Post by Woody Williams on Oct 31, 2005 7:42:34 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- I Samuel 2:27-36
----------
A man of God came to Eli and said to him, 'Thus the LORD has said, "I
revealed myself to the family of your ancestor in Egypt when they
were slaves to the house of Pharaoh. I chose him out of all the
tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to offer
incense, to wear an ephod before me; and I gave to the family of your
ancestor all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then
look with greedy eye at my sacrifices and my offerings that I
commanded, and honour your sons more than me by fattening yourselves
on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?"
Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: "I promised that your
family and the family of your ancestor should go in and out before me
for ever"; but now the LORD declares: "Far be it from me; for those
who honour me I will honour, and those who despise me shall be
treated with contempt. See, a time is coming when I will cut off your
strength and the strength of your ancestor's family, so that no one
in your family will live to old age. Then in distress you will look
with greedy eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed upon
Israel; and no one in your family shall ever live to old age. The
only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be
spared to weep out his eyes and grieve his heart; all the members of
your household shall die by the sword. The fate of your two sons,
Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you-both of them shall die
on the same day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who
shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. I will
build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed
one for ever. Everyone who is left in your family shall come to
implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, and shall say,
Please put me in one of the priest's places, that I may eat a morsel
of bread." '
Devotional
----------
True spiritual leadership, those who listen to God, are not always
present among God's people. It comes and goes, it seems. During Eli's
years the priesthood became corrupt. God called a new priest, Samuel,
to bring in a new period of devout leadership. The same situation
occurs in the church from time to time. God calls leaders in the
church to be those who listen to God and discern God's will for God's
people. Pray for the spiritual leadership in your church.
Prayer
---------------
Lord, help me discern and take up my role as a spiritual leader in my family and church. Amen
----------
A man of God came to Eli and said to him, 'Thus the LORD has said, "I
revealed myself to the family of your ancestor in Egypt when they
were slaves to the house of Pharaoh. I chose him out of all the
tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to offer
incense, to wear an ephod before me; and I gave to the family of your
ancestor all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then
look with greedy eye at my sacrifices and my offerings that I
commanded, and honour your sons more than me by fattening yourselves
on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?"
Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: "I promised that your
family and the family of your ancestor should go in and out before me
for ever"; but now the LORD declares: "Far be it from me; for those
who honour me I will honour, and those who despise me shall be
treated with contempt. See, a time is coming when I will cut off your
strength and the strength of your ancestor's family, so that no one
in your family will live to old age. Then in distress you will look
with greedy eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed upon
Israel; and no one in your family shall ever live to old age. The
only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be
spared to weep out his eyes and grieve his heart; all the members of
your household shall die by the sword. The fate of your two sons,
Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you-both of them shall die
on the same day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who
shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. I will
build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed
one for ever. Everyone who is left in your family shall come to
implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, and shall say,
Please put me in one of the priest's places, that I may eat a morsel
of bread." '
Devotional
----------
True spiritual leadership, those who listen to God, are not always
present among God's people. It comes and goes, it seems. During Eli's
years the priesthood became corrupt. God called a new priest, Samuel,
to bring in a new period of devout leadership. The same situation
occurs in the church from time to time. God calls leaders in the
church to be those who listen to God and discern God's will for God's
people. Pray for the spiritual leadership in your church.
Prayer
---------------
Lord, help me discern and take up my role as a spiritual leader in my family and church. Amen