Session 38

Only God can judge me

From 1 Samuel: A 6-Week Devotional

How often have you responded to a friend’s rebuke with this phrase: “Only God can judge me”?

If we knew what we were asking when we ask for God’s judgment, we might think twice before ignoring the warnings of a parent or friend.

Eli’s sons let evil abound under their leadership. And in the end, it proved disastrous for the entire family. Eli warned his sons to stop sleeping with women and stealing from the Lord’s offerings. But nothing changed, and eventually, God pronounced judgment on Eli’s family.

Nothing tells God we think lightly of Him like the refusal to deal with sin.

Eli and his sons had been given a great opportunity and squandered it. In 1 Samuel 2:30, God says, "I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me."

Like Eli’s sons, we often ignore others’ warnings and continue on toward disaster. Nothing tells God we think lightly of Him like the refusal to deal with sin. God's patience is not the same as His permission. God is loving, but He is also just. He will not let sin go unpunished forever.

Jesus warned us that "to whom much was given, of him much will be required..." (Luke 12:48). When we ask Jesus into our lives, we become like Eli’s sons — recipients of a position we did not earn or deserve.

God is patient with us when we sin. But if we want to avoid God’s punishment, we have to be willing to accept His discipline and correction.

Reflect:

• Are you using your responsibilities and opportunities you’ve been given?
• Do you take correction seriously? Why or why not?
• What are some ways you can steer away from disaster if you’re headed in the wrong direction?