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1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 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 A third time the LORD called, “Samuel!” 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. 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11 And the LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ” 15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.” 19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. (1 Samuel 3:1-20 NIV Bible)
I pray the Lord blesses you, Friend, with a great day filled with joy and opportunities for great work for Jesus! I have GOOD NEWS on The Rev. Olga Paul!, She is home and doctors have determined that she did not suffer any strokes, but had allergic reactions to medication that she recently started taking! So, why do we pray? Because God answers prayers! Please continue to pray for her and all for whom we have been praying!
God works in mysterious ways. That quote is true, but it is not from the Bible. It speaks of the many uncountable ways that God can, does, and will do things to suit His needs and purposes. And among the mysterious ways God calls people, none more mysterious are the people that God calls. I'll stand in that line at the front; but that's a story for some other time. By then maybe I'll have a better answer than now. We need only go to the Bible to see some more awesome examples. King David may be near the top of the list as may be Saul of Tarsus; aka Paul the Apostle. And like David, God can sometimes call children. Today's child is Samuel, son of a mysterious way in which his mother begged God for a child. I will remind you she was mocked for being barren. Her chief mocker was her husband's other wife. Okay, that throws us off, but it was a cultural thing, not legal today. But she became so thankful to God for the gift of this son, that she upheld the vow that she would turn the boy over to God if she were so blessed. Sadly, we may believe most women would have walked away, boy in hand, and forget such a promise. But, Hannah, turned over Sammy to God as she had promised. Now, many would have questioned the setup; a toddler turned over to an almost retired rabbi, who lives in the temple! We're talking God's mysterious ways! And in case, we have forgotten, we're still talking about faith.
The boy adapts well to his new environment. He may still miss Mommy, but he knows a little about Daddy God, and His role in his (Sammy's) even being here. The boy is like an assistant to the rabbi/prophet named Eli. Now, the opening verses affirm what I just said, "The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli." What the boy did is open for debate or discussion, suffice it to say, the boy understood the awesomeness of God. I can relate as as a boy, son of a still-Roman Catholic mother, I had more than one occasion to visit and worship in many a Catholic Church for weddings, funerals, visits. And I still vividly remember the majesty and pomp of all the priest was doing, holding, waving; and I thought that was the coolest thing. I eventually told my mother I might want to be a priest. Mom replied, quite wisely, that priests could not marry. I heard enough. Back to Sammy. In this temple was the Ark of the Covenant, which made this worship center a super sacred place. And while laying down awaiting sleep, the boy hears his name whispered. "Samuel." Thinking it was the prophet, Sammy gets up and runs to Eli's side, "Here I am." The old man asks, "What?" "You called me, and I responded." The old man says, I did not call you; go back and lay down. This happens three times before Eli realizes that this voice may be the voice of God calling the little boy. So, Eli says, "If you hear the call again say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" So, Samuel goes and lays down. The Lord comes and stands over Samuel and this time says his name twice. And now Sammy knows what to say. And here the Lord shares with Samuel what He was about to do, namely, open the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. The rest of the statement was not what the little one wanted or needed to hear. It was a condemnation against the prophet and his sons.
You can imagine how the lad felt. He goes to lay down and possibly pray for his not having to tell the old man what God has shared with him. And when he faces Eli, Eli knows to say that Samuel should tell it just as he heard it. Samuel shares it as God spoke it and the old man understood saying, "He is the Lord; let Him do what is good in HIs eyes." The Lord stayed with Samuel and blessed him and as the passage closes, the writer says, "And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord."
Here is what we should hear from this: We should be open to whispers in the night: God's voice can, and does , come in unexpected ways, most likely at times we least expect it. We need to learn to be still, listen carefully, and do not dismiss those faint nudges or intuitive whispers. We should also embrace the courage to listen: For us to respond to God's call requires courage to step outside our comfort zones and embrace the unknown. Be forewarned that God does not take no for an answer lightly. Our no today may mean other ways and people that God may use to touch us and reach us. We should also learn to faithfully deliver the message: Even if we perceive the message from God to be difficult or even impossible, it is still our responsibility to share it with honesty and humility; but with the assurance that God stands with us, and God will prevail. Lastly, we should trust in God's presence: In moments of growth and uncertainty, we know that God will guide our steps and our sharing His purpose. We should also affirm that we can and will do what God asks of us.
PRAYER: Loving God, open our ears to hear your whispers, even in the dimness and quiet moments. Grant us the courage to listen, the honesty to face difficult truths, and the faithfulness to deliver your message, even when it's challenging. Lord, guide our growth, equip us for your purposes, and fill our hearts with the assurance of your presence. May we, like Samuel, become voices of your truth and instruments of your love in the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be open to God's voice, embrace the courage to listen, and trust in His guidance as you step into your own unique calling.
Receive my love you and thankfulness to the Lord for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
