2 Samuel

While in church this morning, the pastor mentioned Hannah and how she prayed for a child. Her husband had one to his other wife Peniannah but Hannah was barren. She wanted a child so bad she went to church and asked God to give her a male child..11 Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.

Think about it. She wanted that child so bad she was willing to do most anything to have him, even give him over to God once he was old enough, which means he may have been a very young child when she gave him to Eli to raise.

How many of us could do that? Could you just hand one of your children over to someeone else and tell them to raise it? Especially one that you wanted as much as Hannah wanted her son, Samuel. It did not even occur to me to make such a vow when I found out I would not have a child unless I adopted. But she made a vow to God that is what she would do if he blessed her with a child of her own so She knew that this is what God wanted her do do. The child would be loved and grow into a godly man.

When her child was born and he was old enough to be given to Eli, I know Hannah's heart must have been heavy. But was she angry at God? this is her Prayer

And Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn[a] is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

2 “No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.

3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.

4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.

5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.

6 “The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.

7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.

8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.

“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
And He has set the world upon them.

9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

“For by strength no man shall prevail.

10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”

Hannah calls the Lord, Holy, Stong, Faithful and uplifting. He asked alot of her but she loved him and continued to worship him no matter what. No matter what, she knows God will take care of her and her son. He will help them overcome whatever happens in their lives.

How many times when we pray to we forget to thank god for the things he has given us. Even the small things. We ask, and ask and ask but so often we do not give thanks to the God we expect so much from. Would that all of us be more like Hannah.

Which one is best

Not long ago I got into a discussion with some people about which version of the bible is best. I prefer the kj version while some prefer the Niv or other version. My daughter reads the NIV because it is hard for her to understand the kj version. I told on man this and he spoke up and said if she really wanted to she could understand that version of the bible and read it, not the watered down version. I knew then that he never dealt with someone who was learning disabled. I tried hard to make him understand that she could not know what some of the verses were saying to her. She tried to read the kj version and just could not and gave up on trying til I got her the new one.

I love the King James version. I love the language and how it just seems to flow for me. But even the King James version is watered down from the bibles that were used before that.

I can handle the NIV but other versions seem like fairy tales to me. I have several versions in my home but most I have only glanced thru once or twic. I like to go to yard sales and buy the bibles here. I have quite a few. I do it mainly cause people write in them and give their thoughts on various verses. I like reading their notes and wondering what kind of women they were. Most of them are women. I could have a thousand bibles in my home of all different verses but if I do not pick up one and read it and follow the ten commandments and what jesus says, and give my soul to him, they won't do me a bit of good.

Funny how thing work out..........

My daughter is in the hospital and I am not sad about it. I am happy cause she was taken out of a terrible situation that we have been trying to get her out of for months. She called us crying and we called the police. The police took her by ambulance to the hospital and I am at ease for the first time in months.

She left here and was involved with a couple she met on the net. We knew they were taking her money and abusing her but we could not do a thing. She wanted to be independent.

I have been praying for God to watch over and and get her out of that situation. This is not what I asked for but it is how He worked. I know. He really does work in mysterious ways.

She is not hurt physically but mentally she has all sorts of problems and she is just in the hospital for evaluation for a few days. All I know is that she is safe and that is what is important.

God really does answer prayer. He may not answer it in the way we like but he does. He sure answered the prayers my husband and I have been sending daily.

A more pleasant time??

I was looking through some blogs and came across some songs and other things that mention the summer of '69. I remember that year as a year filled with fun like so many other years of the sixties for. It was a time of learning and growing and falling in and out of love many times for this young girl who seemed to look at the world thru a glass that was half full.

You all remember LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and THE OZZIE AND HARRIET SHOW. Those in the early sixties and fifties who were teens then surely remember them. Weren't all families like that or was it all hidden? I remember a neighbor lady who constantly had blackened eyes and bruises. She fell alot they said. An awful lot. I remember girls in town getting married and having ten Pound preemies about six months after being married.

A young president slaughtered as he rode through Dallas on a cold November day. We all remember where were were on that fateful day. We all wept for his widowed bride and the children he left behind as well as our country.

Then there was the war that was going on. Young men who came home with their bodies and lives shattered, trying to pick up the pieces in a society that did not want them around it seemed. College students angry at a government who refused to listen to their pleas to end the war.

So they protested and the country was coming apart at the seams.

Were the times really that wonderful. No they were not but the music was. The music took us away from all of that. Music does not save one's mortal soul but it does save our sanity at a time when the rest of the world seems to be going mad.

May there always be music to take us to those special places in our minds that we can find happiness in.

How many times does God forgive us

A friend of mine asked me if God forgave those who committed the same sins over and over. I thought of myself and my children and of all the times I would forgive them for the things they did that angered me and made me sad. I would forgive them every time but that does not mean I would think they should not be punished unless they were truely repentant for the sins they committed.

I think God looks upon us as a father looks upon His children. He must weep at times. We are so disrespectful but if we go to him and repent he will forgive many times. Jesus says 7 times 70
(Mtt 18:21-22)This does not mean we should keep doing it over and over. It means that is we are truly trying to better ourselves and stop committing the sin, God will forgive us. But we have to be trying to stop lying, cheating or whatever we are doing wrong. God knows when we are truly repentant for the sins we commit. He will help us and forgive us over and over if we ask him.
We must keep on struggling and repenting for that sin.

Pray daily for that sin you are struggling with. Ask God daily for forgiveness and help.
Put on the armour of God and use it to fight Satan.

Eph 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

I was reading the previous post and I think the reason why it is so hard for some of us to be peacemakers is because of many things that are going wrong in our own lives. We are troubled by many things that seem out of our control and instead of depending on Christ and finding our answers thru him, we try to solve our problems ourselves. We cannot find the contentment we need to feel at peace if we don't just hand things over to him and let him take care of them so we can be contented.

Our glass is always half empty instead of half full. It will be that way until we learn to love God Completely.

When you love God totally, you have deeper relationships. People bond closer when they trust in the Lord.

You are more willing to forgive. I once heard of a man and woman who were good christians and they lost their son to a drunk driver. Their son was also a christian and they knew he would want them to forgive the drunk driver. They not only forgave him, they visited him in prison and he became a christian. they are close to him and his family. How many of us could do that?

I would like to quote Emily Barnes and say. 'Bury the hatchet that causes a war within yourself and others. Take your sins to the cross and leave them there. Never pick them up again.'

The peacemakers....

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Matt.5:9)


As I listen to what all is going on in the world I have to ask myself, where are the peacemakers in this world? Down through histroy there have been people who spoke out for peace but I don't hear those voices now. Where have they all gone? Why are there no marches for Peade like there once was. Have we just given up? Jeuse said The peacemakers would be blessed. Why aren't more of us out there trying to get the world to see that war is not the way and it is not what God wants of us.

To keep the peace, we have to make some sacrifices and perhaps many will lose friends they value because those friends do not believe in peace. But sacrifices have to be made if we want peace in this world.

Isa. 9:6 ⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Jesus was born the Prince of Peace. He wanted us to be peacemakers. He is no whimp and when the time comes he will do battle but his battle will be with satan and those who follow him. I am sure he must weep when he looks down and see how we human beings treat each other and how little we think of settling things the peaceful way.

When Peter drew a sword and cut off the ear of a high priest's servant, jesus healed the ear and said....⁵²Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Matt 26:51

When it comes time to do battle, jesus and his legions of angels will do battle. Until then, we are to be the peacemakers.