Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
Again the Lord called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." And the Lord said to Samuel…
1 Samuel 3:1-11a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Unlike Eli’s wicked sons, Samuel grew up as a servant of the Lord and ministered to Him under Eli’s guidance. Scripture tells us that “in those days the word of the Lord was rare” and “there were not many visions”. This provides us the proper background to our scripture and helps us understand how “Samuel did not yet know the Lord” because “the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him”. That all was about to change.
For we read where one night as Eli and Samuel were settling down at the end of the day, lying in the temple under the glow of the lamp of God, the Lord entered the scene and called to Samuel. And Samuel, thinking it was Eli calling goes to him and says, “Here I am; you called me." Surprised because he hadn’t called Samuel, Eli replies, “I did not call; go back and lie down." And so Samuel did to only have the same thing happen…not just once but twice. And both times, he went back to Eli, certain that it must have been his voice calling because there was no one else in the temple but them. After the third visit by Samuel, Eli figured out what was happening and instructed Samuel to "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.' "
And so Samuel did exactly what Eli had said and when the Lord called Samuel for the fourth time, Samuel told Him to speak because he, the Lord’s servant, was listening. And with this, the Lord began speaking directly to Samuel.
This is a powerful message for us today because the Lord continues to speak to His people each and every day. Some will recognize Him and be able to communicate with Him, sharing His will and word with others in accordance with His will…the very will that the Lord communicates to all those who are in tune with Him and listen. Sadly, there are so many who don’t know the Lord or His word, will or way. They don’t know Him because they choose not to know Him. And so when He calls to them, they, like Samuel in our scripture, don’t even realize it is the Lord calling them.
Thank goodness Samuel had Eli to help him understand what was happening in his life and open the doors of communication with the Lord that Samuel served. This is why it is critical for all of the Lord’s servants to carry out the words of the Great Commission and actively seek to make disciples of all nations. For when we are actively seeking to make disciples, we are actively seeking to connect people to the Lord through His word and the power of the Holy Spirit. And we need only help them get connected because after that, the Lord takes over and He does the instructing and teaching and convicting and guiding.
So where are you today? Are you like Samuel, hearing the Lord’s call but unable to recognize that it is Him calling you? Or are you like Eli, discerning and able to interpret that the Lord is speaking when He does…helping connect Him with those who have difficulty perceiving Him?
Whether we are like Samuel or Eli, one thing is certain…the Lord is calling us and we should always be listening for His voice in our lives. Thanks be to the Lord for loving us so much and wanting to have a personal relationship with us…now and forever. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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