Pray & Read: Week 5 Recap

DAY 29 RECAP
Judges 13-16. Again Israel was evil so God handed them over to their enemy. Samson, known for his supernatural strength, would help defeat the enemy, but at great cost. It seems he lost his strength from his hair being cut, but he really lost his strength from disobeying God. God will make supernatural provisions for us to fulfill our call when we obey him.

DAY 30 RECAP
Ruth 1-4. The main theme in this book is redemption. Though he worked through Ruth and Boaz, God is the real Redeemer (who redeems those in serious difficulty). Naomi’s land and family line were redeemed. Ruth ended up being the great-grandmother of King David, through whom Jesus would come. Don’t underestimate the power of redemption in your life.

DAY 31 RECAP
1 Samuel 1-3. Samuel was born under miraculous circumstances, so his mother dedicated him to the Lord. Samuel went from not recognizing the voice of the Lord, to becoming Israel’s prophet, where none of his words fell to the ground. When we fully dedicate ourselves to God, he uses us more powerfully than we can imagine.

DAY 32 RECAP
1 Samuel 8-10. Israel rejected God as their king and wanted someone else to rule them (like other nations). Saul had become king, and things seemed good, yet the Lord warned them of difficulty if they did this. When we don’t trust God and allow other things to rule our life, it always makes things harder.

DAY 33 RECAP
1 Samuel 16:1-18:16. The Lord rejects Saul as king and sends Samuel to anoint David. Afterwards, the giant warrior Goliath began to intimidate Israel. With great faith and God’s help, David defeats Goliath. Saul, growing more jealous and insecure, begins to target David. When giants that defy the name of Jesus stand against us, we can (and should) come at them with faith that God will be victorious.

DAY 34 RECAP
1 Samuel 23:7-29, 24. The Lord was with David and was not with Saul. David had already been anointed king by the prophet, and now Saul was unjustly pursuing David’s life. Yet, David would not harm Saul, even when he had the chance. His tenderness toward the Lord kept him from doing evil. Like David, we shouldn’t force our way or return evil for evil, but allow the Lord to move on our behalf.

DAY 35 RECAP
2 Samuel 5-7. Saul died and David had become king. His desire as king wasn’t just to rule a people, it was to host the presence of God by bringing the Ark home. God’s response to this was that David’s son would build the Lord a house. Why? Because the God who is everywhere desires to manifest somewhere. In addition, God promised David that his throne would last forever (through Jesus). God's promises are never just about us, they are meant to impact generations.