Resisting the temptation of pat answers

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Job 35-37; Psalm 144

TO CHEW ON: "Then He tells them their work and their transgression—
That they have acted defiantly.
He also opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity." Job 36:9,10


In the beginning  of his fourth speech, Elihu lectures Job about a purpose of suffering that Job's other friends have left out: that it is instructive.

God despises no one, Elihu insists (Job 36:5). He doesn't preserve the life of the wicked (Job 36:6) despite what Job thinks (Job 21:7). Rather, God speaks to the righteous person through his or her suffering (Job 36:9) in that way alerting them to sin so they can repent (Job 36:10). If they do, prosperity will result (Job 36:11). If they don't, they are doomed (Job 36:12).

Though what Elihu says may contain general truth, his cut-and-dried explanation that this is why Job is suffering is inadequate. We see how wrong he is when he applies this to Job (Job 36:16-18). For as the heavenly prologue to all these speeches has told us, Job's suffering is neither punishment nor instruction but a demonstration and proof to Satan of Job's integrity (Job 2:1-6).

If Elihu is teaching us anything it is that we need to temper our defense of God, always leaving room for what we don't know. To us earth-bound humans there remains mystery in His actions or lack of them. Though the Bible is clear in its description of God and what He is like (love, omnipotent, omnipresent, righteous, just, holy etc.) we will not understand the outworking of these attributes in our lives and the lives of those we love, until we see Him face to face and "…know even as we are known" - 1 Corinthians 13:12.


PRAYER: Dear God, when I or my loved ones suffer, I long for explanations. Help me to avoid the temptation of giving myself and others pat answers because, frankly, I don't see what's happening behind the scenes and what You are accomplishing through these hard times. Amen.


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 144 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus asking Peter who He is - Matt. 16

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 16:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' " Matthew 16:16


Peter's confession of who Jesus was is classic in its simplicity, directness, and boldness. Author Matthew relates it in the chapter that follows Jesus'  feeding of four thousand (Matthew 15:32-39) and another sparring match between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:1-4). When Jesus and His disciples were alone again, Jesus warned them, " 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees' …" (Matthew 16:6).

The disciples puzzled over what He meant. Was He referring to the fact that on this particular day they'd forgotten to pack bread for lunch?

I can just see Jesus giving a bit of an eye roll and saying (in my words), "You've just seen me feed crowds of people. I can take care of you in the physical bread department. It's the leaven of bad doctrine I'm talking about" (Matthew 16:8-11).

What was the bad doctrine? Legalism and strict adherence to tradition by the Pharisees, and materialism and refusal to acknowledge the supernatural by the Sadducees (J. Lyle Story, Study notes on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1320).

Peter's answer to Jesus' question: "'Who do men say that I am?'" would have scandalized both parties.  When he said, "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" he acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah (Christ) that every Israelite was longing for, and as supernatural i.e. God (Son of the Living God).

I can just imagine Jesus' smile of congratulations. Yes, Peter, you got it!

Jesus then said two more important things to Peter:
1. God showed you this (Matthew 16:17).
2. Your realization comes with a responsibility and mission (Matthew 16:18,19).

Our relationship with Jesus starts in the same way as Peter's, by acknowledging Jesus for who He is—the fulfillment of the world's need of a Messiah and Savior from our sin. After we've found Him, there's no more need to go seeking after someone else to follow, to pattern our lives on, to do life with.

Like Peter, for us this "aha" moment is also engineered by God and communicated in ways as various as we are individuals.

After we've recognized Jesus and crowned Him king of our hearts and lives, we too have a responsibility. We're partners with Peter and every other believer across the ages in building Jesus' church and doing the "binding and loosing" work of His Kingdom.

What a heritage! What a responsibility!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to recognize and acknowledge Your presence in my everyday life. Help me to give my life to Kingdom work. Amen.

MORE: Confession of St. Peter

Today the church celebrates Peter's confession in the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter. The day's liturgy begins with this Collect:

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Headlights for life

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 119:105-120

TO CHEW ON: “Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

Yesterday we focused on preparing the way of the Lord and straightening those desert highways—doing heart roadwork. Today we explore another aspect of traveling life’s road.

