Welcome! For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been sharing
posts which were written for a series on The Story, and first posted on the Gloria Dei blog.
Today is the fifth of the six posts, written about young
Samuel and the first time the Lord called him. Samuel had unquestioning faith
that God was indeed calling him.
Do we have that kind of faith to know when God is trying to
get our attention?
To read the first
four posts:
The Faith of a Child
(First posted at Gloria Dei on November 20, 2012)
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. 1 Samuel 3:8b-9
Did you catch that?
Samuel went back to bed. He didn’t question Eli on why God
would be talking to him—a child. Perhaps that is why I’ve always liked the
story of young Samuel. It’s not long, but as I read it, I see his innocence,
his obedience, and his unquestioning acceptance that God may indeed be trying
to get his attention.
Three times God calls Samuel and each time Samuel runs to
Eli, thinking it was Eli who called him. After the third time, Eli catches on
to what is happening—God is calling out to the boy.
At that time, God wasn’t often speaking through visions or
in messages through prophets and priests. So, while Samuel was assisting Eli and
serving the Lord, he had not actually heard from
the Lord. I wonder if Eli, as Israel’s chief priest, had ever heard directly
from God.
But Samuel had found favor with the Lord, and it is Samuel
God chooses to speak to. So, although Samuel didn’t yet know the sound of God’s
voice, God begins to get Samuel’s attention.
And Samuel never questioned that it was really God speaking
to Him.
Is God trying to get your attention?
Maybe He’s led you to a specific Bible verse or maybe your
conscience is nagging at you.
God will sometimes lead me to the same message in different
ways…through Scripture, through something a friend says, through a devotion’s
perfect timing in my e-mail inbox. And when they all happen in a short period
of time, I know God is trying to get my attention and I’d better get focused.
Are you open to hearing from Him?
As a society, we often attribute things to coincidence, but
Jesus said…
“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15 NIV
What if we opened our hearts to have the
faith of a child…innocent and unassuming, believing that God does look to get
our attention?
How He does that may be different for you
than for me. But until we get to know Him through His Word and by spending time
with Him, how will we know when He’s speaking to us?
Dear Laura
ReplyDeleteThe world in all its darkness has robbed so many of that wonderful characteristic; childlikeness. It is as if people have forgotten what it is to have a father that really cares. May we be just like little children when we go to our Pappa God.
Blessings
Mia
This is so beautifully expressed. God is upholding me right now. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this over at WholeHearted Home this past week. Hope to see you tomorrow.