A Fainthearted Father

Eli did not manage his household according to God’s rules for family government. He followed his own judgment…. Many are now making a similar mistake. They think they know a better way of training their children than that which God has given in His word. They foster wrong tendencies in them, urging as an excuse. “They are too young to be punished. Wait till they become older, and can be reasoned with.” Thus wrong habits are left to strengthen until they become second nature. The children grow up without restraint, with traits of character that are a lifelong curse to them and are liable to be reproduced in others.
In contrast with the story of Abraham’s faithfulness, and the words of commendation spoken of him, is the record of Eli, who kept his sons in office while they were committing great iniquity. Here is a lesson for all parents…. Evil, without restraint, was tolerated by Eli. The result was sin that would not be atoned for, by sacrifice or by offerings, forevermore.

While some err upon the side of undue severity, Eli went to the opposite extreme…. Their faults were overlooked in their childhood, and excused in their days of youth. The commands of the parents were disregarded, and the father did not enforce obedience.

The children saw that they could hold the lines of control, and they improved the opportunity. As the sons advanced in years, they lost all respect for their fainthearted father. They went on in sin without restraint. He remonstrated with them, but his words fell unheeded. Gross sins and revolting crimes were daily committed by them, until the Lord Himself visited with judgment the transgressors of His law….

The Lord Himself decreed that for the sins of Eli’s sons no atonement should be made by sacrifice or offering forever. How great, how lamentable, was their fall,—men upon whom rested sacred responsibilities, proscribed, outlawed from mercy, by a just and holy God!
Conflict and Courage p. 143
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Prayer Requests
—–Please continue to pray for Adrian and his friend who have many injuries from the car accident. Adrian not only has severe head injuries but also broken and dislocated ribs and many other fractures. Pray also for his family as they deal with this heartbreak. Eileen
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Dear Friends,
When we lived in Washington state, our church used to go camping together. It was a good time of fellowship and enjoyment of the beautiful world that God has made. One time when I had let Esther Marie go walking with some of the other children, they saw a dog in the woods. It was very thin and half-wild. I have always cautioned my children about strange dogs, but Esther felt so sorry for the little sandy colored dog that she fed it some of the potato chips she was eating. The dog wagged her tail and hurgrily gobbled up the chips.

Esther’s tender heart just could not leave that little animal out there in the woods all alone to starve. A plan began to form in her mind. She would take that stray dog home with her. As the children hurried back to camp, the sandy-colored dog followed at a distance. As they neared the camp, the dog’s whole look changed. She became terrified and shook with fear, but the emptiness of her stomach drew her nearer. As Esther and the other girls fed her, she got closer. She cowered underneath the picnic table when any adult came near. She had obviously been mistreated by adults.

All three of my children begged and pleaded to keep the dog. Eileen’s dog had died a year earlier and she had missed him so much, that it was hard to say no. Normally the children knew that if they begged and pleaded for something they would not get it, however in this case, I relented a little. It was obvious that this dog would not survive long in the woods. I told them that if they could talk someone into taking the dog to our house, they could keep her.

Immediately they began to ask everyone. I felt quite sure they would not find anyone, but one family said they would do it. They lured the dog in their van and put it on our screened porch. When we got home from the several hour trip, there was not a sign of a dog. Finally we found her cowering in fear under a table. I told the children to ignore her as she had had enough terror for one day.

Over a period of time, she gradually began to trust us, but even then her eyes would often fill with fear. She was especially afraid of Ron. That bothered him. He would come home from work at night and sit on the steps and toss her dogfood piece by piece to her. She stayed about 10 feet from him. It took weeks before she would eat by his feet. Finally the day came when he reached out and touched her while Eileen held her. For years when he would pet her, she shake with fear. Whatever she had experienced in her first few years of life must have been very frightening for her.

We all go through trials and heartaches, we can feel so alone. But there is Someone Who wants to help us. Someone Who is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” Ex 34:6 How often we fight against Him as He guides our life. We do not understand what He is doing. We think He is trying to hurt us, when really He is giving us just what we need. Sometimes we have a misconception of Him and think He is doing us harm, but He loves us “with an everlasting love.” Jer 31:3 “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jer 29:11-13

May we allow God to work in our lives. May we love the LORD (our) God with all (our) heart, and with all (our) soul, and with all (our) might,” because “He first loved us.” Deut 6:5;1 John 4:19 May we share His love with others is my prayer.
Rose