1 Samuel 3 – The Voice of God

Ever heard the voice of God? Samuel did. Well, he thought at first he was hearing Eli call him, but it turned out to be the voice of God:

4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 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.

6 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.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

8 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. 9 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.

How amazing would it be to actually hear God’s voice audibly – to where you get out of bed and go to someone else in the house who you thought was calling you?! This is a good reminder for me to listen for His voice. Although I can’t say I’ve ever actually heard his voice audibly, I do know when He has actually spoken to me in my heart. I wonder how many times I’ve “thought” things and dismissed them when it was actually God speaking to me. Plenty, I’m sure.

The other reminder in this chapter is to be honest with each other. Eli asked that Samuel to tell him exactly what God said, even though it was not pleasant to hear. But that’s a story for another day…

Have a great day.
e

1 Samuel 2 – The Prayer of Hannah

Hannah’s prayer was a timely inspiration this morning.

¹ Then Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

² “There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

³ “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

⁴ “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶ “The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.

⁷ The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

⁸ He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
“For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s;
upon them he has set the world.

⁹ He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.
“It is not by strength that one prevails;

¹⁰ those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
He will thunder against them from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

I have been reading and listening to Brennan Manning, who is a very humble God-follower. Brennan’s life is a rare example of humility and deep understanding of the love of God for us. I am amazed at his humility.

Hannah’s prayer is a great example of humility before the Lord. It spoke to me of my increasing arrogance and course nature and reminded me that I need to get on my face before God and honor Him at all times and love those He puts in my life.

The rest of the chapter is a somber reminder of what can happen when we’re disobedient (not humble). The actions of Eli’s sons affected not only them, but their father, and their entire family line from then on.

I will meditate on this today.

e

1 Samuel 1 – Answered Prayers

After an extended hiatus, I’m jumping back into dBrag (daily Bible reading accountability group) with a few of my close friends. It’s amazing how easy it is for me to get out of the habit of reading God’s word every day. That tells a lot about myself, huh? The only way I can stay consistent in God’s word is if I know others are counting on me to do it. Oh well, the hope is that doing this long enough it becomes a part of my daily routine.

Don’t get me wrong! I LOVE reading God’s word. When I actually sit down and do it, I find it very rewarding and enjoyable. But it seems like the sitting down to do it is the hard part.

Anyway, we decided to jump back in with Hebrews, 1 John through 3 John, then Jude. Much of which I’ve already written about. Then we decided to take a trip through 1 Samuel (one of my favorite OT books).

Follow along if you dare…

1 Samuel 1 –

I found it interesting how God’s word tells more about some people’s birth than others.

We are told of the events leading up to the birth of only a few men in the Bible, Samuel being one. Not exactly sure why in this case. Perhaps because we need an example of answered prayer. Hannah prayed and asked to have a son, even though she was barren. God answered her prayers. Perhaps her spoken request to Eli, the priest, had something to do with it?

The encouragement for me today is to not be afraid to ask God in prayer.

Have a great day,
e