Whispers of Truth

Hear and believe. It sounds simple. Learn the Word and walk it out in the faith given me. How hard can this be to do? Right? The reality is often quite different and much more difficult. When faced with the cares of the world and the reality of picking up my cross daily and following where He would lead me, the answer to how hard can this be becomes quickly evident in my blatant failures. I came to Christ as a 12-year-old girl, sheltered, untested, protected, safe, and very ignorant of the Word, even though I received my first Bible and started reading it as a 9-year-old (without a whole lot of understanding). I grew in knowledge (a little), became stretched by life (a lot), and learned to depend on God to lead me by His Word. It seems the lesson I am still learning is the part about picking up my cross and following. I fail in one area particularly— immediately responding in faith and following when my husband feels convicted to do something hard and costly to me as well. At that p

Year after year. It goes on.  Year by year. Nothing changes.   All remains steady (and not in a good way). The ebb and flow of life can seem endlessly the same, especially when suffering is involved. When the heart is involved and nothing changes, hope can easily disappear.  This is Hannah’s situation in 1 Samuel 1. Even though her husband loves her and tries to comfort his wife, the circumstances she finds herself in outweighs all he tries to do for her to show his love and bring her comfort. Words in the first eleven verses are telling: rival,  closed womb,  vexation,  anxiety ;  irritate, provoke, wept, not eat,  prayed ; sad, deeply distressed, bitterly, and   grievously   all find prominence in Hannah’s life as her situation continues without any relief in sight. How long has this been going on? the Bible offers no way to be sureA, but any bitterness of soul and pinching of circumstances is long enough when weighed by the human heart. This  one that has set herself against Ha