What is Good and Right

O. T. #579  "What is Good and Right"
August 17, 2015
1 Samuel 3-Part 2
He is the LORD; let Him do what is good in His eyes.  1 Samuel 3:18

LET IT GLOW

The doctor had bad news. Gangrene had set into Mom's intestines. It was beyond surgery. She only lived a few more hours after we got the news. She had been sick all week, but one doctor thought it was only a virus. I knew it was serious when she threw up black substance. The news was devastating to my family. All I could do was trust Jesus to be merciful to her in her end times. We decided to keep her sedated to sleep without pain as she passed away.
So many times families in our congregation received bad news. What can you say? Just show the love of Jesus in their time of need. God does what is good and right.

The Lord called to the youthful Samuel late one night, not once, but three times. Eli realized who it was calling and told the guy to answer, "Speak, Lord, thy servant is listening," if it happened again. And it did happen again, only this time the Lord called his name twice. (Why didn't the Lord just speak to Eli? His ministry was over. He failed to discipline his two sinful sons that were priests, and it was time for Samuel to take over.)
How many times does it take for us to hear God speaking to us?

What was the message the Lord spoke to Samuel as He stood at Samuel's bedside?

• God was going to do something in Israel that would make the ears of those who heard about it tingle. Tingle means teeth chattering in fear, as ears reddening with shame, vibration, rattle together.
• God would carry out His judgment on Eli's family forever as He told Eli what He'd do.
• It was because Eli knew about the sins of his sons (in the temple), who made themselves contemptible, and Eli failed to restrain them.
• God swore that the guilt of Eli's house would never be atoned by sacrifice or offering.

Oh, why, oh why, did Eli not put a stop to his sons robbing God of the peoples' meat sacrifice and stop their having sex in the temple? (We know they were killed in the battle with the Philistines later.) Because of that happening, Eli's lineage stopped.

What we do in the House of God should be taken seriously. Do we not consider that God is listening and watching? Is it a place of worship or just a place to meet together as a club and talk, talk, talk?
God takes it seriously what we do in His house. Is our attitude one of reverence or do we consider it another building? Do we go there to meet and talk with God or with our friends? Something to think about. How do we handle God's speaking to us in rebuke? Accept or ignore?

LET IT GROW

That morning Samuel opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli God's message. Eli wanted to know what He said, so he asked Samuel for the truth. God's judgment was upon Eli's family. That would have been hard news to tell. Samuel told Eli everything.

Then Eli said, He is the LORD; let Him do what is good in His eyes. (verse 38)

We must admire Eli for accepting God's judgment upon him and his family. How do we react when doctors, our boss, a policeman, a military informer, phone call gives us bad news for our family? Do we accept it or do we question God? Is our faith and trust in our God only when good things happen?
Job learned to praise God when he lost everything but his wife and life. Mary did not question God when she watched her son dying on the cross. Abraham did not turn back when he traveled not knowing where God was leading him. Moses did not give up and surrender to the Egyptians when they came to the Red Sea. Joshua did not laugh at God's plan for conquering Jericho and say for get it. What's plan b?
What will be written about our faith-she quit or she endured to the end trusting God to do what is good and right?
Will we surrender to God's knowing what is best no matter what?

LET IT GO

 Accept God's will in all situations.

Trust Him in good and bad times.

Admit that God knows best, not me.

Praise Him all the time.