Good morning and happy Saturday. I hope that you had a good week and that you are keeping up on your daily reading. If so, you might feel a sense of relief that you have finished Leviticus. I do want to encourage you to continue to pray for Jacques and the kids at the orphanage in Haiti. The church was able to send them some money last week so that they can temporarily relocate to a safer area. As soon as Jacques can work out the logistics, they will move. Pray for protection as they make the move so that they don’t encounter the gangs in the area. On Sunday at 9 am, during our prayer service we will be spending some time praying specifically for them. Please join us if you can.
The other day I shared a passage on prayer with the staff. It is from 1 Samuel 3. It is there that little Samuel first encounters the Lord. You may remember that his mom Hannah had prayed and prayed for a son. One time, she wept and cried out to the Lord in such a way that Eli, the priest, accused her of being drunk. The Lord answered her prayer, and she had a son which she named Samuel. After he was weened, she took him the temple to live since she had dedicated him to the Lord. We pick up the story in verse 1 of chapter 3:
1The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli’s presence. In those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.
2 One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his room. 3 Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the tabernacle of the Lord, where the ark of God was located.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!” Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel responded, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
11 The Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that everyone who hears about it will shudder.
The Word of the Lord was rare in those days because the people were living in rebellion against God. They were not living according to His Word. Many of those that did, were often just going through the motions, living it out as an obligation or a cultural practice. Even Eli and his family were making a mockery of the ways of God. In this passage, the Lord calls out to Samuel three times. He doesn’t recognize the voice of the Lord since he had never personally experienced the Lord. However, Eli the priest didn’t even recognize that it was the Lord calling Samuel the first two times. Finally, once they understand what it is going on, Samuel goes and waits for the Lord to call out. He then responds by saying, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” It is then that the Lord tells him the frightening news about what is going to happen to Eli and his family as a result of their sins. At the end of the chapter, we read about how Samuel is recognized as a prophet and that the Lord continued to appear to him, and the Lord was with him.
Sometimes, in our lives, the Word of the Lord can seem rare. It is often due to us spending less time in the Word, less time in prayer, seeking to hear from God. Sometimes we get too busy, and the Lord is not really our priority, regardless of what we might say. There are times when sin and/or living a nominal Christian life keep us from a close relationship with the Lord. And even if the Lord did try to speak to us, would we recognize His voice? Maybe during a message, a song, during prayer, or whenever, we get convicted by His Word or motivated to do better. How often do we pursue that versus letting it pass? One part of the passage that I especially like is when Samuel says, “Speak for your servant is listening.” I don’t know about your prayer life, but I am not always good at the listening part. Through the years, I know I have done most of the talking, rarely pausing to see if the Lord wanted to speak. It is in those times when I have sought to be intentional in listening that I have experienced a more meaningful prayer time. Sometimes, without a doubt, sensing that God was revealing His Word to me. That is something worth pursuing! I included verse 11 as a simple reminder; sometimes when God speaks, He may be revealing something that you don’t want to hear. That is when we must resolve to accept His Word, follow His leading, whatever that may look like. As for Samuel, 19 Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and He fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied. 20 All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word. 1 And Samuel’s words came to all Israel.
May God bless and guide you throughout this week.
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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