1 Samuel 3: 1-10
"The Lord came and stood there, calling out as before: 'Samuel, Samuel !' Samuel answered,
"Speak Lord, your servant is listening."
Do you hear The Lord calling you? Or are you like Samuel in verse 7 of the text?
Verse 7 says, "Samuel did not recognize the Lord, since the word of the Lord had not yet been
revealed to him."
So maybe the Lord is speaking to you and you do not yet know His voice.
Samuel had been speaking to the prophet Eli. Eli knew the Lord. He guided Samuel.
Jeremiah 23: 4
" I will raise up shepherds for them who will shepherd them ( the lost and scattered sheep) so they need
no longer fear or be terrified; none shall be missing."
Maybe you came from a church that wasn't a place of nurturing. Maybe you're parents made you go to
church but never felt at home. In the long run you made a decision that church wasn't for you.
I can identify with that situation. Lucky enough for me I had come to know the voice of the Lord. He kept calling me. He never gave up on me.
He hasn't given up on you. He is speaking but maybe you're not sure it's God that is speaking to you.
I recommend sitting alone and just listening.
Revelation 3:20
" Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his
house and dine with him, and he with me."
God wants to spend time with you. He wants to teach His ways and His will. The resources available to guide us to know what God is saying are virtually endless. For Christians the most obvious is The Bible. There are even books which contain just The Psalms and The Gospel of John. The Gospel of John is one of the most effective tools used to help people know the Lord better.
You may also want to read The Book of Romans. At least to begin with.
After all in the first chapter of The Gospel of John we learn that we learn that Jesus The Living Word of God came into the world. And that through Him all things were made. Including every man woman and child that ever was, is, and is to come. That means you!
Jeremiah 1: 4-5
"The word of the Lord came to me. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you."
He knows and loves you. God didn't drop you on the earth just to leave you to wander aimlessly. He is speaking to you. But what will you do with what He tells you? Will you be like Samuel looking for guidance? Eli, who was filled with many gifts as a prophet knew the Lord. By knowing the Lord he was able to direct Samuel to hear from God.
So maybe you are to be like Eli. Maybe the more time you spend with God the more you'll know His word and thus get to know His will and maybe you can help someone answer the call of the Lord in their lives.
Maybe we'll be like Moses who was afraid to speak to Pharaoh to demand he set God's people out of slavery. Moses was afraid. He was afraid because in a sense he couldn't speak with grace and authority. So guess what? God provided Moses with a companion and spokesperson. That man's name was Aaron. God will provide every tool we need to accomplish the work he set before us.
Perhaps through us we can be people sent to set people free from slavery. From the sin that so easily ensnares us.
We can be a voice crying in the desert, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord."
After all we often go through times of dryness and famine. We all go through times we feel alone and thirsty as if wandering in the desert. And as a deer thirsts for water so our souls seeks after the living water which flows from the heart of God Himself. Unlike natural water when we partake of the refreshing water that God provides we are satisfied.
The Bible if full of warnings about being careful what we say. Because power of life and death are in the tongue. Another well know saying tells us that what we speak or how we speak reveals what's in our hearts.
One harsh word can lead to destruction. But if we speak healing and grace then healing and grace will abound in our lives. So if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all. Antone who speaks evil against his brother or sister is in darkness. You can't speak evil and be a servant of God because there is no darkness in God.
So open your heart to God. Don't judge Him based on hurts of the past that may have come from the mouths of parents, siblings, teachers, friends, or even men and women "of the cloth." If a person who is meant to represent God as a minister, pastor, or priest remind yourself that people aren't perfect. However, God is perfect and He alone is Holy without blemish.
We are to rejoice with each other when we go to The House of the Lord also known as Church. We aren't to follow a religion but we're to follow after the Lord. He will guide to a place of communion. Even if you're confined to your home there are great resources on TV and the Internet such as church services being televised or perhaps streaming on websites.
So open yourself to what God has to say about what you're called to do. Keep an open mind. God is everywhere and you may find him in a place that you least expect.
Even in church.
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