Restoration                    < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

1 Samuel 7:1-17

The children of < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Israel lost heavily in a battle they suppose to have won. They lost all that they were living for–the presence of God, the ark of the Lord. The Philistines fought, defeated the Israelites, and took away the ark of the Lord.

Samuel intervened because he knew the source of the heavy defeat. 1 Samuel 7:3, ÒThen Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, ÔIf you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.Ó The children of Israel lost when they turned away from God. Is there any ground that your enemy has been covering? When you no longer operate where you want to or how you want to, it is because you have given your enemy an upper hand by turning away from God. Samuel went before God on behalf of the children of Israel and made a burnt offering. When the Philistines drew near again for battle, they were confused and subdued. 1 Samuel 7:14, ÒThen the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.Ó When you return to God, you will not only restore what the enemy has taken but you will have peace. Return and get your restoration.

The Difference< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Deuteronomy 30

What will make you or unmake you as you journey through life is the word of God. The word is what will make the difference for you. When you hear the word of God and are able to do, it will make you; when you hear and not do, it will unmake you. Deuteronomy 30:14, ÒBut the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.Ó There is no any other way or excuse that will stand for you not to do the word as required by God. The word of God is what will make the difference. Do the word of God and have life and good, or undo the word of God and have death and evil. Deuteronomy 30:15-16, ÒSee, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.Ó The word that He said to them, He said to us. The word of God is His commandments; all that it takes to make a difference is to live by His word. If the word of God is not doable, He would not have requested us to live by His word. Make the difference in your journey; do not let the word of God end in your words, but allow it to rule in your heart, and His promises will reign in your life.

Camped Out< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

1 Samuel 4:1-10

Wars and rumors of wars are always within or outside your camp, unless you are living somewhere outside of this world. The wars that you engage on a regular basis are the challenges of life. As a child of God, the wars are not meant to overcome you; you are to be an overcomer if you can acknowledge that God is in your camp and you did not camp out from the LORD. The children of < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Israel went to battle against the Philistines and the Israelites were defeated. The Israelites went back to get the ark of the LORD hoping to regain victory. 1 Samuel 4:5-6, ÒAnd when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, ÔWhat does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?Õ Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.ÕÓ The children of Israel were happy to know that the LORD was in their camp while their enemies were afraid that the LORD has camped in with the Israelites. 1 Samuel 4:7, ÒSo the Philistines were afraid, for they said, ÔGod has come into the camp!Õ And they said, ÔWoe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.ÕÓ In your challenges, it is not enough for you to know that God is on your side if you are not on His side. God can be in your camp while you have been camped out from God. He has said that He will never leave you nor forsake you. God will always honor His word and He will not leave you unless you have left Him in your walk. He is always there for you, are you there for Him? The children of Israel lost the battle not because God was not in their camp, but because they have camped out from GodÕs word.

Year after Year< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

1 Samuel 1:1-18

Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, was barren, and she kept going to the ground of worship with her husband and her husbandÕs second wife called Peninnah. She kept going despite provocation from Peninnah who has children. Hannah did not make any excuses not to go worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord of hosts at < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Shiloh. What is your excuse when it is time for fellowshipping? Going to church only on Sundays will never carry you through. 1 Samuel 1:7, ÒSo it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.Ó When provocation follows you to the house of God, it is time for you to provoke the hand of God concerning what is provoking you. Hannah provoked the hand of God to divert provocation from her life. 1 Samuel 1:11, ÒThen she made a vow and said, ÔO LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of His life, and no razor shall come upon his head.ÕÓ Hannah provoked the hand of God: She made a strong vow, she called on God to look on her situation, she asked God to remember her and not forget her. God is a precise God. Hannah was precise in her request. She asked what she needed and she was precise enough to tell God that a male child is what she needed. Year after year, back and forth to Shiloh, the only time we heard about Hannah stepping up in her cry and request was the only time she got what she needed. It could be that God is waiting for you to provoke His hand for your request. Take a lesson from HannahÕs approach, God is a faithful God.

Let the Lord< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

John 11:1-44

If you will let go of unbelief, then you let the power of God penetrate into every area of your stagnation. As much as the Lord wants to perform His word by converting every obstacle into miracle, you have not been able to let go the stone of hindrance. Lazarus was four days dead. He was not only four days dead, he was already placed in the tomb, a place of no return. LazarusÕ sisters were no strangers to Jesus. When Jesus approached the tomb, John 11:39, ÒJesus said, ÔTake away the stone.Õ Martha, the sister of Him who was dead, said to Him, ÔLord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.ÕÓ Martha could not see any miracle coming forth. In her mind time was not on the side of Jesus; condition was a barrier for miracle. All that Jesus was asking for was for her to take away the stone so there will be access for Jesus to go in and do what it takes to bring back life into Lazarus. Is there any lost hope confronting you? Time is not on your side, age is against you and every other force you can imagine has taken over the situation. Today, Jesus is saying to you just like he said to Martha in John < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>11:40, ÒJesus said to her, ÔDid I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?ÕÓ God is still in the business of miracles. Can you imagine how much you will let in if you can let go of doubt, anxiety and fear? If the situation to you seems that there is no more hope, then give it to Him and you will have nothing to lose since youÕve already lost hope. He is the unchanging changer and He will change it for good to the glory of God.