May 14, 2024 – 1 Samuel 7:5-17

May 14, 2024 – 1 Samuel 7:5-17

⁵ Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” ⁶ So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. ⁷ Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸ And the people 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 hand of the Philistines.” ⁹ So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. ¹⁰ As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. ¹¹ And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” ¹³ So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴ The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵ Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶ And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. ¹⁷ Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.

I absolutely love these words from verse 13: “And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.” Don’t you find great peace in those words? I know, as a believer, that God offers me protection daily from my enemies. I simply need to call on God for this protection from my enemies and His hand will be on my life. Praise God for such reassurance. Spend time today asking God to protect you from your enemies and ask for His will to be done in your life daily. He is our Abba Father and desires a loving, caring relationship with us.

 

Heavenly Father, I know that obedience to You is the best way for me to show I love You.  How many times I fail to show You the love I feel, but I know if I have enough faith I will be obedient.  Sometimes I think it is more a lack of faith in me, but then I realize I have no faith in me, only in You and what You can do through me.  I am nothing without You.  Help me have faith.  Show me what a full measure of faith looks like.  Help me see and feel what it means to be full of faith.  Thank You for using me and believing in me when I don’t believe in myself.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen!