Tag: knowledge of God

Tune My Ears, God! I Will Choose to Listen and Believe the Voice of Truth. John 10:1-5

John 10:1-5 Amplified Bible

Parable of the Good Shepherd

10 “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from some other place [on the stone wall], that one is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep [the protector and provider]. 3 The [a]doorkeeper opens [the gate] for this man, and the sheep hear his voice and pay attention to it. And [knowing that they listen] he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out [to pasture]. 4 When he has brought all his own sheep outside, he walks on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice and recognize his call. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Whose Voice Are We Following?

Internet, iPad, iPod—the “I”s certainly have it today!

At home and at work we call on Siri, we talk into our phones, we sit or stand or lie down in our living rooms or dining rooms, of kitchens or even bathrooms.

We will talk into our television remotes and search for a particular favorite channel or programming station, for whatever it is they call entertainment.

We call out to some voice identified only as Siri and ask her or tell her to call up some random search parameter – a recipe, or a song or list of vacation spots or whatever happens to land into our wandering randomized thought processes.

And in an instant a disconnected computer voice from our phones or Alexa chimes in with “okay, this is what I found…!” and we are on our way to read whatever information was “found” in less time it took to type this sentence.

At the beach, in the department store, on the college campus, everywhere people have “earbuds” wireless listening devices planted deep in their ears.

While both technology and music are gifts of God, I hope we also take time to listen to the springtime chatter of robins or to the hoot cry of a Barn Owl.

What we hear and what and who we listen to makes a difference in our lives.

What information we hear, and who we hear it from, will end up profoundly influencing our thought processes and will inevitably guide our actions, into how we respond to a particular life altering, life transforming circumstance.

How we make decisions, how we judge what is morally and ethically right and wrong, how we interpret whether what we see and hear is truth or a deception.

People will tell us anything to sell their products and increase their profits and their bank accounts, to sell us a bill of goods which ultimately has little value.

Do you read or listen to, or hear the lyrics of the songs your children listen to?

Do you take any quality time with your children to discuss their song choices?

Together, do you come to a place where you can share your thoughts with them, they can share their thoughts with you – come unto an “acceptable boundary?”

Do you know what they are hearing and how it impacts what both of you have both come to be known as “morally and ethically right versus wrong” truth?

Jesus is the good shepherd.

Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6)

He laid down his life for us on the Good Friday cross.

If we are to follow Jesus and avoid impostors, we must recognize his voice clearly and quickly in every situation we encounter.

To do that, we ought to be considering counseling others away from technology and spending more time studying, hearing, listening, to his Word in the Bible.

Spending quality devotional time with the children (whatever their ages are).

Talking about current events, their impacts on what is understood to be true.

There are words spoken through whatever social media medium which are worded with the intent of moving their version of truth into our forefronts.

“Words of someone else’s truth” specifically spoken, specifically manipulated, of what someone else desperately wants us to unequivocally believe as gospel.

Differentiating between the voice of someone else’s truth and God’s truth?

What possible difference could it make, what possible influence could it have to one life knowing what the difference is between the world’s truth and God’s?

Love Letter to my Ears, “Whose Truth Guides Us?”

John 10:1-5 The Message

He Calls His Sheep by Name

10 1-5 “Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.”

When I became a new Christian, hearing and knowing God’s voice and differentiating from the world were the things I struggled the most with.

How could I know whether I was hearing from God when I didn’t know His voice?

How could I be sure the Lord was speaking to me while reading Scripture, listening to a sermon, or going to Sunday school or a Bible study lesson?

I was so afraid of missing God’s instructions, warning, and encouragement that I often found myself paralyzed by raging questions of faith, my truth and doubt.

Sorting through what I had “known and believed” was truth and what the Word of God, the often complicated “Parable” teachings of Jesus and Paul was tough.

Unraveling and un-weaving of the mess I made of my own interpretation of the word truth along the long, winding and hardened concourse of my life – was a complex time of hardcore self introspection, challenging my life against God’s.

As I began studying the Bible, I learned how God’s voice matched the Scriptures.

Thus, if I wanted to know what God had to say on a particular topic, I had to devote considerable time to studying, to know what the Bible said on that topic.

If I heard a voice and was unsure whether or not that voice was the Lord’s, the Bible through Holy Spirit, would work with me to confirm whether it was Him.

