We Are Not the Authors

Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 2:6, “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.”

Hannah praises God for something that is a great debate today. Sadly, I see far too many Christians standing on the wrong side of this debate. I will say right up front, that man does not have the authority, unless given to us by God, to take a life. That being said, all of us who support those who are advocates of taking the life of an unborn child, or agree with those who believe in mercy killings, will stand before God and give account. Both the Apostle Paul, when he was Saul, and King David, were murderers, even though they did not physically partake in taking the life of Stephen and Uriah (Acts 7; 2 Samuel 11-12). In the Old Testament, God gave Israel to the command to wipe out nations. There are many today who would disagree with that, but who are we to question God? King Saul was disobedient and God rejected him as king because he refused to wipe out the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15). In Romans 13, God gives the authority to those who work in government, who police the people, to kill those who are evil-doers, if necessary. Romans 13:4 specifically says, “For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” In the Old Testament, when God said, “an eye for an eye”, He was not referring to us taking, or giving us permission to take, someone’s life of our own accord. This was meant to be applied by those who were responsible to carry out the laws of the land, as given by God Himself (Exodus 21:24). In Matthew 5:38-48 Jesus gives His dissertation relative to loving your enemy, and rather than resorting to “an eye for an eye”, Jesus told us to turn the other cheek, love and pray for our enemies. I want to take us back to Exodus 21 for a moment, because it directly relates to this whole wickedness today where society says it is okay to abort an unborn child. Exodus 21:22-25 clearly says, “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Isaiah 44:24 tells us that it is the Lord who forms us in the womb. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” The Apostle Paul wrote this in Galatians 1:15, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace”. How then can we question whether or not it is a human life that is in the womb of a pregnant woman? If God is the Author of life and is the “Lord who kills and makes alive”, who are we to decide that such wickedness is acceptable, and support those who commit such atrocities? In Acts 3:14-15, the Apostle Peter said, when he was preaching, “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” The word he uses, “Prince”, means “Author”. The same word is used in Hebrews 12:2 where Jesus is called the “Author and Finisher of our faith”. Jesus, God Himself, is the Author of life, therefore, only He has the authority to decide who lives and who does not. This also brings me to a point that all of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior need to praise God about and celebrate. The Author of Life, our God, is the One who will also raise us up from the grave to be with Him for all eternity. 2 Corinthians 4:13-14 says, “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” Finally, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 promises, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” We must not be like the world that gives absolutely no value to, and has no respect for, life. Our opinions in comparison to His truth are worthless. We, as God’s children, should value life, as God values life, and remember that He, being the Author of Life, is the only One who should decide who lives and who dies, in accordance to His Word and His commands.

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).

Daily Devotional Audio Track: From Boasting to Begging

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From Boasting to Begging

Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 2:5, Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children has become feeble.

Prosperity and abundance is not a true indicator of how much favor we have with God. There are plenty of unsaved people who are wealthy and continue to prosper, who are on their way to being eternally condemned in Hell and the Lake of Fire. With that said, do not envy those who flaunt their riches or look down on us because we are not rich in the things of this world. Psalm 37:1-2 admonishes us, “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” Psalm 49:16-19 also says, “Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.” In the blink of an eye, in a second of time, those who brag about all they have, and mock us for the little we have, can find themselves in poverty. Peninnah, who mocked Hannah for her inability to conceive, now sits idle with nothing to brag about, as God has opened Hannah’s womb and blessed her with more children. Note that once Hannah conceives and gives birth to her first son, we hear nothing further about Peninnah. This is still so today; many will boast about their riches and their status in society, flaunting their wealth, but often we see that their wealth disappears, something happens that mars their reputation, and they fade into the woodwork. Christians, we must be careful not to fall for all this false prosperity preaching that only encourages us to think that we can name it and claim it. Far too often I see Christians who gain some success in the world and walk into church as if the rest of the congregation should part, like God parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites, when they walk into the sanctuary. They give, but they do it in such a way that others know what they give, and have the attitude that they should be given special treatment just because they give more than most or are able to buy a bigger house or newer car. May I remind us that God does not need our riches? He is the One who provides them to begin with, and He is not impressed with what we give, since He owns the universe. The gaining of earthly wealth does much to feed our prideful and arrogant attitudes. Sadly, I see too many of us who begin to think that we are self-sufficient, and somehow think that our ability to gain more wealth comes solely from our own talents. That is a lie from the pits of Hell. God will prosper whomever He chooses to prosper. He will even allow the wicked to prosper but warns that the Day of Judgement is coming for them. We are not all called to poverty, but we are not all called to be wealthy either. Regardless of which side of the fence we end up on, the most important thing for us to pursue, as God’s children, is to live out the life and plan God has set for us, and do it with contentment. The greatest thing any one of us can experience, and know, is that God will take care of us and provide all our needs, regardless of what road He chooses for us to walk with Him. At the very least, let us be thankful that we do not have to worry about where our food, shelter and clothes will come from, for He has promised that if we seek first the Kingdom of God, He will provide all that we need (Matthew 6:25-34). Remember this warning, that those who brag today might find themselves begging tomorrow. This is why it is best to simply be satisfied with whatever God provides for us, and if He chooses that all we have is Him, we have more than anyone who is rich in the things of this world. Hebrews 13:5-6 reminds us, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” 6 So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”

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).

