the watcher

 1 Samuel 3:1,4,10,19,21 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle. As believers we cannot live our day to day lives without hearing from our Heavenly Father. We do not have much information from the different broadcast in the media, we cannot also live by assumption or mere hearsay. At the time Samuel began to minister in the tabernacle scriptures record that the word of God was scarce. Where were the prophets? If we recall from the record in the book of Judges, there was no king in Israel so everyone acted as the

1 Samuel 2:27,35 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. Never get to a point when you feel too comfortable, proud, indifferent or naive that you do not heed to warnings. As children of God we are expected to be able to recognize red flags. Eli did not just hear about it from the people, a messenger from God was sent to him. Yet Eli was still relaxed. Further more the Lord revealed it to Samuel, the young boy serving in the temple: 1 Samuel 3:11-13 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God

1 Samuel 2:23-25,29 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death. So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel! Eli was a priest, serving God, his faithful service was not called to question. However, as was commanded, his sons were also servicing priests and they did abomination with the sacrifices brought to God. They also were defiling the women in the entrance of the tabernacle. 1 Samuel 2:22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons wer

1 Samuel 2:2,9-10 No one is holy like the Lord!  There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. “He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness.  No one will succeed by strength alone.  Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.  He thunders against them from heaven; the Lord judges throughout the earth.  He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one.” As my father used to say: "after the rain comes the sunshine". Hannah had a song of praise. She had gone through her period of pain but she knew where help comes from. She called on the Lord, went even as far as making a vow and the Lord heard her. It is your time to sing, for the Lord has heard you and is fulfilling that request of yours.  Always remember that He has been there for you all these years, you may only be conscious of what you need or desire now, however, the Lord fights so much battles for you that you are not aware of. We learn from

1 Samuel 1:7,9-10,13,16-18 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. When it is time for your breakthrough you will take that step! Hannah had gone through the pain of barrenness and as those who have experienced it can testify, you would face mockery and many will hu

Ruth 4:13-17 So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. The book of Ruth has an happy ending, though Naomi had so much loss, the birth of Obed brought a restoration. Have you noticed how those who were supposed to be outsiders, seem to find their place in the genealogy of the great path of Israel's history and the birth of great men. Th

Ruth 3:5-6,11,18 “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied. So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law. Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.” What is our record with those who  deal with us day after day. What is our testimony? Do we have a good report or do people wonder how on earth we could be children of God? The book of Proverbs instructs us: Proverbs 22:1 Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. Boaz said this concerning Ruth: Ruth 3:10-11 “The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. Now don’t worry abo

Ruth 2:10-12,23 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law. The opening chapter in the book of Psalms reads: Psalms 1:1-3,6a Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it d

Ruth 1:8,10,16-17 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” What a commitment, what a good representation. Now let us look at this critically. Ruth and Orpah were from Moab a pagan nation, their association with Naomi was that they married her son's. Naomi came to Moab with her husband, Elimelech and her two sons. Her sons died after her husband had died, there was no more marriage contract, so Ruth and Orpah were free. However, they preferred to stay with Naomi. We can thus clearly see that Nao

Judges 21:2-3,6 Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly. “O Lord, God of Israel,” they cried out, “why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!” The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, “Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off. Most times we do not reflect on our actions till we have completed it. This is actually a sign of immaturity. We are not supposed to act on anger, pride or for selfish reasons. Remember that scriptures counsels: James 1:20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. If only we think of the consequences of our actions before we act, we save ourselves and others the inevitable sorrows that accompanies our actions. Look at anger for instance, your body wires up and feels that if you do not act immediately you are going to blow up, but it is all a rush of adrenaline, a weakness and not a strength, don't fall for it. I

Judges 20:26-27 Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the Lord and fasted until evening. They also brought burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. The Israelites went up seeking direction from the Lord. (In those days the Ark of the Covenant of God was in Bethel, We do not have to wait till the day of war to prepare for battle. The battle should meet us prepared. Do we have the moral right to pass judgement on others, when we are also likewise guilty? The children of Israel came up together as one against their brethren, Benjamin, where an abomination had been committed. The erring Benjamites defeated them on two occasions, causing the death of 22,000 Israelites and in the second instance another 18,000 Israelites. Judges 20:21-25 But Benjamin’s warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day. But the Israelites encouraged each other and took their positions again at the same place they ha

