Revelation boosts spiritual maturity (1)

Resolving Personal & Spiritual Conflicts 

1 Samuel 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. Many saints wonder why they lack zeal in the things of God. They find the whole issue of spirituality very dull and uninteresting. To them mundane activities like making money, watching movies and ball games, and partying are more appealing than spiritual activities like worship, prayer and hearing instruction from God’s word. An hour of doing business to gain money seems shorter than an hour of participating in a worship service. This boredom and disinterest in spiritual things is not the lot of the unconverted. Non-believers are not bored by church activities because they are not part of the church. They do not belong there and have completely nothing to do with those spiritual things. But it is the born-again saints who are bored. Because they are converted they must attend worship services and participate in church activities. However, they do everything that pertains to church business as a matter of duty. They know the church activities, the service programmes, the songs and the doctrines. They observe all the tenets and rituals of their particular churches. They adhere to the creeds and doctrines of their denominations. Some are even spiritual leaders; well-respected and very influential. But their devotion is rather an outward commitment than an inward persuasion. It is more of lip service than heart service. Their minds are convinced they should be in the church but their spirits are far away from the whole church business. They would rather be somewhere than being in a church service. But they continue to attend church services for the sake of others. They are afraid to be labelled backsliders or heathens if they are not going to any church. These days it seems to be the in-thing to belong to a certain church. But if people would call them Christians even when they were not members of any church they would rather spend their time, money and energy in non-spiritual things. This church thing is a kill-joy to them. Samuel was dedicated to God at a very tender age. He ministered to God under the guidance and mentorship of Eli the priest. But he was serving God out of duty and necessity and not out of revelation. He carried out very special tasks and assignments in the house of God. He was among the priests. I am sure everyone who saw him in the temple thought highly of him and even emulated him.

To many, Samuel was the epitome of youthful piety, zealousness and commitment to the things of God. He appeared to be nearest to God. His dwelling and service in the temple suggested that he had intimate knowledge of the God he served so faithfully and sincerely. But the truth revealed in the Bible is that he could not even recognise the voice of the God he served daily in the temple. How strange! He did all the activities as a duty or part of his assignments without full revelation knowledge of the God he was serving. In fact, only Eli really knew God. Samuel was just a follower of Eli. Eli was once connected to God but revelation from God had stopped coming to him. How pathetic that Samuel was being mentored by a disconnected priest. Samuel was in the temple of God not by a personal and private revelation of God or call but because Eli was there. How many of us go to church activities because our family, friends or associates go there? Lack of spiritual revelation is the number one reason why spiritual things appear dull and uninteresting. As it is in natural things so it is in spiritual. Anyone who has full revelation of something is usually very interested in and passionate about that thing. See a mechanic, a medical doctor, a plumber, a vendor who has got the right skills and knowledge about his or her job, he or she is tireless, enthusiastic and satisfied in doing the job. What makes him or her so? The joy of possessing revelation about his or her trade is his or her strength. When God reveals Himself to a saint that person will never be the same again. Why? Because revelation or the making known of truth by God enlightens the spirit, energises the body, solidifies faith, boosts confidence and dissolves doubts. One characteristic of revelation is that the recipient becomes fully persuaded and settled in heart. He or she cannot be deceived again or convinced otherwise. This full persuasion and ‘sold- outness’ to the things of God after revelation is what makes religion more powerful than philosophy. Once a saint has received a revelation about God or the mission and purpose of the church his or her growth and maturity in spiritual things becomes rapid and definite. What a man has seen with his own eyes he can never unsee! And that is what makes a saint tick like David who said that he was glad when others asked him to go to the house of God. -For feedback call 0772889766 or email mairos78@yahoo.co.uk