The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel. 1 Samuel 3:1-4a NIV Prior to Samuel hearing and responding to the call of God in his life, Samuel served the Lord under Eli’s direction. God used Eli to teach Samuel about the dedicated life of ministering unto the Lord. Samuel served in God’s house and learned all that was required to fulfill his future role and this was taught by Eli. The one who allowed his sons to run amuck in the house of the Lord. Eli. The one who heeded God’s warnings about his sons corrupt ways. God still used Eli, with his flaws intact, to establish a prophet of the Lord. Samuel. Honestly, if this was not in the word I would have definitely thought there would be NO WAY Samuel could be groomed to be a prophet sitting under this guy. This guy named Eli. The one whose sons were doing ‘this and that’. I think not! I remember my early journey years. Many, many years ago. Legalistic Liz searched for the perfect leader. The one perfect church. The one perfect Pastor. Perfect defined as strictly adhering to a set of rules and regulations defined by my interpretation of the Bible. Yes, I was a hot mess, and thank God I did not live in Eli’s time. He would’ve definitely been given a piece of my mind wrapped ever so neatly in “Love, God” patterned paper with a cross shaped purple bow. Oh, I am grateful for a God who loves me even when I am so full of myself. I am so grateful for a God who does not give up on me and continues to pursue me, opening my eyes, and enlightening me in my flaws, so that I can still be used by HIM. I am grateful for a God who does not use my standards as the benchmark for me. Today, I am so grateful for a God who sees us and loves us no matter where we are in life. I hope you are, too. Be Strengthened and Encouraged in HIM, Liz And therefore the LORD (earnestly) waits (expecting, looking, longing) to be gracious to you. And therefore HE lifts HIMSELF up so that HE may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you…. Isaiah 30:18a AMPC There isn’t a lot written about Eli but we know that at some point he had to be a man who reverenced God. After all, we know as part of the priesthood he taught the ways of God and the importance of sacrifices and offerings as a way to honor God. We know he lived in God’s house for quite some time.
We also know that during his tenure the messages from the LORD were rare and visions quite uncommon. Plain and simple - God didn’t speak much. So what happened? Why did Eli allow sin and rebellion in the house of God? Why did he allow this to perpetuate in God’s house through his own flesh and blood? Maybe Eli was like my cell phone. He forgot he needed to daily ‘plug in’ to the Word of God. Maybe after some time Eli tried to operate in the same power day after day after day after day. Maybe he tried to walk out his calling in his own strength, and after a while he ignored the low battery warning sign. The signal letting him know his life was no good without The SOURCE. The STRENGTH. Even though there isn’t much written about Eli, per se, there are some powerful messages in what is written about his life. One message: Stay connected to the Vine. Stay plugged in daily. Heed the warnings. The SOURCE is vital to life. Be Strengthened and Encouraged in HIM, Liz I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in ME and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from ME you can do nothing. John 15:5 NIV To meditate on Scripture is to allow the truth of God’s Word to move from head to heart. It is to so dwell upon a truth that it becomes part of our being. Greg Oden What’s up Phinehas! Man, do I have something to tell you. Yesterday, I was walking around and started talking to that woman. You know the woman with the incredible body? Well, I told her that part of her duties were to sleep with me and she did. Gave it up just like that. I never realized how much power and authority we had in this priestly role.