All of us who have driven in darkness know how important good headlights are. Here God’s word is pictured as the headlights for making our way through life—both low and high beam:

“… verse 105 shows us how God’s Word lights the way, giving direction for each step (“to my feet”) and for long-range plans (“to my path”) - Jack Hayford, “God’s Word in Practical Fruitful Living,” New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 783.

Some Bible passages that focus on more ways God’s word is light for life’s path:

• It gives understanding (“enlightens the eyes”) - Psalm 19:8

“The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes” - MSG.

• The introduction of God’s word into a situation leads to clarity and  grasping meaning (seeing below the surface) even for the “simple” - Psalm 119:130.

“Break own you words, let the light shine out
let ordinary people see the meaning” - MSG.

• God’s laws, rules, and reproofs help us understand how life works and works best - Proverbs 6:23.

“For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path” - MSG.

• Finally, prophetic passages in the Bible are the light of hope for the future - 2 Peter 1:19.

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”

I can apply this to our lives no better than Hayford does in the concluding words of his article: 

 “Let God’s Word guide, correct, instruct, lead, teach, and confirm (and I would add, give hope)” - Ibid.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to not only read and study Your word but drive through life by its light. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.(www.Lockman.org)

Jesus exalted--what that means to us

Exalted Jesus - church in Montaicino, Italy (Image: pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ephesians 1:15-23

TO CHEW ON: "He [God] raised Him [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." Ephesians 1:20,21

In describing how highly Jesus was exalted, Paul didn't leave any area uncovered.

Jesus' exaltation:

• Seated Him at God's right hand in heaven.

• Placed Him not just above but "far above all principality and power and might and dominion."

My Bible's notes explain that the above four (principality, power, might, and dominion) "…are consistently used for ruling authorities in both the visible and invisible realms. See Ephesians 3:10. The NT reveals an invisible hierarchy of evil powers who deceive and manipulate human behavior thereby advancing satanic strategies" - Jack W. Hayford, study notes on Ephesians, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1646.

• Exalted Him far above every name that is named.

Name (onoma) means name or term by which a person is called and all that the name implies of rank, authority, reputation, and representative.

• His exalted state applies in every generation, and beyond this life i.e. it never changes ("… not only in this age but also in that which is to come" - Ephesians 1:21).

• He is the head of the church, currently His body on earth - Ephesians 1:22,23.

In context, this grand statement of Jesus' position is part of Paul's prayer for his readers. He prays that they will understand these truths and the power available to them as a result (Ephesians 1:18,19).

This is a prayer that needs to be answered in each new generation. We in the 21st century need to grasp and claim the extent and benefits of Christ's work and current exalted state for our generation as much as Paul's readers did for theirs.

Do we understand that there are no new governments or military powers, including the demonic entities behind them, that supersede Jesus' power? His power is far above that of ISIS, or any repressive regimes, or our own more benign democracies that have taken a satanically inspired direction in legalizing death (abortion and euthanasia), celebrating sexual deviance, encouraging drug use, etc.

What do we do in the meantime, while it looks like those principalities, powers, and dominions are winning? At least two things:

1. Put on God's armor so we can stand against the spiritual forces behind these developments - Ephesians 6:10-13.

2. By faith encourage ourselves and each other with the facts - Ephesians 1:21,22.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, though Paul's statement of Your exaltation may sometimes seem like wishful thinking, please answer the earlier part of Paul's prayer in me by giving the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and opening the eyes of my understanding about You. Amen.
 
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God draws back the veil

Veiled

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 4:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

My husband, though raised in a Christian home, accepted the Lord as an adult. He tells of a time before he made that decision when his dad sent him modern version after modern version of the Bible, hoping that maybe this one would be modern enough, clear enough, in language relatable enough for his son to read and understand.

It never happened that way. Hubby said he'd read a bit, it wouldn't make sense and another Bible would sit unread, gathering dust on a shelf. The book seemed irrelevant to his life until the day he made the decision to believe and commit his life to Jesus (the rest of the story here). After that, he couldn't get enough of the Bible. What made the difference?

