His Ways Are Not Our Ways,

-Meditation-

1 Samuel 2:4-5

--TheSecretPlace--

1 Samuel 2:4-5 says-->

⁴ "The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

This scripture really just give us a picture of how Gods ways are not our ways, and about how God doesn't look at the things man looks at. He looks at the broken, and the weak, and heals them and gives them strength. He looks at the barren, and the hungry, and fulfills their deepest hunger, and makes them fruitful. He takes what is old, and bad, and makes it good, and new. This is true for me in my life. I am at my core a broken, and weak person, and I can bear fruit in no way, meaning I can't make stuff happen-unless the LORD helps me. The LORD is my source. HE is our source. He doesn't look at the strong, because honestly there are no truly 'strong' people, only weak and broken people, the LORD just uses those who realize their weakness, and offer it up to the LORD, and He uses it for our good, and the good of others even.

At the end of the age the LORD is going to turn the tide on Satan, and all of the people who are in the world's eyes strong and wise, and the LORD is going to humble them, and bring them down low, and He will be exalted, and His people are going to be all good with that because we will realize that HE ALONE is the ONLY ONE who is worthy of praise, and recognition from men.

Those who turn to the LORD, and lift up to Him their brokenness, He will heal. Those who are weak, He will arm with strength. Those who are hungry, He will fill, and Those who are barren, He will make fruitful.

I believe this applies to every single person, except God Himself. We need to realize that we are weak, and broken, and have nothing to offer but our weakness, and brokenness, but that it the beauty of what the LORD is offering, because He knows how we are. He knows that we are weak, and broken, but He loves us anyways! He loves us just the way we are!! That is so glorious. So Wonderful, and I just want to encourage you to lift up all that you are to the LORD, because He is the only one who can help you overcome any problem you face, and that is more important than we know.

---Intercession---

Jesus, I just want to thank You for how You use our weaknesses, and our brokenness for Your good. Thank You for offering to us Your way, and Your will for our lives, and I just pray that even though things don't always go our way You still work on our behalf for our good, and You love us more than we know. Thank You Jesus. In Jesus Name. Amen.

-Meditation-

1 Samuel 2:3

--TheSecretPlace--

So this verse is pretty interesting to me, and I will go ahead and put it up here. This is Hannah speaking.

³ "Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

I think Hannah is talking towards Peninnah when she is saying this, but I am just going to look at it, and take it on like she is talking to us. To me. What she is saying applies to a few points that I would like to make, and that I would like to penetrate my heart. =]

Here she says in these words, Do not keep talking proudly, and one thing I think about is that so often as Christians we fall into ways of even speaking that are prideful, and even when we don't think about it we speak in ways that are... fill in the blank-prideful, arrogant, judgemental, just plain mean. We too often fall into bad habits of speech, and what we don't realize is how effective our words are in setting the atmosphere of where ever we are.

Our words have so much effect even in the heavenly realms, and I know that too often my speech does not have the greatest influence on the atmosphere.

I need to repent of speaking in ways that are prideful towards God, and towards others. I want to be a person of noble speech, I want to set an example in speech(1 Timothy 4:12)

I know that something needs to be done in the way we speak to others. One thing I have found, and know to be true is that people love to talk about themselves, and that is okay because I believe the LORD made us to be that way so that we would talk to Him, and He loves it when we talk to Him about what is going on with us, but I also know that He also has so much to say to our hearts about what He is doing, and how He loves us, and just a lot of things that are also important. In the same way that we love to talk about ourselves, others love to talk about themselves, and even those who say they don't, even while they say that, I believe they enjoy saying that, because it is about themselves. =]

There is so much we can learn from Christ by the way He speaks to us, and listens to us. He speaks to us really on our behalf, so that we can know Him like we were made to know Him, and He loves to listen to us, He doesn't tire in hearing our voices. In the same way we should make it a goal that when we speak, we speak on the behalf of others, meaning talk about what they like to talk about, and about what will benefit them, and listen to what they have to say. Leave them with encouraging words instead of making the whole conversation be about you.

