Greeting a young couple in church I spoke to their baby girl and she smiled. I asked her name. It was Cameron. I could remember her name because my grandson has the same name.
Eli’s daughter-in-law named her son Ichabod. Can you imagine naming your child Ichabod???
The ark of God was captured by the Philistines, her husband and father-in-law were dead, and she was dying from childbirth. Ichabod meant “The glory of God has departed from Israel.”
My verse for 2018 was Psalms 115:1 “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your great love and faithfulness.”
This is how the Lord impressed me to select the verse.
Home at last – after two days in the hospital. My husband was feeling good and recovering from back surgery. After spending three weeks in a wheel chair – it was so wonderful to see him walking without pain.
We were thankful to be home just before a snow storm hit our area.
Then the power went out the next day.
No electricity means no water when you have a well. Our son came over to start the generator (that hadn’t been used for several years). He showed me how to start it and put gas in it. This also involved deciphering which switch to turn off in the fuse box, so it did not pull too much power.
Finally finding the formula for water heater and running the water pump we offered neighbors a place to take a shower. My grandson was in the shower when I was experimenting with the fuses and after he got lathered up good – I pulled the wrong switch and oops, no water. I quickly switched the water back on.
We were fortunate to have a gas cooktop and space heater to keep warm. And plenty of oil lamps, candles and flashlights decorated my kitchen counter.
After almost a month caring for my husband who could not walk and then two days of many trips downstairs and outside to restart the generator, heating water to wash dishes, and may I remind you – my husband was recuperating from surgery and on pain meds. He insisted he was going downstairs to work on the generator.
I was exhausted.
John’s back seemed to be swollen and bruised below the incision. John went to bed. The generator quit.
I did not want to go outside again so decided to sit down to read. I asked the Lord for a rhema – a specific word from him to encourage me. My strength was gone. I felt like Eli’s daughter-in-law – the glory of the Lord had departed. But I was not delivering a baby!!
I read Proverbs 18:10 – “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe.”
The name of the Lord – when I think of the name of the Lord – it is Jesus – I claimed the name of the Lord – and I felt a surge of the Holy Spirit over me to confirm that He is in control and John was going to be ok.
Then my phone rang, and it was our son telling me that the power was on.
Wow, Lord, maybe if I had sought you this earnestly the power would have come on sooner!
I ran downstairs and turned the generator switch back to our electric company and called my neighbor to ask about turning switches back on. Turned them all on and yes! power. I had to run around the house turning off lights that were turned on during power failure.
That night John got up by himself for bathroom – next morning his back looked good.
We don’t have to worry about someone taking the ark of God from us. He is always with us and willing to share his great love and faithfulness. When we run out of our strength – he takes over.
Let’s give him the glory for His great name!
Your Great Name: Natalie Grant