I have one hummingbird feeder with five feeding ports. I have four hummingbirds. Now if my math is correct, there is one more feeding opportunity than adversary, yet they fight as if there is no tomorrow, and no God of today and tomorrow—the God of Matthew 5:26
26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not ye of much more value than they? Mat. 5:26
You are more valued—favored, if you will—by God. You don’t have to fight for favor. The qualification for God’s favor is faithfulness according to 1 Samuel 2:35:
35But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always.
God favors the faithful—His priests (and we are all his priests according to 1 Peter 2:5)—who favor Him, who wants what God wants; who wants His heart. Little Samuel did since his miraculous birth. Here is the backstory: Hannah was barren. She vowed to God that if God gave her a son, she’d give him back to Him as a priest. God remembered Hannah’s vow and gave her Samuel. And she made good her promise. She gave him back to God once he was weened. She brought him to the priest Eli to mentor. The problem was Eli had two servant-sons—Hophni and Phinehas—whom he did not mentor well. They were not raised to be faithful. They did not favor what was in God’s heart. Look at their unfaithfulness:
Greed is unfaithfulness to God. These two priestly servant-sons took the meat offerings dedicated to God and kept it for themselves. Selfishness does not represent what’s in God’s heart. (1Sam. 2:14)
Violence is unfaithfulness to God. These two priestly servant-sons threatened worshippers who did not give the best cut of the offerings —the fat—to them first. (1Sam. 2:16). Abuse does not represent what’s in God’s heart.
Sexual promiscuity is unfaithfulness to God. These priestly sons had sex with prostitutes in front of the tent of meeting, defiling the house of God (1Sam. 2:22). Uncleanness does not represent what is in God’s heart.
All the while, little Samuel was growing in stature and favor with God (v.26). He was more faithful than Eli’s pitiful sons. So, God meted out judgment on negligent Eli and his household of priests. None of Eli’s boys will sit as servants in the tent of meetings. They will both die on the same day (v. 33,34).
But Samuel will be promoted and ordained as God’s priest (1Sam. 3:19,20). Everybody would know that Samuel hears God and was called to be the Lord’s faithful servant. He did not have to fight for the favor of God. His faithfulness was enough.
Hummingbirds may fight when they don’t have to, to experience the grace of God’s provision, but you don’t. Just be faithful. Want what’s in God’s heart: selflessness, peace and fidelity. You will find favor.
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