It is humbling at times, but that is the whole point. We want to be people with humble hearts, who are not prideful, and one of the best ways to minister to others is to be self-less, and humble in speaking to them, that opens so many doors to tell them about Jesus, because it is like you are being Jesus to them. That is why we are called CHRISTIANS.

The next thing Hannah says is to not let your mouth speak such arrogance. That is how she puts it, and the thing I want to highlight about this is that she says to not LET yourself speak in arrogance... Do not LET yourself speak in ways that dishonor Christ, and others.

I believe that the LORD is raising up a movement of prayer warriors, and young people really, but I believe that will only happen if we purify our speech. We cannot have a good influence on people if our speech is not Christ like. I believe when Hannah said to not let your mouth speak in arrogance she was pointing out to us that you have complete control over everything that comes out of your mouth, and as Jesus said what comes from your mouth is the overflow of your heart. So we need to make sure that we are constantly letting Holy Spirit fill us with the things, and thoughts of God, so when we begin to speak to others they would feel, and know that they are speaking to a representative of Jesus Christ.

The next thing Hannah says is that The LORD is a God who knows, our God knows all. It is by Him, and to Him, and through Him that all things were made. BY HIM TO HIM and THROUGH HIM are ALL THINGS. He knows everything about us, He knows our frame. He knows that we are but dust. He knows. He knows when we fall, and when we rise, and He is worthy of our praise, and adoration, HE is worthy of us devoting our speech to, and He is wanting to help us in all that we do to live better lives, and to help us to get closer to Him.

I encourage you to devote your speech to the LORD, and you will literally feel the atmosphere around you change, when you speak positively others notice.

The last thing she says in this verse is that by the LORD deeds are weighed. So like the LORD knows all you do, and He knows everything about you, and in righteousness, and in justice your deeds are weighed, and the deeds of every person. In the day of judgement He will judge the nations and every single person by their deeds. He weighs our deeds. That makes me want to think twice before do something foolish, but we can always know that there is forgiveness to those who truly repent of their wicked ways, and there is always grace for those truly seeking the face of God.

This is our Jesus, God became a man, and He took on the flesh, and went to the cross, and died a dreadful death. He loved us to the point of death. He became a man, and lived as a human being without sinning, and He made a way, He paved the way for us to be with Him forever, and He knows that we will fall, yes He weighs our deeds, but really for His children when we truly repent, and He washes away our sins, HE WASHES AWAY OUR SINS. He doesn't keep up with our sins, because in Him we are spotless, and righteous. In His eyes He sees us clean, and cleansed! This is the God we serve. He is a good good God. He keeps no record of sin, and HE LOVES US WITH ALL HE IS. His love is what ministers to the hearts of men. He is a good, loving God, and when we catch a glimpse of Him, when we see Him for who He is, there is no way we can deny His love, and He wants us to experience His love, He wants us to feel the warmth of His love, and He has made a way for us to do just that in grace.

I invite you to run after God with all you are, and He will encounter you, He will pour out His Spirit on you, and in the most amazing ways you will experience His love.

---Intercession---

Father, Thank You so much for Your great great love. Thank you for doing all you do to get our hearts engaged with Yours. You are greater, and better, and sweeter than all I know, and all we know, and right now God, I just want to ask you to encounter every person reading this, and encounter me, and all of those who claim to be Yours, and I just pray that You would break into our lives with a deep deep revelation of Your LOVE. Thank You already for the ways You are going to do this God, and for the ways you are, and the ways you are going to reveal yourself. I just ask Father that You would make Yourself known. We love You God, You are so so good. Thank You for all You are doing. In Jesus Name I just pray that You would pull many many people into Your kingdom God, and that You would make Yourself known as You are to them, and to us. We love You Jesus. In Jesus Name. Amen.

The Joy of a Giver.

-Meditation-

1 Samuel 2:1-2

--TheSecretPlace--

This is the prayer of Hannah after she gave her son to the LORD, and I just want to look at these first words of her prayer.

