Tuesday January 03rd, 2023
Memorize: Genesis 2:17 GOD’S WORD® Translation (GW)
« But you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die »
Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-15 Good News Translation (GNT)
In those days, when the boy Samuel was serving the Lord under the direction of Eli, there were very few messages from the Lord, and visions from him were quite rare.
2 One night Eli, who was now almost blind, was sleeping in his own room;
3 Samuel was sleeping in the sanctuary, where the sacred Covenant Box was. Before dawn, while the lamp was still burning,
4 the Lord called Samuel. He answered, “Yes, sir!”
5 and ran to Eli and said, “You called me, and here I am.”
But Eli answered, “I didn’t call you; go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed.
6-7 The Lord called Samuel again. The boy did not know that it was the Lord, because the Lord had never spoken to him before. So he got up, went to Eli, and said, “You called me, and here I am.”
But Eli answered, “My son, I didn’t call you; go back to bed.”
8 The Lord called Samuel a third time; he got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am for you did call me.”
Then Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy,
9 so he said to him, “Go back to bed; and if He calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
10 The Lord came and stood there, and called as He had before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak; your servant is listening.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Some day I am going to do something to the people of Israel that is so terrible that everyone who hears about it will be stunned.
12 On that day I will carry out all my threats against Eli’s family, from beginning to end.
13 I have already told him that I am going to punish his family forever because his sons have spoken evil things against me. Eli knew they were doing this, but he did not stop them.
14 So I solemnly declare to the family of Eli that no sacrifice or offering will ever be able to remove the consequences of this terrible sin.”
15 Samuel stayed in bed until morning; then he got up and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.
Message
Spiritual death, described in the Bible as separation from God is a consequence of sin.
It ultimately leads to eternal death if there is no repentance before physical death or the second coming of Christ.
People who are spiritually dead are often ignorant of their status because when a person dies spiritually, he or she may continue to live a normal life physically.
Such people may be intelligent and successful in their chosen professions; they may even be morally upright and committed to ‘good works.’
Spiritual death is characterized primarily by a lack of communication between God and man.
It is a state of complete severance of communion with God.
The Bible in Matthew 4:16, tells us categorically that the two major symptoms of spiritual death are darkness and the shadow of death.
A man/woman that has been separated from God is living in darkness and totally unaware of the imminent dangers surrounding him/her. Often, calamities suddenly envelop such a person with neither warning nor remedy. Unless such a person retraces their steps to God in genuine repentance, the agony of spiritual death becomes a real experience.
I pray for anyone that may be experiencing this: The Lord will deliver you today in the mighty name of Jesus.
To be spiritually dead is to live without God’s counsel and guidance.
The Bible further hinted at the symptoms of spiritual death in Ephesians 4:18 GWT by saying:
“They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness of their heart:”
Most human beings have come to accept a life of “suffering and smiling” as normal.
However, John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came for us to have life in abundance. Therefore, you can confess your sins to God in true repentance and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Backsliders should also retrace their steps to God. Jesus in His love and mercy will reconnect with you and your life will never be the same again.
Prayer point: Father, please deliver me and my family from the agony of spiritual death, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Author: Pst E. A Adeboye
Edited by Naomie
Freely you received, freely you must give (Math 10:8) , kindly share this devotion, and the Lord will bless you for it ♥
