How Great Things

Only fear the Lord, and serve

him in truth with all your heart:

for consider how great things

he hath done for you.

I Samuel 12:24

Because of a Sunday school lesson, I was brought to this Scripture. This and the two verses that precede this verse are wonderful nuggets that should not only be underlined in our Bibles but should be visited by us from time to time. 

Samuel at the time of his speaking to the children of Israel was the high priest. He hadn't been all he should have been as a high priest. Taken to the temple at the young age of weaning to be under the influence of Eli, the then high priest, Samuel hadn't been in the best of situations. Eli had two sons who were as evil as could be and Samuel had done little if anything to restrain those sons. When Samuel came to the high priesthood in his mature years, he followed in Eli's footsteps in the rearing of his children. Many would have considered that Samuel didn't have much credibility in speaking as he did but Samuel was a godly man that God had allowed to be in that position. Samuel knew enough to know in looking back that God had been wonderfully good to the children of Israel.

In this verse I'm emphasizing, Samuel spoke sage words that contained not only words of instruction, but words of blessing as well. This is a verse that trickles down to us even today, so I'm taking it apart for our easier mental consumption:

• God's people are to only fear the Lord.
  The people were back home in Israel. Their country had been settled by the most ungodly of people who worshiped various idols and committed dastardly deeds in the name of those idols. All of this had happened while they were in Egypt. The eyes of Israel were to be focused on the one true God...no wandering eyes into the other camp. That fear is not the scared-to-death kind of fear even today, but an awesome, wonderment view of God....a healthy view of God, His might, power and ability to function on their behalf and ours today as well. We are to be honed in on our own God, refusing to be distracted by the gods of this world that would draw us apart.
• Serve Him in truth with all your heart.
  What is it to serve God in truth? I believe it has to do with that “want-to” that comes with serving the Lord. Many people are serving the Lord but how many really want to do what they are doing for Him or do they serve with dread and a feeling of being burdened. No matter the task I'm called to serve in, can I honestly before God say how happy I am doing what I'm doing without some kind of pretense before or because of others? This phrase goes further suggesting that whatever we do, we are to do it with ALL our hearts. I am thinking about a second grade Sunday school teacher at my former church who has served in that department I think for close to 40 years. I can't imagine her being more enthused when she started than she is right now working with those children. She has an ongoing enthusiasm for that work and no one can doubt that she serves with her whole heart.
• For consider how great things He hath done for you.
  We don't take a lot of time to consider much of anything anymore with our busy lives and schedules. It does well for us though to stop frequently and think about, ponder and consider the things of God and His blessings on our behalf. Samuel wanted the people to consider the great things God had done for them. When we think of great things that happen in our lives, we think of the biggie events but every single thing God does for us is a great thing. What might be great to me, might be a tiny thing to you but any of God's works in our lives is precious and should often thought be upon with gratitude at every opportunity. This should also cause us to be alert to things that occur moment by moment in recognizing His present and ongoing work in our lives. We are such a blessed people, thus we should also be a grateful and considerate people.
  
  Samuel in this portion of Scripture reviewed much of Israel's history and all of the ways God had led, blessed and in many instances, rescued and protected His own. Samuel was doing all he could to pull the people back to reality as to who they were in the sight of God. I love the promise Samuel relates to the people in verse 22 of this chapter:

For the Lord will not forsake

his people for his great name's

sake: because it hath

pleased the Lord to make

you his people.

I love this verse as I think of our own country and it's heritage. God hasn't forsaken our country and has protected us unlimited times. He's provided for us even in times we haven't deserved it. Our country was founded on godly principles by men who were as human as the rest of us. Our country has prospered as we have kept God in our sights. I believe from Scripture that one thing, perhaps the main thing that could bring us down at this point is going to be with our support of Israel or lack thereof. God's promise to bless those who bless His people is still in effect as are opposite dealings. We can claim this promise of His presence on a very personal level. God hasn't forsaken us and has done that based on His own personal honor and reputation....his great name's sake. 

I love that it has pleased, or made Him happy to make us His people. He delights in you and me and has never been sorry that He brought us Himself. I know there are a lot of times God hasn't liked some of the things I've done, many of the attitudes I've had but despite it all, He is pleased having me in His family. Those of us who are parents know the joy of bringing children into our families, so we can get an idea how God feels about His parenthood of us. Thank goodness, His parenthood is totally loving and unconditional despite those things we might do that disappoint Him. You and I have every reason to feel totally accepted by God as we are His very own. That is mind blowing to have that kind of acceptance and for God our Father to be so happy about it.

Thank you Samuel for your words of wisdom not only to your own people but to us as well as the Word of God continues to reach down to where we are right now. We are blessed people and may our days be filled with serving sincerely and recognizing regularly all of God's goodness. In it all, God is so pleased that I am His and I have to say that I'm just as happy with that as He is.

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Thank you, Heavenly Father, for accepting me unto Yourself and for being so happy to have me as Your own. I pray I will not disappoint you. I want to always be grateful for Your goodness in my life. I want to serve You faithfully and lovingly. You are so deserving of my praise and worship and I love you at this moment more than I ever have. Amen!