Bible in a Year Blog

1 Samuel 1:1-2:21 + John 5:1-23 + Psalm 105:37-45 + Proverbs 14:28-29
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Old Testament – Today we begin the book of First Samuel! This is an amazing book of the Bible. I cannot wait to read about Hannah, Samuel, Saul & David!  Below is an image of Samuel anointing Saul, which we will read about later this week:

First Samuel
Author: Unknown
Date: Probably tenth century B.C.
Content: The books of First and Second Samuel comprise one book in the Hebrew Bible because they form one continuous history covering the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David. They were separated into two books for convenience for reading. First Samuel deals with the Philistine wars and Saul’s ultimate failure to deal with the enemy. The book opens with Israel’s being oppressed by the Philistines (a war-like neighboring nation) and the emergence of the two early leaders, Samuel and Saul. Samuel was the religious leader and Saul ultimately became the king. Saul’s early victories are described, followed by his moral decline and tragic end. Balancing the decline of Saul is the rise of the youthful David who will assume leadership after the death of Saul.
Theme: The basic idea that pervades this book is that God does not make his people immune to the changes of human life, but give them grace to see things through to a satisfactory conclusion. The rise and fall of kings, times of peace and war – throughout it all God stays the same and controls human events in such a way that those who trust him will find comfort and the courage to endure. (Above commentary is from “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 5)

More commentary on First Samuel from Bible.org is at this link.
Here’s a great quote from this link: “One might conclude from reading the Book of Judges that the problem was the absence of a king in Israel: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). In First Samuel, Israel will get her king. Saul, Israel’s first king, will be the kind of king the people want, and prove to be the king Israel deserves. David, Israel’s second king, will replace Saul. He is God’s kind of king, a man after God’s heart. First Samuel tells the story of fascinating people like Hannah and Samuel, like Saul and David. There is never a dull moment in this masterfully well written history. The book closes with the death of Saul, and thus the end of David’s flight from the hand of Saul, who seeks to kill him as an enemy.”

Bible Project:  Here is a great video overview of the book of First Samuel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJOju5Dw0V0

Below is a great image for First Samuel chapter 1 verses 24 through 28 today where we read: “When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and half a bushel of flour and some wine. After sacrificing the bull, they took the child to Eli. “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the woman who stood here several years ago praying to the LORD. I asked the LORD to give me this child, and he has given me my request. Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life.” And they worshiped the LORD there.”

Today in First Samuel chapter 2 we read the incredible Prayer of Hannah! In verse 2 we read: “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” This prayer of praise from Hannah really stands out to me these days. Oftentimes I think I “forget” that there is no one holy like the Lord – and I start to seek from other sources what I should only be seeking from God. I have come to realize more than ever lately that if I am feeling a strong emotion or need, I need to really reflect on that emotion or need and ask myself if God can satisfy or quench or dispel that emotion or need. The answer is always an unfailing and beautiful YES. There is no other person, place or being that will always be there for us – that will always be our Rock – that is perfectly consistent – besides God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is holy and his holiness can take care of any emotion or need that comes up in our lives. We need to turn it over to him and trust in Him. How about you? Do you sometimes “forget” that God is holy? Do you sometimes seek from other sources what you should only be seeking from God? Do you believe that God can satisfy or quench or dispel any emotion or need that comes up in your life? Is God your Rock? Do you believe there is no one holy like the Lord?  Below is a great painting of Hannah and her prayer!

Bible.org’s commentary on our readings today in First Samuel titled “The Son and the Psalm of Hannah” is at this link.

New Testament – I’m not sure if you noticed this unique thing about Jesus’ healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda today – the man did not seem to have faith in Jesus or know who Jesus was!  You’ll recall with many of the healings we read about in the Gospels people yell out to Jesus for healing, or reach for Jesus’ garment, and show some sort of faith or recognition of who Jesus truly is.  Well, here in John chapter 5 verse 6 Jesus asks this man at the pool: “Do you want to get well?”  And then in the following verses the man still doesn’t realize who Jesus is and doesn’t ask Jesus for healing, but instead frets about not getting into the waters of the pool where he thinks the waters will heal him.  Well, come verse 8 Jesus says, “Get up!  Pick up your mat and walk.”  I find this whole scene awesome and a great example of God’s grace!  Perhaps sometimes in our lives when we miss seeing what Jesus is doing, He will still often heal us or care for us!  Even sometimes (though I don’t think always…) when we seem to looking for the other “waters” that we think will heal us.  Even sometimes when we don’t ask Jesus for healing, he’ll still do it for us.

