1 Samuel 3
When God called Samuel, three times he responded by going to Eli. Samuel was familiar with what he could see and hold. God was both real and superficial to him. He had all his life served God at the temple. He knew and believed in Him, was used to serving Him. To Samuel, God was both far and near.
It was therefore not surprising that Samuel run to Eli when God called out to Him. How many times do we run to men when God is calling and beckoning to us to come to Him? There are times that He wants us to linger in His presence, and yet we rather tarry with men. He seeks to direct us, but we go to men, sadly some who give us advice contrary to His will at that particular time, and in that specific circumstance.
Eli knew nothing of what God told Samuel, until he relayed it to him.. Sometimes we wrongly regard certain people as being God's mouthpiece when in actual fact, they are speaking contrary to God's will, or have no inkling of what God is saying at that material moment. The old prophet misled the man of God in 1 Kings 13. The man of God was certain of what God had told him to do, but because of his high regard for the Old Prophet, he believed his so called message from God for him.
This misjudgement and misconception of the man of God, cost him his very life. Under no circumstance should you believe any message contrary to God's Word. You can be robbed of godliness and life, and all that pertains to it. We must never let the man-factor overshadow the God-factor in our lives. God first, then man and ourselves second!
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