Judges 20:12-14,20-21 The Israelites sent messengers to the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What a terrible thing has been done among you! Give up those evil men, those troublemakers from Gibeah, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil. ”But the people of Benjamin would not listen. Instead, they came from their towns and gathered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites. Then they advanced toward Gibeah to attack the men of Benjamin. But Benjamin’s warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day. The importance of a united family is not appreciated till when discord and chaos begins.  It is true that everyone would desire the space to be able to live their lives, however when one is in trouble all others can get very much affected with it. Recall the sin of Achan after the defeat of Jericho, innocent soldiers died as a result, the first defeat the Israelite incurred after the left Egypt enroute the promised land. Here we see, t

Judges 19:21-23,29-30 So he took them home with him and fed the donkeys. After they washed their feet, they ate and drank together. While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, “Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.” The old man stepped outside to talk to them. “No, my brothers, don’t do such an evil thing. For this man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful. When he got home, he took a knife and cut his concubine’s body into twelve pieces. Then he sent one piece to each tribe throughout all the territory of Israel. Everyone who saw it said, “Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who’s going to speak up?” When a people neglect God, they should not be surprised when evil reigns. When you cut off light, the option remaining is darkness f

Judges 18:29-31 They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish. Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh. Most of the record we see in the book of Judges gives us information of events that happened before Israel had a king. We see that most of the time they chose wrongly and were always drawn to idolatry. They got themselves in bondage and as we have seen in the earlier chapters they cried to God and He will raise a judge from among them to come to their rescue, however, when any of the judge's time was over, they returned to evil again. Was it that there was no law? No, there was a law but it was not in the heart of the people. What is the very first commandment: Exodus 20:1-5 The

Judges 17:6 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. When there is no leadership things get out of control, just as our opening verse said concerning Israel, the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Israel was supposed to have the Lord God as their king, however they seemed not to recognize His kingship but were looking for something physical to hold on to. Judges 17:4-5 So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah’s house. Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest. This is the very reason people do not have the right relationship with the Lord God. They desire what they can touch, feel or be sentimental about. They want a physical substance, thus they create an idol. Recall what happened

Judges 16:4-6,16,18 Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.” She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time,” she said, “for he has finally told me his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. What can bring you down? What is/are your weakness? Samson was anointed with God's Spirit to have so much strength, so much that none could stand him and no force could hold him down. Yet in all his strength he allowed a weakness. His

Judges 15:14 As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists. From the records of the old testament we see how the Spirit of God can be manifested in a vessel that the Lord chooses. From those who were able to interpret dreams to people like Samson in our reading today, who could display great strength and fighting skills. It is obvious that there is really nothing that cannot be accomplished by God's Spirit even when it comes in relation with physical things, however the vessel is important for the accomplishment. Recall that Samson's parents were given specific instructions concerning the birth of Samson. For him to be able to manifest the physical strength he was to keep the Nazarene characteristics, especially his hair. Listen, this does not imply that the Spirit is there for us to manipulate l

Judges 14:4-6 His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time. As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn’t tell his father or mother about it. It is a disadvantage to go about in this world limited by the natural events or physical appearances of things, the happenings are more than that. There is always an underlying influence to all events and actions. Take a moment to meditate on this, almost all your actions are pre-meditated, they do not always manifest in line with what you have as an intent, thus, others do not see the underlining motive except you who have plotted it. The same way things we see happening in the ph

Judges 13:2-3,6,10 In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. The woman ran and told her husband, “A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s angels, terrifying to see. I didn’t ask where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name. So she quickly ran and told her husband, “The man who appeared to me the other day is here again!” We live in times when the institution of marriage is being destroyed from in and out of the church. Divorce rate is high and many are in a marriage but are not happy therein. What is the problem? God has been taken out of the equation. How? Jesus said: Matthew 19:8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had origina

As I look unto the Heavenly Father to show me the next step to take, I see the need to reminds us of this devotional: "When God speaks". We are most times faced with this questions: What is God saying about this? What is God's will? What step should I take? Questions keep raging in our hearts over different issues, we want answers and very well we do 2Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. The word of God still remain potent and keeps us in tune with what the Father says. The Holy Spirit gives us deep interpretation and also the wisdom to apply. A believer who is conversant with the word of God would easily understand what God says at each point in time. When Jesus arose and read the scripture prophesying about Himself, he said that the scriptures were fulfilled in th