Wednesday, August 21 Keep Growing, Pleasing The Lord – Word For Today

WORD FOR TODAY by JESUS FIGUEROA

DAILY DEVOTIONAL * WWW.JESUSFIGUEROA.ORG

Wednesday, August 21

Keep Growing, Pleasing The Lord

Topic: Spiritual Growth Sets You Apart From Others.

²⁶ And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.

1 Samuel 2:26 (NKJV)

Daily Reading Plan

Jeremiah 32-33

Bible Versions:

1 Samuel 2:26 (NIV) ― ²⁶ And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.

1 Samuel 2:26 (NLT) ― ²⁶ Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.

1 Samuel 2:26 (MSG) — But the boy Samuel was very much alive, growing up, blessed by God and popular with the people.

Thoughts Of Devotion:

If someone showed a life of spiritual progress and development in the Old Testament it was the young Samuel. He continually demonstrated a successful and growing spiritual life. Even in the midst of a society that was influenced by evil and moral decay, Samuel was different from everyone else! Samuel was even set apart from the sons of Prophet Eli, because while they were wicked men without knowledge of God, Samuel was the opposite. In 1 Samuel 2:12 tells us, “the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.

Samuel was marked by a great difference; He was growing and receiving not only the approval of men but also the divine approval of God. While others went from bad to worse, Samuel was climbing in his spiritual growth and development. His life was marked by his growing favor and grace, while the lives of other ungodly men, were condemned by God and the people. Samuel never allowed the negative influence of others influence his spiritual life. On the contrary, while others went from bad to worse, like 2 Timothy 3:13 tells us, “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Samuel continuously advanced from glory to glory!

What of us this morning? Are we decaying in our spiritual life? We might be in a state were we have allowed others to stop us, or influence us negatively in our spiritual life. If this is the case, we must decide to move forward in our spiritual development and not allow the influence of others stop us. It will take for us to give priority to our spiritual growth and devote time to it. In conclusion we see this accelerated growth Samuel experimented because his priority was being continually in the Lord’s presence. In 1 Samuel 2:18 it says, “But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.”

Today if we really want to grow in the same way we have to spend quality time with the Lord, a time of quality and quantity in his presence! Because no spiritual growth will be by chance or luck, it takes a great price of consecration and continually seeking the Lord in prayer and in His Word. On this day, I encourage you to take this challenge. If you do, spiritual growth will surely come into your life and we will all be witness to it.

Foundational Scriptures:

1 Samuel 2:21 (NKJV) ― ²¹ And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

Proverbs 3:3-4 (NKJV) ― ³ Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, ⁴ And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

1 Samuel 2:18 (NKJV) ― ¹⁸ But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.

1 Samuel 2:17 (NKJV) ― ¹⁷ Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

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