The Simple Life

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. 1 Samuel  3:19-21  (ESV)   Samuel grew, and God was with Him. What more could you ask for? Eli, who knew what he should be about but was not about it yet, must have realized what he needed to do to ensure Samuel was in the proper position to hear from God at the right time. Those mistakes need not handcuff those older who have made mistakes in life. If we focus on our mistakes, we become paralyzed by our failures. If we focus on God's mercy and grace, we become empowered by His love and our position. We can focus on failures and be paralyzed by "victimhood," or we can focus on the future and energized by opportunity. For now, the choice is ours. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am." And Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him." 1 Samuel  3:15-18  (ESV)   The truth can be intimidating because it challenges the lies we have grown accustomed to believing. Truth should not scare people, because if it is true, it is something that they need to adjust their lives and thinking around to be successful. All those living a lie will one day get strangled by those lies.   Samuel knows what God has said. Eli knows that God has spoken. The truth may disappoint the ignorant, but it remains a delight to the Godl

And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears." Then the Lord said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.” 1 Samuel  3:10-13  (ESV)   What causes a person to abandon God and live for self? Eli seems to be undisciplined. He was overweight and tolerant of his sons' evil ways. Tolerance is not a fruit of the Spirit; it is the fruit of the evil one. Tolerance always leads to the normalization of sin and is only desired by evil people.   All evil begins with tolerance and ends in disaster. All good starts with patience and repentance and ends a

And the Lord called again, "Samuel!" and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 1 Samuel 3:6-9 (ESV)   We often try to find God outside of the ways God has chosen to reveal himself. God speaks through His Word, His Son, His Spirit, and, at times, His people, His donkeys, and His creation. It seems God's voice was so rare that no priests recognized it. This is a tragedy that seems to be repeating itself today. http

Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above 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 house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the Lord declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:29-30 (ESV)   Some promises, by necessity, are conditional and need to remain so to promote accountability. Other promises can and should be kept regardless of the conditions. Those that are conditional are so due to stated or understood conditions. The Scriptures are full of conditional promises.   Here’s an example of a conditional promise: If we seek God, we will find God. It is evident that if we do not seek God, which is our choice, we do not find God, and since God will never leave

Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death. 1 Samuel 2:22-25 (ESV)   It is one thing to disobey God ignorantly. It is quite another to be disobedient intentionally. Those who deliberately disobey God do not know God; if they did, they would never disobey Him. The most foolish thing a person can do is to disobey God. No one has or ever will benefit from such behavior. Only fools keep trying, and their foolishness will one day be ap