When our faith is young, we look for ways to impress God. We negotiate—we try to make deals, to bargain with God: “Lord, if you get me out of this, I will put such and such in the offering plate.” Or, “God, if you will bless me with this, I will stop doing so-and-so.” ButContinue reading “Obedience > Worship.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
“What is This Sound of Sheep and Cattle That I Hear?”
I laughed in court when a man who has been in and out of prison, convicted of a string of armed robberies, testified that during a dice game he was keeping an eye on his money because “everybody ain’t got integrity.” True. “EVERYBODY AIN’T GOT INTEGRITY.” Period. Mic drop. Many of us lack integrity. KingContinue reading ““What is This Sound of Sheep and Cattle That I Hear?””
Corner Cutting.
Do you cut corners? Do you tell yourself, ‘it will be okay, just this once’? King Saul did. Before one battle, Israel was greatly outnumbered. The Philistine army had “troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore” 1 Samuel 13:5. The men of Israel were terrified and “hid in caves, thickets, among rocks, andContinue reading “Corner Cutting.”
Israel Rejected its True King.
When Israel kept begging for a king (“so we can be like the other nations”), God finally gave them Saul. And they were pleased: Saul was exactly what people would want in a king—he was handsome and stood a head taller than everyone else, an impressive physical specimen. He probably had a deep voice andContinue reading “Israel Rejected its True King.”
The Spirit of the Lord Will Control You.
I wrote recently of Samson, Gideon, David, Noah, Moses, and Elijah—men whose achievements followed a deep indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The phrase the Holman translation uses is “the Spirit of the Lord took control,” as in this passage about King Saul: “The Spirit of the Lord will control you; you will prophecy with [theContinue reading “The Spirit of the Lord Will Control You.”
Scotty.
Scotty is NBA-tall. At six-foot, nine inches, he is taller than the average pro (6’7”). Scotty is handsome too, with wavy black hair and dimples. I played basketball with Scotty a few times. My novice skills were useless against him, yet Scotty dogged himself constantly. I’ll never forget the way he practiced three-pointers, yelling “OFF!”Continue reading “Scotty.”
The Apple and the Tree.
You know the expression: Teachers say it about difficult parents, to explain the behavior of the children. People say it when the children of criminals become criminals themselves. Or when children raised by alcoholics become alcoholics: “THE APPLE DOES NOT FALL FAR FROM THE TREE.” Children follow the model placed before them. But there areContinue reading “The Apple and the Tree.”
“The Word of the Lord Had Not Yet Been Revealed.”
Samuel began serving in the Lord’s temple as a small child after his mother Hannah gave him to the Lord. Being raised by priests sounds lonely, but there must have been advantages for the future prophet, or God would not have put Samuel there. There was training and education and so many kinds of servantsContinue reading ““The Word of the Lord Had Not Yet Been Revealed.””
Speak, Lord. 1 Samuel 3:10.
When God spoke to the little boy Samuel, Samuel ran to Eli the priest (his guardian) and said, “Here I am. You called me?” Eli said no. God spoke again, and again Samuel left his bed and ran to Eli. Eli said “it was not me.” “Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord, becauseContinue reading “Speak, Lord. 1 Samuel 3:10.”
Here I Raise Mine Ebenezer.
Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, and Shane & Shane have each released new versions of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” While these hit-makers have breathed life into an old classic, the real story is the greatness of the original: few songs still command respect 300 years after they were written! This hymn is the workContinue reading “Here I Raise Mine Ebenezer.”
Household Words: 