Tag Archive | women living well

1 Samuel 1 -Faith in the midst of adversity

Jan9

​Good evening y’all!!! Happy new year !!! 🙂

I’m glad to be back blogging with Good morning girls. We are blogging through the book of 1 Samuel a chapter a day. For more info, check out the blog from Courtney at Good Morning Girls – Intro to Book of 1 Samuel 

Today we are focusing on 1 Samuel chapter 1. I pray you are blessed as you read In Jesus’s Name. Amen 🙂

Hannah was married to a God fearing man named Elkanah. She happens to be one of two wives. We are not sure if she’s the 1st or 2nd wife but what we do know about her, is that she was a woman scorned with reproach. She was constantly mocked and looked down upon by her rival wife because she had no children. Her husband truly loved her. He hated seeing her sad and even told her that is he not worth more than 10 sons to her (v8).

She constantly went to the Passover feast with her husband and other wife year on year to offer sacrifices to God. Hannah didn’t go about living in self pity or calling friends to start a pity party rather she spent her time and energy seeking the one and only true God whom she knew could change her story from barrenness to fruitfulness.

She poured out her heart to God to the extent that the priest thought she was drunk but when he found out she was praying he blessed her. She made a vow to God to give him the child he gives her. Indeed she kept her vow to God and dedicated Samuel to God. 

From her life we learn the lessons below –

1) We need to acknowledge Gods sovereignty over our lives – The bible says “The Lord closed her womb”. She knew God had control over everything, He could decide to keep her womb shut forever or open it whenever He pleases.

2) We need to acknowledge Gods goodness – Hannah didn’t blame her circumstance on God. She wasn’t bitter towards God, rather she was constantly seeking His face. It was never mentioned in the bible
that she blamed God for her situation.  

3) We need to be persistent and continue in the ways of God even in the midst of adversity – Verse 3 tells us Hannah kept on going to Shiloh year after year. Hannah could have easily turned her back on God and refused to continue in the ways He commanded them just because God hasn’t answered her prayer.

4) We need to remain focused and not take offense when people misjudge or mistreat us – Hannah kept her focus on God, she refused  to be distracted and didn’t take offense even when Peninnah kept taunting her about her barrenness and when Eli accused her of being drunk. Rather than take offense, she explained her situation to him which in turn resulted in Eli blessing her.

5) We can be open and honest with God regards our feelings – Hannah poured out her heart to God in prayer.

“Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord” (v10 NLT)

“Oh no, sir!” she replied.
“I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very
discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord” (v15 NLT)

Some of us are good at pouring out her hearts to man whose help is limited but the one who has unlimited help, we struggle to open up to Him. We pretend everything is okay….

6) Our trust and confidence should not be in our ourselves or our ability or other people. It should be in God. Ps 62:5  says “Let all that I am wait quietly before God,for my hope is in him” (NLT)

7) We need to praise God even in the midst of adversity while we are waiting on him – After she had poured out her heart to God, the bible tells us she left with joy. Eli the priest, gave her a word and Hannah believed instantly. She keyed into the blessing in faith. She didn’t start
doubting God or wondering why this year will be different, considering
she had been coming year on year, rather she held on to the word and she
went home happy, praising God knowing He is able to fulfill His Word.

I pray we all strive to have a heart that trusts and holds on to God both in the good and bad times…a heart that seeks to please Him at all times. In Jesus’s Name. Amen

Thanks for joining today.  Pls feel free to share your thots on the chapter in the comments section.

Have a blessed evening basking in Gods goodness 🙂

James 2 – Faith and Works

Aug4

​Good evening y’all. Today I am blogging on James 2: 14- end.

Be blessed 🙂 

It’s not good enough to say you have faith and then do nothing or say things that are contrary to the Faith you profess. Verse 17-20 and 24 says:

“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone”.(James 2:17‭-‬20‭, ‬24 NLT)

In the verses above, James tells us the importance of following up our faith with good deeds. That is, if I say I have faith in God, then what I say or do must show that indeed I have faith. 

James gave us the example of Abraham and Rahab. Abraham could have easily said ‘God I love you, I believe in you so I don’t need to prove it to you by killing my son‘. Instead when the instruction came to prove his faith in God, he obeyed and God came through for him. Scripture says it’s was counted unto him as righteousness  

“Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God”. (James 2:21‭-‬23 NLT)

I like how the Message version puts this – 

“Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham “made right with God by works” when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are “works of faith”? The full meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.” Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?”(James 2:21‭-‬24 MSG)

Message bible says “Faith expresses itself in works”. That is faith comes alive in the good works you do.
My prayer for us all today is that God will give us the grace to do the right thing by him. That our actions and words will match our faith. 
Prayer: Dear Lord, pls let my actions match the Faith that I profess. Thank you Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Thanks for joining today. Pls feel free to share your thoughts on the chapter. 

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I’m blogging through the book of James with Good Morning Girls. Check us out at www.goodmorninggirls.org.

Have a blessed evening 🙂