Providence, Power, and Grace

"He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with nobles and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He has set the world upon them."
                                                               1 Samuel 2:8




Blessings come in every shape and size. Often, they can be obscure and hidden from our sight. What we might view as a trial or a challenge could simultaneously be the biggest blessing in our life when it is held in the loving hands of our Heavenly Father and transformed into the very gift that will forever bless our hearts and alter our testimony. God has absolute power over all things, and, in His providence, He intertwines His grace to display His glory in unprecedented ways.

This is the lesson that Hannah learned. Her eyes were opened to see that the very God of Providence was also the God who created the heavens and the earth. Both nature and providence melded together by a force far greater than our minds can conceive. This union yielded awe and wonder from the recipient of God's marvelous grace.

Her very name means "gracious" or "graciousness" or "favor". She was the favorite wife of her husband, Elkanah, who was a Levite of one of the most honorable tribes of Jacob's offspring. Hannah was loved and treasured by her husband and their lives together were abundantly blessed, with the exception of one desire. More than anything, she longed to bear a son to carry on her husband's lineage and legacy. For a season, she felt like her life was anything but blessed.

Possibly through the urging of Hannah, Elkanah married another woman named Peninnah. This new wife gave him several children while she goaded Hannah whenever she could. It wasn't enough to be grateful for the gifts God had given to her. She also had to cruelly and repeatedly rub it in to the woman who held the affection of he husband's heart.

Despite the afflictions and persecutions that shrouded the beginning of her marriage, what Hannah probably didn't see at the time was that God was using these difficulties to forge a character that would forever bless the world. She was set apart to the Lord and she slowly learned how to daily receive the grace that was needed in order to rise above her circumstances. Her soul found peace and she cried out to the Lord both day and night.

The contrast between Hannah and Peninnah displays the differences between the weak and the strong in the earth. Often, the strong ridicule and mock the weak, but God hears and rescues the "Hannahs" in the world. God's heart is stirred when we humbly cry out to Him. He uses our weaknesses to accomplish great things!

Her husband tried unsuccessfully to fill the void in Hannah's heart. He said to her, "Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" (1 Samuel 1:8). He attempted to fill a heart that gaped from perceived loss and sorrow. He tried to do what only God could do, but it was to no avail. In fact, his efforts only provoked more anger and retaliation from Peninnah. Jealousy was stoked within her and she lashed out her fury fire at every opportunity.

Years passed and Hannah's pain intensified. As her persecution persisted, her burden got heavier. it got so bad that Hannah referred to herself as "a woman of a sorrowful spirit" (1 Samuel 1:15). It seemed there was no way of escape from this journey of self-reflection and mourning. Despite desperately desiring for her circumstances to change, she ultimately surrendered to the monotony of misery that was her life.

Although it was the providence of God that had temporarily shut Hannah's womb, she did not pull back from her relationship with Him. It was prayer that brought her solace. It was her faith that sheltered the pain in her heart. Even in her seeking God, however, she was rebuked by Eli, the priest, who thought Hannah had been drinking. He did not understand that her pain was so great that she could not utter a word. Her prayers connected directly from her heart to God's because there were no words that could adequately convey the distress that she felt.

Despite Eli's rebuke, Hannah opened up her heart to him and shared the petitions and pleas that she had made to the Lord. She had learned how not only to receive God's grace, but also how to give it to others. As she opened up her heart and trusted him with the weightiness of her burden, her sorrow suddenly began to dissipate. He said to her, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him" (1 Samuel 1:17). She received this as a promise and her faith began to soar again.

Her sorrow turned to jubilation and joy when she realized that God didn't even need her words in order to give her the desires of her heart. At long last, God answered her prayers and her long awaited son was born. She named him Samuel, which means "asked of the Lord".

The song that Hannah sang to God would also become the song that inspired the Virgin Mary to sing to the God who keeps His promises (Luke 1:46-55). Both of their songs embrace the majesty, power, holiness and grace of God. Both women could see that the work God does in the earth supersedes our limited knowledge and understanding. Both women marveled in the truth that blessings often come through brokenness. Both women recognized that the providence, power, and grace of God yields a three-fold cord that impacts the world eternally.

Your story isn't over. The ending may not yet  be apparent but please know that when God is in the middle of it, it has no choice but to end well. May we humbly yield to the One who sees all and who does know the end from the beginning. Embrace every blessing, and not just the ones that look good to us!


