First Samuel 11 drops God’s people into a moment of real vulnerability: a city surrounded, a nation unsure, and a threat far greater than their ability to handle. Yet this chapter showcases a familiar pattern woven throughout Scripture—when human strength runs out, God’s deliverance steps in. The events at Jabesh-gilead remind the church today that overwhelming pressures, persistent fears, and seemingly unwinnable battles do not signal defeat. Instead, they highlight the need for the One who rescues, restores, and leads his people forward. As Israel cried out for help, received the salvation only God could provide, and gathered to celebrate his intervention, their story becomes a lens through which to view every modern struggle. This passage invites God’s people to anticipate his deliverance, recognize his hand when it arrives, and mark his faithfulness with grateful celebration.
Josiah has served the Oakridge Bible Chapel family as one of its elders and one of its pastoral staff members since September 2018, before which he ministered as an associate pastor to a local congregation in the Canadian prairies. Josiah's desire is to be used by God to help equip the church for ministry, both while gathered (edification) and while scattered (evangelization). He is married to Patricia, and together they have five children—Jonah, Henry, Nathaniel, Josephine, and Benjamin.
