Experiencing God’s Support Through Others

supporting each other

On the last weekend of March 2025, I enjoyed spending some time with two childhood friends I had not seen in over thirty years.

Although connected via social media for several years, we had not been with each other until this weekend.

Losing my husband back in July 2024 prompted our decision to get together.

My friends wanted to support and encourage me even though one lived about two hours away and the other two days’ drive or a plane flight away.

We spent the time remembering experiences and people from our youth, laughing, crying, and laughing until we cried while exploring the sites, shopping and food near one of their homes.

What does this have to do with 2 Samuel 15:13-37?

Continue reading “Experiencing God’s Support Through Others”

Can You Spot Conspiracy in Worship?

spotting conspiracy

Trust.

Such a small word that has significant meaning in our lives.

Who do you trust the most?

Have you experienced betrayal from someone you trusted?

Was it a family member, a friend, or a leader in your life who trampled your trust?

Or have you ever betrayed someone else’s trust?

How do our moral failures contribute to making it hard to spot conspiracy in our and other’s worship?

Join me as we study an example from scripture rife with moral failure and trampling of trust within a family.

Continue reading “Can You Spot Conspiracy in Worship?”

Deep Sorrow that Led to Worship

sunrise of deep sorrow to worship

As many of you know, I am healing from a deep sorrow since losing my husband by his own choice last July and my earthly father by natural causes last October.

We expected my earthly father’s death. But my husband’s shocked all who knew him.

Thus, the journey of healing I am on is complicated.

I shared part of my experience in my first post back after a six-month break from writing.

Today’s passage was hard for me to work through because it touches on the themes of deep sorrow.

Yet, it also provides an opportunity to learn why the Lord is worthy of our worship, no matter the source of our deep sorrow.

Join me in this study of 2 Samuel 12:15-23 and portions of Psalm 51.

Continue reading “Deep Sorrow that Led to Worship”

Elkanah Returns to Worship God

faithful worship of God

Two weeks ago, I started this series on 1 Samuel 1, purposefully studying the “minor” characters instead of the usual approach to this passage.

Several of you have thanked me for this focus, stating that you had never considered that these “minor” characters could reveal so much about the Lord’s work in our daily lives.

Today, again I want us to study the next group of verses from 1 Samuel 1.

And yes, as the title suggests, we will focus in again on the minor character of Elkanah and his faithfulness as he returns to worship God at Shiloh every year.

Continue reading “Elkanah Returns to Worship God”

How God Worked Through Eli

Have you ever misread a person’s behavior?

I certainly have.

Or perhaps you were the one whose behavior was misunderstood?

Yep, been on that side too.

How does God work through our misunderstandings?

Last week’s post considered how the Lord provided a supportive and Godly husband, Elkanah, in 1 Samuel 1, to Hannah long before He answered her petition to have a son.

Many who read the post commented that they had never studied Elkanah’s role before.

This is precisely why I focused on Elkanah last week.

Often, we forget that the supporting characters in a scripture passage are also useful in learning more about how God works in our lives.

Today, we return to 1 Samuel 1 to explore how God worked through Eli, another supporting character who, at first, misunderstood Hannah’s behavior.

Continue reading “How God Worked Through Eli”

Seeing God at Work Through Elkanah

One of my seminary professors once stated that, anytime, scripture highlights a barren woman to take note because the Lord is about to do something significant.

The first chapter in 1 Samuel shares the unique turn of events that brought about the birth of the prophet and priest, Samuel, through resolving Hannah’s barrenness.

I can relate to Hannah in the early part of her story in the sense that I do not have any physical offspring.

But today, I want to focus not on God resolving Hannah’s barrenness, but on how we can see God at work through Elkanah, her husband, before that resolution occurs.

Continue reading “Seeing God at Work Through Elkanah”

Why Did God Choose Gideon?

wheat

I have fond memories of the wheat fields in Kansas.

Watching the swaying of the stalks in the wind is quite mesmerizing.

Although I spent time on my grandparent’s farm, I have never harvested wheat.

I recall a picture taken of me with my grandfather on his combine, but I never actually did any farming work.

Why am I talking about harvesting wheat?

It is what Gideon was doing when God called him to lead the Israelites.

What was it about Gideon that made him the right choice?

Continue reading “Why Did God Choose Gideon?”

Resolving Miscommunication in Worship

communication

Have you ever misunderstood another person’s actions?

I know I have.

Conversely, has anyone ever misunderstood your actions?

Yep, I have experienced this too.

These situations can cause brokenness in our interpersonal relationships.

On a much larger scale, it can cause rifts between larger people groups and even nations.

Worse yet, miscommunication has the potential to destroy unity in worship.

Joshua 22 helps us understand the importance of communicating clearly with each other.

Continue reading “Resolving Miscommunication in Worship”

Why Do People Worship God? |Exodus 4:31 | Part Two

I’m back!

In Why Do People Worship God? | Exodus 4:31 | Part One, we considered the primary and secondary definitions of both the word worship and God using Merriam-Webster.com.

We then reviewed how the stage was set in Genesis 15:12-14 and how the plot developed from Genesis 41:41-43 through Exodus 4:17 before the people in Exodus 4:31 responded to the news Moses and Aaron presented to them by worshipping God.

Today, we will continue our study of Exodus 4, seeking to gain insight into why people worship God.

Continue reading “Why Do People Worship God? |Exodus 4:31 | Part Two”