Sonshine's Journal

Wise Solomon wrote: “Pro 29:25 The fear of people becomes a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord will be set on high.” In these chapters we find three men who experienced this; the high priest, Abimelech, King Saul, and David the warrior who had conquered Goliath. All three faced choices in which they either had to trust God or trust in men who will fail. All three failed in their choice and Samuel has recorded the results of that fear. Abimelech is killed by Doeg the Edomite when the Israelites refused to follow King Saul’s command to kill him and the other priests, he killed 85 priests to his shame. 

King Saul was so fearful of Abimelech’s decision to help David that he ordered his death. This would be a thorn in David’s side for years to come. David feared for his life and went to Abimelech to secure provisions for his men. He was given food and Goliath’s sword but in the end that decision cost Abimelech’s life at the hand of Saul through Doeg. Saul would lose his kingship and David would lose the trust of others. 

How often do we not trust God and instead allow fear to guide our decisions? Fear is as the Proverbs verse says; a snare, a trap. Beware of this character quality for it only leads to the deadly d’s of discouragement, death and more. Today, trust God. 

Goliath was a taunter of the Israelites and he made sure that his taunts scared them day after day. We too have our Goliath’s. Satan is ours and he is just as boastful and threatening as the one David faced. Twice David reminded Goliath that he was defying the Lord God Almighty. That is the first step in our victory over our Goliaths as well. Twice David noted: “this uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” [vs 36 and 45]

Sometimes we face the Goliath’s but do we tell Satan that he has defied the living God? David was victorious because he knew who the true God was and the enemy he faced. Today as you face your Goliath’s tell him what he has done and what God will do to him. 

Hannah was a woman with a deep grief on her heart because her womb had remained closed. Many women face this dilemma and it causes pain because children are a gift from the Lord, but how do you face life when that is not given? Hannah took her pain to the Lord outside the tabernacle. While in deep prayer, the high priest Eli rebuked her thinking Hannah was drunk. But, what we want to notice is how she answered his rebuke. While Eli rebuked her for being drunk, Hannah told him that was not true but instead she was in deep pain and anguish. What we need to see is her response did not include the real problem. She left that problem with the Lord and only told Eli about her great distress. 

How often do we pray and others want to know the particulars. Hannah never shared those with Eli but only God. What a beautiful way to keep rumors and/or gossip from happening. We should learn from this encounter how we too share our deepest anguish. Others do not need to know the particulars. What they do need to know is our heart is in pain.

The ways of God are often mistaken, but here we find God responding to a barren woman as only God can do. Why did God choose to allow her to birth and carry this rebellious child is answered in this chapter. “For the child will be dedicated to God from birth till the day he dies.’” Vs 7. What does it mean to be dedicated in the sight of God? As we follow the life of this child, whom we know will be known as Samson, we shake our heads as we read about him. What is God doing? How is that a fulfillment of him being dedicated to God? That is how we often think when God acts and we are befuddled, but remember, beloved, the ways of God are not like the ways of man for His ways are higher than ours. God will use Samson to bring down many unbelievers and God does it today as well. So when something occurs that is out of the ordinary, stop and remember Isaiah 55:9. God says My ways are superior to yours and Samson fills that statement. 

Will you today watch and learn about His ways? Will you seek to understand His ways so you too can be dedicated to Him. 

This is Women’s Month and today we stop to honor Deborah for her part in the overthrow of foreign governments that sought to undermine Israel. She trained the men, she followed them into battle and she honored Jael who singlehanded killed an evil enemy when Barak refused to go into battle without her. The story of Jael’s craftiness is worthy of our read today. She was a modern day MI6 warrior that craftily lured the enemy Sisera into a tent where she offered a drink of milk after which he laid down into a slumber. Then Jael hammered a tent peg into his skull. Deborah said a woman would be given the honor and Jael was that woman.

You never know when God will call upon you to serve Him in extraordinary ways just as we see here in the life of Jael. 

Where is God calling you to serve in extraordinary capacities? Are you ready? 