I have learned the hard and soft way God’s voice will never contradict the Bible.

If the voice you’re hearing is encouraging you to take Scripture out of context to make it fit your situation, the voice is not of God and the truth is not of God too.

We can grow, we can mature to learn and discern God’s voice by studying the Holy Scriptures, praying, and asking and pleading with our Savior to teach us.

God invites us (not forces us) to ask and answer the question on all our minds:

In this time when our available resources are stretched nigh to invisibility;

Isaiah 55:1-5 The Message

Buy Without Money

55 1-5 “Hey there! All who are thirsty,
    come to the water!
Are you penniless?
    Come anyway—buy and eat!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.
    Buy without money—everything’s free!
Why do you spend your money on junk food,
    your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
    fill yourself with only the finest.
Pay attention, come close now,
    listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.
I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you,
    the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.
I set him up as a witness to the nations,
    made him a prince and leader of the nations,
And now I’m doing it to you:
    You’ll summon nations you’ve never heard of,
and nations who’ve never heard of you
    will come running to you
Because of me, your God,
    because The Holy of Israel has honored you.”

Jesus, the good shepherd, says, “Listen, listen to me … that you may live.”

Those who have ears, let them truthfully hear and let them truthfully live!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Precious Holy Spirit, I come to you today asking for guidance. I feel lost and overwhelmed, and I need your help in finding my way. Please open my eyes and heart to the direction you want me to take. Help me to make wise decisions that will lead me closer to your path for my life. Give me the strength and courage to persevere when times are difficult. Lead me with your truth and love, so that I may live a life that brings glory to your name. Thank you for your guidance and protection. Amen.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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Studying, Meditating, Pondering Upon Ways We Can Hear from God Regularly. Habakkuk 2:1-4

Habakkuk 2:1-4 Amplified Bible

God Answers the Prophet

2 I will stand at my guard post
And station myself on the tower;
And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me,
And what answer I will give [as His spokesman] when I am reproved.
2 
Then the Lord answered me and said,
“Write the vision
And engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets
So that the one who reads it will run.
3 
“For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time
It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail.
Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it,
Because it will certainly come; it will not delay.

4 
“Look at the proud one,
His soul is not right within him,
But the righteous will live by his faith [in the true God].

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

God is constantly speaking to people.

But too often, they miss out on hearing God’s messages because they seek His guidance only occasionally – usually when they are going through a crisis or they are about to be facing a major life decision – family, health, finance, career.

Then, with a dire need to hear from God, people will become confused and then become sad, and frustrated when they do not clearly hear what they should do.

They start to wonder when and how to hear from God and why they are not.

It does not have to be that way.

God wants everyone to hear His messages clearly, and it’s possible to do so.

The key is to forget about formulas and gimmicks for hearing from God, and to focus instead on developing the kind of relationship with God will empower you and me to hear God speaking regularly.

The closer you get to God, the more you can enjoy ongoing conversations with Him, both listening and hearing from Him, and the more God will use those conversations to transform you into the person He wants me, you to become.

Simple Keys to Hearing God’s Voice

There are a few simple keys that can be found in Habakkuk 2:1-2, which unlocks the treasure of hearing God’s voice.

Using these simple keys together allows the hearer of God’s voice on a daily basis.

Being intentional about hearing God’s voice is a critical step.

In Habakkuk 2:2, Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to him.

Elijah also described this as a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12-13).

Do you know that we can listen to God in an inner audible voice?

God does speak that way to us at times.

However, we find that God’s voice usually comes as spontaneous thoughts or flowing thoughts.

Have you ever experienced driving down the road, and had a thought come to you to pray for a certain person or situation?

Don’t you think it’s God’s voice telling you to pray?

It’s not really an audible voice most of the time.

Instead, it’s a spontaneous thought.

It’s God who is already giving us a prophetic discernment to pray for this person.

Usually, humans are able and capable to experience, Holy Spirit-level communication as spontaneous thoughts, impressions, and visions, and Scripture communicates in many ways.

For example, one definition of ‘paga’, a Hebrew word for intercession, is “a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.”

When God gives us a burden for specific people, He does it through ‘paga’, a chance-encounter thought “accidentally” coming into our minds.

The inexperienced prophet might consider it a chance encounter, spontaneous or owing thoughts.

