Devotions

The first verse of I Samuel 3 gives us this statement: “…And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.”

For some time, there had not been a prophet ministering to God’s people. There was not a place that you could go to hear God’s Word preached. There was not a minister of God to whom you could go to seek answers from God when you did not know what to do. The Old Testament believer did not know the abiding presence and comfort of the Holy Spirit in the same way that we do today.

All of this adds up to making the Word of the Lord – when it could be found – very precious. Things that are scarce become more valuable to the possessor. The man who finds the gold nugget – the lady who finds the ruby – the child who finds the priceless coin – will cherish them, or trade them for something that will change their lives.

One of the dangers that we face today is that of God’s Word being diluted. Instead of being scarce and precious – it is widely available, but watered down, and so we take it for granted. We believe that when we want it, we can have it – any time and anywhere. We can walk into any dollar store and buy a cheap Bible – any flavor we want. We can go to any street corner and walk into whatever brand of church we want, to have our ears tickled. We can turn our radio dial and tune in just enough strength of the Word of God that we can tolerate, along with a good amount of entertainment to make it worth it.

Along with these practices, we are regretfully dropping much of the Word of the Lord on the ground - the precious, precious Word of God; the life-changing Word of God. The thing is – it is NOT the scarcity that makes it precious; that is just our perception. It is the fact that it is the very life-changing Word OF GOD that makes it valuable.

Toward the end of the chapter, I Samuel 3:19 tells us what young Samuel did with these precious Words: “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.”

Because ALL of the Words of the LORD were precious to Samuel, and because he took good care of them, letting NONE of them fall, God did something special in Samuel’s life. God used Samuel to fix the open vision problem in the Land of Israel. The chapter ends by telling us, “And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.”

Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, there has been corruption on Earth, and people trying to take advantage of other people. In the same token, however, ever since the same event in the Garden, there has been a plan in place for the Redemption of mankind, which God began to reveal immediately after man sinned (Genesis 3:14-15). In today’s devotion, we will see an intersection between man’s nonchalant manipulation and God’s redemptive plan.

In First Samuel 2, we meet up with Eli the Priest’s sons, and they were not nice boys. The Bible tells of their wickedness, summing it up in verse 12, “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.”

Simply put, they did not believe in the God of their father, and they were wicked. Growing up “in church” as “preacher boys,” however, they knew all the tricks; and these sons of Eli manipulated the congregation to get what they wanted.

One example had to do with the sacrificial offerings. Provisions were made so that when the animals were sacrificed, a portion of the meat was given to the priest and his family. However, the priority and main purpose was obviously a sacrifice unto the Lord, and things were done in a very specific way. Eli’s sons decided that they wanted their meat a little differently. They manipulated things so they got things their way, and threatened anyone who did not comply.

What’s the big deal? They were going to get the meat anyway. Who cares if it was boiled first or raw? Who cares if they got it before, during or after the process? What is really the big deal? Wouldn’t it just be easier to let them get what they wanted and let everyone do their own thing?

God did not think so. This was His assessment in I Samuel 2:17, “Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.”

Here is why it was a big deal: their sin and manipulation made people abhor the offering of the LORD! Ever since man has been sinning and manipulating one another, God has been working toward a cure. That cure is the Cross of Calvary. When Jesus died in our place, was buried, and rose again the third day, He provided victory for our sin and manipulation. That is what the offering of the LORD was pointing toward, and it was being abhorred because of their sin!

It was a big deal to blur the image of the sacrifice that was pointing people to Jesus. My friend, it is also a big deal, when we who know Christ as our Saviour, as living sacrifices, who are supposed to be pointing people to Jesus in everything that we do and say – in how we act and how we conduct our lives – choose to blur that image. We represent Christ in all that we do; and all that we do either points people to Calvary, or else causes people to abhor the offering of the Lord.

Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Brokenness does not look pretty. Maybe you can pretend for awhile, put on the ‘Sunday best’ when you are around others, and, with the help of a few social media filters, look like the ‘perfect Christian’ who has it all together. Eventually, though, the façade will crumble.

When you find yourself without a façade, broken and hurting, hopefully you will do what Hannah did in First Samuel 1, and pour out your soul to the Lord (I Samuel 1:10-11). This kind of brokenness is not pretty. It is not the kind of perfect picture that makes for great pictures on the church website. In fact, Eli the priest misunderstood Hannah, and he jumped to a conclusion.

