1 Samuel 1: How God sends his King
This whole chapter sets before us God’s way of working. His plan is to bless His needy and rebellious people with a King who would bring peace, blessing, and prosperity. The whole story has a very ordinary beginning. God works to send his king through the domestic problems of an insignificant family. A childless woman (Hannah) gives birth to a prophet (Samuel) who will precede the coming King (David), prepare God’s people, and anoint the King. The King will bring deliverance from their enemies and peace and prosperity. This is God’s way of working. It’s the way he worked 1,000 years later when a childless woman miraculously (Elizabeth) gave birth to a prophet (John) who preceded the coming King, preaching and preparing the people. The King himself, the great prosperity bringer and peace maker, the true King, was miraculously born to an insignificant woman (Mary). His rule brings rescue from sin, Satan, and death, and great blessing to his people. God works through the ordinary to send the blessings of His King.
God still works the same way today. And that’s good news. As I look at myself I see someone pretty ordinary, with plenty of domestic problems (most of them coming from me!). Life doesn’t seem to have much spark, fizzle, and bang. But God’s ways, most of the time, don’t have obvious spark, fizzle, and bang. What a wonderful encouragement in outreach – you don’t need to be highly trained experts in specialist programmes. God works in ordinary people through ordinary lives. So much of our outreach focuses on events and programmes. We try to create un-ordinary things to reach out through. And we spend so much time on the un-ordinary that we neglect the ordinary, everyday relationships. God works extraordinarily in the midst of ordinary life – through relationships forged in team or work place, or over a garden fence. He works extraordinarily in family relationships and family events, through cups of coffee, acts of kindness and friendship. God sends the blessings of his King through ordinary people in their ordinary lives.
Questions
- What are the parallels between Samuel and David, and John and Jesus?
- Do you need to focus more on ordinary opportunities for outreach?
Prayer Points
- Ask God to work in your ordinary spheres of life – work, home, neighbourhood.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.