1 Samuel  12:1 – 13:5, In-depth Study

Welcome back to another in-depth Bible study. May you have listening ears and eyes that see. Join me as we dive into Father’s word.

I Samuel 12
1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.

5 And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

6 And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.

8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king.

13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:

15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

I Samuel 13
1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.


That concludes our lesson for today. Come back tomorrow as we continue right along in the Bible. Have a great day and God bless!

Dirty Deeds

When my son was potty training some 10 years ago, he decided one morning to remove his diaper all by himself. Unbeknownst to me, who was still sleeping soundly in the next room, had no idea of his soon-to-be antics. Not only was this particular diaper full from the long restful night’s sleep, but it was also double loaded with fresh doo doo. Curious as my son was, he then proceeded to smush his hand into the new found substance. What else does one do with human feces caked onto their fingers than to redecorate every wall in the dining room? I woke up in a panic, unable to find my baby and frantically began searching. I found him mid stroke, painting his masterpiece. My panic turned into disgust as he smiled a proud innocent smile. What in the mama nightmares did I just walk into? How could my cute, adorable, innocent, precious little boy do such a thing?  My entire one year of motherhood had definitely not adequately prepared me for this situation. What should I do? Where do I even begin? What would even possess him to think this was a good idea? He certainly had never seen me or his father do any such thing. I was appalled and shocked at the scene before me.

I look back now and I can laugh about my inexperience and the whole situation. Two more kids later and not a whole lot surprises me these days. Messes are a daily thing and chaos seems to be our motto. Sometimes, I think back to that day and wonder how many times my heavenly Father has looked at me with similarity. Wondering what in the world  I could be thinking or how I could possibly get myself into such a mess. I know one thing for certain, I may have looked at my son with disbelief, disgust and frustration during that moment but I did not love him any less. Just like my heavenly Father, no matter the mess I have created for myself, I will forever be only one step from home.

The same with you dear reader, No matter the sin you have committed, or dirty deed you have done, YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN. You too are only one step away from home..
Fathers is waiting, won’t you come home?



Entangled &Ensnared Part 2: Daily Bible Study #206


Welcome back to our daily Bible study! We’re joining Pastor Jesse Sisk at Smyrna Christian Church in Kokomo, Indiana. You can find his special Bible studies playlist on YouTube along with many other wonderful lessons. I enjoy studying with Pastor Jesse because he takes a traditional approach, going through the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse. As always, remember to study God’s Word independently. Use pastors’ teachings as a guide, but don’t rely solely on any one person’s interpretation. Seek your own understanding and discernment in Scripture. Have a great day and God bless!

1 Samuel 10:10 – 11:15, In-depth Study

Welcome back to another in-depth Bible study. May you have listening ears and eyes that see. Join me as we dive into Father’s word.

1 Samuel 10:10

10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

12 And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.

15 And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.

16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.

17 And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;

18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:

19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.

23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.

25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

I Samuel 11
1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

8 And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

9 And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.

11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

12 And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.

13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

14 Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.


That concludes our lesson for today. Come back tomorrow as we continue right along in the Bible. Have a great day and God bless!

Motherwort

Motherwort

Motherwort, scientifically known as Leonurus cardiaca, is a perennial herb renowned for its cardioprotective properties and has been traditionally used to support heart health. One of its primary benefits is regulating heart rhythm and reducing palpitations, primarily attributed to its active compound leonurine. This alkaloid helps stabilize heart rhythms, decreasing the frequency and intensity of palpitations. Additionally, motherwort promotes vasodilation, improving blood flow and contributing to overall cardiovascular wellness.

Research has demonstrated that motherwort extract exhibits cardioprotective effects, lending empirical support to its traditional uses. Studies have shown that regular consumption of motherwort tea or tincture may aid in managing mild cardiac arrhythmias and supporting overall heart health. The herb’s flavonoids and phenolic acids also possess antioxidant properties, protecting against cellular damage and inflammation.

Motherwort’s benefits extend to reducing stress and anxiety-related heart issues, making it an excellent natural remedy for individuals experiencing heart palpitations due to nervous tension. Its calming effects on the nervous system also help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and stress. Furthermore, motherwort may help lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation, which can be beneficial for individuals managing conditions like atrial fibrillation.



Key Benefits for Heart Health:

– Regulation of Heart Rhythm: Motherwort helps stabilize heart rhythms, reducing palpitations and arrhythmias.
– Vasodilation and Blood Flow: Improves blood flow and reduces strain on the cardiovascular system.
– Antioxidant Protection: Protects cardiac cells from oxidative stress, preventing damage and promoting overall heart health.
– Anxiolytic and Stress-Reducing Effects: Helps alleviate anxiety and stress-related heart issues.
– Blood Pressure Support: May help lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation.

While motherwort is generally considered safe, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare provider before using it, especially if you have underlying health conditions or take medications. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also exercise caution when using motherwort.

Entangled & Ensnared Part 1: Daily Bible Study #205


Welcome back to our daily Bible study! We’re joining Pastor Jesse Sisk at Smyrna Christian Church in Kokomo, Indiana. You can find his special Bible studies playlist on YouTube along with many other wonderful lessons. I enjoy studying with Pastor Jesse because he takes a traditional approach, going through the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse. As always, remember to study God’s Word independently. Use pastors’ teachings as a guide, but don’t rely solely on any one person’s interpretation. Seek your own understanding and discernment in Scripture. Have a great day and God bless!

All Grown Up

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

When was the first time I really felt like a grown up? When I made my first cup of hot chocolate and I could put as many packs as I wanted in my cup. Lesson learned, just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Neither and Both

Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

Do lazy days make me feel rested or unproductive? After most lazy days I may feel slightly rested while a heavy side of overwhelmed. I know how much I can accomplish in a little amount of time so everytime I rest I am painfully aware of everything that I could have gotten done. Life is about balance, a lesson I am still learning.

Little Known Fact

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

What’s something most people don’t know about me? Most people do not know that I know how to crochet.

Working Hard!

What have you been working on?

What have I been working on? I have been working on my dreams!