Sometimes working in ministry can make you a little jaded, and Eli assumed Hannah was drunk (verse 14). Perhaps the last thing someone needs when going through a very difficult, broken time is a false, baseless accusation, especially from the Man of God! It would have been so easy – and perhaps justified – for her to take offence; but she didn’t.

I’m impressed with the grace with which she handled the situation, answering the accusation in verse 17, “…No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.”

She did not tell Eli that she was one of two wives of her husband, and that she was childless. She did not tell him about how difficult her homelife was and that the other wife “was her adversary” and “provoked her sore” because she was barren. She did not tell him that these bitter circumstances had gone on for years, causing trouble in their marriage.

Yet, in the conversation that she and Eli did have, she chose not to take offence. What she received instead was a promise. Eli promised, on behalf of God, promised that she would receive her petition. Eli did not know what that petition was, nor did he know that once Samuel was born, he would be raising him in his old age (God has a sense of humor), because Hannah gave her firstborn to God, and Samuel went on to replace Eli.

God delivered! At last, her bitterness was replaced with healing. She went on to have five more children after Samuel. God’s blessing was truly evident in her life!

We should be like Hannah. We should not feel like we have to put up the “perfect Christian” façade in the midst of brokenness; instead, we should pour out our troubles at the feet of the cross – where there is a real solution. When offences come, we do not have to take them up, but we can instead respond graciously. Above all, we can rest knowing that we serve a God that delights in healing the hurt and hearing the silent cries of his children!

I Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing."

It is a short, simple, unbendable instruction. The simple definition of the word 'pray' is 'to ask.' We should be constantly talking to God, asking: asking for the next step to take; asking for understanding; asking for our needs and desires.

God dwells constantly with the believer, so it should only be natural that you are constantly talking to God, just like you would talk to a friend who is close. Wouldn't it be strange to spend time with a friend - hiking, or eating a meal together, or going bowling - and never say a word to one another? How much more, then, should we talk constantly to God as we walk with Him!

When you have a need, go to God. God is the provider of our needs and wants (Matthew 7:11, James 1:17). In fact, Jesus declared in John 14:12-14 that, through faith-filled prayer, we can do "greater works" than what Christ did on Earth!

When we pray, God seems to have a priority order in which He works to fulfil the need.

First, He corrects you if necessary:

1. Is the request a lustful one? (James 4:3)
2. Instead, is the request one that helps you do what God has called you to do? (John 14:11)
3. Do you need correction in your life that will resolve the request? For instance, if you are short $500 every month for your bills, but spend $500 every month on alcohol, cigarettes, and casinos, God will lovingly correct your wrong behavior and misplaced priorities, and that will resolve the need (Revelation 3:19).

Secondly, He uses other believers (II Corinthians 8:1-5) When you don't have the capability of meeting your needs yourself, God will often use other believers to meet the need that you have taken to God in prayer. II Corinthians 8 is one example of how Paul, in serving God, received unsolicited gifts from the people in the church at Corinth. God put Paul's needs on the hearts of his people, who took care of it. Though he doesn't have to, God delights in using His children to meet needs (Luke 6:38)!

I could give you several personal testimonies of times when I had an urgent need, and took it to God alone. While I was praying, God put that need on another brother's heart, without anyone but God telling him about it. Then, my prayer to God about the need was interrupted by the phone call of that other brother - calling me to meet the need that I had told God alone about.

Thirdly, He uses non-believers. What if God's children are not listening to God's direction (it happens!) or are not able to meet the need? Then God will use other, unsaved men to help.

Consider heathen King Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-2), whom God used rebuild the Jewish Temple after the Babylonian Captivity. Consider the widow woman, who did not yet know the Lord, but God used her to meet Elijah's need (I Kings 17:9). There are many other Biblical examples of God using whomever He will to answer the prayers and needs of His people!

Finally, when human resources are exhausted, God uses supernatural means to answer our prayer requests.

Consider the ravens that brought Elijah his meals (I Kings 17:4). Read about the protection of the heavenly, angelic host that was seen in response to Elisha's prayer (II Kings 6:16-18). Consider the thousands that Jesus fed, when, in earthly terms, there were only five loaves and two small fishes available (Mark 6:35-44)

Here is the point: pray without ceasing! Never stop praying! Prayer is the key to God's definition of success. Take your confusion to God, not man, and ask Him for counsel. Take your decisions to God, not man, and ask Him for direction. Take your needs and wants to God, not man, and you will find that He will answer in ways that only He is capable! By depending upon God, and not man, you will see miracles every day that others miss out on - because prayer works!