¹ Then Hannah prayed and said:
"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

² "There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

The first things I notice in this scripture is that Hannah's first words here after she gives Samuel to the LORD, are all completely happy, and joyful. The first thing she says is that she is filled with joy!

This is just a great picture of how we are filled with joy when we are giving people, when we are faithful, and when we are committed in love to the LORD.

When we give our best, and our all the results are so wonderful.

Hannah was filled with delight as she gave to the LORD her son as she had promised.

She was no longer in any rival between Peninnah, and was satisfied with what the LORD had given her. She no longer envied, or was angry with Peninnah, and did not blame Elkanah for any more pain, because all of her pain was taken away. The LORD delivered her from her pain, and shame-And He will do the same for us, we just need to ask Him to.

Then she declares praise to God saying "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God" So she got a picture, and an experience that revealed to her that God really is HOLY, and there is NO ONE like Him, and that He is the ROCK on which we stand.

God revealed Himself to Hannah in the most amazing ways. After laboring in PRAYER, she gave birth to a prophet. The LORD does amazing things, and no one can fathom His ways.

How blessed are we to partner in prayer with this God!!

Just as the LORD did amazing things with Hannah, and Samuel, He can, and wants to do amazing things with you, and in you, and through you. Sometimes we are brought to places of brokenness, and places where we get nothing, do nothing, and we feel like nothing, but it is in those times, and places where if we would lift a desperate cry to the LORD He pours out His Spirit, and makes Himself known in ways that we do not understand. This is so amazing to me that everywhere in the Word, Jesus points us to prayer, and He directs us to pour out ourselves to Him in surrender and love. We can clearly see that He is after something, after one thing, and that is our hearts. He wants us. All of us. All the time, and He will do whatever it takes for us to choose to be ALL HIS or not His at all. He is waiting to pour out what we have never experienced, and I want to be one to see, and experience what He has to give in all of His goodness.

This is an amazing truth, and I want to encourage you in the LORD that He alone is worthy of all that we are, and the reward in HIM is greater than anything we have EVER SEEN, or EVER TASTED. Who will take the stand to go after Him?

Praise the LORD.

---Intercession---

God please help us. Help us to see You the way You want to be seen. Jesus I want to see Your eyes of fire that burn for us to be wholeheartedly given to You. Please let us see You Jesus, and how You burn for us, Your bride.I love You LORD. Please send fire on this worship offering, and awaken our hearts to LOVE. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Blessings!

Kasey.

Time To Give.

-Meditation-

1 Samuel 1:28

"So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given to the LORD." And he worshipped the LORD there.

--TheSecretPlace--

Here in the story this is while Hannah is still talking with Eli, and she announces that she was in that moment giving the son she had prayed, and asked the LORD for, to the LORD as she had vowed to do.

The LORD has shown me some pretty amazing things about Hannah, and her vow to the LORD, and Samuel being the LORD's, and one thing that amazes me is that I still do not understand the weight of this testimony. Hannah was a barren, broken woman, and out of her barrenness, and brokenness she cried out to the LORD for a child, vowing that if the LORD would bless her with a son, that she would give him back to the LORD all the days of his life.

So the LORD answered her cry, and here we are, and in this moment that we are looking back on, Hannah is brought to the time where she has to carry out her vow, and give Samuel to the LORD all of the days of his life, forever.

And She did.

Hannah yielded to the LORD, and the vow she made to the LORD, and that is one thing that the LORD is looking for in His people. People who will do what they say they will do. That is so simple, yet all the time we seem to find ourselves breaking commitments, or not being 100% faithful to what we say we are going to do. It is those little things that the LORD sees, and He sees the big things as well, but whether it is big or small the LORD wants a people who are true to their words, who are serious completely about serving, and loving Him in all they do. I want to be like that.

