Author Archives: Steven Wales

“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.”

A Biblical Romance.

The story of Ruth may be the most romantic in the Bible. Ruth was a widow and moved to Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi, also a widow. Ruth did all she could to take care of Naomi. She was selfless. Soon Ruth meets Boaz, a wealthy farmer, and he takes care of her and Naomi.Continue reading “A Biblical Romance.”

Romance and Noble Character.

The book of Ruth—a powerful story of the Messiah who is our Kinsman-Redeemer—can also be read as the simple story of the romance between Ruth and Boaz.  The love between the two provides a good example of some of the keys to a good relationship.  To begin, Ruth was LOYAL to her mother-in-law Naomi.  AfterContinue reading “Romance and Noble Character.”

Kinsman-Redeemer.

You sometimes hear it said that Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer.  But what is that? The phrase comes from the book of Ruth.  Naomi and her husband and sons left Israel during a famine and moved to Moab.  In Moab Naomi lost her husband and both sons.  She eventually returned to Israel accompanied only by herContinue reading “Kinsman-Redeemer.”

The Bible is Filled With Unsavory Characters–Just Like Life.

Serving as a juror for a murder trial proved to me the soft or “delicate” nature of some members of our first-world culture.  Then at work I discussed one aspect of last week’s trial and a female engineer covered her ears and hurried away—it was too much for her. The Bible does NOT avoid hardContinue reading “The Bible is Filled With Unsavory Characters–Just Like Life.”

The Monarchy.

The book of Judges might be re-named “the Book of Committees.” Protestant churches love committees, right? Ours even has a Committee on Committees, a committee whose members nominate people to serve on other committees. But without an executive–without a chief at the top–committees can devolve into a league of partisan teams battling over authority (“vision”)Continue reading “The Monarchy.”

Talk About Being Scalped!

Have you ever had a bad haircut? One so bad, you wanted to wear a hat?  In first grade, everyone laughed when someone got a haircut.  It could be the tiniest, most imperceptible trim, but the class would point and laugh, chanting in their sing-song way: “Brian got a hair-cut! Brian got a hair-cut!” ThatContinue reading “Talk About Being Scalped!”