In II Chronicles 26, we find the story of the good King Uzziah, who began to reign when he was sixteen. He sought to honor the Lord, and did right and prospered with strong, Godly leadership.

With that strength, however, came pride. He thought that he had no limits. In his pride, he usurped the authority of the priest and burned incense in the Temple.

First, we see the mercy of God. The priests came and kindly corrected the King, explaining why he was wrong. They offered him a humble way out of the bad situation.

Next, we see the pride of the King. When corrected, he became very angry. Instead of repenting, he became hardened in his sin, and proceeded to knowingly do wrong.

Finally, we see the judgment of God. In the midst of his anger, God struck the King with leprosy.

Here is the saddest part: the great King who knew the great strength of the hand of God on his life became satisfied with leprosy. Instead of humbling himself, he let his son do his job as King, and died defeated. How sad to see such a strong king go to his grave in defeat!

How about you? Have you made some prideful mistakes? Take part in God's mercy, before the problem gets worse. Whatever you do, don't become satisfied with defeat. God's mercy is new every morning, and the same God who brings judgment delights to bring restoration through our repentance.

2 Chronicles 26:16-21, "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. (17) And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: (18) And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God. (19) Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. (20) And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him. (21) And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land."

I really believe that every Christian should have a ministry. Not everyone needs a “stand up in front of others and speak” ministry, or a ministry that requires full-time support. The reality is, however, that no man is an island, and since one is always touching other people’s lives, he should use his life as an opportunity to serve others and glorify God.

Put another way, every Christian *HAS* a ministry; the question is: are you going to embrace it and be led by the Spirit of God, or are you going to serve in the weakness of the flesh. In the book of Judges, we find the story of an unlikely minister – Samson. His life was such a tragedy that we may wonder, “Could God even use him?!”

Samson’s ministry was thrust upon him from before birth, but he was never really thrilled about it. Even his parents thought that his life choices prevented him from being used by God, but that was not so. Judges 14:4 says this, “But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.”

In our pride and in our critical spirits, we think that God uses us because we are pretty awesome and make great Christ-honoring choices. However, if God could use a donkey to speak the truth to Balaam (in Numbers 22) or the heathen king, Cyrus, to enable God’s people to rebuild the temple, he can certainly whoever he will.

Samson was useful to the Lord – but imagine how much better it would have been if he had not served in the flesh. Imagine how different his life would have been had He willingly lived to glorify God! Let’s take a look now at three signs that you, like Samson, might be serving in the flesh.

First of all, Samson was Motivated by Anger.

Judges 14:19 says, “And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.”

The first part of this verse shows how that Samson was used by God to get at the Philistines. However, the verse ends by noting his anger. It was as if his ministry allowed him access to the Spirit of God, to do a good thing, but he did so with an angry, selfish motivation.

We should not be fooled into thinking that our anger is a good thing, because it seems to produce desired results from time to time. The Bible clearly tells us in Ephesians 4 to put away *ALL* wrath and anger. Surely things are going to come in life to make us angry; in the case of Samson, these things came about as a result of his own choices. However, we are supposed to put that anger away from us, and allow the Spirit of God to work instead.

Truly the Spirit of God was at work with Samson, but imagine how much better it would have been if his anger had not been present. With his fleshly anger out of the way, the Spirit of God would have had more freedom to show that this was the work of God, not the vengeance of an angry man.

Secondly, Samson’s Heart Was in the Wrong Place.

When Samson got in trouble with Delilah, the Bible says this in Judges 16:17-18, “That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. (18) And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.”

Samson’s heart should have been dedicated to God, motivated and controlled by the Spirit of God. Instead, he gave his heart to Delilah, and that ultimately cost him his eyes and then his life.

How often do we see men and women of God who are grudgingly serving God. It is like it has been thrust upon them, but their hearts are elsewhere! Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the Lord with “all thine heart” and the result will be the step-by-step direction of God in our lives.

If you are trusting the Lord with *all* your heart, then any other relationships and pursuits will be motivated and in alignment with the heart of God. Oh what a different story Samson’s life could have been had he submitted to the Lord with all his heart!

Finally, Samson’s Service to the Lord Required Personal Vindication.

Judges 16:28 says, “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” Samson would go on to kill himself and more Philistines than he had previously in all events put together.

His life ended here, with Samson looking to be avenged – vindicated – justified, in his very last breath. He was okay with God’s work being accomplished, but this was personal. This was for him – not for God.

