Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 1, 2, 3; Luke 8:29-56.
“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” – 1 Samuel 3:18 (KJVS).
Eli was a great man of God but his children were full of pollution. They kept polluting the work of God. The bible says of the children, “Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord” – 1 Samuel 2:17 (KJVS). They did not allow congregants to make burnt sacrifices to the Lord, rather they insisted on taking their portion of the sacrifice before burning it for God! And God therefore sent a man of God to Eli on the behaviour of his children and the consequent judgment. “Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed” – 1 Samuel 2:30 (KJVS).
This message was further reiterated to Eli through the trainee-priest, Samuel when the Lord spoke to him for the first time: “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” – 1 Samuel 3:18 (KJVS). This response led to the sudden death of Eli and his family. This could have been averted if he had asked for mercy and restituted.
Whenever you fall short of anybody’s expectations, the best thing is to ask for mercy and work on correcting the situation. As you do this, things will get better. In Jonah 3:1-10 Jonah was asked to tell the land of Nineveh that they had forty days before the land was overthrown. However the king of the city and its people went to God and asked for mercy and God reversed himself. Look at what the bible says about this situation: “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” – Jonah 3:10 (KJVS). This is why the bible says “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” – Proverbs 28:13 (KJVS). So God expects you to ask for mercy and forsake whatever transgression that is pointed out to you.
Action point: Identify areas where you are transgressing and ask for mercy whilst also forsaking such acts going forward.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero