Devo Quest – Giving

Today I watched Lifechurch.tv

on tithing – it was awesome, super convicting, and amazing.

Can you outgive God?  Could you give anything He asked trusting in Who it is that is asking?  “Tithing is returning – it belongs to Him, giving is above the tithe.” -pastor who taught the message on lifechurch.tv

1 sam. 5-7  wish i had some more time today to record my thoughts on this….

God is worthy! worthy of all our worship and respect!  Where are there other gods in our lives that we need to turn from? ourselves? things? people?….Lord help me turn away from those things that i put before you, and return to you today, fill me with your Spirit, In Jesus’ Name amen.

The Devo Quest

1 Sam. 1-2

Before i opened the Word, my computer shut down by itself, and my son woke up from his nap but fell back to sleep, thank you Lord for iPhone Bibles.  You Version to the rescue.  So I read ch. 1 twice, and fell short 10 verses on chap. 2 because I got an important phone call.  This is typical kind of things that happen when I get ready to read or get quiet….hmmmm..

I wonder how long till a mother weened her baby in those days.  How old must Samuel have been before his mother left him in the care of the priest, Eli?  She only visited him once a year it seems from the text, and made him a little tunic every year.  Was he 3?  I cannot imagine not seeing Zachary for a year, yet I can understand her committment to the Lord to give her son to Him.  The Lord blessed Hannah with 5 more children, 3 more boys, and 2 daughters.  There is so much cultural & geographical stuff goin on in the first chapter that i’m wanting to find some answers like, how far were the two towns that they travelled once a year to make their family sacrifices.  Why was it so important to Hannah to have a child?  If Penninah didn’t harrass her and mock her all the time for not having kids would Hannah still have felt that sadness?  Why did her husband, Elkanah say, Don’t i mean more to you than 10 sons?  Why did Hannah promise not to cut Samuel’s hair? and why did Elkanah say, “….may the Lord make good His Word ” to Hannah when she wanted to wait that next year to go down to worship the Lord until Samuel was weaned?  Had the Lord promised her something?  Had the Lord told Elkanah something so that He could give his son up as well?  Why was taking Samuel to Eli to live there somehow going to help keep the LORD’s promise? 

Chapter two is bitter sweet…

Hannah’s prayer of praise and redemption from ridicule. 

v. 2 …”no Rock like our God”,

v. 4 “…those who stumbled are armed with strength”

v. 6-7 these are contraversial statements to be sure especially to health, wealth, and prosperity movement….don’t really want to get into it though i guess.   I just remember who my God is and that ALL HE DOES DO IS JUST, whether or not I understand it or not.

Deut.32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Last question:  why did they call the Lord the Rock?  Is it a “scripture quoting reference” for Hannah? 

God, thanks for your Word that blesses, reminds, inspires, convicts, propels…Blessed be the NAME of the LORD.

honest about devotion

life before my beautiful son was filled with “black and white” assumptions on some things, I remember thinking that devotionals were “less than” reading the WORD by itself.  I wouldn’t put anyone down if they studied “devo’s” it was just in my pre “mother” state not quite sufficient enough, not meaty enough I guess, but I’m about positive that I know who made up devotionals….had to be a busy mom….or a busy dad….I don’t really know where it all came from (that would be an interesting hunt to find the genesis of the Devotionals verses just scripture tellling, reading, or listening too).  I guess devo’s are like “written” mini sermons. 

Well, my need for God’s Word hasn’t changed, but my time in it has.  I like devo’s.  It’s about all I can do.  Sometimes its reading short parables about things, other times a verse or two to simmer all day, and frankly some days my Bible collects dust.  I pass by it all day, as i chase, feed, clean, change diapers, play with, clean house, sometimes shower, do cares stuff, etc. etc. etc. and deadlines take precidence over what used to be a sweet visit with the Lord in silence, in stillness….there is not much by way of those two words in my life….(I know I know I only have ONE kid!!  LOL anyway, that’s the Honest truth about that area for me for that past year and a half) 

So here I am wondering if I can devo my way back to the Word somehow….

here is an honest attempt at this mom’s desire to love and know her God intimately, vibrantly, and newly today:)