God of the morning, noontime, afternoons, evenings, and night, bless and protect the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text is from 1 Samuel 3: 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever." 15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am." 17 Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him." 19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
God continues to speak to us even today. God calls, invites, and sometimes it seems demands, our service. Sometimes though, we do not want to listen or share what we know God is sharing. In today's passage, the boy Samuel, given at a very young age into the service of God, heard God call him. Three times the boy was called by God and three times the boy knew only to go and see what Eli, the prophet of God, wanted. It was on that third time that Eli realized it was God calling this boy and told him what to say. On the fourth call, Samuel answered and asked God to speak. What God shared was not what Samuel wanted to hear and so, that night did not sleep. Samuel feared the response of Eli for the message had come against him and his sons. Yet, God had tried speaking to Eli about it and Eli did what he could yet it was not enough. The sons were terrible and even after hearing God's warning through their father, did nothing about it.
God calls us to faithfulness. Our faithfulness leads us to a better way to live. Our faithfulness shares with others the response that is sometimes seen as the unexpected in a world that expects and many times demands the usual. Our previous devotions on the Sermon on the Mount speak of that unexpectedness. The call of the world sometimes drowns out God's call. It is our job to speak to the Lord, and like the boy Samuel to say, "Lord, I am listening."
In the roar of today with so many competing voices for our attention and faithfulness, listen closely to the voice of God. It may not be as loud or as attractive as you would like, but it is the voice of holiness and purity that will refresh and renew your life.
PRAYER: Loving God, help me to listen to You today. I hear so much and am attracted to so many things, but today let me focus and center only on You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