Bible.org’s commentary on our readings in John chapter 5 today titled “Jesus Heals the man at the Pool of Bethesda” is at this link.

Psalms – Psalm 105 wraps up the Exodus Cliff Notes version today, with a great closing verse 45 – “All this happened so they would follow his principles and obey his laws.  Praise the LORD!”   Indeed, praise the Lord!

Proverbs – Proverbs 14:29 teaches us today: “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.”  Do you agree with this Proverb?  Have you ever struggled with anger?  Do you agree that controlling your anger demonstrates understanding, and that letting your anger control you shows great foolishness?  Will you seek only understanding in this area of your life, and let all foolishness go?  Please, please, don’t be this guy…

Worship Video:  Today’s readings reminded me of Consumed by Fire’s song “First Things First:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpTOcZN9JB4

Are you putting first things first? Click here for the Alpha/First!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: “Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”  1 Samuel 2:1-2 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray like Hannah prayed to the Lord today! Pray that your heart is rejoicing in the LORD today. Pray that your delight is in your Rock and your deliverer, God.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  Based on my reflections above about the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda, has Jesus ever done something amazing for you without you asking for it?  Perhaps even when you were looking for somebody or something else to fix or heal something for you, is there a time when God’s grace showed up on the scene instead and made the situation right?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
(our Group Bible Study is below! : )

======= Ramona:

1 Samuel 1:1-2:21

Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the LORD raise up for you descendants from this woman to replace the one that she dedicated to the LORD.” Then they would go to their home. So the LORD graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the LORD’s sanctuary. (1 Samuel 2:20-21 NET.)

The above passage blows my mind and I recognize that these are the Words of Christ coming to pass before the Words of Christ were spoken to His disciples,

And anyone and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name’s sake will receive many [even a hundred] times more and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29 AMP)

Hannah received a five hundred fold return. She gave one son to the Lord, and received three sons and two daughters. Her act of faith, and it was a great act of faith because she had no idea that she would be able to have other children, in bringing her son to the Temple when he was probably three years old, and leaving him there to be raised by a priests, who may have done a inadequate job raising his own, wrought her great blessings. Trusting God is scary and exciting; painful, giving up what our heart desires, and exhilarating as we reap a harvest of unimaginable bounty.

Grace and peace,
Ramona

====== Andrew:

‘So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.’ John 5:16-18 NIV

It strikes me (again) how radical Jesus appeared to the religious authorities of his time. In John’s account we’ve already had the clearing of the merchants from the temple courtyard.

Do our religious authorities reflect a distorted image of the Kingdom of God? How radical should we be in following Jesus? My wife says I am too radical. Is that possible?

I guess the clue is in the following paragraph of John:

“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” John 5 19:20 NIV

Hearing God – seeing and knowing what the Father is doing and joining in doing it with Him according to His purpose.

And if that is radical, so be it.

Andrew

====== Michelle:

Hannah’s faith blows me away. To be able to hand over her dream child for someone else to raise and only see Samuel once a year–that is faith in action. She realizes that he doesn’t “belong” to her anyway. In fact none of our children belong to us–they all belong to God. We are only their caretakers.

Michelle

======= Roslyn:

I think we had some serious
discussion over this last time: Christ showing his compassion and love for the man that was unable to walk, healing him on the day of the Sabbath to the great consternation of the Jews. Christ has shown us that love and compassion is beyond the law. Indeed, LOVE IS THE LAW!!!

