The Glory Departed



1 Samuel 4:21a- ' She named the boy Ichabod, saying,  "The glory has departed from Israel"-- because of the capture of the ark of God...'

The Ark of God was a very significant part of God's Holy covenant with Israel. It represented that His very Presence and Power would be upon His chosen people, so long as they were in right standing with Him.  At this particular point in time, Israel was a mess.  Eli's sons were wicked, and even though Eli knew what they were doing, he did nothing to stop them.  Consequently, it was prophesied that the house of Eli would suffer terrible punishment. 

Later on, when Israel had gone to battle, they were defeated by their enemies, the Philistines, and the ark of God was captured (also note: Eli's sons had died in battle, and Eli died upon hearing the ark was captured).

Upon hearing this devastating news, one of wives of Eli's son gave birth to a baby boy and named him "Ichabod", meaning "The glory has departed."                     

The glory has departed.....


These words have weighed heavily in my heart and mind throughout this study.  As I pondered in my own heart the meaning, there was a quickening in my spirit.  my eyes then fell upon 1 Samuel 3:1b "In those days the word of the Lord was rare, there were no visions." (emphasis my own) This verse also made me think of another verse! (Don't you love when the Holy Spirit does that?!) Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint."

Is it any wonder, why Israel was in the condition it was in? They weren't seeking God; they were too busy doing their own thing.
Sisters, I feel it can be the same way with us.  We go about our lives doing our own thing, until the next thing we know, the power of God is sapped from our lives and then we truly begin to wonder if we're even walking with God at all. 


The glory has departed.....


I heard it once said, that the Holy Spirit is like a dove.  It rests upon us peacefully, but any sudden move or sound of displeasure, it quickly flies away.  I do feel we can offend the Holy Spirit by our words, thoughts and actions that are in opposition to God's Word. We can also choose to walk away from God by not regularly having time with Him.  So my question for you ladies is this: (believe me, I've asked myself this too!) Has the glory departed from your life? Do you feel like the power of God is at work in your life? Let's talk about it!



Yours in the Journey,

Shannon

Bless the Work of His Hands

 "May the favor of our Lord God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."  Psalm 90:17 

His hands. The hands that provide. The hands that hold and protect. The hands that are folded in prayer. 

When I think about my husband's hands, I think about the important role he plays in our family. God has given him the ability to work with his hands to provide for our family. He's the sole provider in fact, and how blessed we are by his faithfulness and dedication. God has wired our husbands to provide for us. In Genesis 2:15, we see this example established. "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Now, this post certainly is not about gender roles, but it does remind me that I am my husband's helper.  "But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. The the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." (Genesis 2:20b-22) 

Our role as a wife carries tremendous power. The popular movie quote, "you complete me" is incredibly true. Biblical, in fact. We are the perfect helpmate for our husbands. I'm asking the Lord to shape me into the wife that my husband needs, especially in regards to supporting his work. The Holy Spirit has laid several verses on my heart to pray over my husband daily as he heads out to fulfill his role as provider for our family. I share these today with you because I want you to feel empowered as you trust God to shape you into the wife your husband needs. 

Pray for God's favor to bless your husband's work. Cheerfully speak these words over him to motivate him. "Observe people who are good at their work - skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a backseat to anyone." (Proverbs 22:29 The Message) When your husband takes pride in his work and does it diligently, praise him for that. This builds respect and demonstrates that you appreciate his hard work. 

Pray that he would have a desire for God's Word. The man who mediates on The Word day and night is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.  (Psalm 1:2-3) If your husband is in a season of unfulfillment at his job, pray for him to have a hunger for God's truth. In the right season, he will reap a harvest if he doesn't give up! (And if you don't give up either!) 

I say all of this to say, that we are our husbands' cheerleaders. We have the power to help them succeed, as well as to build confidence in who God created them to be! That's a lot of power and it comes with a lot of responsibility. Stay connected to the source of the power and God will shape you into the wife your husband needs, all the while growing you into an amazing woman of faith for all to see. 

Praying for you as you honor God by honoring your husband, 
Until the whole world hears, 
Emily