Holiness and Strength

Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 2:2, “No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.”

There is no one who is as holy as our God or as strong as our God. This is essentially what Hannah was saying in this verse. Moses asked this question in his song, found in Exodus 15:11, “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” What does that mean for us today? It means that we have a God who does everything He does within the boundaries of His holiness. When Job was attacked by Satan in Job 1 & 2, did that change the holiness of God because He allowed it? Did God become unrighteous because He was the One who brought Job to Satan’s attention in Job 1:8? Absolutely not! Was God any less holy because He allowed Hannah to be persecuted for so long by Peninnah? The short answer to that question is “no”. When Jesus delayed His arrival after hearing that Lazarus, the one He loved, was sick, and allowed him to die in John 11, did that make Him any less holy? Not by one iota. The point I am making is that God is going to allow all kinds of situations and circumstances into our lives. He is going to allow us to walk down some very difficult paths. Yet, in all that He allows, and regardless of how much or little we suffer, God’s holiness is not affected one bit. In His holiness, He sets the boundaries of our trials and tribulations, and in setting those boundaries, He works all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). In each one of these examples, in the end, God was glorified. Hannah was lifted up, Job gained twice as much as he had, and Lazarus was raised from the dead. In each case, by God allowing all that He did, He received the greater glory than if He had intervened sooner. We must remember this when we are feeling the heat of our trials and it seems like God is not hearing our prayers. In God’s holiness, He will always do what it right and just, regardless of what our opinions and preferences are. If we go along with God’s plan, we will find that His plans, which are in line with His holiness, work out far better than any plans we have which are marred by our sinful thinking and desires. We must remember that God is not slack concerning His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). While we endure the suffering God allows, He is also the Rock that supplies our strength and becomes our Refuge, our Hiding Place. Like the Apostle Paul, regardless of what state we are in, it is Christ that becomes our strength. In Philippians 4:11-13 the Apostle wrote, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” There is no greater feeling of joy than to sing songs of praises to the Lord after He has seen us through a trial, and delivered us from those who seek to do us harm, whether physical, spiritual or emotional. What is even better is when we sing a song of praise while we are still in the midst of the trial or challenge. That would not only be a song of praise, but one that would please the Lord because it would be done in great faith!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).