A Word of Caution

A Word of Caution!

“The Lord, the God of Israel, promised that your father’s family would serve him forever. But now the Lord says, ‘That will never be! I will honor people who honor me, but bad things will happen to those who refuse to respect me. 1 Samuel 2:30 ERV

Why do we like to apply 21st century thinking to a God who is timeless and eternal, called the Ancient of Days? Why do we think we can bring God down to our level and get him to see our own side of the argument and why we were right to do whatever it is we did, which is a clear contravention of his express instructions? How does being current and realistic in today's world equate with being on God's righteous side, knowing certainly that God's judgment is coming on all that man does, whether good or bad?

Eli served in the old temple. He kept the oil of the lamp burning, as he should; the sacrifices were being kept by the people and they were coming in; year after year, people came from all over the land to offer the God of Israel sacrifices. Nothing on the surface revealed the cancer that was eating away at Eli's heart, and God was already looking for his replacememt. Eli's sons served as priests in the same temple, which by God's standard, was the proper thing, as priesthood was a family inheritance, but who says God is bound by traditions? If He was the One who set it up and it was not working right anymore, God had the right to take it all away. And that is exactly what He did.

I can never become so familiar with God that I think I can predict his next move. Though Eli was at his duty post day after day, God had left him a long time ago. After a while, God couldn't even speak to him, as he had shown a capacity for weakness in character and discipline. Be careful of toying with God's gifts in your life; an account will be demanded by God of all He has entrusted into your hands. It took a small boy, Samuel, to seal Eli's doom, and in one single day, Eli, his 2 sons and his daughter in law died on the same day, ending a dynasty of nonchalance with God's Word and Work.

Be careful how you handle lives committed into your hands. Be careful of the impact you seek to make on the lives of people God brings your way. It takes God nothing to wipe away a generation of godless people, if it will awaken a consciousness of righteousness. You are not too young to make an impact, and you can never be so close to God that you can escape judgment. I need to watch my life today; make sure that I do not become careless in my walk, making assumptions and losing that vital connection. Eternity is at stake here; nothing else down here will matter eventually. His time of favour is here.