January 17, 2018 Wednesday

“And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family for ever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’" Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son." Samuel answered, "Here I am." "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes." The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognised that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD.” (1Samuel 3:11-20 NIV)

            Sometimes we hear something from God that we don’t want to hear.  For some this is a good thing because they enjoy telling others they are bad or that they are wrong.  But for others this is hard because we do not want to say terrible things to others. 

            One time I asked God why I should share something terrible with someone.  Couldn’t God get someone else to share this?  God helped me realize that I was the one to share precisely because I would not like to and would not rejoice in their pain!

            Do you understand Samuel’s lack of desire to tell Eli that God considered him and his family “contemptible”?  Not just because Samuel cared but also because he was living in Eli’s home and under his authority.

            The other side is that Eli wanted to know!  Eli wanted to hear even the bad news from God.  Eli had to call for Samuel to be placed under the same judgment if he did not tell him!

            Will we be under the same judgment of the lost if we do not tell them what God said, even if we do not want to?  What does the Bible say about this?  That is if you even read it. 

            Then we see the hope of telling others God’s call for them.  At hearing such terrible news Eli responds "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes."   Eli accepts God and

            How will they know of their need for God if we do not tell them?  How will they know God loves them if we do not tell them?  How will they know of the hope through God’s grace in Jesus Christ if we do not tell them?

            Will you hear God’s call and tell them?

            The last couple of days have been bad and I have spent most of the day in bed.  My stomach has been very acidic and I have not been able to eat much.  Slept a lot and even napped a lot during the day but I still feel very weak.