what did you think was going to happen?

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years. 1 Samuel 4:16b-18 NIV

We all know someone who yells at the TV when a bad pass is made or a ball is dropped.  When I read this, I want to yell at my bible, “what did you think was going to happen?”

Eli, the priest, and his two sons were in charge of accepting sacrifices. God allowed that as the sacrifice was being made, the priest may stick their fork in the boiled meat and whatever was pulled up, they could eat. Eli’s sons however, began to demand raw meat, before it was cooked, so that they could roast it.

God sent a man to Eli to warn him; rebuke your sons or face death. Not only was Eli warned that death would come if they did not repent, but his entire line would cease to be the priests of the Lord. Eli spoke to his sons, though without force or deliberation, and his sons grew in their debauchery.

Yet through this mess, Samuel thrived. God placed his hand upon the child’s life and guided him in spite of the wickedness going on around him. There is little doubt that Samuel had daily interaction with his “step brothers” if you will. I imagine them trying to coax Samuel into their wickedness, and Samuel having to continually fight them off, knowing the sacrifice his mother made for him. I have to imagine that God was there, every step of the way leading Samuel in the right direction, because Eli certainly wasn’t doing it with his own sons, how could he have done it for Samuel?

We worry about sending our kids to school… OK, I worry about sending my kids to school and they influences they are surrounded by all day long. I worry about the shows my kids watch and the music they listen to.

but I have been blessed…..

My boys, while they certainly are not perfect (nor would I want them to be), they continually choose the right path. They choose to listen to music that celebrates God and not man. They choose to give of themselves to help others. They choose to place God first in their lives and everything else second. Yes, I am a blessed mother indeed.

Will my boys fall? At times, I have no doubt, much like I fall, so will they.  But with the strong hand that God has upon their hearts, along with our guiding as parents, I hope and pray that every time they fall, not only will they get back up and brush the dirt off, but that they also learn the valuable lessons that can only be taught by laying in that ditch.

LORD, thank you for blessing me with all of my children. Today I pray for my boys. Lord protect them, guide them, steer them when they try to steer themselves. God I pray you allow them to feel the taste of failure and defeat every so often to keep them humble and I pray, above all else, they feel your love even stronger than they feel mine.