April 9, 2016

“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.” ~ Michel de Montaigne

1 SAMUEL 1-3

Samuel is born to Hannah who was barren and she dedicated him to the service of God...God comes to Samuel in the night and gives him his first vision.  Eli mentors, confirms and guides Samuel despite the curses of his own sons...

11And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,^a and he failed to restrain them. 14Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ”

15Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

17“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.” 18So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

19The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

LUKE 12:1-34

Jesus warns of futility in being rich in earthly possessions and not being rich in faith...

13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

16And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

JOURNAL

Again God defy's man's ways and traditions.  God continually raises up the unlikely in order to accomplish his purposes and mission. Hannah is barren and God grants her the birth of Samuel...who she dedicates to service of God.

Jesus uses the uncertainty of life as the logical reasoning to why one should never trust in earthly possessions.

It is a lesson to me that God will defy all of my selfish pride.  If I am wise I will always seek God in everything...in all decisions and in all my ways.

34He mocks proud mockers

but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

35The wise inherit honor,

but fools get only shame. (Proverbs 3:34-35)