MONDAY October 15, 2018
A Submitted Life
Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
1 Samuel 3:1
Remember, Israel at this time was not seeking the Lord. They had the same philosophy as in Judges 17:6: …everyone did what was right in his own eyes. God saw that the nation of Israel no longer wanted Him to reign and rule over them. There was no revival going on; everything was spiritually dead. It was just like today. Many countries are spiritually dead. In England there are massive cathedrals with only twenty-five people gathered to worship.
At this time in the nation of Israel, God needed a man––someone after His heart. He chose Samuel. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, had made a promise to dedicate her son to the Lord. After she weaned him, she took him to the tabernacle and left him there. In obedience, he began to submit his life to the Lord. The heart of Samuel was in tune with the heart of God. The Lord began to call to him, even though at first he did not have any spiritual discernment or recognize God’s voice. God, in his sovereignty, had chosen Samuel to be a prophet to the people.
This lesson is good for teenagers. It is important for them to know that God can call them right from the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). I believe, by God’s sovereignty, He calls to everyone because He is not willing that anyone should perish (John 3:16). However, once a person reaches the age of accountability, they have a choice whether or not to accept the Lord.
Like Samuel, as a young adult, if you become submissive to the Lord, you will begin to enjoy doing God’s will because the people will be blessed. You will make a difference to the world because you are the salt of the earth––called for a major purpose in the time we are living in.
God brings about reformation when his people return to the Word of God as their sole source of doctrine and practice.
~John H. Armstrong~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!