Hannah did what she said she was going to do in complete faithfulness, and faith. It is amazing to me because, not only did she do what she said she was going to do, but she did what she said she was going to do not knowing what was going to happen to her son. She had no idea that the LORD would raise Samuel up as a prophet. She had no idea what the LORD had planned for Samuel, and because she chose to take a step of faith, and gave Samuel to the LORD, the LORD used Samuel to anoint the king, in whose family line the King of Glory would come.(David.)

That is pretty amazing. The LORD spoke to Samuel when He hadn't revealed Himself to many at all in that time, but He delighted to speak to, and with Samuel. Samuel was pure, and surrendered to the LORD, and before the LORD, and that was all accomplished through a step of faith, and faithfulness by those who had authority over him.

Another thing I love about this is that Hannah had no other choice in giving Samuel to the LORD but to trust the LORD! She was leaving her 3 year old child to belong to the LORD, and to serve the LORD, and to worship the LORD. How incredibly trustworthy is our God! No matter how hard it could have been for Hannah to let go, and give Samuel to the LORD, she did it, and the LORD honored her for honoring HIM, and her commitment/vow to Him.

The moment Hannah released Samuel to the LORD in loyalty, in faithfulness, in trust, and in surrender Samuel was released to the LORD. I believe the LORD had been preparing Samuel for the rest of his life even when he was a baby. 1 Samuel 1:28 says '"he(Samuel) will be given to the LORD', and he worshipped the LORD there."

Samuel was made to worship the LORD in His temple, and even at the age of 3, or however old he was, he was engaging the LORD in worship.

We never know what our prayers could birth. Hannah's birthed a prophet.

Out of Faithfulness, trust, commitment, surrender, and intercession Samuel was brought to the LORD, and given to the LORD by his mother, and he remained in the house of the LORD.

Samuel was completely given to the LORD, and out of those very things, and most importantly love, we can be completely given to the LORD in all we do, and my prayer is that you would seek, and strive to be completely HIS, and HIS ALONE.

---Intercession---

Father, thank You for all that You are doing, I just pray, and ask that You would pour out Your Spirit on us, Your people, and please help us to love You with all that we are. I pray that we would be given to You in all that we do, and may our hearts be bound to Yours in holy LOVE. I love You Jesus. Please pour out Your blessings on those who are seeking You, I just want to join in the heavens right now and declare You are HOLY!! In Jesus Name, I praise You Lord Jesus. In Jesus Name, please cover us with Your blood, and love. I love You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Blessings!!

Kasey

The Desire of Her Heart. The Desire of Your Heart.

-Meditation-

1 Samuel 1:23-27

Link to passage-http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20samuel%201:23-27&version=31

I advise you to read the whole 1st chapter of 1 Samuel to find where we are in it.

--TheSecretPlace--

V.23-Elkanah told Hannah "Do what seems best to you. Stay here with the child until you weaned him; only may the LORD make good His word."

So Hannah stayed home, and did what seemed best to her.

I kinda wonder if what Hannah saw best to do was what the LORD saw best to do. Hannah said that she would give Samuel to the LORD all of the days of his life, and it takes traditionally 3 years in their culture to wean a child, so depending on how long that took for Hannah, I think it is pretty safe to say that Samuel was about 3 years old when they took him to the temple of the LORD in Shiloh to minister before the LORD their always. Hannah had vowed(v.11) that Samuel would be given to the LORD all the days of his life, one thing to take notice of is that Hannah gave Samuel to the LORD even before he was conceived, and as he was in her womb, and through the 3-year period that he was living in Ramah, Samuel was given to the LORD, he didn't have to be at Shiloh in the temple to be given to the LORD, just as we don't have to live at the house of prayer to be given to the LORD, but another thing to realize is that Hannah had vowed that no razor shall ever be used on his head for his entire life, and long hair was a symbol of dedication to the service of the LORD, and a characteristic of the Nazirite vow, I dont think Samuel was a Nazirite because later on in the Bible it talks about Samuels sons, and Nazirites did not have any sexual relations during their time of consecration, and their probably is more background on that, but I am not going to dig into it at this time.

