you've seen lately in America? It is a sad thing when people demand their own way even after they are warned of the consequences.
 
Today's Thought: When people are warned of the consequences of their choices but they demand them anyway, they get what they deserve.
 
Have a whatever day. :/ Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Disillusionment

"Then all the elders of Israel gathered together, and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, 'Look, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.' But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us.' So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, 'Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.' "
 
                                                        I Samuel 8:4-7
 
Disillusionment when spiritual leaders fail causes some people to forsake God. Whether a preacher, a prophet, or a father, humans are humans and will disappoint us. The answer not is found in forsaking God, or following the ways of the world. Looking for the perfect person is a futile quest. Our trust has to be in the Lord and not in people.
 
Today's Thought: When spiritual leaders fail, we need to turn to God instead of turning from Him.
 
Have a trusting-God day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Individual Choices

"Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons [Joel and Abijah] judges over Israel....But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice."
 
                                             I Samuel 8:1, 3
 
This sounds like a replay of Eli and his sons. Samuel's nepotism was a mistake. Surely he knew the character of his sons. God may call a son to carry on the father's ministry, but it is God's calling – not the father's. A godly father does not guarantee godly children, because following after God's way is a choice each person has to make for himself.
 
Today's Thought: Following God is a choice each child must make personally.
 
Have a godly day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Ebenezer

"Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him...But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel... Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shem, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the LORD has helped us.' "
 
                                          I Samuel 7:9b, 10b, 12
 
I thank God for helping me this far, and today I set up an Ebenezer – "stone of help" – as a memorial. May God continue to help us by confusing the plans of our enemies.
 
Today's Thought:  Thank God's for His help which has brought us this far.
 
Have a Ebenezer day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Praying for Others

"Then Samuel said, 'Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.'..... So the children of Israel said to Samuel, 'Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the Philistines.' "
 
                                                   I Samuel 7:5, 8
 
It sometimes seems that my prayers for other people are a waste of time. I don't see much results of my prayers. Yet, God says to do it. Paul prayed for others. "We do not cease to pray for you" (Col. 1:9; II Thess. 1:11). He prayed that all Israel would be saved (Romans 10:1). And he encouraged prayer for "all men" (I Tim. 2:2). And, of course, James says that the "effective, fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much" (James 5:16b). So even though I don't see the fruit of my prayers, I need to do it, just as I need people to pray for me (I Thess. 5:25; II Thess. 3:1; Heb. 13:18).
 
Today's Thought: Praying for others is being obedient to God.
 
Have a praying day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Prepared Heart

"Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel saying, 'If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only....' So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashoreths, and served the LORD only."
 
                                             I Samuel 7:3-4
 
Israel had conquered Canaan, but then had incorporated the gods of the Canaanite culture into their lives. They wanted God but also the gods of this world. It happens so subtly – the infections of false gods. A little here and a little there until God is crowded out. God's people need to beware of this trap. Giving our hearts to the gods of this world – money, sex, fame, materialism, egotism – will keep God on the outside. Preparing our hearts for God is a conscious choice.
 
Today's Thought: God will not dwell in divided hearts.
 
Have a God-only day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Living in God's Presence

"And the men of Beth Shemesh said, 'Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God And to whom shall it go up from us?' "
 
                                                  I Samuel 6:20
 
It strikes me that there is no mention of repentance by the people of Beth Shemesh even after suffering the consequences of their sin. They just want to get rid of this reminder of God's presence and His holiness. It is easier to push God out of our lives so we don't have to think about what His righteousness requires of us. I notice that people who want to live in sin quit going to church and reading their Bibles so they won't have to think about the issue. King David asked the same question: "Who may ascend to the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?" He answered his own question – people who have clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-4). The Lord Jesus has made it possible to live cleansed lives so that we can dwell in His presence without fear when we live in repentance (I John 1:9).
 
Today's Thought: Living in God's presence requires clean lives.
 
Have a wonderful day in God's presence. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Curiosity

"Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck 50,070 men of the people, and the people lamented because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter."
 

                                             I Samuel 6:19
 
Does this seem like overkill (no pun intended)? All they did was look into the ark. The men of Beth Shamesh had used the ark as an object of curiosity. I can see them lined up to take a peek into the ark. Since they were God's people, they should have known better. This speaks to me of God's view when we misuse hallowed things for our own pleasure and amusement. God is awesome and we as God's people need treat His holy things and His holy presence with respect. They are not toys to be played with.
 
Today's Thought: God's holy things are to be treated in a holy manner.
 
Have a holy day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- God or Chance?

" 'Watch: if it (the ark) goes up the road to its own territory, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us – it happened by chance.' "
 
                                           I Samuel 6:9
 
This is a big conundrum to me. How much of what happens in my life is pure chance or luck? How much is caused by Satan (as Job)? How much is a result of my own making? And how much comes from the hand of God – either as blessing or as discipline? Does God really care if I win a game of Skipbo? Is it His fault when my refrigerator dies? Is He responsible for my falling from a ladder or an auto accident in Texas? This I know: whether I experience weal or woe, God is the center of my life and He is involved.
 
Today's Thought: For the Christian, God is involved in all of life.
 
Have a God-centered day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Lessons from History

" 'Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go that they might depart?....Then send it (the ark) away and let it go.' "
 
                                               I Samuel 6:6, 8b
 
It is a fool who will not learn from history. The Philistines were not fools. Even though it had been hundreds of years since God had miraculously delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt, the Philistines remembered the story. They took that lesson and applied it to their own lives. "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition...." (I Cor. 10:11). History is a great teacher if we will listen.
 
Today's Thought: History and experience are great teachers, but we must apply the lessons.
 
Have a remembering day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- "What Shall We Do With God?"