Even Satan can plant deception in our minds through spontaneous thoughts.

Paul tells us to take captive of those thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Have you encountered evil thoughts coming to you in the middle of prayer and worship times?

There are different things going on in our minds.

Humans are usually responsible for analytical thoughts.

Spontaneous good thoughts come from the Holy Spirit, and spontaneous evil thoughts come from evil spirits.

God’s thoughts line up with Scripture and His different names and roles: Comforter, Counselor, Teacher, Giver of Life, Healer, and Deliverer.

God’s thoughts edify, exhort, and comfort you.

They are pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, good fruits, and are unwavering (James 3:17).

On the other hand, Satan’s thoughts line up with his different names as well: Accuser, adversary, thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan’s thoughts condemn, bring despair, rejection, fear, doubt, unbelief, and misery all together. Satan’s thoughts also bring jealousy and selfish ambition (James. 3:14-15).

Studying, Pondering, Meditating, Ways to Regularly Hear from God

1. Recognize that God created you for a very personal relationship.

By design, the way we hear best from God is in the context of a friendship with Him.

God intends for us to figure out His will freely and intelligently as you engage in regular conversations with Him.

God’s will is to be personally present with you and speaking with you moment by moment as you go through life.

Then we’ll grow to understand Him more and become more like His Son, Jesus.

2. Consider your motives for wanting to hear from God.

Honestly reflect on why you want to hear from God.

Is it because we are truly open to whatever God has to say and committed to putting His guidance into action and fulfilling His purposes, even when doing so is so fully, completely and utterly enveloping, overwhelming, challenging?

Or is it for a selfish reason, such as wanting to feel righteous or comforted?

Confess and repent of any wrong motives.

Ask God to give you an openness to hear and respond faithfully to what He wants to tell you.

3. Make your goal more than just hearing God.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33

While it’s important to hear from God, that shouldn’t be your ultimate goal.

Instead, make your main goal to become a spiritually mature person in a close relationship with God.

That’s the only way we’ll clearly and correctly hear what God has to say to us.

4. Know that you’re important to God, but be humble.

Have the confidence that God is willing to speak to you just as powerfully as He did to the ancient people in the Bible, because He values you, me, just as much.

However, do not let pride creep into your soul, because you must be humble in order to faithfully receive and respond to the messages God has for you and me.

5. Don’t try to force God to tell you something.

No matter how much you want to hear from God about something or how hard you may try to convince Him to speak to you.

We will only hear from God when He chooses to communicate with us.

Focus on developing a respectful relationship with God and wait for His timing to deliver messages to you.

Also, if God chooses not to give you specific guidance about something you’ve prayed about, what you’re considering is within the Bible’s moral principles,

we can confidently go ahead and make our own decision about what to do and still be within God’s will.

6. Recognize that God communicates in many forms.

God may choose any one of many different ways to communicate to you, me, according to what’s best at particular times and in particular circumstances.

You may sometimes hear God’s message in dramatic ways, such as through angels, visions, or miraculous events.

But more often, we will hear God speaking through our thoughts, and He will use ordinary practices such as reading and studying the Bible, praying quietly, learning from circumstances, or seeking counsel from other Christians to reach out to us as you think about them.

God will also use dramatic, even miraculous means to get our attention when necessary, but His goal is for you and me to be so closely connected to Him that you and I will pay attention whenever He speaks to us.

Usually, God speaks through what people have described as a “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12-13) to encourage those He loves to choose to keep walking closely with Him through life.

7. Renew your mind.

Since God often speaks to you through your mind and wants you to develop what the Bible calls the “mind of Christ” (the ability to make decisions as Jesus would), it’s crucial for you to follow the Bible’s urging in Romans 12:2:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

As we invite the Holy Spirit to renew your mind every day, He will cleanse it from such dirt and clutter as false beliefs and attitudes, unhealthy feelings, and misguided plans.

Then the Holy Spirit will minister to us, intercede, work to replace all of that spiritual mess with true thoughts that more genuinely reflect God’s purposes.

8. Invite the living Word to help you when you read scripture.

The Word of God is a living, creative force – Jesus Himself – and He is actively at work when you read God’s written word – the Bible – prayerfully.

Hebrews 4:12 Amplified Bible

12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [b]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

As we read the Bible, as we study the Bible, we ask Jesus to make the Bible’s words come alive for us and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, become conduits through which He sends His thoughts, faith, and love into your soul.