Just as God raised up Joshua and other male leaders to guide the nation of Israel, He has raised up women to fulfill His plans. Today in our reading we come across Deborah who sat under a tree to offer wise counsel to the people, one of whom as Barak. Now Barak was what we call a sissy for his fear of the enemy was stronger than his fear of the Lord. So, because God had called him to exterminate the enemy and he was fearful, God allowed Deborah to counsel him. She was a wife and a prophetess and clearly gave Barak the news that God had chosen him to lead. But, Barak needed more encouragement. Listen to his words: I will go if you will go with me. “Sigh”….When God calls you to do His bidding, He often doesn’t say go get a woman or any other to go with you! However, Barak did and Deborah went with him with this warning: your victory will be given to a woman not you. 

Beloved, when God calls you to serve, He will provide just what you need. Do you trust God to go with you, before you and behind you? Do you trust Him to provide all you need? Or are you a Barak? 

When Joseph was in Egypt he was a slave for many a year. However, after being released and becoming Prime minister, Pharaoh gave him Askenah as wife to whom were born two sons: Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph lived and died but his descendants were part of the Israelites who left Egypt to travel to the Promised Land and his two sons joined as well. But, after that we don’t know much about them except some interesting facts one of which is that Joshua notes that Joseph’s sons were warriors. 

It is important to remember that God is always at work and in this chapter we learn more interesting facts about Manasseh. While Joshua allotted land for both sons, and he also fulfilled the words of Moses regarding the daughters of Zelophehad because he had no sons by giving his daughters an inheritance among their brethren. In addition, we see that God made sure that their inheritance was kept within the tribe of Manasseh by providing husbands for the girls.

We should always stop and thank God for His provision for His people. If we stop and think about our family history, we can find how God has provided for our every need; even to providing inheritances and husbands for our daughters. 

Way back in the history of the Israelites we recall the time when he and Joshua spied out the land and brought a favorable report, unlike the other spies. God promised Caleb that he would be given a blessing because of his faithfulness. And now the time has come. Caleb asks for the land on which his foot had trod and Joshua and God agree. But  there is another important part of this story that needs to be noted: Joshua asked God to bless Caleb to conquer the city of Hebron and the surrounding territory. And God did just that. That is an important principle here: when a friend asks us to pray for them it is not only a gift to us and to them but it honors God. 

God heard and He responded and blessed Caleb who conquered Hebron. 

Who has asked you to pray for them today and have you been faithful to that request?

As we read these chapters, one characteristic is note: the Israelites were a complaining people. No matter what God provided, the Israelites found fault. They have short memories and if truth be known we are as well. They complained about no water, they complained about the manna, they complained about entering the Promised Land. What are you complaining about? What am I complaining about? 

In the midst of all this we find Moses complaining to God about these people. Yes, Moses joined the ranks of the complainers. And yet in all of this the author of Hebrews captures the truth about this man. “Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken.” 

We learn much about this man Moses and the people who were under his charge. His humility is a lesson for us and complaining is an insult to God for our thanklessness. Today stop and consider if you are humble or a complainer for what God has given to you. 

It has been some years since my father died and the memories of that day are in the past and are hardly remembered. He lived, he died and was buried in the land of the north. There was little mourning.  Mother refused to let us mourn but encouraged us to move on and return to our work and other things. How unlike the death of Moses. He lived, he died and was buried on Mt. Nebo in some unknown place. The people mourned for thirty days and then moved on with Joshua as the new leader. 

Elijah and Enoch lived but did not die for God took them home to heaven. There was no mourning but life moved on and we have their witness in the Word. Moses died and we have his witness in these last chapters of this book. 

So what are we to glean from these last chapters? We are to recall the life of this man. As the book of Hebrews tells us: “Now Moses was faithful in all God’shouse as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken.” Is this our life’s testimony as well? Are we faithful in all of God’s house? Stay faithful dear ones so you will receive the same eulogy as this servant of the Lord.