So Samuel was always given to the LORD, and when Hannah saw that he was ready, as a 3 year old, Samuel was given to the LORD in the house of the LORD, dedicated to the service of the LORD, for ALL of the days of his life!!!

How amazing!! To the natural ear this sounds a little insane, but in God's kingdom, I believe this is seen as a radical lover of God, and the highest position--To be GIVEN to God, and we can ALL, as the children of God be completely, and totally, and utterly GIVEN the LORD! I want to be seen as a radical lover of Jesus, by Jesus, and I believe we are fully capable of it.

It is a hard but worthy thing to be given totally to the LORD.

This reminds me about how the LORD is setting apart His people as a holy bride to be given to Him wholly, and just as Samuel was away from the temple of the LORD for 3 years we are away from our Bridegroom for what only is a few years, waiting, and being prepared to be with Him where He is for the rest of our days into eternity!!!!!!!!! This is the greatest revelation, that Jesus Christ has loved us so much that He would come and die on the cross to reconcile all things to Himself, in order to get His people back to spend eternity with them--WITH US!!! O what LOVE!!

How truly amazing.

V.24-After Hannah weaned Samuel, she brought him, and an offering to the house of the LORD in Shiloh.

The LORD understood Hannah in her seeing the need to do what she thought best, and the LORD didn't disqualify Samuel for the work of the LORD because Hannah did what she thought best, the LORD knew that Samuel was given to Him, He knew Hannah's heart, and He knew all He would do through Samuel, even because of the way Hannah was honoring Him in giving her only son to the LORD all his days, because of the plea, and surrender of Hannah, we have just a good example of what it looks like to be given to the LORD in Samuel's life.

She had in mind all of the days from the time she conceived Samuel to the day she departed with him that she had no right to dismiss her vow to the LORD, she had in mind that Samuel was not her own, but the LORD's because she had given him to the LORD.

We need to realize that when we became Christians, and gave our old lives to Jesus, and received HIS life, we became HIS. We as christians are no longer our own, but we are the LORD's, and we belong to Him. We cannot any longer stick to our own agenda's but must submit to the LORD's, and His is the better way to go, and He is watching over us all the time, we can fully trust Him with our lives.

Do you realize the weight in that? I don't know if I do or not, the LORD is doing great things in each of His people who are willing, and open to what He is wanting to do, and for Him to accomplish in us what He wants which is to be completely, and totally abandoned in love to Him, we must give Him our lives, and our agenda's constantly, and not take it back to do what we want to do, to do what we see spiritual, and pleasing to God to do. This is much more serious than anything we can, and cannot wrap our minds around. We cannot be used by God if we do not have the purity to be surrendered, and given to the LORD our God.

This is something every person must choose to do daily I am not disqualified, and you are not disqualified, we have the choice to choose the way of the LORD in righteousness, and holiness, and abandonment, or we can choose to go our own way, which is worldly, in sin, and compromise in all we do. What shall we choose? I choose God. I invite you to do the same.

V.25-- When they had slaughtered the bull they brought Samuel to Eli, I think Eli was Samuel's spiritual guide, and mentor, and no matter where we are before the LORD whether we are 3 or 25 we need guidence, and we need people in our lives to show us the way, and sometimes that is just going to be the LORD, but sometimes He puts people in our lives to help us, and to teach us, and even to watch over us, and this is the relationship between Samuel, and Eli. I believe we all need people in our lives to help us through life, and the LORD will always provide those people.

I want to encourage you to find leadership, find someone to mentor you who knows the LORD, and follow the way they set before you in the place of prayer.

V.26-27-

²⁶ and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. ²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

Hannah identifies herself to Eli beginning with saying "As surely as you live'' which was, and might still be a customary way of emphasizing the truthfulness of one's word's, so Hannah was very serious, and truthful in all that she was saying. That says a lot since she was speaking to Eli, the preist.

We also need to be completely sincer, and truthful in all that we say and do.

She says to him that she was the woman here(at the temple) PRAYING to the LORD.

What a description, this is like 3 years later, and Hannah can only think, and only can describe herself as the woman who prayed here.

