Monday 3 Jun 2013

Monday Reading: 1 Samuel 12:16-18

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 12:18
18  So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

Devotion:
We expect certain weather patterns at certain times of the year; a couple of months back we had snow showers at the beginning of April instead of rain showers – something that would not have been predicted at all under normal circumstances. The thunder and rain that God sent after Samuel prayer for it was certainly not expected either. Our weather people like to think that they can predict weather at a reasonable time before it happens but there are many cases where they have to admit defeat and say that the weather is just too unpredictable to say what will happen for certain.

Samuel had absolute faith that what he said would happen because God would reveal things to him before they would happen. God had tried to get the attention of the people of Israel but they refused to listen and so He told Samuel to prophesy that they would have this absurd weather to get their attention. The people had chosen to have a human king to rules over them instead of having God Himself to rules over them; the result was not unexpected when we look back on it, but to them at the time it was totally unexpected.

When we choose our own ways instead of God’s ways we don’t expect things to go wrong; instead we believe that things should be going well because we are in charge. We may even be on a ‘high’ as we continue to move in line with what we think is right. We may even go as far as thinking that it was God who supplied what we have chosen and hence it must be a blessing from God and His will.

If we really want to know about God’s will in our lives then we have to listen to Him all the time and not just when we think we need to. That may involve doing things that we do not want to do because we simply do not know what is best for ourselves. God knows what we need and what is best for us; so when He gives us the answers we need to listen and obey without argument. Yes that may well be difficult because of our need to have independence and self-control, but allowing God control in infinitely better no matter what.

Points to Ponder:
Do you think you know best?

Will you listen to God?