It's easy to develop a small view of God. We think that somehow, God needs us. We start dragging God around as a lucky "relic" to help us in our endeavors. In this week's section of 1 Samuel, God brings our small theology crashing down. By the end, His people have learned the lesson and ask, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?" No one. All must bow before our holy Lord God.
Spring 2026 Equip Class: Living as Lights in the Darkness
There's temptation for believers to seek God for their own ends. We start by seeking God for His glory, but over time, our prayers, worship, and acts are all oriented around what we want from God. In 1 Samuel 4, Israel tries using God to help them defeat the Philistines. It ends in tragedy. Why? Because He’s rescuing His people from their sinful perspective. He’s teaching them to follow Him again.
Spring 2026 Equip Class: Living as Lights in the Darkness
Has God seemed silent? Felt far and uninvolved? That was the situation in Israel. "The word of the Lord was rare in those days." But little Samuel learns that God is a God who speaks, and that it's important to heed His word. The problem in Israel wasn’t that God hasn't given His Word. The problem was that they weren't listening. So God faithfully sends His Word again to his people through Samuel.
Spring 2026 Equip Class: Living as Lights in the Darkness
We have an innate sense of justice. We're alarmed when leaders lie, criminals escape, or coworkers cut corners. Who sets things right? Where's God? These questions were raised during the time of Eli the priest and his wicked sons. But 1 Samuel 2:11-36 confirms that God cares and is always at work to set things right. Whatever you're facing, remember that God sees, knows, and weighs all actions.
Spring 2026 Equip Class: Living as Lights in the Darkness
A hard thing to process in life is when we try to do right but suffer while those who do wrong seem to prosper! This was exactly what Hannah experienced in 1 Samuel 1. But when God answered her prayer, she paused to rejoice. Answered prayer is a reminder that God is sovereign and good. When He answers prayer, it’s right to pause and rejoice, remembering that He’s the God who sets all things right.
Have you felt like God was far away in your misery - even though you're trying to be faithful? In a fallen world, many believers can relate. In First Samuel, Hannah is in misery. Her story questions God. Where is He? Does He hear? Will He answer? Hannah answers with resounding confidence - God hears and answers! Her humility, prayer, faith, and worship teach us to look to God in times of misery.
He is risen! This Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But even after Jesus was alive, some of His followers were still perplexed and even sad. Luke highlights the encounters of some faithful women and some travelers who are perplexed and sad. In each case, they are pointed to the Scriptures for encouragement. The resurrection highlights the trustworthiness of God's Word!
When we are comfortable, we don't want to risk change. This is one of the key reasons that Israel rejected their King, Jesus. He presented Himself clearly, yet they rejected Him and forfeited their opportunity for peace. Jesus is the true King who offers peace to those who receive Him. We see various responses in the text. Some follow, some worship, some reject. How are you responding to Him?
How's your to-do list look? We don't spend much time thinking about things that are finished. They’re done and forgotten. But in 2 Chronicles, we see how Israel paused to worship the Lord after the temple's completion. From their example, we learn the value of pausing to praise the Lord for what He's done. As we celebrate the completion of our building, we’ll consider how we can worship the Lord.
Spring 2026 Equip Class: Living as Lights in the Darkness
We all face circumstances in life where we just don’t know what to do. Maybe it’s related to a job, parenting, a relationship, finances, or another area. Whatever it might be, we find it challenging, hard, or even frightening, and we don’t know how to respond or what to do. Considering King Jehoshaphat from the Old Testament, we see what he did when he didn’t know what to do in 2 Chron. 20:1-30.
Spring 2026 Equip Class: Living as Lights in the Darkness