Roslyn

======= Susan:

I just want to say how grateful I am for this website. It has been my faithful companion this year. Around Thanksgiving last year, my husband told me he wanted a divorce. Last month we filed. we have two small children – 1.5 and 3 and I worry mostly about them, but this website has been my comforter and rock. I was determined in December that no matter what else happened this year regarding my family, that my Bible reading would be the one stable thing in my life and it has been. Thanks for keeping up the website!

Susan

======= Jenny:

====== Lee:

I Samuel 1:3 – “… The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli – Hophni and Phinehas”
Comment: Strikes me that we need to accept as this family that even when there are problems and problem-clergy…that such does not negate our need to go to church and worship God.
I Sam 1:7 – “Year after year it was the same…”
Comment: God gives us strength to endure misfortune and mistreat with His gift patience. We CAN endure whatever it is that we’re going through…for as long as needed. (Even when we’re “reduced to tears” as Hannah was.)
I Samuel 1:18 – “Oh,Thank you, Sir!…then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.”
Comment: Hannah believed the Word that God had spoken through Eli. When we BELIEVE in God’s promises we are released from the source of our unhappiness and released to a state of joyfulness, and ability to enjoy this life. Let us seek to accept the Word He has spoken to us…and live full and joyful lives in trusting Him to care for us as He has said.
I Samuel 1:19 “….the Lord remembered her request.”
COMMENT: God is currently aware of your/my requests. He will not forget. We can rest in knowing He has heard us.
I Samuel 1:20 “…IN DUE TIME she gave birth to a son.”
COMMENT: Timing is important. Our time is not necessarily God’s timing. He has a time and it will come to pass as He knows best. Let us learn to rest in His care and His timing.”
Lee

======= Jim:

