July 17-What is in my Heart

Journey through 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 2.27-36 “according to what is in my heart and mind”

Focus Verse-1 Samuel 2.35

“I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his family line, and he will minister before my anointed one always.”

Insight-Quite the disturbing message for Eli-due to the sins of his sons, thus the sins of Eli, God was going to bring judgment against his family.  A couple of things stand out to me here.  First, the sins that God judges Eli and his family for involve Eli honoring his sons more than God.  Essentially, it is that rather than treating God and people with the honor that they deserve, they have lived to please themselves at the disregard of God and others.

Second, God’s response is that He will raise up for Himself a faithful priest who will honor Him in all things.  A priest who will do according to what is in God’s heart and mind rather than his own heart and mind.  This is a picture of singular purpose, devotion and dependence.  This is something that God really values.  I suspect that this goes back to the idea that we were created to live in harmony with God and others.  This would be the picture we are given with the sense of doing according to what is on God’s heart and mind.  This was first fulfilled through Samuel’s ascension to the Priesthood and ultimately in Jesus.

Active Response-I will seek to pursue God’s love more and more in all I do.  My desire is to learn to live according to what is in God’s heart and mind.  I will use that as my filter today in seeing the world around me.

Father God, lead my heart and mind into Your heart and mind.  Teach me to live according to Your desires and Your ways and give me the strength to live there.  Amen.