Daily Devotional Audio Track: He Breaks the Mighty

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He Breaks the Mighty

Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 2:4, “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength.”

Today we continue to examine Hannah’s prayer of praise. What a wonderful reminder that God is our Defender. Romans 8:31 tells us, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” When we look closely at what Hannah’s praise is all about in this verse, we see that God will break that strength of the mighty. Peninnah’s words were like arrows being shot at Hannah. She arrogantly lifted up the strength of her womb, knowing that Hannah was barren. What Peninnah seemed to forget was that the strength of her womb came from the Lord. Hannah, who was weak physically, in that she was unable to conceive and give birth to a child, sought strength in the Lord (chapter 1). She was in a position to be discouraged and give up, but she found her comfort and ability to continue worshipping the Lord in the Lord Himself. When the Israelites found themselves engaged in war against the Philistines, they cowered when the Philistine champion Goliath challenged them. It was David, the shepherd boy who was God’s chosen king, who stood up against Goliath. Note what David said that made it obvious that he was facing Goliath in God’s strength, and not his own. 1 Samuel 17:45-47 says, “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come 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 the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.’” Every day that we walk with the Lord, there is a good chance that we will face some sort of challenge. It may not be today or tomorrow, or even next week. However, know that we will all face some kind of trial, tribulation or challenge that will cause us to question our faith, our strength, and our ability to survive whatever troubling circumstance we find ourselves in. There will be those who gossip about us and plot to turn others against us. They may even succeed in convincing some that their falsehoods are true. Nonetheless, God is still aware of their words and their actions. Psalm 7:14-16 says, “Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.” The fact of the matter is that it does not matter how strong or how much influence our enemies may have. God will protect His children. He may allow us to suffer for a while, but only so that He can teach us to trust Him and teach us to be more like Jesus in our responses to those who come against us. In the blink of any eye, those who seemed to have all the strength and advantage in the world can be brought low, because there is no one who is mightier than our God. Remember, when we are at our weakest, this is when God is at His strongest. We who know Jesus as Savior have access to that strength in the Holy Spirit. I will leave you with these verses that remind us that our greatest enemy is the devil, and he will use the people around us to try and break us down. Ephesians 6:10-11, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” God has given us all we need to overcome the attacks of those who wish to do us harm, whether physical, emotional or spiritual, and it is in His strength that we will see the ultimate victory. Jesus put it best in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

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).

Daily Devotional Audio Track: He Will Resist Us

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He Will Resist Us

Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 2:3, “Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.”

Hannah can now rebuke Peninnah for her prideful behavior. However, note how she does it. She does not go over to Peninnah and “give her a piece of her mind”. No, instead, she praises the Lord for being the One who stops Peninnah’s mouth. Note that God knows the motivation and intentions of the proud. It is a very dangerous place to be when we become prideful. This is the very sin that caused Lucifer, the devil, to be cast down. It was his downfall. Isaiah 14:12-15 tells us, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” The sin of pride is one that can creep up on us very easily if we are not vigilant. It creeps into our attitude and comes forth in our speech and the way we treat others. It shows itself when we begin to believe that we are something, when in reality we are nothing. Galatians 6:3 warns, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Romans 12:3 clearly says, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” As God’s children, we must not forget, when we are dealing with others, that we were once without Christ, and we are saved by His grace, not be anything we have done (Titus 3:4-5). Sadly, far too many of us Christians, as we gain more knowledge of God’s Word, become prideful. Memorizing a few Bible verses does not make us better than another Christian who has not committed as many to memory, and it does not make us better than someone who does not know Christ, for we too were once lost and without Him. The Apostle Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, “Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” We must be careful that we not fall into the trap of presenting Christ or the Gospel in a prideful way, which usually results in us sharing Christ’s message in a mean-spirited manner, and a tone of self-righteousness. This is the reason many unsaved people turn away from Christ when we tell them about Him, rather than turn to Him. God’s Word tells us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). If a person is offended by the truth, we cannot help that. However, if they are offended because of our prideful attitude in presenting it, then it becomes our problem and we will have to give an account for it. We must be careful that we not allow our pride to get the best of us as God allows us to advance in our careers, or blesses us materially. We must remain humble when God begins to use us to minister to others and be a blessing amongst the brethren. Like Jesus, we must remain humble. When we feel our pride begin to bubble up inside of us, or someone points out that we are being prideful, rather than take offense (because our pride was hurt), we must immediately repent and confess it. The last place we want to find ourselves is in the position described for us in 1 Peter 5:5 and James 4:6, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Even though many of us know Proverbs 16:18, we do a poor job at avoiding it and its consequences. The verses read, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” We must never forget that God measures all that we do when we are being used by Him or when we are dealing with others. God does not only judge our actions, but He judges the motivation and intentions behind those actions. Peninnah was prideful in her taunts toward Hannah, but God ultimately humbled her by lifting up Hannah. May we strive to be more like Hannah and less like Peninnah for the sake of not being resisted by our God.

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).