1 Samuel 2:1-36

For Reading and Meditation:     Psalm 139:1-24

We continue exploring the fact that God is not only powerful, but personal. The constituent parts of personality are predicated of God on almost every page of the Bible. "I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind," said the Lord to Eli in

For Reading and Meditation:     Deuteronomy 32:28-38

We have been seeing that in the sanctuary the psalmist was reminded of the things he had forgotten, and thus his thinking was straightened out. There can be no real change in our personalities until there is a change in our thinking. Counselling that focuses only on changing behaviour and fails to emphasise the...

God's salvation is a deliverance from the worst of evils, of freest grace, for the best of purposes. He saves the poor and needy, the guilty and the distressed, who call upon Him, and believe upon Him. And we who have obtained mercy, should with Hannah rejoice in God's salvation, as those who have received an invaluable favour; as those who are laid under, and are ready to acknowledge their infinite obligations.

Salvation is the proper source of joy and rejoicing; and while some...

"He will keep the feet of His saints." 1 Samuel 2:9

The way is slippery and our feet are feeble, but the LORD will keep our feet. If we give ourselves up by obedient faith to be His holy ones, He will Himself be our guardian. Not only will He charge His angels to keep us, but He Himself will preserve our goings.

He will keep our feet from falling so that we do not defile our garments, wound our souls, and cause the enemy to...

"Them that honor Me I will honor." 1 Samuel 2:30

Do I make the honor of God the great object of my life and the rule of my conduct? If so, He will honor me. I may for a while receive no honor from man, but God will Himself put honor upon me in the most effectual manner. In the end it will be found the surest way to honor to be willing to be put to shame for conscience' sake.

Eli had not honored the LORD by ruling his...

"Thy LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, and lifteth up." 1 Samuel 2:7

All my changes come from Him who never changes. If I had grown rich, I should have seen His hand in it, and I should have praised Him; let me equally see His hand if I am made poor, and let me as heartily praise Him. When we go down in the world, it is of the LORD, and so we may take it patiently: when we rise in the world, it is of the LORD, and...

When we speak of the holiness of God, we mean that He is spiritually and morally perfect in His thoughts, deeds, motives and in every other way. He is absolutely free from sin and defilement. He cannot be anything but pure.

The Scriptural testimony to His holiness is abundant. Here are a few examples. "I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). "There is none holy as the Lord" (1 Samuel 2:2)....

One of the many ways in which we can honor the Lord is by standing true to divine principles and by steadfastly refusing to compromise.

During his early years Adam Clarke worked for a silk merchant. One day his boss showed him how he should stretch the silk when measuring it out for a customer. Adam said, "Sir, your silk may stretch but my conscience won't." Years later God honored that honest clerk by enabling him to write the Bible commentary that bears his name.

Eric Liddell...

We have here the perseverance of the saints.

God will keep the foot of those who walk in his paths. They are saints, inasmuch as the Holy Spirit dwelleth in them, as they are born of God, walk by faith, renounce the idea of their natural holiness, and hunger and thirst after righteousness. Their feet he will keep. He will not keep the feet of those who simply seek to be kept from eternal perdition; but of those who wish to be kept from all steps that accord not with the glory of God....

The Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed. § What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. § The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. § Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.What profit...