May 28, 2024 – 1 Samuel 11:19-23 Do you ever feel that you haven’t b

May 28, 2024 – 1 Samuel 11:19-23

Do you ever feel that you haven’t been given an equal chance to others you know?  Maybe you weren’t able to attend the school you wanted, or you didn’t get a job you thought would change your life.  Even in the worst circumstance possible, we have a Father who wants to love us and help us with and through anything. 

Often I think I’m not as good as someone else at something and if I just had this one gift or talent, I would be complete.  I don’t care if you are the most talented at every thing, without Jesus we are nothing.  So often our focus is on keeping up with the world and what we can do to please others so we can compare on their level.  Our efforts to please anyone but God are considered filthy rags to our Father. 

As you read these verses think about these people left without a way to defend themselves.  But the one thing they needed was God, the one they seldom consulted.

¹⁹ Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” ²⁰ But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle, ²¹ and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads ²² So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. ²³ And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.