All Posts

Image by Magnific We are introduced to Elijah in 1 Kings 17. Elijah is a prophet during a time of real rebellion against God. King Ahab is a wicked king married to an even more wicked queen. They both led Israel into rebellion against God. 1 Kings 16:33 says of Ahab, "He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel than any of the other kings of Israel before him." This is the environment in which Elijah walked. His first encounter with King Ahab was not a pos

Jeremiah was a prophet who had the unenviable task of preaching to an unrepentant people. He did this for approximately 40 years. Can you imagine? Not a single conversion in 40 years! He was a young man when God called him. Let's assume he was 20 years old when he got the call. That would make him 60 years old when he retired. No conversions, everyone against him. At least he had family. Wrong! God told Jeremiah not to take a wife or have children because they would have horr

Image by Magnific We are introduced to Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:20. His mother is Hannah, whom we will meet later. Samuel is the longed for child of Hannah, ending her years of infertility. She dedicated her son to the Lord to show her gratitude for what God had done for her. He was raised in the Temple by the prophet Eli. Samuel grew up serving in the Temple and learning to listen to the voice of God. When Eli died, Samuel took his place as the prophet and judge for Israel. Unfo

Image by Magnific Let's look at David in a defining moment of his life. David was now king and firmly established in Jerusalem. He had been victorious in battle after battle. It was that time of the year when kings go to war, but this time, David sent his men and he stayed home. This set the stage for David's downfall. He was not doing what he was supposed to do - fight with his men. Instead, he was walking on the palace's roof when he saw a beautiful, naked woman bathing in

King David Photo by Magnific We are first introduced to David in 1 Samuel 16:13. God has decided Saul has to go, so he sends Samuel to Jesse's house because the new king lives there. Jesse's older sons are paraded before Samuel, but God has not chosen them. The older brothers have been passed over in favor of the youngest. The youngest, David, finally appears. Samuel anoints him with the oil. That surely had to hurt the older ones' feelings! The Spirit of the Lord came powerf

Breakfast in the mountains means a bowl of cereal and two mandarin oranges. I like to read while having breakfast. That can backfire. As I was peeling the orange and breaking it apart, I found the inside was all moldy! Had I mindlessly eaten it, well, you can imagine. Sadly, trauma has that effect upon us. We can look great on the outside, but on the inside, we carry open wounds that weaken us emotionally if not physically as well. Ignoring our pain, “pushing on,” or even dis