She continues to say that she prayed for a child, which was THE DESIRE OF HER HEART, and she ASKED THE LORD it, and then the LORD ANSWERED HER PRAYER in giving her, her hearts desire!!

In the Same way even when it is completely unnecessary the LORD LOVES to give His children good gifts, and He delights to give us-YOU AND ME!! - The desires of our hearts.

What a GREAT GOD!!!!

Praise the LORD.

---Intercession---

Father I just thank you and love you, God I want to thank you for caring about our hearts, and even delighting to answer our prayers. You are SO GOOD! And we want to praise Your Name forever, and ever!! Thank You LORD.

I just pray that You would help us, and grip our hearts to know You more, and to understand Your heart for us. Love You!! In Jesus Name. Amen.

Be blessed.

Kasey

Consider Others Better

Hello all! Today has been quite an interesting day. The LORD has taught me so much about him, and His character, and by teaching me the way I was created to live. That is, to put others above myself in every circumstance. Last night I was laying in bed, and the lights were all out, and I was just talking, and listening to God, and I heard Him say to read Philippians 1, and 2 two times, and so even though I was tired I began to read, and all it was talking about was putting others first, and letting love abound, well that is what the LORD was high-lighting to me. It was so amazing, because then today that was exactly what I was stuggling with, and the LORD just kept on reminding me of His word that He had led me to read last night. It is amazing to me that even in the small lessons of life the LORD prepares my heart to learn, and be taught, and boy was I taught, and extremely blessed.

I want to talk right now about putting others first.

Philippians 2:3 says

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself.

This verse is hard to live out. It is saying that in every area, even when you don't want to, consider others BETTER. Treat others like they deserve more attention, and recognition than you do.

It is hard to put others first, our minds, and sinful nature wants to control all we do, but our job is to take every thought captive, and bring it under the authority of Christ. We are called by God to consider, and treat those whom we consider the least better than ourselves. That is like a rich, high and lofty king sees a slave, and because he considers others better than himself, when he sees the slave he sees that slave better than himself, and he gives the slave the nicest of clothes, even better than the ones the king has, because he considers him better than himself.

It is hard to do that.-> To be humble in love, and to treat others better than you are treated, but in the age to come we will receive an abundance of heavenly treasures because of even our smallest choices to treat others better than yourself.

I want to encourage you, and challenge you to press into this matter. I will do the same. There is so much to be learned about going low in humility, and love, and I believe we can learn, and grow in those ways. Be encouraged. Be blessed.

Kasey

Faithful Forever

-Meditation-

1 Samuel 1:21-22

--TheSecretPlace--

Hello all. I would like to #1 apologize for not posting yesterday, and even though I fall sometimes, and mess up, I am so glad that there is grace for me.

I would like to acknowledge the great need we, and our nation are in right now in this moment to get on our faces before the LORD in prayer, crying out to Him for mercy on behalf of our nation, and this earth. The time we are in right now calls for the saints, the people of God to humble ourselves, pray, turn from our wicked ways, and seek the face of God, ONLY HE can give us mercy, and HE is our ONLY solution. We are in a moment right now that if we do not humble ourselves, and pray and seek the face of God, there is no telling what kind of evil and destruction is coming our way, but if we would HUMBLE OURSELVES, and CRY OUT FOR MERCY, then the LORD may turn His gaze upon us in mercy once again, His Word says if HIS PEOPLE would call upon His name, then He would turn, and heal our land, where is the cry in the hearts of the people of God?? We have begun to stand for comfort more than consecration, and that breaks the very heart of God. We have turned, and set our gaze on the things of this world that spoil and fade, but I believe there is still time to repent, and I believe we are in a season of mercy, it's not too late to call upon the Name of God, so I urge you earnestly to take into consideration what the most important things in your life are, and seek God's will for what He considers important for you.

It is time to pick a side America, and if we choose unwisely, if we choose the god of this age, rather than the God of heaven who was, and is, and is to come, we are stumbling into a war that will only only end up in bloodshed, and wasted lives.

