“Now therefore stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes.”
1 Samuel 12:16
This verse, written on an orange note card dropped out of a messy pile recently.
It is one of my favorites and it was a perfect day to see it again as I was having a rough patch with one of my teenage sons.
It is a verse of hope.
I have often claimed this scripture while praying for my four boys.
My sons are great people, really. But they are sinful (like their mother), male human beings. My continuing prayer is that they grow into men whose hearts are all in for God. Yet some days in the midst of arguments, sarcasm, dirty socks and CHAOS, I see little evidence of that happening in their futures…
I landed on Planet Boy twenty-plus years ago, called to the task of civilizing a wild and testosterone-filled tribe.
Keeping them fed, clothed and housed is a huge responsibility. BUT influencing their character and guiding them spiritually is my most daunting mission.
God’s word is where I go to get my marching orders and daily doses of hope.
The twelfth chapter of first Samuel inspires me. In verse sixteen, we read that God demonstrated “…a great thing” before the eyes of His people. These words, spoken by Samuel the judge and prophet, came to fruition as he spoke his “Farewell Address” to his countrymen.
These citizens of Palestine desired a king, not a judge. Samuel addressed them with warnings, explaining what life would be like living under a king’s rule. Yet he also desired that they see God’s power released before their eyes.
In this scene, The Almighty brought thunder and rain in June. It came on a day of crystal blue skies in a season in which it never stormed.
Samuel proclaimed the crowd would “stand and see” a great thing. And indeed they did!
I too want to stand and see the Lord do GREAT things, don’t you?
I often claim Samuel’s words of hope over my sons. believing they will do GREAT things with their lives. I pray with hope that I will get to witness these great things with my own eyes. I assert these words even on days when my skies look blue in June.
What GREAT THINGS do you want to trust God with? Is there a dry land in your life needing a storm?
Is there a loved one or trying situation in your life that seems hopeless?
Get out your orange (or white or blue) notecards and write out this verse. Memorize it. Pray these words with hopeful confidence over loved ones and trials. Then STAND in hope, trusting and believing in the God who does GREAT things.
My friend, I pray we will see His power with our very own eyes. Until then, abide and abound in HOPE, no matter what planet you are living on.