Eli’s comin’, hide your heart girl!
While these are more times of spiritual and moral decline, Hannah is one godly woman that still has a strong faith. She is at a low point in her life when she is ridiculed by her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, for being childless (likely taken specifically due to her failure to produce) on an annual pilgrimage to the tabernacle in Shiloh (about 20 miles north of Jerusalem) – as Peninnah does regularly. In her despairing prayer, she vows if only God would give her a son that she would dedicate him to serve God as a Nazarite (just like Samson). Her prayer is first misunderstood by the old priest Eli, and then blessed. She does have a son, Samuel, and he is weaned from his mother at the age of two or three (the age Israelites used to wean their children) to live forever at the tabernacle (Hannah visited once a year with a new jacket for him). The corrupt times are made clear by Eli’s assumption that any woman outside the tabernacle would likely be drunk as well as by his corrupt sons who as priests seduce the women even at the door of this worship site (I think the sin of “fornication” specifically refers to cultic prostitution). While Ramathaim is not one of the 48 cities designated in Numbers 35:6 as being one of the “Levitical cities” assigned a Levite, it is assumed that Samuel’s father was a Levite (1 Chronicles 6:16-26) living in the tribal territory of Ephraim (just five miles north of Jerusalem and where Samuel was born, labored, died, and was buried) – he seems to be a pious man who returned each year to worship and offer sacrifice.
In an agrarian culture like ancient Israel, children were critically important in helping with feeding the family. Today, we no longer see children as society’s best investment and we abort 1 in 4 pregnancies to instead minimize their costs (Note: The real problem for Social Security is that it is increasingly difficult to feed the elderly when we no longer desire children. What’s more, there’s not a single industrialized nation that has a positive population rate since the introduction of legalized abortion as you need 2.3 kids per woman when all industrialized nations only produce 1.2 to 1.8. 100% of the population problem, 3 billion people, over the past 40 years has come from third world countries and the primary reason that Islam has grown over Christianity is simply that they don’t kill their unborn. In addition, there used to be no greater source of pride to any American family than to have a priest as brother, son, or cousin – but the Vatican’s Pontifical Yearbook shows a 45% increase in the number of baptized American Catholics over the past 25 years while other estimates show the number of priests to have dropped by more than half in the same period (even with 1 in 6 priests today coming from overseas). The church can no longer afford to be selective in accepting only the best for its religious leaders (something to remember as we read about what happens to a country that doesn’t respect human life or provide for righteous leadership).
Eli’s coming, come on and blow your horn!
Hannah began her poetic song of prayer with “my horn is exalted,” which represents that Hannah’s power and strength (horn – the wicked are even told not to lift up their own horn in Psalms 75:4-5) was in God just as David will later speak of God as his “horn of salvation” in 2 Samuel 22:3. She reminds all who would boast, not just Peninnah (the phrase wicked woman literally “daughter of Belial” or “daughter of Satan” – see 2 Cor 6:15), that God in holiness, knowledge, power, and judgment often reverses human strength, wealth, and fertility to humble the proud and exalt the lowly (Mary made the same point in her song in Luke 1:46-55). She also contrasted how the Lord would keep his saints from stumbling (and even raise them from the dead) and trip up His adversaries (the word Sheol is translated here to grave) and points to the work of God in granting her a child as part of the fulfillment of His promise to the mothers of Israel that through them He would one day provide the ultimate king, before whom every knee will bow (see Philippians 2:10). How sad were the priests who as teachers knew so much about the things of God and yet did not know Him personally and took so lightly their duties (such as those for sacrifice). Eli had warned his sons but never really rebuked them and so was slain by God when he no longer had opportunity after his sons died in battle. Those who allow poor behavior from their children without restraint and punishment, in effect, honor them more than God. Eli was a good man but a poor parent who raised his children to fail (their failure was not his sin, but his poor efforts at correction).
Jesus asks the man unable to quickly get into the healing pool while it bubbled, “Do you want to get well?” Many do not really want to see their situation change, no matter how bad it is. The crippled man, for example, made his living begging and would be responsible to start working. Unlike the slow healing of the pool, however, Christ’s healing was immediate. Eternal life isn’t something we have to wait for, but something we possess now. In addition, it is more than endless as it is infused with His vitality and links us with other believers. Christ claims The Son can do nothing by Himself, but gives life (because He possesses life) and takes the responsibility for all judgment. This sick man was healed without knowing Jesus (but Christ caught up with him later to warn him to sin no more or that something even worse would happen to him). The first miracle (converting water into wine) suggests that salvation is through the Word, the second (saving the nobleman’s son) illustrates that it is by faith, and this one shows that it is by grace. The “great number of disable people” pictures the sad spiritual condition of the unsaved: without power as in Rom 5:6, unable to walk correctly as in Eph 2:1-3, and waiting for something to happen as in Eph 2:14. The invalid did not have the power to save himself in the same way it is impossible for mankind to keep God’s perfect law.
The Law of Moses taught to honor the Sabbath and Jeremiah had prohibited carrying burdens or working (Jer. 17:21-22) and over the years Jewish law had identified 39 different classifications of work including carrying furniture (which the man violated by carrying his bedding) and providing medical treatment (Christ’s healing). Even my grandfather was once jailed in Baltimore for painting his house on Sunday and yet it is possible that none of the city officials knew why Christians go to church on the Sunday, the first day of the week, instead of Saturday like Seventh Day Adventists – even First Century Christian worshiped on Sunday as a weekly mini-Easter celebration for Christ’s resurrection and perhaps for the church’s birthday from the only Jewish holiday on a Sunday, 50 days after Passover, of Pentecost. Most churches today have many written and unwritten creeds that have been added to God’s desires (such as provisions against theistic biology and evolution) while happily being unfruitful for the Great Commission. Christians have routinely over the centuries tried to kill who they saw as the Anti-Christ even though Revelation says such assassination would fail and predicted to the day and hour of Christ’s return despite scripture clearly stating such knowledge not being possible.
Back in Luke 22, Christ got the apostles to admit that when he told them to carry nothing with them that they, in fact, purchased two swords. When did they likely buy those swords? This is the first time when people persecuted Jesus and display open hostility. Was it fear of this exact persecution that motivated the apostles to doubt and sin so? Jesus then adds fuel to the fires by publicly equating Himself with God the Father (again I must ask how so many can suggest the Jesus never claimed to be God – His enemies here were angered by what He was claiming – more than just disregarding the traditional rabbinic interpretation of scripture, He claims to be deity) and He goes on at some length to support His claim not only with the miracle by the Scriptures themselves – so, to reject Him meant to also reject their holiest of books as well. The NIV omits the verse about the angel stirring the water because no manuscripts before the 4th century has it and many believed it was just superstition added long after John wrote it. Others call the NIV “Satan’s Bible” specifically for its omissions (including the last lines of the Lord’s Prayer).
Jim