JESUS CHRIST is the ONLY SOLUTION. We need to turn back to God America!! We need to turn our hearts back to Him in holy love, and in consecration.

Let's look into this scripture 1 Samuel 1:21-22

²¹ When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, ²² Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always."

Elkanah was so faithful to go to the house of the LORD to fulfill his vow to the LORD, we see here that Elkanah once again going to the house of the LORD after years of doing this to fulfill his vow, and I want to look at that very thing right now, a vow.

A vow is much more than just saying you are going to do something, and then mess up, and do it sometimes, and don't do it other times. A vow is much more sacred, and much more taken seriously.

A vow is a commitment that demands total faithfulness, and it is very significant. It is something you carry out for a long period of time, and a lot of the time, forever. For your entire lifetime. Marriage between a man and woman was created to last your entire earthly lives together. When we become Christians we become the bride of Christ, whom we are betrothed to. We will marry Jesus our Bridegroom, and be with Him forever, and ever, into eternity.

Here a few dictionary definitions:

1) A solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment.

2) A solemn promise made to a deity or saint, committing oneself to an act, service, or condition.

3)A solemn or earnest declaration.

Those are all weighty words, and definitions.

So Elkanah was serious about keeping his vow to the LORD, and at the time he had set apart to go to the house of the LORD he went, and probably had since he had made the vow. He was serious about spending set aside time for the LORD with the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

We can all learn from this, what would it look like in our own lives to set aside time for God, and actually hold to that time and purpose no matter what? My life would be different. Having to say no to other things going on because of a vow you have made to the LORD to spend time with Him during a set time, no matter what. You would probably get made fun of, be severely misunderstood by everyone but God, and feel like it is doing nothing for you, or God, but the truth is that we have not entered into the deeper reality of intimacy with Jesus. Lord have mercy on us if spending time with Him has become a chore. Jesus greatly honors our efforts, and our commitments to Him to spend time with Him, and this is the KING OF GLORY we are talking about, He honors you when you spend time with Him. Our prayers move Him to move, and destroy the powers and principalities of darkness that set themselves up against Him. Though the place of prayer is hard sometimes, the LORD sees us, and HE is so worth it all.

Hannah also had made a vow to the LORD, that we have a bit more detail on, and that is that if the LORD would give her a son, she would give him back to the LORD to minister to the LORD, IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. Well, God answered her prayers and gave her a son, and Hannah being completely faithful to her vow was preparing Samuel to be presented before the LORD, which is a huge deal. It would have been so easy for Hannah to keep Samuel, and not trust the LORD with him, but she chose to trust the LORD with her son, in giving her son to be the LORD's. This had to have been hard for her to face, because she wasn't just going to give Samuel to the LORD when their family went to Shiloh, and Samuel come back with them to Ramah, but she was giving him to the LORD for the rest of his life as a Nazirite. Hannah spoke as to be faithful to the LORD in fulfilling her vow. To be faithful we have to continually set ourselves on being faithful to the LORD.

We must set ourselves on being faithful to God no matter what the cost. Right now in the earth the LORD is calling His people to be faithful to Him, and many are facing persecution, and many are being martyred, but the truth is that the rewards, and the treasures in heaven, and where, and what we are going to be living in the age to come is WAY MORE WONDERFUL, and doesn't even compare to the worst sufferings we could endure on this earth that are only temporary for Jesus.

We have to determine within our hearts that Jesus is worth it all, and that He is worthy of pursuing in the ways He wants us to pursue Him.

Bless the LORD!!!

---Intercession---

Father, please let intercession rise up within Your people, and let their lives be living testimonies of faithfulness to You Lord. I pray that faithfulness, and love would be within the hearts of Your people God. Thank You for all that you do, and all you are doing. Bless You LORD!!! Please HELP US TO GET ON OUR FACES BEFORE YOU. I love You LORD. Thank You for the many opportunities You give us to be faithful to You. I love you Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Be Blessed in the Name of the LORD.

Kasey