Hither By Thy Help
I. The God Who Won’t Be Used (I Samuel 4-6)
A. God is not a Good Luck Charm (I Samuel 4:3-11)
B. God is not a Member of Your Pantheon (I Samuel 5)
C. God is not Novelty Item (I Samuel 6:19-21)
II. The Things God Uses (I Samuel 7:2-12)
A. A Broken and Humbled Heart (I Samuel 7:2-4; Ps. 51; Is. 66:2)
B. Practices and Places (I Samuel 7:6,9; Gen 31; Judges 20)
C. Memorials and Reminders (I Samuel 7:12; Deut. 6:4-9, 12)
III. Our Stones of Help (I Samuel 7:12)
A. Point Backward to Point Forward (I Samuel 7:12)
B. Point to our Need (Gen. 11; 1 Samuel 7:12)
C. Point to Someone Greater (Col. 2:17; 2 Timothy 2:8)
Questions for Further Reflection:
- What do you make of portions of the Bible like chapters 4-6? What/How do we learn from them?
- In what ways do you treat God like a good luck charm? What experiences in your past might influence you to view God in this way?
- If you were to write up your own Pantheon, what gods would make the list? Money, Comfort, Sex, Self, Power, Consumerism, Beauty, Sports?
- How can we find the line between a “Jesus is my Boyfriend” mentality and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”? What does it mean for God to Love and to be Holy?
- What things has God used in your life to draw you closer to Him?
- When was the last time you had a broken heart? What broke your heart and how did God meet your need in that time?
- What practices or places have a deep significance for you?
- What experiences help you to look backward to see God’s faithfulness and trust in Him for the future?
- What experiences in your life have pointed to Jesus? What (if any) tangible ways have your turned these experiences into Ebenezers?