Month: July 2018

July 29, Reading 1 – 1 Samuel 1

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Samuel follows right on from the book of Judges. The coming of the Messiah, the King was in answer to Israel’s lawlessness. Israel needed a Saviour. Before God sends the Messiah, He sends His prophet who will prepare Messiah’s way. There are many similarities between Samuel and John the Baptist. They are not accidental, but deliberate, and testify to the truth of the Gospel!

SJA Notes

* God Above, we will trust in Your steadfast love, forever and ever.

“… Then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, …”

The story moves closer toward fulfilling the promise of a king.

The Lord is bringing about His glory in the land of Israel.

Here is another baby born from a barren womb.

Samuel is the great prophet who anointed kings. The prophet who walked with the Lord, worshipping the LORD, from a young age.

Like Samson he was dedicated to the Lord from his birth.

Unlike Samson we will see that Samuel earnestly sought the face of the Lord (although it is important to remember the Samson is in the Hebrews 11 list of faithful commendations).

We are to be like Samuel, who served the Lord in His temple, who was given to the Lord for the span of his life.

In our King Jesus we are to be living sacrifices, little tabernacles of God’s Holy Spirit.

* Father God,

Thank You for this day.

Please help us to be like Samuel, serving You each day of our lives.

Please help us to, even more, be like Jesus.

Amen.

July 29, Reading 2 – Isaiah 44:24-45:8

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

This prophecy about Cyrus was about 230 years before the actual Cyrus was born. Its existence is one of the reasons why Cyrus gave such aid and support to the Jews in his day – after the exile, when Daniel was a very old man.

SJA Notes

* Faithful God, please show us Your faithfulness today from Your word.

“I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.”

God is speaking here to King Cyrus of the Medes and Persians, many years before Cyrus was born!

And this is a hard word.

God raised up Cyrus and the Medes and Persians, just as he raised up and pulled down Assyria and Babylon.

We read in Psalm 75,

“… but it is God who executes judgement, putting down one and lifting up another.”

God raises up and pulls down. For His purposes.

It is His purposes that we are to remember when reading these passages. We are to wrestle in our minds with the truth that,

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

We are not to attribute human thinking onto this! It is not a childish tantrum, or an obstinate rebellion – God does not operate with our frail and broken motivations.

We need to remember that what God pleases is FOR GOOD, the RIGHT THING.

When we come up against a hard word in scripture, in God’s word, what can we do?

We trust that God is wiser than we are, and that He will choose to show us all that He wants for us to know.

* Mighty God,

Please teach us from Your word today.

Please humble our hearts, humble our spirits today.

Please write Your word upon our hearts, that we might not sin against You.

Please plant Your word deep within us and grow it, that we might be good soil and bear much fruit.

For Your sake and Your glory, that Your Name would be praised.

Amen.

July 29, Reading 3 – 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:10

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

What precious thoughts are these in verses 7-18. Christians have found comfort and strength from them for 2,000 years. Life often has difficult and hard times. May you be sustained by what is unseen and eternal!

SJA Notes

* God Above, please open our hearts to hear Your word to us today.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

How much wonderful hope is in this passage!

We look to the things that are unseen, they are eternal.

This is so important that Paul repeats it,

“For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

The afflictions we suffer through our lives, the scars and burdens, the wounds we gain and may even bear through our lives – These are, praise God, transient.

And even those things are used by God to prepare an eternal weight of glory. Beyond all comparison!

What a God we have – What a wonderful God!

* Heavenly Father,

Thank You for today. Thank You for Your love for us.

Thank You that You give to us a hope eternal. Thank You for Jesus.

Amen.