Paul talks here and in the previous chapter about a veil being over hearts and minds. It's an image that hearkens back to the Jewish leader Moses in the wilderness. After he spent time with God, his face shone with God's glory so brightly that he covered it with a veil until the glory faded (Exodus 34:29-35).

That veil over minds and hearts, hiding God's complete revelation, is still there for those who don't see Christ in their reading of the Old Testament, Paul says, but it's taken away in Christ. That is, the Old Testament scriptures come alive when the fulfillment of their prophecies and types is seen in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:13-16).

Paul refers to this veiled understanding again in 2 Corinthians 4 (our reading) when he says that the gospel is "…veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded" - 2 Corinthians 4:3,4.

So we see that understanding is veiled not only of the Hebrew readers of the Old Testament but of all in the realm of "the god of this world." That would be all of us living in the realm of Satan who "...strongly influences this fallen, evil world that continues until the time Christ returns" - Reformation Study Bible.

So how does the light get in? More from the Reformation Study Bible notes: "… unbelievers cannot appreciate or fully understand the claims of the gospel unless God through the gospel enlightens them."

God has to do it—bring about that light of understanding. Just as He created physical light at creation, so He causes the understanding of spiritual light in our hearts:

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

This has implications for all of us praying for and talking to unsaved family members, friends, and neighbors. For we see that in the end, it's not more modern Bible translations, clearer explanations of the gospel, or winning arguments that will open minds and hearts but God in His grace pulling back that veil, shining the light of understanding into them.


PRAYER: Dear God, as I interact with and pray for unsaved people around me, help me to remember that You are the one who opens eyes. Please remove this veil from hearts and minds. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Of bruised reeds

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 42:1-9

TO CHEW ON: "A bruised reed He will not break

And smoking flax He will not quench." Isaiah 42:3

It is Sabbath. Jesus enters the synagogue in Galilee, and it is as if the Pharisees have been lying in wait for just this moment. Almost immediately they approach Jesus with a man in tow — a man with his right hand skinny as a bird claw and clenched against his chest.

Look at their eager eyes. They have the net, now to haul in the catch!

Their spokesman parks the man right in front of Jesus and asks, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

The challenge in his voice together with his station and authority are enough to cow anyone, and Jesus' companions hold their collective breaths. What will their Rabbi say to this?

He answers with His usual thoughtful wisdom and clever turning of the question back on them: "What man is there among you who has one sheep and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

And then, with a Creator's compassion for a bit of His broken creation, He heals the man's hand.

The Pharisees leave the crowd that has gathered, humiliated and incensed and plotting "how they might destroy Him."

Jesus quietly gets out of town. When the multitudes find Him, He "heals them all," but also warns them not to make Him known...

All of which proves, says Matthew, the teller of this story that Jesus is the one Isaiah spoke of when he said (and he quotes the first part of today's reading verbatim):

"Behold! My servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
....A bruised reed he will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench..." Matthew 12:18-21.

The story of Jesus healing the man with the withered hand seems the perfect illustration of "a bruised reed He will not break..."

How often we too are bruised reeds, damaged, hurt and paralyzed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Or we're smoking flax with just a spark of fire left in us.  How wonderful it is to know that Jesus understands and deals with us gently and justly ("He will bring forth justice for truth - Isaiah 42:3) and successfully ("He will not fail nor be discouraged" - Isaiah 42:4).

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for being the example of compassionate servanthood. I need such treatment from You, and pray for Your Spirit's reminder to me to be compassionate and gentle when dealing with the hurt and almost extinguished people around me. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Obedience and understanding

Jesus teaching - Alexandre Bida

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 7:16-31

TO CHEW ON: " ' If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority.' " John 7:17

Controversy and confusion swirl around Jesus here. Earlier in the chapter He has refused to go to the feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem at His brothers' suggestion (to attract followers), yet later He goes on His own but secretly.

In the middle of the feast week He begins to teach openly in the temple. When He suggests that some are plotting to kill Him, they say he's crazy ("You have a demon"). But what do others later murmur amongst themselves except, " ' Is this not He whom they seek to kill?' " - John 7:25.