1 Timothy 4:12-14 Amplified Bible

12 Let no one look down on [you because of] your youth, but be an example  and set a pattern for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in [moral] purity.  13 Until I come, devote yourself to public reading [of Scripture], to preaching and to teaching [the sound doctrine of God’s word]. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, [that special endowment] which was intentionally bestowed on you [by the Holy Spirit] through prophetic utterance when the [a]elders laid their hands on you [at your ordination].

Then discipline yourself to focus on what He sends you and strive and work to orient yourself towards a pattern of faith so it will begin to transform your life.

9. Recognize God’s voice above all others.

By experience, you can learn to recognize God’s voice when He speaks, and to confidently respond to what He says.

When thoughts recur, pray about them to discern if they may be coming from God.

Keep in mind that God will never send you and me any message that contradicts the Bible’s principles.

Also, God’s voice carries the weight of authority within it, and expresses a spirit of compassion, peace, confidence, joy, assurance, reasonableness and goodwill.

If you think or believe that God may speaking to you, ask Him to confirm so as we study and meditate on the Bible, as we are alert to the circumstances we’ll encounter, or as we experience the Holy Spirit’s impressions in our mindsets.

10. Set aside time regularly to listen for God’s messages.

2 Timothy 2:14-15 Amplified Bible

An Unashamed Workman

14 Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen. 15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.

Make a plan to discipline your mind and your heart and soul, make a habit of intentionally and expectantly listening for whatever God may want to tell you.

It’s more important to become a person who listens regularly to God than it is to constantly ask God to give you guidance.

Set aside sometime today to begin listening for God’s voice and hearing his promises and plans for you.

Perhaps even keep a journal to remember the things he brings to life in you.

You open your Bible, but quickly become distracted.

You want to dig deeper, but you don’t know where to begin.

Frustrated, you close the book.

It’s not that you don’t love God—in fact, you long for more intimacy with God.

Maybe God is calling you to deeper waters . . .

Imagine yourself purposely, randomly, opening to a passage of God’s Word and by spending time, its becoming so engaging that you actually lose track of time.

Imagine yourself digging deep, and deeper still into God’s Word and seeing it, and hearing it come alive in amazing ways you had never experienced before.

Imagine starting each day—not with a tiny nugget of truth you hope will get you through—but through hearing a fresh encounter with our living Savior.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in us the fire of Your love.  Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created.  And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy Your consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Alleluia, Amen.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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Hearing God’s Voice? 1 Samuel 3:1-10

1 Samuel 3:1-10 English Standard Version

The Lord Calls Samuel

3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 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.

4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.

6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

Hearing the voice of God is something that everyone, Christian or not, wants to experience.

Although we all want to hear God, actually doing it, for most of us, is sort of a mysterious process.

We often don’t know how to hear God consistently, if at all.

Yet hearing and understanding what God is saying is critical for our spiritual development.

As we look at people in the Bible who heard from God, Samuel was one of the best.

The story of Samuel is found in 1 Samuel 3:1-10.

Samuel, who was just a boy, was living and serving the priest in the temple.

We are told that, “the word of the LORD was rare in those days” (v.1 ESV).

Not many people were hearing the voice of God.

Yet this rare young man was about to experience something people in the land of Israel had not seen nor had heard for quite some time; Samuel was about to clearly and succinctly hear his name called from the LORD three times.

As we look at this story about Samuel, we can discern there are six steps which can take some of the mystery out of clearly, succinctly hearing the voice of God:

1. Position Yourself Close to God

Samuel set his bed up in the temple, “where the ark of God was” (v.3 ESV).

Samuel had never heard God speak before.

Samuel did not know what to expect, but what he did know was that if he hung around the temple, God would eventually show up.

Through Bible Study, personal devotions, times of fellowship, and regular church attendance, are we now putting ourselves in a place where God is?

2. Find a Place of Regular Service to God

In v.1 it says, “Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli” (ESV).

If we want to hear the voice of God, we have to be doing the things of God.

If we’re not serving, don’t wonder why we are not hearing the voice of God.

3. Listen for God’s voice

Eli was “lying down in his usual place” (v.2 NIV), too set in his own ways, too set, too accepting in the past lack, the rarity of revelation, too preoccupied with his own, son’s interests, his own physical and spiritual limitations to hear God.

