Here is an article I wrote many years ago. I don’t know when, but I’d guess it was at least a decade ago. It’s written to encourage women to put their trust in God; for God does not change. And God is always looking out for his people.
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(In case you don’t read this whole entry or you appreciate summaries, here are the main points):
The main point: The God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament may appear different. But as you get to know his heart, you’ll see that God’s character doesn’t change.
Application: Get to know the Bible, and you’ll get to know God’s heart and God’s character. As women, we’ve got to cultivate trust in God’s character and supposed goodness. To become secure women, we must understand and know God’s heart.
The second point: God does not despise the weary or the forgotten, but he cares for them just as much as he cares for the strong and those who appear to have their acts fully together.
Application: You need not be strong. Tell God if you feel weak, and give God what you have. He will bless your efforts. He will beautify your ashes.
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Sometimes when we read the Old Testament, it’s hard to identify with. Our lives in this historical and cultural and geographical setting look SO very different than the lives of those who lived during the time that the Old Testament books were written. Sometimes it seems like God has changed, does it not?
Have you ever felt that God must not relate, or maybe that you cannot relate with God as he’s depicted in the Old Testament? I have. And it’s frustrating. I know I’m not alone in this feeling.
What I’m realizing, though, is that the more we learn, the more we’ll be able to recognize an overall consistent character of God emerging from the pages of the Old Testament. If we read little snip-its, it won’t always make sense. But if we try to read things in a larger context, our eyes will be opened up in a new way.
I thought of that this morning as I was reading the end of the book of 1 Samuel. It’s mostly about King Saul, the prophet Samuel, and the well-known author of most of Psalms, David. It’s before David became a King, and after he defeated Goliath with two small stones and a slingshot.
In this story, David and his warrior men defeat their enemies who had stolen their wives and kids, raided their possessions, and burned down their buildings. It’s interesting to note that David sought God’s counsel on this issue before going into battle, and God directly answered David and told him he would win and to “rescue the people” (verse 8). GOD CARES FOR PEOPLE . . .(and the people God told David to rescue in this case were the women and the children. . . who were considered the weaklings in their culture).
After David and his warriors won their battle, some of the men complained. They argued that the men who did not literally fight the battle (because they were too exhausted), but who instead rested and guarded the supplies, ought not receive any of the plunder. David disagreed.
The Bible doesn’t say if David was speaking on behalf of God or not, but I think it’s OK to assume he was, since he’d just sought after God’s counsel only hours beforehand. And here’s what David said:
My brothers, you must not do this with what the LORD has given us. He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us. Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally (verses 23-24).
This reminds me of the God of the New Testament. God came in the form of a man, Jesus. Jesus told some of his followers a fictitious story about several workers who performed manual labor for different amounts of time, but they all ended up with the same pay. Jesus was making a point: Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my business? Are you jealous because I’m generous? (see Matthew 20:14-15)
In one sentence, God hasn’t changed, he gives to all freely and generously, and we’ve simply got to grow to know him more to become the beautiful women he’s created us to be!