"And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and the afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age."
                                                              Luke 1:50

Eyes On The Prize

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: by no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the prize, where God is beckoning us onward- to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back."
                                                              Philippians 3:12-14




The apostle, Paul, was not one to back away from competition. Before his conversion to Christ, he lived a righteous life, obeyed the law, and defended the faith of his fathers. He became a religious zealot, well-versed in Jewish history, the Psalms, and the works of the prophets. He knew how to dissect scripture and then use that to defend or prosecute those who broke the law. He became a lawyer and probably was a member of the Sanhedrin ( the Jewish Supreme court), which ruled over Jewish life and religion. It was his zeal and competitive nature that led him down the path of violence and extremism.

He was probably present at the trial of Stephen and then attended his stoning and death. He held the garments for those who did the stoning (Acts 7:58) and then heard Peter share the Gospel afterward. This agitated Saul and he became even more determined  to eliminate all the Christians in that time. He was now really on a mission and "He began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison" (Acts 8:3).

That is, until the day that he met Jesus face to face on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus. Right before he had started on this 150 mile journey, he had asked the high priest for permission to bring any followers of "The Way" back to Jerusalem so that they could be thrust into jail. He was brimming with murderous rage for these people he could not understand. People, he thought, that impeded his cause.

Enter the King of kings. Jesus said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"  To which he responded, "Who are You, Lord?" Immediately, Jesus says, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:4-5).

From this moment until forever, Paul's life was radically changed and transformed. In the short-term, he lost his sight and became dependent on his friends to meet his needs. In Damascus he met a man named Ananias who prayed for him and explained to him his vision of Jesus. Saul received the Holy Spirit, regained his sight, was baptized, and immediately began proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God. He became known as Paul.  His transformation would allow others to later refer to him as "the Apostle of Grace".

He now had a new mission, vision, and purpose. His eyes were fixed on Jesus and he could now run the race like never before. He transitioned from religiosity to relationship with the One who had died just for him. Suddenly, he could hear the upward call resounding in his ears and he was determined to run and fight with the utmost of love and determination. No one or nothing would deter him from accomplishing all that God had set before him.

Paul went on to spend time in Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria, and Antioch. He took three missionary journeys and wrote 13 letters that became books of the New Testament. He spent the remainder of his years proclaiming the Risen Christ to the Roman world, often at great peril to himself. Ultimately, he died a martyr's death in the mid to late 60's in Rome.

Through devotion, Paul learned how to keep his eyes on the prize and how to win the race set before him. He concentrated on Jesus and what was important so that he could become even more proficient in his calling. He didn't try to do a thousand things. Just like an athlete who excels in his game, he focused on his specialty, which was proclaiming the Risen Christ to a skeptical audience. That is why his labor still bears fruit to this day.

Paul also looked to the future. He did not dwell on his past failures or even get side-tracked by the opposition of the day. Instead, he "forgot those things that were behind" and did not allow them to influence or affect what was important and had eternal impact. He broke the power of his past and used his power for the future.

Determinedly, Paul says, "I press", which means to "follow after".  He allowed God to work within him and to work through him. He understood that it is God who matures us and strengthens us. Paul was pressing towards the goal, realizing that when he attained it that he would also receive a reward for it. That is not to say that we work to attain heaven by our own efforts. It  is to say that Jesus will crown our efforts when He returns. Paul understood this distinction and the determination required to press forward.

Paul also had spiritual disciplines that helped him to stay focused. This means that he obeyed the "spiritual rules" that God outlines for us in His Word. He said, "Any man who enters an athletic contest practices rigid self-control in training" (Philippians 3:25). Later, he says, "No contestant in the games is crowned, unless he competes according to the rules" (2 Timothy 2:5). It is possible to lose our rewards if we disregard the rules that God outlines for us for our safety.

Like Paul, God has set a race before each one of us. We each have a sphere of influence that we can share the Gospel with and minister to. It is God that empowers us and gives us strategies to accomplish His purposes. If we are devoted, look to the future, determined, and disciplined, we will hit the mark and receive the rewards that God has apportioned for us. All the while, passion pulsates in our hearts and we are keeping our eyes on the prize, which is Jesus!


"Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, who is the leader and the source of our faith and is also its finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
                                                         Hebrews 12:1-2, AMPC

Total Trust

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths."
                                                               Proverbs 3:5-6




The quickest way to truly evaluate your level of trust for God is to suddenly be thrust into a scary predicament for which there seems no humanly possible way out. When we feel safe and comfortable it is easy to over-estimate our genuine level of trust in God. All of us want to believe that we trust God completely but it is only He that knows the real truth. Often, we deceive ourselves into believing we trust God more than we really do.

A scary predicament is exactly where Daniel found himself hundreds of years ago when he was cast into the lion's den for the crime of  praying and practicing his faith. Even though King Darius knew that Daniel was honest and had an "excellent spirit" (Daniel 6:3), the other administrators were jealous and schemed to set Daniel up for a fall. It seemed that Daniel's honesty would pose as a hindrance for their financial gain and unscrupulous activities and he needed to be removed so that they could advance in their agenda. What these administrators did not understand, however, is that when they came against Daniel they invited God's judgment into their own lives.

