September 12 - Faithful Eric
September 12
Faithful Eric
Bible Reading: I Samuel 2:27-35
27Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ 30Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 31Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. 34Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. 35Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.
ERIC WAS LITTLE, but he loved his grandfather. He especially loved it when Grandpa would let him help around the house. One day, Grandpa and Eric were working together in the garage. They were hanging a piece of Peg-Board on the wall so Grandpa would be able to hang his many tools on it.
As they positioned the Peg-Board against the wall, Grandpa thought of some-thing. "Eric, can you hold this up for just a second?" he asked, nodding at the Peg-Board he held up with his hand. "I left my drill on the kitchen counter."
"Sure, Grandpa," Eric said, smiling. "I can do it."
Grandpa winked at Eric and dashed into the house. He walked through the living room, and snatched his electric drill off the kitchen counter. Then he turned, and the scene on the television--which was running in an empty room--caught his eye. A football game was being played, and Grandpa watched as one of the players caught a kickoff and ran it back. The runner dodged tackier after tackier and finally danced into the opposite end zone--a touchdown! Grandpa smiled and shook his head in amazement at the runner's ability. Suddenly, however, he remembered he had left Eric holding the Peg-Board against the wall!
Grandpa walked to the garage as fast as he could. When the door closed behind him, he saw Eric standing at the wall, his eyes clamped shut. Both hands gripped the Peg-Board as he struggled to hold it up against the wall. Tears streamed from his eyes from the pain in his tired arms.
"Eric!" Grandpa said, easily taking the board out of Eric's arms. "I'm so sorry!"
Eric smiled through his tears. "Oh, that's OK, Grandpa," he said, letting go of the board and rubbing his sore muscles. "I didn't let go, did I? I didn't let go."
"Oh, Eric," Grandpa said, mentally kicking himself for stopping to watch the football game. "You didn't have to keep holding that Peg-Board."
"I didn't want to let you down, Grandpa," Eric said. "And I didn't, did I?"
"No," Grandpa said, setting the Peg-Board down and picking his grandson up into his arms. "No, you didn't."
REFLECT: What Eric did is admirable, isn't it? Why? Do you think Grandpa valued Eric's faithfulness? Why or why not? Do you think God values faithfulness? Why or why not? Do you think anything in today's Bible reading shows that God values faithfulness? If so, what?
PRAY: "God, I know You value faithfulness, just like Eric's grandfather valued Eric's faithfulness. Help me to be more like Eric and less like the unfaithful priests mentioned in today's Bible reading."