Samuels Arise!

Read 1 Samuel 3 before reading this devotional!

Welcome to the second month of the Year of Disruption. The Lord told us that this is the year where business as usual will come to an abrupt end by divine interruption. Our lives, our ministry, and even our world systems will not be the same (Isa. 43:19).

For the month of February, we are going to hone in on the focus of Apocalyptic Exposure: No More Hiding. Before I share what the Lord has put in my spirit for this week, we have to break down this topic.

The word apocalyptic comes from the Greek word apokálypsis, which translates to “revelation” (Rev. 1:1). I found something very interesting in my study. Contrary to popular belief, the word apocalypse was not originally about disaster, destruction, or calamity. It gained that connotation over time due to interpretations of the book of Revelation as a narrative of dreadful destruction. At its core, however, the word means to uncover, reveal, or make known (Strong’s G602; BDAG). When one receives biblical revelation, they are made aware of a divine truth. When an apocalypse occurs, it is not primarily about disaster but about exposure. Something that was hidden is now seen clearly (Luke 8:17).

I decree and declare that in the month of February, in the name of Jesus, we will see more clearly in the realm of the spirit (Eph. 1:17–18).

The world benefits when you are blind. Look at what the Bible says:

2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Notice how blindness is synonymous with darkness (John 1:5). Try walking through a new place with all of the lights off. It would be impossible to truly progress because you would not be able to see (Ps. 119:105). This is why a believer without revelation becomes stagnant (Hos. 4:6). Experiencing uncharted dimensions in the realm of the Spirit requires light in order to see where you have never been (2 Cor. 4:6). Revelation is the vehicle for spiritual growth and development (Eph. 3:16–19).

We will talk about this more in our monthly briefing (our young adult Bible study that you can register for here), but I want to leave you with one more important piece of foundational content for this month.

Jesus is not just a provider of revelation; He is the revelation (John 1:18). Revelation is not merely what He gives; it is who He is (Col. 2:2–3). The Bible says He is the great light (John 8:12). Scripture also declares that He is the Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14), and the Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105). Christ uncovered things to the point where He said:

John‬ ‭15‬:‭22‬ ‭KJV

“If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.”

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When we receive more of Christ, we can no longer cover things up. As the Light, He exposes what is hidden in our lives and is ultimately the revelation that brings spiritual growth, development, and progression (John 3:19–21; Eph. 5:13). He divinely disrupts our secrets through revelatory, or apocalyptic, exposure so that we do not remain stuck in hidden sin and secret lies (Luke 12:2; 1 Cor. 4:5).

In 1 Samuel 3, we see the power of revelation on display. When Scripture says that Eli’s eyes were dim and that the lamp of God had nearly gone out in the temple, it reveals a lack of spiritual vision and a deficiency of revelation, while the house of God remained entangled in the sin of Eli’s sons (1 Sam. 3:1–3; 1 Sam. 2:12–17). We are living in a season where some of our predecessors are walking like Eli, leading from a place of blindness, void of fresh light and new revelation (Matt. 15:14). As a result, the body becomes stagnant because leadership operates from what was once learned rather than from what God is saying now (Isa. 43:18–19; Rev. 2:7).

This month, you have the opportunity to be Samuel. We are another generation, not called to discard our predecessors, but to partner with them for the future (Joel 2:28). Notice that although Samuel was seeing what Eli could not, Eli’s ability to assist Samuel had not expired. This does not mean we disregard those who came before us (Prov. 20:29). There is still much to learn from them in order to see what we must see. Even in Eli’s blindness, he helped Samuel see that God was speaking to him (1 Sam. 3:8–9). The mystery of God using people to bless us is this: someone does not have to be fully walking in something in order to help you become it (Num. 22:28–30). The Holy Spirit can use anyone, so this should shape how we view and honor others (1 Cor. 12:6).

Although Samuel was young and merely a servant, God revealed to him everything that was happening in the temple that displeased Him (1 Sam. 3:11–14). I decree and declare that this month there will be no more hiding. We will see what God is doing and what He is displeased with (Amos 3:7). The Samuels are arising—those with revelation who will lead the church into the future (1 Sam. 3:19–21).

Samuel represents a disruptor because he entered a divine conversation beyond his position and ultimately ushered in a new system (1 Sam. 3:10). Through Samuel, we see the transition from the priest-and-judge leadership model to the prophet-and-king leadership model (1 Sam. 7:15; 1 Sam. 8:4–7; 1 Sam. 10:1).

In the name of Jesus, may you receive revelation this month that exposes and disrupts what has been, reveals what is to come, and ultimately shifts the direction of your life, our ministry, and our world (Dan. 2:21–22; Eph. 1:17–18).

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