Word of Encouragement (08/01/2023)
“There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” (1 Sam. 2:2-3).
Hannah continues her praise of God for His peerless transcendence in v. 2: “There is NONE holy like the LORD: for there is NONE besides you; there is NO rock like our God.”
Have you in recent times just sat still and praised God for His divine being and attributes? This may seem difficult to do in our busy schedules and amid all our pressing needs. When we close our eyes to pray, we often launch directly into petitions for ourselves and our loved ones. But that may be where our problem lies. We get so immersed in our immediate problems that, even when we pray to God, our eyes and minds are still glued to them, and God remains on the periphery of our consciousness. It is almost like a delusional person having a conversation with someone in front of him, which is only a monologue that has nothing to do with the other person. How tragic!
It is so much more tragic when we do that with God, who has so much to offer than even those who care much about us. If a child is getting upset and crying because he can’t get on the swing even though his dad is right next to him to easily pick him up and put him on the swing, isn’t that sad? Whatever problem we may be facing at the moment is no more than an “I-can’t-get-on-the-swing-waah-waah problem” for the child in my analogy. I’m not trying to disparage the intensity of some of the sufferings we must go through. All I’m trying to do is to point out the surpassing greatness of God’s power in relation to our problems. So then, the ultimate and most immediate resolution to our problems is not their removal from our lives; rather, it is to have our perspective changed by capturing the transcendental glory of God. As someone said, when people see us in our struggles, do they see how big our problems are or how big our God is?
The good news is that we do not have to wait till God grants us a spectacular vision of Himself. God has already revealed Himself to us in the Scriptures. We can read, study, and meditate on the Word of God to grow in the real, personal knowledge of God. Even in today’s passage, we are assured that God is unmatched in His being and power. There is no trouble we face that can overwhelm our God. There is no force in heaven and earth, which can overpower the one and only true God, who has no equal in all reality. We can apply this knowledge to our situations by faith and be assured that, as long as God is with us, we will persevere and triumph in the end. This will drive us to the throne of God’s grace and cling to Him with all our might instead of wasting our energy, worrying and being afraid of what might happen. May the meditation of your heart on your great God give you peace and courage as you face all the challenges of your life!