"Now the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, 'What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it to its place.' "
 
                                                    I Samuel 6:1-2
 
"What shall we do with this God?" It is amazing to me that the mindset of people who, though they recognize the power of the true God, would want to send Him away rather than bow the knee in worship. The Philistines knew that their problems were a result of God's judgment and that He was greater than their gods (vss. 3-5). Still, they wanted to get rid of Him. They would not worship Him. What blindness of the heart! It was not ignorance of their intellects, but hardness of their hearts that kept them from receiving the Lordship of the One True God.
 
Today's Thought: The desire to get rid of God is not an intellectual problem, but a heart problem.
 
Have a receiving day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Consequences

"But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, 'The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.' "
 
                                                   I Samuel 5:6-7
 
The Philistines had a choice to make. They could submit to the God of Israel, or reject Him. In retrospect, it does not seem to be a difficult choice since they had seen God's superiority. But they chose to keep their old God, Dagon. There are consequences for rejecting God. We cannot spurn Him without receiving His judgment. My concern for America is the judgment we will receive for rejecting Him. I fear "His hand will be harsh toward us."
 
Today's Thought: There are consequences for rejecting God.
 
Have an accepting day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Clinging to Old Idols

"And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon's torso was left on it."
 
                                           I Samuel 5:3-4
 
It is hard for people to let go of their old idols. You would think that the people of Ashdod would have embraced the God of Israel when they saw the power of God's presence in the ark. But no, they put their old idol back in its place of worship, only to have it smashed. Ultimately, they rejected the presence of the God of Israel and sent it out of their lives. The philosophies of this world are powerless and cannot stand before the truth of God. But when the emptiness of the false god is revealed, in order to accommodate their own life-style, people reject Him and send Him away. What blindness.
 
Today's Thought: The idols of this world cannot stand before the presence of God.
 
Have a godly day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- A Little Bit of God

"Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon."
 
                                               I Samuel 5:1-2
 
This sounds like the approach of many people. They have heard that God is real and want some religion in their lives. So they just add Him to their repertoire of idols. They want to keep the old, and just add some God. Bahai, Unitarians, and New Age formalize this eclecticism, but most people just do it without realizing it. A pundit wrote an essay entitled "A Pound of God" – just enough God to make me respectable and salve my conscience to make me feel good, but not enough to change my life. The true Christian does not imbibe in this philosophy. There is One God and there is none beside Him. Hannah had it right when she sang, "No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You" (I Samuel 2:2). As someone said, "Either He is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all."
 
Today's Thought: God is not just an idea to add to my philosophical ideals; He is Lord of all.
 
Have a worshiping day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Names

"Now his daughter -in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, due to be delivered; ...Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has departed from Israel!' because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband."
 
                                                I Samuel 4:19, 21
 
It was a bad time in her life. First the death of her husband and brother-in-law and then her father-in-law. Plus the capture of the Ark. Now she is dying, also. She must have been really depressed. No wonder she named her son such an "inglorious" name! (That's what Ichabod means.) It gets worse if you shorten it to "Ich." Parents sometimes name their children strange names, forgetting that the child has to live with it for life. I think if I was responsible for choosing a name for a son again, it would be "Christian."
 
Today's Thought: Names identify the person.
 
Have a glorious day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- A Life-Sentence (reprise)

"So the messenger answered and said, 'Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phineheas, and dead; and the ark of the LORD has been captured.' Then it happened when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken, and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel 40 years."
 
                                                 I Samuel 4:17-18
 
Eli's life-sentence was that he had judged Israel 40 years. (In a previous Dad's Ramblings, "life-sentence" was defined as the one sentence that summarizes a person's life. See DR for Proverbs 10:7.) Since he was 98 years old (vs. 15), that means he was nearly 60 when he began to judge. Even apart from the life-sentence, the record does not show any great accomplishments. He was remembered for being "old and fat," a poor father, and death by a broken neck. (At least, he did not fall off of a ladder!!!!) This is not a remarkable life-sentence for almost a century of living. But neither will my obituary be remarkable. I do not have any great accomplishments on my resume. But I really have only one desire: to be remembered as a man who loved Jesus.
 
Today's Thought: Each of us will be remembered by something – either good or bad.
 
Have a great life-sentence. Love you.

 

Dad's Ramblings -- God and God Alone

"Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated....And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, 'Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.'.....So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter and there fell of Israel 30,000 foot soldiers."
 
                                           I Samuel 4:2a, 3, 10
 
God gets blamed for a lot of things. People live their lives apart from God doing their own thing, and when tragedy strikes, they moan, "Where is God?" So they try some religious thing (like going to church after 9/11), thinking "it" will save them – "it" instead of God. But adding some religion without relationship is a hollow shell, and will not save. God is not some Aladdin's Lamp we turn to in trouble to get some magic Genie to help us. In our love relationship with God, we simply trust Him and Him alone.
 
Today's Thought: God is not some magical ritual we manipulate into delivering us from our troubles.
 
Have a loving, trusting day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- A National Prophet

"So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD. Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel by the word of the LORD."
 
                                               I Samuel 3:19-21
 
In His mercy, God sent a prophet to once again speak His word to a nation that has lost its revelation of the Word of the Lord (I Sam. 3:1). America has gone through times when it drifted from God's truth, and in His mercy God has raised up and established national prophets to declare His Word – Whitfield, Edwards, Moody, Sunday, Graham. But we have no national prophet today. My heart's cry is that God would raise up and establish in our nation a prophet who would be recognized from Dan to Beersheba (New York to Los Angeles) as one who speaks God's truth – His revealed Word. We need to hear God's voice.
 
Today's Thought: God sends prophets to nations to declare His revealed truth.
 
Have a prophetic day. Love you.