He must be Christ the Messiah, proved by His wisdom, some say. But He can't be Christ, say others, for we know where He comes from. Will Christ do more miracles than this, though, still others, on the verge of belief, ask.

Jesus gives a clue to His listeners about how they can have assurance that He is indeed who He claims to be and that His teachings are reliable: " ' If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.' "

Notes on this verse in my Bible explain what He means by this:

"The teachings and claims of Jesus will be accepted by those who are intent on doing God's will" - Siegfried Schatzmann, notes on John, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1456.

and

"Obeying Jesus is evidence that we love Him and are His disciples. Our obedience is vital to holy living. The Holy Spirit teaches us and gives us understanding of the Scriptures enabling us to obey the Lord.

Determine to obey the Lord. Align your will with His will" - Leslyn Musch, Truth-In-Action Through John, NSFLB p. 1483.

Jesus is saying obedience is the key to assurance and spiritual knowledge. I like how Oswald Chambers puts it:

"The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience" - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, July 27 reading (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to live and experience the connection between obedience and spiritual understanding. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Praise with understanding

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 47:1-9

TO CHEW ON: "Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding." - Psalm 47:6,7

The sentence "Sing praises with understanding" snags my attention. What other ways could we sing praises?

• Perhaps with emotion, caught up in the celebratory atmosphere of those around us?

• Perhaps in the soulful enjoyment of the music itself?

• Perhaps in a rote way, participating in the liturgical service to which we've become so accustomed we don't give much thought to the words we're singing?

[Understanding - sachal means to be wise, behave wisely, to understand, to be instructed, wisely consider; to be prudent and intelligent. Sachal describes the complex, intelligent thinking process that occurs when one observes, ponders, reasons, learns and reaches a conclusion" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 963 - emphasis added.]

Translated into the realm of praising God in song (and using the old hymns as examples), to praise with understanding may mean:

1. We observe and pay attention to the words we sing. Though we've sung it hundreds of times, we attend to the words "Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father … morning by morning new mercies I see,"* thinking about the lyrics and what they say about God and how He relates to our lives.

2. We ponder the aspects of God we don't understand: "Immortal, invisible, God only wise. In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes..."**

3. We reason these things through. We ask, how might God's faithfulness, immortality, and hiddeness play out in my life?

4. We learn how to live in new praise-filled ways: "Take my hands … feet … voice … lips … silver and gold … Take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose." ***

5. We conclude as we sing along, saying 'yes' to God with our mindful participation, in some cases singing the words with more faith than sight: "Take my will and make it Thine—It shall be no longer mine; Take my heart—it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne."***

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to praise You with understanding. Alert me to times when my mind wanders. My my praise in song give You glory, honour, and pleasure. Amen.

MORE: Frances Ridley Havergal

The powerful hymn "Take My Life and Let It Be" was written by Frances Ridley Havergal in 1874. In his book about the world's great hymns, Robert Morgan tells this story about the writing of this hymn.

"Although hymnist Frances Havergal, 36, had served the Lord for years, she felt something was missing in her Christian experience. Then one day in 1873, she received a little book called "All for Jesus" which stressed the importance of making Christ the King of every corner and cubicle of one's life. Soon thereafter she made a fresh and complete consecration of herself to Christ.

Years later when asked about it, she replied, 'Yes, it was on Advent Sunday, December 2, 1873, I first saw clearly the blessedness of true consecration. I saw it as a flash of electric light, and what you see you can never un-see. There must be full surrender before then can be full blessedness" - Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, p. 191.

* quoted from  "Great is They Faithfulness"  by Thomas Obediah Chisholm (1923).
Hear it sung by Chris Rice.

 ** quoted from  "Immortal Invisible" by Walter Chalmers Smith (1876).
It is sung here by an unnamed choir.

*** quoted from "Take my Life and Let it Be" by Frances Ridley Havergal (1874).
Listen to it sung by Brian Doerksen.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Spiritual dullness

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 12:12-33

TO CHEW ON: "His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him." John 12:16

What 'things' is John talking about?

They are the events that played out, with Jesus riding on a donkey into Jerusalem in fulfillment of the prophecy:
"Fear not, daughter of Zion:
Behold your king is coming.
Sitting on a donkey's colt"  - John 12:15 (alluding to Isaiah 40:9 and Zechariah 9:9).

