The Bible is a marvelous book. God’s message to us is right there, plainly visible on the surface of its stories, letters and written down sermons. As we read it or hear it read, we see God in action, working to bring glory to himself and salvation to the nations and to individuals.
When one gets below the surface of the text and digs down deeper, the wonderful structure and fabric of the Bible begins to emerge. The interconnecting themes that hold the Bible together are amazing.
When we follow them forward, or backward, they all end up at the same place – Jesus.
This week I studied in more detail 1 Samuel 1-2. The books of Samuel are important because they introduce kingship, David the model king, and the promise of a great king, the son of David, whose rule will be eternal. The stage is being set for the kingdom of God and the coming of Jesus, the true King.
What struck me was how this all began with crisis and prayer. Crisis in the nation and crisis in one woman’s life. A cry of desperation to God for a king, and a cry of desperation from a hurting woman for a child.
That should encourage us in our context and our need, shouldn’t it? God is a God who hears prayer and acts. When he acts, his mission goes forward … in spite of desperate circumstances.
In fact, we could almost say because of desperate circumstances God’s mission goes forward. Those circumstances and our need drive us to God in prayer. And then, and only then, God begins to act.
