To Encourage You

1 Samuel 2:26 “Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.”

1 Samuel 2:26 has, as a backdrop, the wickedness of Israel’s priests at that time in history. Rather than serve the Lord in the high office which they had been given, the priests, who were the high priest Eli’s sons, were greedily feeding themselves with the sacrificial offerings that were to be consecrated to the Lord, and they were having sex with the women who were to be serving the Lord at the tent of meeting which had, likewise, been consecrated to God. It was a sad situation, one that grieved both Eli and the people of the land. For anyone to look at this situation from the outside, it would seem that the entire nation had “gone to hell in a handbasket.” But in the background, perhaps out of sight and out of mind of most people during that day, was a little boy named Samuel. No matter how sorry conditions seemed, there was at least one who was serving the Lord.

The verse above tells us that in the face of a nation that had descended so far with a priesthood that was nothing more than a blot on the land, there was one little boy who was serving the Lord and day by day growing in the favor of both God and man. That’s the way it has always been. The Lord always has His remnant. No matter if the whole world seems to have turned its back on God, there is always a Samuel, a Noah, a Rahab, or a Daniel who truly seeks God. The Bible tells us that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). It promises us that in the face of a world that openly defies God seemingly with one voice, there are those who still “go into (their) room and shut the door and pray to (their) Father Who is in secret. And (their) Father Who sees in secret will reward (them)” (Matthew 6:6).

So, where does this leave you? Are you on the broad way that leads to destruction, the one that the majority seem to be on, or on the narrow way that leads to life, the way which so very few find? Know that it is not the way of the majority that will prevail in the end. It is not the way that is popular. It’s not the way of the “strong.” No, it is the way of those like Samuel who will prevail. For though Samuel was but a little boy, he was a little boy with the blessing of God on his life. Yes, God’s Word tells us to “choose this day whom (we) will serve.” We all have a choice. We all must decide on a way. May we choose the way of wisdom and join with those who say, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).