Topic: The Snare
Text: I Samuel 3:16-18

Often, when you hear God’s voice, it might not be pleasant. Once in a while, the voice of God may sound harsh, rather than soothing. In fact, according to Psalms 29:4-5, there is a voice of the Almighty God that breaks cedars. I think that once in a while, we need to hear this kind of voice so that our stony hearts can receive a blow. Even if the voice of the Lord says to you, as He said to David in II Samuel 12:7, that you are the guilty man. At least, He is still talking to you. When God ceases to talk to you, it is a terrible situation, indeed.

The Bible says, “Let the righteous smite me and I shall be glad.” It is better to receive the rebuke of the Almighty than to meet a stonewall of ominous silence. In Hosea 4:17, the Lord said, concerning Ephraim: “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” I pray that you will never get to a stage where God will prefer you were left alone. In Psalms 95:7-8, the Bible says: “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness,” No matter what God says to you, never harden your heart. Adam, when cornered by God, said he was afraid. Modern day evangelists tell us that we can replace the word, “afraid” in the Bible with “reverence”. They say we are not to be afraid of God but  we are to reverence Him.

If you know the God we are serving the way I know Him, you will be afraid of Him. It is better to be frightened by whatever God says than for you to be indifferent to His voice. In I Samuel 3:16-18, when God spoke to Eli through Samuel, Eli replied that God should do whatever He deemed good. In other words, he was ready to accept God’s verdict, no matter how hard it was. Any sensible man should be afraid of the One that is called the Consuming Fire, according to Hebrews 12:29.

Surely, as the Bible says in Hebrew 10:31, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. But it is better to receive a divine rebuke than to be ignored completely by God. If God is still speaking to you, even if His voice appears tough, you are still better off. A man completely ignored by God is the only one who has no hope.

Memory Verse: Hosea 4:17 - “Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.”