God wants us to depend on Him and His power through the circumstances of life. Material wealth and fame will not bring us satisfaction and hope. The only enduring hope we have is in the LORD.
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obedience
Listening to the Voice of God
God wants to be known—but we could not know Him unless He chose to reveal Himself. He is beyond our imagination. The good news is, He has chosen to make Himself known to us. In order to get to know God, we need to make sure to listen to His voice.
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1 Samuel 15: A Rebellious Redefinition
Where is your trust? Either you will be like Saul and trust in yourself, or you will trust God and realize that satisfaction only comes from obeying, knowing, and loving God.
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1 Samuel 3: When God Speaks
How do we hear God when He speaks? First Samuel 3 shows us a picture of God’s faithfulness to speak to us even when we have ignored Him in the past.
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Receiving God’s Guidance
The discernment of God’s will does not come from employing certain techniques. To discern God’s will is to understand how to please Him and to be watchful for His daily guidance. This requires an ongoing and genuine relationship with the Lord. In particular, there are five facets of our relationship with Him that are prerequisites for receiving His guidance.
Read MoreRuth 3: Behind the Scenes
Appearances can be deceiving. A man and a woman meeting in a secluded location after dark—an outsider may jump to immediate conclusions. But the story of Ruth shows the virtuous character of Ruth and Boaz as they seek to honor the Lord with their obedience, coming to know Him as they recognize Him at work behind the scenes.
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Ruth 1: A Faithful Remnant
The story of Ruth and Boaz takes place during the days of the judges and is a shining light amidst the darkness. It is a beautiful cameo of character, courage, and commitment, in which two people—Ruth and Boaz—sought what was right in the Lord’s eyes rather than their own.
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Judges 6–7: Severe Mercy
The human tendency is to rely on our own resources instead of the Lord. Knowing this, God made it abundantly clear to Gideon that His hand alone would save Israel—it was not human might that defeated Israel’s enemies.
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Judges: In Need of a King
Civilizations and circumstances change, but the human heart does not. Every one of us has to choose whether we will rebel against God or whether we will submit to His will.
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Judges 2: A Pattern of Idolatry
The book of Judges stands as a sad, stark contrast to the book of Joshua. Whereas the people of the conquest obeyed the Lord under Joshua’s leadership, they quickly fell into rebellion after his death. Because they had set aside God’s law, their enemies were defeating and oppressing them.
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