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Dailies March 2021 |
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04/10/2021 Daily Devotions: by Christina Farris 1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. 15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. 17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. We live in an age to preach judgment, or to speak judgment of God is to do so in fear of God, to not speak the judgments of God is to speak according to the fear of man. I have never meet anyone excited to hear the judgment of God, especially if it effects them. Nor have I wanted to speak about judgment myself, rather leave it to those street evangelist who seem to have no love in their heart but only in action. The minister that repents and wants to give you the world or anything you need, because your in need. Yet at the same time preach hell fire an the grave. Yet they push clothing, food, shelter while doing so to the point you wonder what this love and judgment of God all about, because they contradict each other. Yet judgment can be love and love can be judgment, but love is often mercy and grace. Though God tried hard to show Eli mercy, he would not hear it from the intercessor of the first prophet God sent him in the second second chapter of Samuel. In the story in chapter one Eli speaks of need of intercessor for his grown boys and God sends a male prophet to him to speak to him about judgment coming, then in chapter three we see the second call of the judgment coming from God's newest apprentice. God calls Samuel in the mist of the storm of Eli's refusal to enforce the rules of faith with his two sons. Remember Samuel maybe like a son in some ways to Eli but never would be his biological son. When God speaks to Samuel first time, he thought it was Eli calling to him. By the second time the Lord calls to him, he believes it is Eli and finds out a second time it was not Eli speaking. Eli realized God must be calling to the child. He tells him to tell the voice to speak his servant is listening. Lord told Samuel of the judgment that would befall Eli's house for disobedience. Samuel was a boy and his call was as a child. Now to hear God was going to destroy Eli's house and you are in it, might leave a fear upon anyone, but Samuel fear was not the judgment of prophesy, but having to speak to Eli, who would be asking what did God say in his vision. Samuel is told for his protection of knowledge and wisdom of events to occur and also to prophesy a second time to Eli straight from God has an intercessor for Eli, because Eli repented not with his realization of his sons sin or try to change their ways, nor tried to correct them with the first intercessor from a prophet that came and spoke to him in chapter two of I Samuel. Judgment was coming to Eli house. Eli repented not at what was coming, he knew when it came it would be as the Lord said, never given heed to the need of repentance or trying to correct his sons. Never coming to his knees in repentance. This concerned the leadership of Eli and his family, not the priesthood necessarily, Samuel was only living in Eli's house. The call of repentance though never spoken comes with the judgment. If you are judged you can repent, but you can not repent after the judgment comes for it comes in punishment to unrepentance. For example Isaiah prophesied to king Hezekiah that he needed to put his house in order for he would be dying, and King Hezekiah repented and cried out to God, and God sent Isaiah back and told him God has add fifteen years to his life because he repented. Now some of us that might think that is more of curse from God then a blessing, but for Hezekiah that was good news/blessing. Repentance does not always work. The Prophet Nathan prophesied to King David and King David still faced the prophesy spoken of not only loosing his son, but the reason for judgment coming to him was broadcasted across the land of Israel and he almost lost his kingdom. There is a call of repentance from sin that still brings about judgment and there repentance like King Hezekiah's that brought about mercy from God. Eli repented not and the boy Samuel would be a witness of what the work of God in the form of judgment. Judgment is not something anyone wants to see but it is the judgment that helps us know God is not pleased with our actions or our ways, it is something we can repent of, but it does not always change the outcome. It will change the outcome of eternity in heaven or hell, but might not change the course of punishment in our world we live in today. I John 1:8-10 talks about how God is just to forgive our sin. Jesus going to the cross because of sin unto man and not sin unto God. Now man does not always forgive, but God is just and forgive all our sins. It is God who justifies. If we think for a moment if Eli heart had been convicted would not God had healed him, even if Eli's son did not. If God had brough Eli to his knees would correction not still occured perhaps. Yet God purpose of correction is to change our life, to enable us to be people of righteousness and not people of corruption and sin. The judgment of I just barely escaped death, but God showed me mercy. I know God showed me mercy more then once in my life. God's mercy and grace sometimes comes with correction, so we do not forget the lesson learned. Yet when it comes with no recourse does our sin continue? God sent Eli two intercessors and he repented not and did not bring his sons to repentance. Whoa to Eli and also to Israel for things were about to be shaken in the land of Israel because basically people feared not God as they should and no longer knew the God of Israel. Dear Heavenly Father, bring us to repentance over the things you speak not only to our heart, but the ministers of faith speak that are true, that you spoken to our hearts first concerning. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study: 2 Kings 20:1-6 KJV1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, 3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. 6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. 1 John 1:8-10 KJV
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