Wednesday September 10

not bored 

The picture in my news magazine showed a Moscow circus bear that was shuffling across a tightrope in preparation for its next performance. More interesting was the woman sitting in the background, slumped over, with her head resting on one hand, as if she had seen this act before. She couldn’t have looked more bored.

She reminded me of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Nature,” in which he declares how excited we would be if stars came out once every thousand years. As that day approached, we would gather our friends together and stay up all night. But stars come out every night, so we close our drapes and go to bed.

She reminded me of Eli’s sons, who grew up in the presence of God. But familiarity often breeds contempt, and they “had no respect for the LORD or for their duties as priests” (1 Samuel 2:12-13). They slept with the women who served the tabernacle, and stole the meat that worshipers offered there (vv.12-17,22).

She reminded me of B.B. Warfield, who warned his seminary students that their “constant contact with divine things” might make them “seem common.” He noted that this danger was also a great privilege, stating, “Think of what your privilege is when your greatest danger is that the great things of religion may become common to you!” But, all the same, it’s still a danger.

She reminded me of us. Are you blessed with multiple Bible translations? Do you read inspirational books and blogs? Is worship music part of the soundtrack of your life? What a privilege! What a danger!

Let’s be like little Samuel, who never got used to the fact that he “grew up in the presence of the LORD” (v.21). He heard God’s voice because he was already listening (3:10). —Mike Wittmer

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1 Samuel 2:12-36

So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD’s sight, for they treated the LORD’s offerings with contempt (v.17).

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Read Psalm 119:97-120 to learn how much God’s Word should thrill (not bore) us.

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What spiritual blessing have you begun to take for granted? How would you treat that blessing today if you knew you might lose it tomorrow?     

Alien Small Group Parody from r6p on GodTube.