Sermon Central
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Eli's Sign
Contributed by William Akehurst on Feb 28, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: Eli's Sign is a real life experience of a 3 year old and his influence on his family that illustrates GOD'S love for us. Out of the mouth of babes...comes profound insight. Perhaps that is why GOD says we need to come to HIM as children.
2014.11.25_Eli’s Sign
William Akehurst, HSWC
Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Ephesians 5:1-2 1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
This is a real life experience that is an illustration of GOD’s love for us.
A good friend of mine was concerned about some decisions he had to make. Privately, he asked the LORD for a sign.
His 3 year old son was playing out in the yard and came to his father with 2 pieces of mulch and declared, “It’s broke”. But when this little guy put those two pieces together to form a cross, he brought them to the attention of his father and professed these words, “Look daddy, a sign.”
While big sister corrected her little brother, “No that’s a cross”, Lil’ Eli stayed adamantly firm in his belief, “No, it’s a sign.”
Looking on, my friend got his answer. Look to the cross, look to the LORD, put your trust in HIM, and HE will take care of you.
As Christians, we pray and when we are uncertain, we look for a signs. I must caution you that the LORD doesn’t always go to this extreme to show us HIS will. Sometimes HE wants us to simply put our trust in HIM and take that leap of faith. In this case however, HE used a 3 year old child to increase the faith of this family, and I must admit that it increased my faith as well.
Your "sign" brought these WORDs to me. Ponder the thought of each of them.
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Eli, in his innocence reveals the FATHER's WORD to his own earthly daddy.
Look daddy, "a sign", as he holds 2 pieces of mulch together in the form of a cross.
What a revelation that is…the LORD speaking directly to you, Dan, through the mouth of your son and the work of his little hands. Look Daddy…a Sign…the cross, where you must put your faith and trust.
And even though his sister tried to sway him otherwise, Eli stayed with the sign. That’s a form of praise don’t you think. That he would call the very cross, where Christ paid it all, to be the sign you were seeking? That amazes me. GOD amazes me. How else would it be though? We expect it, yet we are still amazed.
Look at what this verse says.
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
The enemy is defeated, and the silent praise of Eli has established a stronghold against those things that you believe had come against you.
When you told me of this almost immediate answer to prayer, I was reminded of this scripture. Out of the mouth of babes…
"And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"
“Perfected praise”. While his sister tried to correct him, Eli profoundly kept his stance, this is a sign.
Jesus said that unless we change and come to HIM as children, we will not enter the heavenly kingdom.
Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
We all are HIS children. But there is something more to understand about that. A child fully relies on its parents for everything. I think that is what Jesus means by those words.
We are all hit at one time or another with indecisiveness, and questions, even to the point of depression and despair. And what is despair? It’s the total loss or lack of hope.
Yet as a Christian, I have a living hope, who is Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
I’m also reminded what David writes in Psalms when he is hit with despair and depression.
David reminds himself to trust in GOD. We too must remind ourselves when we are at a loss, that we must put our trust in the LORD. Fully relying on HIM, and he will lift our spirit, the ‘health of our countenance’.
