My God My Everything

In looking at the lives of Samuel and David, they both started out as young men that learned dependence on God at an early age. Hannah could not train Samuel to depend on her because she wouldn’t be there for him. David was left alone with the sheep and would not have others to rely on for help. Dependence on God is key to becoming a person after God’s own heart. No matter where we are or who we’re with, God is the One and Only source that we can truly depend on. People may leave us and forsake us but God never will. People will give advice but God’s…

Have you ever needed grace in your life? I sure have. Looking back I am in awe of the many times that God has forgiven me and offered another opportunity to begin again. Thank you Lord! Eli was priest of Israel and had two sons. His sons Hophni and Phinehas were wicked men that sinned against God. As a father he had indulged them and allowed them to continue in their evil ways. Then came Samuel. A young three year old boy that had been an answer to prayer for Hannah. You might wonder why she would leave him with a man who had failed as a parent with his…

As I continue on my quest to know what a person after God’s own heart would be like, I believe that that person would be someone who is faithful to fulfill their vows and promises. That person is one who has sought the Lord and prayed deeply for an answer to their prayers. They then made a commitment to God either in a promise to follow Him in obedience or a specific vow. Hannah was a woman who did just that. Her vow was to give her son, the one she had waited for, prayed for and finally received, back to God. David made promises to follow God all the…

While studying the life of David I discovered that I needed to examine the influences in his life that contributed to the man he became. We all have mentors that have made a difference and given us examples to follow or not. Samuel was a Godly influence throughout his life and it’s fascinating to see where his influences came from. First his mother was a woman named Hannah who sought the Lord in her distress and made a vow that if God would give her a son she would give him back to God to serve him all the days of his life. That is a huge vow given that…

The story of David reminds us that we always have hope in Christ. We cannot out sin God’s ability to forgive and we can live in a meaningful and beautiful relationship with God. There have been several times that I have identified with David. Times when I didn’t feel that I measured up or times when others felt I didn’t meet their expectations. Have you ever felt that way? I’m sure that at sometime or place you have probably been treated as if you didn’t exit, weren’t wanted or didn’t matter. David’s story began when Samuel was sent by God to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king…

I’ve been studying the books of Samuel and the life of David. Many of the stories I have heard several times over the years, but this time God was challenging me to go deeper. To go beyond the surface stories of intrigue and drama to the the heart of David which is the real story. David is known as the “Man after God’s own heart.” His victory over Goliath would help you believe that, but his sin with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah, would make you doubt, as many people have for centuries. When you think about how you will be remembered wouldn’t it be wonderful to have…

I received a visual message from God of a woman who had dark clouds surrounding her. She stood and with her hand she swiped the clouds and began to push them back revealing clear blue skies. The clouds were wrong thoughts, bad attitudes and reactions to unmet and unrealistic expectations. Her moods and demeanor reflected in the view of her skies. Dark, angry, resentful, suspicious, unforgiving and full of self pity – when the clouds were heavy, black and thick. As the clear blue sky was revealed the mood lightened and brightened. Cheerful, hopeful, joyful and smiling. She was standing in the same place the entire time. Her situation hadn’t…