Continue To Grow

DEVOTION

 1^ST SAMUEL

CONTINUE TO GROW

1 Samuel 2:26-36

26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men.

27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father's house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites. 29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?' 30 "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line 32 and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man. 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. 34 "'And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you — they will both die on the same day. 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread and plead, "Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat."'"

NIV

Although this was a judgment upon Eli and his descendants by a man of God who spoke for God, there is also a mighty comparison that is shown to us. First, we notice that the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men. This should be our story as well. Although the word "stature" is used in this translation, the Hebrew word actually means to grow up or become great, so perhaps "stature" implies becoming great. We may not have become great, but we have grown up, and the question is whether we have grown in favor with the Lord and men. There is something to be said about having a good reputation among people, both the people of God and of the world. Being in favor, or having a good reputation among the body of Christ, would or should give us some influence to assist people in their walk with Jesus. We are told to build each other up, but if our reputation is marred or stained in some way, we would think our fellow believers would accept our counsel. When it comes to the people of the world, a good reputation would enable us to be a witness to the truth of God. However, if we were just the same as they are, then what kind of reputation would we have? However important our reputation or favor among men is, being in favor with God is everything. We know our growing in favor with God is not based on a merit system where it depends on how much we do, or the number or significance of our good deeds,  but solely on our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is God who reconciled us to himself through the death of his Son. In fact, even our faith is a gift of God. This is made clear to us in the letter to the Romans, when we are told not to think more highly of ourselves than we should, but to think of ourselves with sober judgement in accordance with the measure of faith God has given us. Because we know that God does not show favoritism, we believe we each are given the same measure of faith, but just as with everything, we must use it for it to grow, as in growing in stature and in favor with God and men. We cannot stay as infants in the Lord, just happy to be saved, and never take the yoke of Jesus upon us and learn from him, for he is gentle and humble of heart. We need to grow up, we need to continually be in the state of transformation becoming more and more like Jesus, but then that is also the work of the Holy Spirit within us, so not much depends on us, but it all depends on God so he receives all the honor and glory in our lives. Still, things do depend on us as well, one of which is to continue to grow.