Friday, 27 March 2020 1 Samuel 3:1-21
“Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord…” -1Samuel 3:1
All who have had a touch from the Saviour with transformed lives from ‘sinner’ to ‘saint,’ have also very clearly heard a call to minister unto Him in various ways: in serving, as prayer warriors, in worship ministry or any of the fivefold ministry. As long as our communion with God was unhindered our ministry pleased the Lord. Today even as we continue ministering before Him, is He pleased with what we are doing or is He turning his face away from all our sacrifices of praise and music and our assemblies? (Amos 5:21-24)
Even to this day, God looks for Faithful, Available and Teachable people whom He equips to fulfill His task. There were times in the history of Israel when God raised up new leaders to replace the old. Why did God take such a drastic step? What made God to change the Spiritual Leadership in today’s reading, disqualifying Eli from his position and elevating Samuel to it?
Out of the presence of God (1 Sam 3:2)
Eli who should have been sleeping near the ark where the presence of God was, has found a comfortable place away from God’s presence. Whenever a man/woman begins to be seen in places away from the presence of God, it is a slow and but sure slide away from God. One of the best examples in the New testament is Peter who in Matthew 26:58 followed Jesus at a distance. Till the previous chapter he was willing to lay down his life for Christ but now he is seen far away from Him. This led him to denying his Lord three times.
Here Eli’s changed position led him not to hear from God thereby having no word to correct the nation then living in sin. So God replaced him with someone who would always remain in communion with Him. Where do you stand with God today? Are you still in close communion waiting on Him daily, so he can reveal His plans to you? For “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7) Will he find us waiting on Him?
Lost the vision of God (1 Sam 3:2)
Eli not only lost his physical vision, he also lost this spiritual vision. When one loses his spiritual vision, he loses his zeal for God. In chapter 2:22, even after a clear warning against his sons and their evil deeds, Eli as a father did not take up strong steps to curb their wickedness. He had lost the understanding of a Holy God. Eli came from the house of Aaron from the line of Ithamar, the fourth son of Aaron and he grew up hearing about the spiritual zeal of his forefather Phineas who stood up to kill a man who sinned against the commands of God (Num.25:7). The zeal for God caused him to rise up against every evil committed against God and His word. Today is our spiritual vision 20/20 as when we first began, or have we begun to compromise fearing that we would be called a “Religious Fanatic?” God is not calling us to be fanatics, but to stand up for Him and His truth in a world that is turning on its heat on everyone who holds fervently to the Word of God as the Only Truth.
God is still looking for such men and women. Where Eli failed, God found Samuel. A young boy who was lying near the ark (vs2) to whom He revealed himself (vs11). The Bible goes on to say that Samuel served the Lord faithfully till the end of his life. (Heb. 11:32) Will we as servants of the Living God leave behind such a legacy?
QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
- Mother Teresa
Listen: ‘Find us faithful’
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