At the time this happened, the event all by itself didn't have the big-picture significance to John that it did after Jesus was glorified. John had obviously mulled over what this all meant between its occurrence and writing it down. He had grasped how Jesus riding into Jerusalem, along with many other things, made Him the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies.

This is not the first time the disciples were dull. Repeatedly throughout the gospels we see Jesus chiding them for their lack of understanding (Matthew 15:16, 16:11; Luke 24:25; John 14:9).

What causes lack of spiritual comprehension? Could we be similarly dull? Many causes are implied in Bible verses that speak of not understanding spiritual truth:

1. An unwillingness to admit the obvious is implied about the misplaced faith of the person worshiping an idol carved out of the same block of wood used to fuel a cooking fire - Isaiah 44:19.
2. A lack of obedience and resistance to correction - Jeremiah 7:28.
3. Rebelliousness - Ezekiel 12:2.
4. Lack of spiritual discernment - Luke 12:56.
5. Lack of spiritual sensitivity - John 8:43; Hebrews 5:11.
6. Adopting the shallow worldview of those around us - Romans 3:11.
7. Unfamiliarity with the Scripture - Matthew 22:29; John 5:39.
8. Fatigue - Matthew 26:40-45.

Before we're too hard on the disciples for not understanding what seems obvious to us now, we should put ourselves in their shoes. I'm not sure I would have grasped any more than they did.

Of course we should strive for spiritual understanding now. Something that was key to the disciples' eventual comprehension of Jesus and His significance was their familiarity with the Old Testament scriptures. We have both the Old and New Testaments to help us understand our times and God working out His plan through history. Let's take advantage of these treasure stores to become spiritually sharp.

PRAYER: Dear God, please sharpen my spiritual awareness as I read the Bible and match up what it says with what I see happening around me. Amen.

MORE: The Sons of Issachar model:

An obscure verse in 2 Chronicles talks about the Sons of Issachar and describes them as having "… understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do" (2 Chronicles 12:32). We can make that our prayer too—that we will understand our times and know what to do in them.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

The Bible? - I don't get it!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 8:1-12

TO CHEW ON: “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense and helped them to understand the reading.” Nehemiah 8:8

Have you ever heard people say they don't understand the Bible? They read it and can understand the words but it doesn’t make sense?

In our reading today, Nehemiah had completed the task of seeing to the people’s physical safety by rebuilding the Jerusalem wall. Now he called an assembly to address another problem – the people’s ignorance of God’s law. He knew that unless they experienced a heart change, they would soon find themselves right back where they had come from.

The problem was the people’s hearts were hard and their spiritual senses dull. They needed help to understand what was read. Nehemiah used a baker’s dozen of men (with impossible-to-pronounce names – vs. 7) and the Levites to help with this. They interspersed the reading with explanation. And what a difference! Now the hearers understood and responded, even with emotion and tears.

What do we do to help us understand the Bible? There are many aids at our fingertips: dictionaries, concordances, commentaries, books, messages at church and on TV, podcasts and blog posts online. But beyond all these, we need divine help. God the Holy Spirit is the One who helps us understand what we read and how to apply it to our lives.

Next time you’re confused about what the Bible means, use the helps listed above, but also ask for God’s help to give you understanding at the deepest level.

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, please help me understand the Bible and how to put it into action in my life.

MORE: understand = bin (bean). It means to understand, discern, perceive, grasp, consider, regard, be perceptive, have insight.

Check out these places this word is used in the Bible to ‘bin’ its facets of meaning (links are to the Amplified Bible):

• 1 Samuel 3:8: Eli perceives that God is talking to Samuel.

• Psalm 92:5-7: A person who denies God’s doesn’t ‘get’ His greatness.

• Proverbs 24:11-12: God’s knowledge of us will lead to complete fairness at judgment.

• Isaiah 40:21: The knowledge that we are creatures God has created is instinctive.

• Jeremiah 30:24: God will accomplish what He knows or intends to do.

• Daniel 10:12: An angel reassures Daniel that from the moment he “set his heart to understand” help was on its way.