When God began speaking, he was not used to listening.

He too easily accepted the unchangeable; the precious rarity of God’s voice.

Status Quo was the Status Quo …

Who before him had taught and mentored him on how to listen for God?

Many times to hear what God is saying we have to slow down and take time to get close to God.

We have to put aside our interests and lean in to hear what God is saying.

How close was Eli to God?

How accepting was Eli that even at his current season and stage and condition of life, he could still get closer to God – “teaching an old soul new ‘God’ truths?

How accepting are we ourselves, in our current seasons, stages and conditions of life, that we too can still get closer to God – “teaching us new ‘God’ truths?

4. When God Calls, Respond Eagerly

When we hear our parents calling to us, we look to respond eagerly.

When we hear our spouses calling to us, we look to respond eagerly.

When we hear our children calling to us, we look to respond eagerly.

When Samuel first heard his name called, even in the middle of the night he got out of his bed, rushed to Eli’s bedside to inquire of Eli: “why have you called?”

This repeated itself three times until Eli finally realized it was truly God calling.

When Samuel heard, recognized the voice of the Lord he was immediately up and moving (v.4) and declaring – “Speak Lord, for Your Servant is Listening!”

If we want to hear the voice of God, we need to be not just ready to put ourselves into action eager to do what He tells us – we need to be obedient enough to do it!

James 1:17-22 English Standard Version

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[a]  18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

5. When God Speaks, Obey Him

Starting in this passage and throughout the rest of his life, Samuel consistently obeyed the Lord.

No matter what God told him, Samuel did it.

From that point on, “the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19 ESV).

For us, probably the quickest way to turn off God’s voice is to disobey him.

6. Read and Study the Word of God

After God spoke to him in this passage, the Bible tells us,

“The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word” (1 Samuel 3:21 NIV).

If you want to hear from God, you have to know what the Bible says.

God is speaking.

God wonders to what extent we are genuinely listening.

God wonders to what extent we are genuinely hearing Him.

He wants to give you wisdom to lead your family, at your job, in your church, and in every area of life.

The questions we have to be asking ourselves is not whether God is speaking, but whether or not we are hearing Him, and whether or not we are listening?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Savior Jesus, Giver of boundless peace and wisdom, I so easily get distracted when I’m trying to focus and hear your Holy Spirit. Help me to quiet my mind in the middle of my busy life. Help me to pause and to make space to listen to the most important voice of all. Empower me to be a good listener to the gentle whispers of your Spirit. Help me follow the example of Jesus, who would slip away in the evening or the early morning to be alone with you. Teach me to listen, to hear and to abide in you. Amen.

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Spiritual Perception:”The Word of the Lord Was All Too Rare in Those Days.” 1 Samuel 3:1-10

1 Samuel 3:1-10 Amplified Bible

The Prophetic Call to Samuel

3 Now the boy Samuel was attending to the service of the Lord [a]under the supervision of Eli. The word of the Lord was rare and precious in those days; visions [that is, new revelations of divine truth] were not widespread.

2 Yet it happened at that time, as Eli was lying down in his own place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well). 3 and the [oil] 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, 4 that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know [or personally experience] the  Lord, and the word of the Lord the third time. And he stood and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli understood that it was the Lord [who was] calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it shall be that if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Then the Lord came and stood and called as at the previous times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

The Word of the Lord was TOO Rare in Those Days …

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I wish God talked to us the way He spoke to His people in the Old Testament”?

Many times, Scripture describes God speaking to His people through a voice or an angel or through a dream. He even writes on a wall in one account (Daniel 5).

So it’s natural to want to hear God’s voice or see a big sign that will help you feel confident in God’s direction.

We all experience confusing circumstances.

Sometimes you may just want God to send you a text message to tell you what to do.

Maybe you feel far from God and want Him to reach out to reassure you He’s still there.

Maybe you’ve heard people say the God of the Bible is personal, but you have never interacted with God before and wonder how to begin.

He is the same God today that He was in the time of the Old Testament.

He still speaks to us today.

He made it possible for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him, which involves talking together every day.

He communicates with us. 

1 Samuel 3:1 English Standard Version

The Lord Calls Samuel

3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

The Word of the Lord was “rare” in those most ancient days.

