Today's readings are Psalm 20, 1 Samuel 1.21-2.17, and Galatians 6.1-18.
In our reading today we see people who are trapped. They are unable to take care of themselves. Hannah in 1 Samuel could not have brought forth a son. No matter how hard she and her husband tried, their only hope was divine intervention. Eli the priest did not know what to do with his sons. He had let a situation go and was unable to recover it. Eli's sons either did not know how or did not want to bring honor to God. They were trapped in their own sinful patterns.
Paul tells us in Galatians that when someone is trapped, we who are spiritual should come to the rescue. Yet we often want to pat ourselves on the back because we think we are spiritual. We want to congratulate ourselves for being the good people who can help others with their obvious problems. And often the help we give people is as subtle as using a sledge hammer to release someone from an entangling net. May the Lord remind us that we are all quite capable of becoming entrapped. May we rush to help those we see in their troubles, but to help gently and effectively, realizing that we ourselves become entrapped easily. Our help is in the Lord, not in ourselves. Thanks be to God who meets us in our need.
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