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Topic: No Open Vision
[DCLM Daily Manna 26 July 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (KJV)
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Key Verse: “And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision” (1 Samuel 3:1).
MESSAGE:
The gift of sight is a great gift indeed but the gift of vision is by far greater. With the eyes, we see the physical world around us but the beauty of vision is that we see the visible and invisible.
It was a tragedy that the nation of Israel had descended into moral and spiritual darkness so much that both the high priest, ecclesiastical body and the people had no light and no one among them saw open vision.
It was not age or the dimness of the eyes of Eli that caused this spiritual blackout. Rather, it was the gradual but steady departure of Eli, his household and the people of Israel away from God that plunged the nation into physical and spiritual darkness. The Lord had warned of His impending severe judgment on Eli and his household because of the sins which he knew about but failed to deal with effectively and promptly (1 Samuel 3:11-13).
How we need to watch over personal, family and societal well-being to avoid God’s displeasure! Little did Eli know that a divine hammer was to fall upon him and his household with eternal consequences. He slept like at other times but woke up that day only to discover that God had finished with him and his lineage in the priesthood office.
We need to fear God who has the power both to kill and to cast into hell (Matthew 10:28). Eli had the opportunity and privilege to change the destiny for himself, family and nation through repentance and supplication to God but chose to be indifferent about the situation. The aftermath of his response to this serious matter was too heartbreaking for him to bear.
Thought For The Day: Daily personal examination and prayer will save you eternal regrets and pain.
The Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 26–29
I am greatly impressed.