Day 75

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Samuel Wake Up Call--God's Choice!

1 Samuel Introduction

By the end of the chaotic period of the judges, God's people are clamoring for a king. The book of 1 Samuel tells the story of Israel's last judge (Samuel), its first king (Saul), and the early years of its greatest king (David). Because Saul lacks a heart for God, he is rejected by God. Young David—anointed to take his place—must flee to the wilderness to escape Saul's jealous pursuit. At last, Saul and his sons meet death on Mount Gilboa, setting the stage for 2 Samuel and the golden age of King David.

Scripture

March 15—1 Samuel 1-3: Samuel's Birth and Call

Observation

Like a ray of sunshine in the gloomy period of the judges stands the godly family of Elkanah and his barren wife Hannah. God hears Hannah's fervent prayer for a son—who would be dedicated to the service of God—and graciously provides Samuel (along with three more sons and daughters). In fulfillment of her vow, Hannah brings Samuel to Shiloh where he begins his life of godly service under the protection of Eli the priest. But when Eli fails to discipline his own sons, bringing reproach upon both God and the tabernacle, Samuel is commissioned by God to declare judgment upon Eli's house.

Application

Analyze the following statement: Being a good businessperson does not guarantee you will be a good parent. Now substitute for the word businessperson each of the following words and reread the statement thoughtfully: Bible study leader, Sunday school teacher, volunteer worker, civic leader, student, church leader.

In today's passage you are confronted by a sobering scene. Eli—a man who knew his job well as a priest and functioned adequately in his service before the Lord—was nevertheless a failure in his role as a father. Success in the one sphere did not guarantee success in the other. And because of his failure to give proper attention to his duties as a father, he lost his influence in the spiritual realm as well.

Parents, take an objective look at how well you're doing in raising your children to glorify God. Are there some pressing areas of need? Your church bookstore, local Christian bookstore, online Christian store and YouTube Christian videos offer a gold mine of resources to help you teach God's truths creatively and practically to your children. Browse them all for the answers you need to point your children in the right direction and remember only you can make parenting the priority it needs to be!

Prayer

Lord, you said bring the little children to you and you will do the rest. Help us to make rearing our children a priority so that they will know they have a friend, a provider, a healer, a miracle worker and the list goes on. They need to know that there's no problem too big nor too little for you to fix. Thank you Jesus!

“Let the children come to me..."




© Odessa Mathis about my Father's business! 2019

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