======= John:

John 5
I am with the linked commentary under “WORST Case Scenario”.
The reason this miracle greater than the last.
Jesus changed illness to health of a long term injury.
Jesus chose and God’s grace was magnified by the man had no faith.
It was done before a larger crowd.
[Note: The word for illness of boy in last chapter and invalid in John 5 is the same in Greek. The common thread being helpless, feeble, powerless.]
From the wine stewards, to the boy, to the invalid – all are helpless to change their situation. It is the same for us in spiritual death. We are helpless without the healing power of Christ.
I get perturbed when non-believers of any ilk say Christ did not say He was God.
I used to say the same thing, but at least I would admit I had never read the Bible.
I can go along with John 1 being Nathaniel declaring Jesus is the Son of God, and John saying it earlier in the chapter. I can understand when Jesus declares himself as the Messiah to the Samaritan women – Messiah was thought by Jews to be the “appointed” man of God who would lead Israel to all the blessings promised by God.
But in verse 17 Jesus says “mou Pater” – My Father. “Pater” is the same word used for Father in the Lord’s prayer. It is pretty clear cut that Jesus is deity. In the later verses – Jesus puts himself on equal footing with God.
One thing I have started doing, is not only pointing out the Verses where Jesus proclaims deity, but I tell people to look at how the people at the time reacted to what he said.
vs. 18 is an example of this and is absoluteluy correctly translated.
Does someone today have the insight to deny Christ’s deity that the people of 2,000 years ago did not have?
One may choose not to believe Christ’s deity, but it is because they do not believe in the text, not because it was never said or implied throughout this Gospel.
John

======= John:

Anger
One of the great signs at the moment of my “salvation” was three things were taken from me.
– a Crippling mental illness
– profanity
– anger
I have not said a curse word in three years. Before I was a prolific almost every other word curser and blasphemer.
It was particualarly bad when I got angry. My anger was the purple face, vein popping, spittle flying out of my mouth rage directed at other people. I have not been angry in three years. Perhaps at times perturbed at stoplights and lousy drivers – but never angry : ) I have been blessed at that time and since by God removing negative lifelong habits and charactersitics of my nature. It is THE reason I never doubt God or my Salvation, and KNOW that he is working in my life, and that I am one with Christ and am a possessor of the Holy Spirit in me.
I still struggle at times with the flesh – but I have never doubted since that night three years ago when I came to my knees and believed in Him and Received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. God has shown Himself to me over and over since that time, and I know Jesus is the only way to Salvation, His Word is inerrant, and that I am a child of God – co-heir to heaven.
The question is: If you are a believer – do you know – really know those last things mentioned?????
John

======= John:

1st Sam 2
Eli’s Wicked Sons contrasted with Samuel.
“Eli’s sons were wicked men;
The Hebrew is actually “sons of Belial” literally to be without worth or value. Later Belial in Jewish writings would be considered a “right hand man to Satan” if not Satan himself.
The sons of Eli were wicked, AND
“they had no regard for the Lord.” this is not a good thing and foreshadows a future problem.
“Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.”
Samuel did not know the Lord yet – but he was growing up in His presence.
Eli may not have been a good father, but the implication here is thorugh his prayer for Hannah and his raising of Samuel – that he was an ok High Priest. Whatever he was doing with Samuel – it was different than how he raised his boys??????
======================================================
JMikeAdams@msn.com
I am not soliciting emails, but type pad (according to Mike) has changed their format – no loner allowing email addresses in the signature.
So once a day – I will put my email in a post so if someone wants to ask a question or correct me:) they can do it directly – in case they do not feel like posting it on the blog. I have always had it in my signature in the past – so I see no reason to not have it somewhere on a daily post at this time.
John

======= John:

John 5:1-15
The pool of Bethesda was found 20 years ago on an archaelogical dig.
Jesus healed one man out of many. The man was not searching Jesus out – but he was helpless, and could do nothing to heal himself.
Not knowing Jesus when asked if he wanted to get well – I think he took an opportunity to try and get help.
I think unspoken here is – ‘you believe in the pool and its stirring – but you should believe in me. Get up – take up your bed – and walk.’
Be healed, you do not need the bed here any longer, and walk – don’t depend on others any longer.
Not knowing it was Jesus the man still had an incomplete faith. The moment he was asked about his healing – he told them – not me, but the other man who healed me told me to do this thing.
The next part is critical. Jesus again sought the man out – His work was not done. Jesus says, “See, you are well again.” NIV But the Greek says you are made “whole” – he has been physically healed and his sins have been forgiven – healed inside and out.
We are not ever given the exhaustive list of things said – just what is important to the gospel. Jesus may have explained more, or the man upon hearing it was Jesus knew of His teachings. I think it is at that point that the man believed and was saved.
Perhaps his naming of Jesus at the end to the temple priests was a badge of honor identifying the former cripple as a believer in Christ????
======================================================
The reason this miracle greater than the last.
Jesus changed illness to health of a long term injury.
Jesus chose (before others came to Him) and God’s grace was magnified by the fact that originally the man had no faith.
It was done before a larger crowd.
[Note: The word for illness of boy in last chapter and invalid in John 5 is the same in Greek. The common thread being helpless, feeble, powerless.]
From the wine stewards, to the boy, to the invalid – all are helpless to change their situation. It is the same for us in spiritual death. We are helpless without the healing power of Christ.
John

======= John:

John 5:16-23
Life Through the Son
I get perturbed when non-believers of any ilk say Christ did not say He was God.
I used to say the same thing, but at least I would admit I had never read the Bible.
I can go along with John 1 being Nathaniel declaring Jesus is the Son of God, and John saying it earlier in the chapter. I can understand when Jesus declares himself as the Messiah to the Samaritan women – Messiah was thought by Jews to be the “appointed” man of God who would lead Israel to all the blessings promised by God.
But in verse 17 Jesus says “mou Pater” – My Father. “Pater” is the same word used for Father in the Lord’s prayer. It is pretty clear cut that Jesus is deity. In the later verses – Jesus puts himself on equal footing with God.
One thing I have started doing, is not only pointing out the Verses where Jesus proclaims deity, but I tell people to look at how the people at the time reacted to what he said.
vs. 18 is an example of this and is absoluteluy correctly translated.
Does someone today have the insight to deny Christ’s deity that the people of 2,000 years ago did not have?
One may choose not to believe Christ’s deity, but it is because they do not believe in the text, not because it was never said or implied throughout this Gospel.
John

======= Nasser:

proverb 14:29 i saw it in my life and i found out how powerful impact on others when you are slow in anger in front of somebody who was on rage GOd ‘s wisdom is great and powerful even when you return back in anger you lost yourself and your friend but when you controll your anger it is much powerful reaction you did you will be apreciatied by others for the understanding and wisdom you show on this situation parise to the lord Amin
Nasser

======= Helen:

When Jesus is speaking to (some of)the Jews, he includes in John 5 verse 21(a)”For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,…”
I’d not noticed that bit before.
Blessings, Helen.

======= Dorothy:

Prov.14:19 is such a wonderful verse. It has spoken to my heart. I am touched by the words that controlling one’s anger demostrates one’s understanding and the vise versa shows how foolish one is.
Regards, Dorothy

======= Suzy:

Hannah’s story always reminds me of myself. I had also been in a situation of fruitlesness for years after my marriage. I cried unto God like Hannah and He heard and opened my womb; today I have a beautiful two-year old…Surely there is no rock like our God. Just like Mike said, I still sometimes find myself seeking for help from friends instead of God….by His grace I’m learning to make Him my ‘rock’ in all circumstances and situations of my life. Jesus has also done a lot for me even when I have not asked…I live by grace each day!
Peace, Suzy