Well, Hophni, the other day I didn’t feel like eating boiled meat yet again. So, I told the guy who was offering a sacrifice to give me the meat raw. He had the nerve to lecture me on the customs, and said something about the animal sacrifice being his best, and how he was showing reverence to God, and all God had done for him, and that I was defiling his sacrifice! Who did this guy think he was talking, too, huh? Long story short, I told him if he didn’t give the raw meat to me right then and there I would take it by force. So, I decided that from now on I am not going to eat that boiled meat any longer. What do you say? You going to join me? On a serious note, I really don’t know how the corruption started per se. But I do know from reading in 1 Samuel Chapter 1 that Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. The sons were considered worthless men and openly practiced lawlessness. They were corrupt and instead of teaching holiness and the ways of the LORD they did what they pleased. They had no regard for God’s house or God’s people. The thing is, Eli was told repeatedly about his sons behavior. Eli kept getting reports on how they were ripping people off and sleeping with the women who helped out at the sanctuary. Eli told his sons it was wrong but he tolerated their behavior and allowed it to continue. God even sent a holy man to warn Eli. Still nothing changed. Eli chose to ignore the warnings. It started with one leader. A leader who was God’s priest over the nation of Israel. A leader responsible for teaching the people holiness and the ways of the LORD. A leader put in place to honor God above all else and demonstrate it to the people in all that he did. A leader who seemed to have lost sight of his purpose and turned a blind eye, so to speak. Eli. A leader who lost his vision spiritually, and in the end it cost him his life. Much to ponder. Much to ponder. Be Strengthened and Encouraged in HIM, Liz To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to ME [unless they are the offering of the heart]? Says the LORD. I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts [without obedience]; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of he-goats [without righteousness]. Isaiah 1:11 AMP Hannah said, let your handmaid find grace in your sight. 1 Samuel 1:18 AMP It is Sunday and I am so dreading this week. I am scheduled to fly from one city to another to visit with company employees. The holidays have just passed and I truly don’t understand how I am going to look my people in the face and let them know they must go. I have grown to care for them. I just don’t understand why I couldn’t tell them earlier, prior to the holidays, so they could have had an opportunity to possibly make different spending decisions. What if they purchased a big ticket item for their loved one and planned to pay it off later? A decision they may not have made if only they knew. LORD, I wish this didn’t have to happen. I know at this point it’s inevitable but I so don’t want to face each and every one of them. I don’t want to witness the shock and dismay plastered over their faces and watch as they squirm trying to contain their emotions and stop the flood of tears. Men and women alike. Ever had to be the bearer of such bad news? Leadership. That is what it is called in the business world. At least that’s what I had been told. A real humdinger. On that Monday morning, I dragged myself around going through the motions to prepare for work. As I opened the shades and pierced out the window I noticed everything was covered with snow. Yes, snow! I literally sprinted to my closet, and just a few minutes later with several sets of clothes layered onto my body, a hat and gloves on and boots strapped to my feet, I ran out the front door. I fell backwards (on purpose) and it was as if I were a kid all over again. The result of my madness - a snow angel. I then ran in the house and grabbed my camera and took pictures of my masterpiece. This was a day I would always want to remember. A day of remembrance. Remembering how God gave me my hearts desire in a very, very unexpected way in just the knick of time. Between 10 pm and midnight on Sunday, January 9th, an area of intense snow developed along and just north of the I-20 corridor, contributing to a narrow band /of six to eight and a half inches total snowfall amounts in Eastern Georgia. These words are taken directly from the National Weather Service report written back in January of 2011. Yes, the week I was scheduled to travel a major snowstorm hit. Well, it was considered a major snowstorm for the part of Georgia I lived in at the time. The storm shut down the city literally for most of the week. Being a Bostonian, it seemed odd that less than a foot of snow would shut down a city but Georgia was not equipped and I was one happy gal. Each day that week, management waited to see if my city would open and each day it did not. The kicker was that the layoff message had to be delivered by a particular day outlined in the layoff packages or the process would be considered null and void and that was not an option. As result of the prolonged shutdown of my city, my business trip was cancelled. Although the delivery of the message was still heart wrenching, I was spared the painful experience of being face to face. Little did I know, God, in his infinite wisdom, had a plan. A major winter storm, in an area where it was least expected, a narrow band of grace, just for me. Like Hannah, I was looking for grace in my situation. Like Hannah, God heard my cry and answered my petition. For me, it was not having to deliver a painful message in person. For Hannah, it was a son. Samuel. Be Strengthened and Encouraged in HIM, Liz Recently, I was thinking about when Hannah was sad, and her situation seemed so unbearable she was unable to eat. (1 Samuel 1:7)
Isn’t it amazing that God took time to include a detail so seemingly insignificant to some, appetite, in HIS story? Now, the key message, of course is not about the physical. See, Hannah may not have had a physical appetite when her situation seemed unbearable, but she knew how to worship. She knew one of life’s essentials. She knew where to go for some real comfort food for the soul. Today, my hope is that when you and I are going through something that just seems to rock our world, it just feels like we need a breakthrough, that we worship. Whether or not we lose our physical appetite, let us not lose it spiritually. Let us go before the LORD, bearing our soul, and recognizing that HE is the problem solver. HE is the Father of the ROCK, Jesus, that can breakthrough any barrier. Let us go to HIM, and fill up, and leave completely satisfied. Be Strengthened and Encouraged in HIM, Liz Worship is essential and central to our spiritual life. It is something we should yearn for, seek at, and strive to experience. Dean M. Davies |
Hey There! I'm LizFounder of Ezra728 with a purpose of creating inspiring messages to strengthen and encourage primarily us gals across the globe. Guys, don't fret. You are definitely welcome, too. Archives
March 2021
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