Samuel Survived, You Can Too!

Over the number of times I have heard people pick examples of people in the Bible who stood out amidst the corruption of their time, I have rarely seen Samuel being used as a case study. My attention was drawn to Samuel today.

As a little boy, Samuel lived with Prophet Eli. Do you remember that Eli's sons were the definition of corruption. They defiled The Temple, defiled themselves and others. They forced people who came to offer sacrifices to God to give them the choicest parts of the sacrifice. They were dictators. They disobeyed God. They didn't follow the rules and regulations that was binding priests at that time. They went their own way. They did whatever they liked. They were uncontrollable. Do you also remember that their father-Eli, was condemned on account of his sons' unruly behaviour?

But Samuel. . .

He lived in that soiled environment and came out unsoiled. He did not join them. Like the world would say, "If you can't beat them, join them". Samuel did not join them. Hophni and Phinehas did not see Samuel's life as an example to follow because they were deep in sin. They dwelt in sin. They enjoyed rolling in sin. Samuel however did not decamp to the sinners' party.

Many people's excuse for entering into sin these days is "pressure". We hide under the disguise of a perversed environment to engage in unholy/immoral acts. You hear people say, "It's not easy to stay pure. Besides, we are human beings."

But all we need for life and godliness has been handed over to us. The ball is now in our court. We get to choose whether to stand firm in faith or to cross carpet to the world.

Friendship with the world in enmity to God. There is no "midpoint" when it comes to choosing who we will serve/honour/follow. It's either God or the devil. Light and darkness cannot mix. You can't eat your cake and have it. Choose this day whom you will serve. Choose life that you may live. Jesus is that life.

The children in my church sang "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. . ." on Sunday and it just flashed back into my mind now. In your dark little corner, let your little light shine. In your darkness ridden office; in your dark country; in that dark school hostel; in that dark business area; . . .

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

It is possible to abstain from sin. It is possible to walk with God in a dark generation like ours. Samuel survived, he came out undefiled. Daniel survived, he came out unharmed. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego survived, they came out of the fiery furnace unscathed. Noah survived, he was saved from destruction.

We shall survive by God's grace. He will lead us to safety. May we not fail Him in Jesus' name.

~OMOSEBI Mary Omolola
2015