In the period of time between the words of the Prophet of Malachi to the New Testament Gospel Narratives and Apostolic writings of Paul and Peter, James, Jude and John, Hebrews, some 400 years had passed without a Word from God.

How frequently do we recall Jesus using the words: “He who has ears let them hear?” [Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 15, 16, 43, Mark 4:9, 23, 7:33, 35, 8:18, Luke 8:8, 9:44, 14:35]

I also recall this verse from Luke 1:44 when Elizabeth uttered the words to her cousin Mary: “For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” and we preach it: “how miraculous was that?”

It begs the question, how rare is the Word of the Lord in contemporary times?

Could it be that one too many of us have just never learned how to recognize His voice, have we gotten confused or have we forgotten how we heard in the past?

The young Samuel was confused and unsure of who he was hearing calling him.

He “clearly” heard a voice and thought it was his mentor, Eli, calling for him.

He kept going to Eli’s room until even the aged, tired, and confused, and nearly blind Eli finally realized that the voice was God trying to get Samuel’s attention.

Hearing and listening for God, hearing and listening to God, is an important life skill for us to remember to give our full attention to for our God is never silent.

We live in a divisive noisy, politically correct “woke” culture that often speaks in ways which are considerably devastating and utterly contrary to God’s voice.

It can be difficult to hear God if we are more in tune with the voice of this world.

As we listen for God, we will be more in tune with his leading in our lives.

Listening, Samuel “Heard!”

1 Samuel 3:9-10 New American Standard Bible

9 And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Then the Lord came and stood, and called as at the other times: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

Hannah had named her son Samuel, which means “heard by God.”

When he was weaned, she brought him to Shiloh to present him to Eli the priest for uniquely specialized training as a spiritual leader of God’s people Israel.

God called on Samuel to listen to and bring the word of the Lord to his people.

God wanted Samuel to dedicate his life to this service.

Samuel became a prophet, and he led Israel in that role for sixty years as Israel moved from a loosely organized group of clans to a peaceful monarchy ruled by King David, an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

We live under the peaceful reign of the voice of one true, good, just King today.

“Peace on earth,” the angels sang to shepherds watching their flocks on the night that King Jesus was born (Luke 2:14).

Our Advent and Lenten peace is found in the birth of this child, who grew up to establish, by dying, the kingdom of peace over all on whom God’s favor rests.

Do you know this voice of peace?

Do you hear this voice of peace?

Are you listening for this voice of peace?

Are we paying any meaningful attention to this voice of peace?

Are we giving any meaningful thought towards this voice of peace?

Ask Jesus to rule in your heart and life, and He will welcome you into his kingdom of peace.

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can rest in true peace because we know he is our King and in control of all that happens in the world and our lives.

This is a peace not “as the world gives” (John 14:27); it is God’s peace, “which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

Eli mentored Samuel by teaching him how to daily worship God, and how to respond to God’s voice: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening”—in other words, “I am ready to hear what you have to say, and I am ready to obey!”

How Rare is the Word of God in These Days?

God speaks to us in many ways.

He speaks through creation, giving testimony to his faithfulness and creativity. [Psalm 19]

He speaks through his Word, where we come to understand his salvation and purpose for us.

He speaks through wise mentors in our lives.

He speaks through life situations, opening and closing doors.

God speaks by his Holy Spirit, equipping us with gifts and passions to use for service in his kingdom.

Are we listening?

Are we listening?

Do we even care if there is a voice of God speaking to us today?

Why should we care if there is a voice of God speaking to us today?

How are we listening, hearing, experiencing God’s leading in your life?

Are you and I numbed to hearing, listening attentively for God’s voice?

So in a world full of noise and distraction, should we care if God speaks?

Does it matter one iota whether or not God speaks to us if we take one long, view of the world versus God, to say: “how miraculous would that truly be?”

Do we actually desire, want or need “God’s miraculous voice” speaking to us?

So in a world full of noise and distraction, how does God actually speak to us?

So with many questions, how ought we to “miraculously” respond back to God?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 The Message

19 1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
    God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
    Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4 Their words aren’t heard,
    their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
    unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5 God makes a huge dome
    for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband
    leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
    racing to the tape.

6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies
    from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
    warming hearts to faith.

7-9 The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.

10 God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
    Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
    Keep me from stupid sins,
    from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
    scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
    these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
    on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
    God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Amen.

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