Nevertheless, in the short term it was Daniel that suffered the consequences of their aberrant choices. While they knew they could never tempt Daniel to do anything immoral or illegal, they chose to make an example of his faith and make sure that he was punished for practicing it. Cleverly, they deceived King Darius into  signing a law that made it illegal to pray or worship anyone other than the king. They appealed to the kings' ego and they succeeded. Unknowingly, King Darius put his friend, Daniel, in jeopardy and expedited his entrance before a group of hungry lions.

Interestingly, Daniel was praying for God to deliver His people (Daniel 9:1) when he, himself, was captured for breaking the law. He was leaning on God's promises in faith and believing that He would turn things around for His people when his own world seemingly came to an abrupt halt. Despite his circumstances worsening, Daniel pressed into God all the more expecting that His God was able and would show up on his behalf. It wasn't that Daniel was exceedingly strong; rather it was that he had learned how to truly depend on His God.

D.L. Moody says, "Real true faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength." The author of the book of Hebrews describes it as "man's weakness transformed into God's strength" (Hebrews 11:34).
Our outlook will determine the outcome, and when we choose to lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord we realize that no matter what happens the outcome is in His hands and we have nothing to fear.

King Darius was distressed when his administrators informed him that Daniel had broken the law. He did not want to sign Daniel's death warrant but his own pride had put him in this untenable position. He spent a day trying to find a way of escape but there was none to be found. Before Daniel was lowered into the lion's den, the king offered a prayer for Daniel that God would deliver him and then covered the pit and sealed the rock so that he complied with the law.

The next morning the king went to the pit and cried out to Daniel before it even could be opened. He confessed that Daniel's God was the Living God and not an idol and that God had the power to deliver Daniel. When Darius heard Daniel's voice respond back to him it must have been a huge relief and he then knew that God had delivered him. We are told that "Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel should be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no hurt of any kind was found on him because he believed in (relied on, adhered to, and trusted in) his God" (Daniel 6:23).

The more we know God the easier it is to trust Him. Really trust Him.  The definition of trust is, "belief that someone or something is reliable and good. It is the assure reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone." In other words, when we trust someone we depend on them. In our relationship with God, it means that we have learned how to completely depend on Him and not on ourselves.

Child-like faith is required. It is so easy for children to trust because they have no grown-up barriers that prevent them from doing so. We have to learn how to let go of our grown-up barriers and false perceptions of who God is. If we see Him as anyone other than a loving heavenly Father we need to let go of our misperceptions or unforgiveness in order to completely trust in Him.

A fulfilled life is one that receives the love of God. Because God is love, the more we know Him and have let Him into our lives, the more we will realize just how much He loves us. Individually and personally. He is passionate for each one of us because He uniquely and lovingly created us. He can do no less than to love us like crazy!

Receiving His love will also help us to love Him passionately with our whole heart. As we grow in the Word and spend time in praise and worship everyday, we begin to put Him first. Our desire becomes to spend time with Him and to obey Him. Love must be the catalyst for our obedience in order to yield a peaceable harvest.

Trusting Him means we understand that His faithfulness outweighs our circumstances. When we build our faith on God's character, we learn to trust Him through the difficult times.  Ernest Wadsworth said, "Pray for a faith that will not shrink  when washed in the waters of affliction." This means we learn how to be content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:12). As we learn contentment through adversity, the fruit of the Spirit (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) grows within us. Adversity can render a soil in our hearts that is fertile for growth if we allow it to.

Having a renewed mind is required to trust God. We can only trust to the degree that our thoughts are godly. Since faith is built only on truth, we have to filter out anything that is contrary to it. We cannot rely on our own insight or understanding. We must allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth so that we can consistently rely on God and not vacillate because of emotions or circumstances.

There are hindrances to trusting God. They are as follows:
1. Independence and self-reliance
2. Self-pity (Form of idolatry because it focuses on self and makes excuses)
3.Circumstances (when we allow them to become bigger than God is)
4. Unbelief (brings fear, pulls us down, and separates us from God)
5. Guilt and Condemnation (causes depression, despair, and a lack of fruit)
6. Fear and anxiety (robs us of rest and keeps us focused on wrong things)

Our goal is to remove the hindrances and to live a life of radical trust. This is the kind of trust that knows God intimately, believes His promises, and trusts Him with the outcome of all things. It focuses on His past faithfulness and meditates on His goodness. It doesn't worry about tomorrow because it understands that God has that covered too. Trusting God radically changes everything and also inspires others to live a life of total trust!


        "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things."
                                                           Psalm 107:9