Do Not Mock God's Promises and Gifts!

Reading:  1 Samuel 1 - 4
My Verse:  "“Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, I did promise that your house and that of your father [forefather Aaron] should go in and out before Me forever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from Me. For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (2:30).

This is a fascinating thing.  God made promises and God will keep his promises, but . . .we have a part in those promises.  He will not be mocked!

"And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it" (Jeremiah 18: 9,10).  He will not follow through on His promises if we do not abide by his precepts, if we scorn his gifts he will in turn scorn us!

Eli, was the high priest and his two sons were priests but they, the sons, Hophni and Phineas were evil.  "Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD" (1 Sam. 2:12).  "Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt"(3:17).  Eli knew that his sons were doing bad things, "he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel", but he did not stop them and so was to be punished as well.  "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" (3:13).  It is also interesting that God gave Eli two warnings, first through another man of God then through the boy Samuel.  I like that You, LORD God are so tender and caring that You give us the opportunity whenever possible to turn and correct ourselves.

This is fascinating not only that God's promises are so dependent on how we respond to them  but that we have such a vital role in the way things play out.  It shows how very dynamic life here on earth is. It is fascinating and yet so very sad.  You, LORD God love us so much and want to bless us in so many ways.  We on the other hand are so careless, we too often turn our backs on  Your precious gifts.

I am thinking of the many ways this happens. You bless us with special abilities, friends, families and we in turn turn our backs to those special gifts.  As a result there is so much brokenness in this world - broken lives, broken friendships, broken families.  I tried to watch a movie with my family and ended up walking out.  I could now bear the awful things that people are capable of doing to each other. How I long for Your ultimate healing of all that we have broken here on earth!

Help me, LORD God, to be thankful for what You have given me, to be thankful and make the most of those gifts and promises that You have blessed me with.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!