January 25, 2024

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 1-4
Meditation Verse: 2:30

Thought

God makes promises to people, but they must honor Him in order to see those promises fulfilled. He will not bless men who treat Him with contempt, even though He has promised to them, to their family or their people that they will be honored and blessed. God cannot reward unrighteousness and rebellion. So if God promises to do good to a man or a people, it is necessary for them to respond with gratitude that displays itself in a life of obedience and honor toward the Lord.

Application

The Gospel is a promise from God to reward with eternal life those who believe in His Son, but if someone claims that promise yet lives in a way that dishonors the Lord, the Lord is under no obligation to keep His promise. He will not be mocked, nor will He let the death of His Son be ridiculed. So it is also necessary to warn those who treat the sacrifice of the Son with contempt, just as Eli was expected to warn his sons. Sadly, it was too little, too late, for the Lord had already determined to destroy his sons. There is a limit to God's patience and grace, and I don't want to discover it. God brought me eternal life through the Gospel, so I want to live in obedience to Him out of respect and gratitude.