Marching Forth!

The book of 1 Samuel begins with a heartbreaking passage of the conflict between rival wives of Elkanah  named Peninnah and Hannah.  Peninnah had sons and daughters, but the LORD had closed Hannah's womb, and as a consequence she was childless.  Peninnah was an hateful adversary to Hannah, who provoked and needled her over her barrenness, and it broke Hannah's heart.  Elkanah loved Hannah very much and supplied her a double portion to show how much he cared for her.  Yet Hannah was so grieved over the provocation she could not bring herself to eat anything.   1 Samuel 1:8 reads, " Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons ?"  Rather than lamenting what she did not have, Elkanah begged his wife to find comfort in his love and provision. There is no question Elkanah was good to Hannah, and he used a phrase similar to that employed in the ...

Whether we watch the news on TV or scroll through articles online, this is a common way we receive information about what is happening in the world around us.  Very seldom (if ever) are news articles a call to personal action.  Newsreaders and reporters simply convey a handful of stories of national and international significance and local topics that include politics, traffic, sports and weather.  It makes sense we would seek out a reliable, trustworthy source of news so we can be accurately informed.  The Gospel, the Good News, is much more than a story to believe, for it is a revelation of God and from God Christians are called to obey. On the topic of these glad tidings Paul wrote in  Romans 10:16-17 , " But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"  17  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God ."  The primary imperative of the Gospel is we must receive and believe it,...

One of the consequences of being an Australian citizen is voting is compulsory.  Those who choose not to vote in local or federal elections or a referendum are required to pay a fine which is currently capped at $55.  For followers of Jesus Christ, it should not be the threat of a fine that leads us to do our civic duty to vote, but submission to the government established by God as unto Him. 1 Peter 2:13-16 exhorts believers in the context of doing good works in the public sphere, " Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,  14  or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.  15  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- 16  as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God ."  While there are exceptions to this comma...

When one of my sons was young, he developed quite a dependance upon a pacifier (dummy) that continued after he was weaned.  At one time there was a pacifier in each corner of the cot, at the changing table, in the pram, and pretty much every room in the house, and he used them constantly.  My wife came up with a solution that worked brilliantly:  she cut the tips off of every one she found with scissors.  If my son scrounged up one she didn't know about, she altered it as well.  I remember him putting an altered pacifier in his mouth, and he immediately pulled it out and threw it to the floor in disgust.  The unfamiliar feeling was clearly unpleasant, the smooth surface replaced with rough edges and the nipple easily collapsed without an air pocket.  In literally a day the reliance upon the "binky" had been broken--first with my wife's wisdom and then with my son's agreement.  Because it was my son's choice, all was accomplished without a power st...