Friday, 14th July 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Samuel was old and he made his sons the judges of Israelites. But his sons’ lives were not walking in the path of God, and they didn’t believe in the teaching of their father. They were doing the things they want to do and did not let God be God. The people of Israel came to Samuel’s hometown, Ramah, and told him that his sons were not doing what Samuel was doing.
When we don’t follow the leaders and when we don’t keep in the same flow as our leaders, then the people around us will also walk astray. Their eyes will no longer look upon God, they will seek the ways of the world. It’s just like how the people of Israelites were asking for a king for themselves. They didn’t want the laws of Moses anymore, instead, they wanted the things of the world. When we serve God and when we serve people, we must first level with our authority, our spirit must first align with God, then the people following us will not go astray. When we follow God, do we live under the Tree of Life, humble, obedient, deny ourselves, and benefit others? Do we believe that God is the God who can part the ocean and make everything possible?
God sees everything, He knows our excuses, He doesn’t see us like the way people see us. When we follow God for a period of time, when we don’t see things change, when we don’t receive what we have, then gradually, do we seek another king like the Israelites? We thought we are still here, but our hearts are not here anymore. God has led the people out of Egypt, the land of slavery, they seemed to be following Moses but in their hearts they worshipped this world. But God didn’t give up on them, and Samuel didn’t give up on them, he continues to teach them the truth.
Samuel was old so he passed on the leadership to his sons. When we feel that we are inadequate, do we just let others to take over and not take the responsibility God gave to us until the end? God called Abraham when he was 90 years old and God called Moses when he was 80 years old. It’s not about how old we are, but the fruits we are bearing.
Jesus is talking to us today, don’t let our heart go away from God, don’t focus on the people because we do then we will definitely feel disappointed. When we have negative emotions inside us, we must examine into ourselves first. Where is our first love for God? Let the Holy Spirit come into us, is our life still under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? God is not here to judge us, He knows our hearts have changed, we are no longer pure and simple. He wants to heal us, and His love wants to come upon us. So that every hurt will be mend, and every scar will be healed.
Have we put our orders wrong? Do we put God first? God’s light has come and let us repent and return. Let our lives be filled with the Tree of Life, so there’s no longer I but God lives within us.