When I think of many other servants of God whom He used to bring deliverance to God’s people, I see men like Gideon, and women like Deborah, who completely surrendered their hearts and lives to be used by God. When God brought deliverance, they glorified Him for his might acts, and lived to see the goodness of God and the peaceful liberty of His people. Not so with Samson. He lived in the flesh and died, still seeking validation. He never got to see the results of God’s deliverance.

I wonder how much time and deliverance is lost when we live our lives like Samson! What does it cost when we must be justified in the eyes of others? What effectiveness is lost when we will glorify God, but only if we get something out of it, too?

Remember, Christian, you have a ministry! Are you going to embrace it by allowing the Spirit of God to guide you step by step, or are you going to live life in the flesh like Samson? Either way, God will be glorified, but it is much sweeter to be part of glorifying God instead of serving as a bad example.

The Book of Judges is a book that tells us about the tragedies that came upon Israel after the death of Joshua. During Joshua’s life and leadership, there was victory and triumph as God’s blessing was poured out in their obedience. When the next generation came along, however, all of that evaporated! How did this happen?

First, the parent’s generation went soft on sin. They had been commanded to drive out all the wicked inhabitants of Canaan, but notice what Judges 1:28, 32 says: “And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out…. (32) But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.”

Notice that it says, “when Israel was strong.” We have to watch ourselves when we feel strong. Many great tragedies occur directly after a time of great victory. Sometimes, this is because we get prideful when God brings victory, and we connive better, more efficient ways to “serve God” instead of doing it His way. In the case of the Israelites here, they thought that having the Canaanites as slaves was a ‘way better idea’ than following God’s plan.

The second mistake that the parent’s generation made was that they didn’t pass on to their children the goodness of God. Judges 2:10 says, “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”

Here’s the thing about telling about the miracles of God in your life: it makes you vulnerable, and God is always the hero. It takes humility to admit that you messed up, and God delivered you. It is perhaps natural to try and appear strong and heroic to your children, and act as if you have always ‘had it all together,’ but this puts your children in a vulnerable position. If you instead talk about the bad habits and family curses of the past, and glorify God by recounting His deliverance, you put your children in a position to realize that no matter how they fail, turning to God is always the answer!

The final mistake that the parent’s generation made is to emphasize religious acts instead of a walk with God. We see this come out in the lives of the next generation in Judges 2:11, where it says, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:”

Notice here, that the children’s generation was religious. They *SERVED* Baalim. What was missing in their religion was a genuine walk with God. Since they didn’t know God and didn’t know of God’s deliverance, their religious acts pulled them away from God, and into heathen idolatry.

It is tempting to train our children in mindless obedience – to obey their parents no matter what without question. This produces beautiful replicas of ourselves that are all dressed up in cute church clothes and hair-sprayed curls, but are empty inside, void of any true walk with God. Some day that veneer cracks, and the children are left to figure out life without the presence of the Author of life. Though obedience and honor should certainly be trained into our children, it cannot be done with lasting effects unless there is the foundation of a personal walk with God. We cannot eliminate our children’s free will in hopes of making them super Christians; all we will do is make them super religious and empty of the Spirit of God.

It has been said that we are always only one generation away from extinction. This is certainly true if we make these mistakes that Israel did after the death of Joshua. Instead, we should walk step by step in obedience and fellowship with the Lord, and bring our kids up along side us so that they know first-hand the goodness, deliverance, and miracles of God!

Joseph's trouble started when he shared a dream that God gave him. His brothers were already on edge with him, because of their jealousy for their father's affection. When Joseph heard from God, however, it seemed to 'throw fuel on the fire.' This started a chain of events that ultimately lead to Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery.

It was this slavery that became the path to fulfilling the dream that God gave Joseph. While it seemed that Joseph's dream caused all these trials and troubles in his life, those trials were actually causing Joseph's dream to become reality. Had Joseph kept quiet, made peace with his brothers at any cost, and avoided these terrible trials in his life, the dream that God gave Joseph would have had no path on which to travel.

Often, God's calling and direction in our lives lead through terrible tragedy or difficult circumstances. This is not an accident. These are not obstacles to overcome in order to fulfil God's plan for our lives, but rather the very path by which God's glory will be manifest.

The question is, will you be like Joseph, and say in the midst of your trials, "...Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Genesis 50:19b-20)

Genesis 37:5, "And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more."

Genesis 39:2-3, "And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand."