Good day dear friends.
In our prayer time today lift up Lyndee Ward, who underwent a successful outpatient surgery and is home recovering. She is doing well.
Here is today's study guide for us as we continue to study perseverence as a mark of a disciple.
Tuesday: In 1 Samuel 3 we find the story of the boy Samuel and his call from God. Read the entire chapter and see how God perseveres in His call to us. How many times did God call Samuel? What were Samuel’s first two responses? What has God asked of you? How have you responded? Do you think that God gives up asking?
Here is that text in NSRV:
1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 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! Samuel!" F30 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 The Lord called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up 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 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up 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 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 is persistent, no doubt about it. We're the ones God has trouble with. In this call to ministry, God calls Samuel not once or twice, not yet just three times, but four times. Samuel was but a boy. You will remember his story, he was the son his mother had pleaded for. This had been her prayer for a long time and God finally answered and his mother was so thankful she promised the boy to God's fulltime service. And so it was that once he was born and weaned, he was taken to Eli the priest and there the boy began his ministry. But God wanted to Samuel for a deeper ministry and this God's visits to the boy in the night. God knew Samuel by name and called him. The boy only thought to believe it was Eli calling and so for three times went to the old man and presented himself. Eli finally perceieved it was God calling so he told the boy how to respond and on that fourth call, Samuel responded and God began working with him.
This begs the question, what has God asked of you? Have you responded with a yes? An interesting thing about our United Methodist seminaries is that the median age of seminaries is in the early 50s. If you talk to some of these seminarians they will tell you that God had a hold of their lives early on, but because of their own desires or fears did not respond positively to the call. Many went on to successful careers, raised their families, and finally realized that they had been running with God. And that's a normal response. It's scary to have God after you! One never knows exactly to what we're being called. I've shared my story often enough: God had made a mistake in calling this shy, overweight, doubtful guy. God could have done better calling some of my friends in the MYF. Yet, I believed I could not serve God any better than in ordained ministry. I finally said yes (this is happening in the 11th grade). But once I got to seminary I dropped out and was hired for what would have been a successful career in the telecommunications business. Yet, I knew deep down that I would never be satisfied if I kept running from God, and after about a year making more money than I needed, I returned to God's call to ministry.
Please know that God calls us all into ministry but not all of it is the ordained or diaconal ministry. It is the priesthood of all believers. It is to serve God in whatever you do. You could be a businessperson and still be a minister with your life and interactions with others. You could be a doctor or lawyer, steel mill worker, and still be ministering to the spiritual needs of others. In fact, if you want your church to grow, be a minister where you are right now! I thank God for Open House month for it is a chance for all of us to invite folks to come to our churches. This leads you to respond positively to God and the call God has upon your life.
God won't give up wanting you and your service. How long can you run?
PRAYER: God of eternal, unfailing love, speak to me right now. Let me hear clearly Your call upon my life. Let me be able to say, here I am, use me, Lord. Let me be indeed a part of that ministry we all the priesthood of all believers. I pray in Christ Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and special day!
e.v.
