1 Samuel 4, Ecclesiastes 5, 1 Peter 3

First Samuel 4 is a sad chapter. The Israelites realized after a defeat by the Philistines that they needed the Lord's presence in order to be successful in battle. But the sins of Hophni and Phineas had not been confessed. This was the time of judgment the Lord had prophesied through the child Samuel.

God's people can only go so far in their reckless abandonment of God and grieving the Holy Spirit. There comes a day of reckoning. If one is doing more harm than good by remaining alive, the Lord will remove His covering of grace and death will come.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 presents a lesson we all need. Isn't most of our praying done with words? How much we need to hear! One way to hear more and speak less is to read scripture every day. Three chapters - as we practice here - provides a lot of God's wisdom and truth to chew on through the rest of the day. Choose part of the daily reading to meditate upon in quiet moments. Review it. Pull meaning and application from it. Try to memorize it. Let's let our words be few.

Verses 10-17 describe those who lust after wealth and fame. These people are contrasted with those who labor with joy at work the Lord provides, as we see in verses 18-20. These are the people who can enjoy the wealth they have because it is a mere by-product of their life focus. Not the focus itself. It's all about priorities.

If the Israelites, particularly Hophni and Phineas, had obeyed the principles Peter quoted from Psalms in 1 Peter 3:10-12, and had hearts tuned to the joy of the Lord as in Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, they'd have won the battles against the Philistines and avoided the judgment of the Lord.

If we live our lives mindful of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins, and live in such a way as to maintain a good conscience (v.16), then we will inherit the blessing. (v.9)

A word on submission: For us as women, it is simply good practice for submitting to God. Relish the opportunity. And remember the admonition men are given in verse 7.