The Lord called Samuel three times before Eli realized what was going on and told Samuel how to respond:
3:8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, 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."
How incredible would it be for Yahweh to come stand in the same room and speak to you?! That would overload my circuits. As if just talking to Him wasn't amazing enough, the Lord revealed to Samuel His judgement against Eli's family, and He employed Samuel as a prophet to Eli. Man, would that be tough! But here we find demonstration of God's age old process of involving mankind in His operations:
- He reveals Himself to an individual
- He explains part of His plan
- He employs that person to share the message
- The faith of that individual grows when he/she obeys the Lord
God used this opportunity to grow Samuel and prepare him for future ministry:
3:19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. 21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. 4:1 And Samuel's word came to all Israel.
Application - The Lord has revealed Himself to me, He has revealed His plan of objective and subjective salvation through Jesus Christ, and He has employed me (and every other Christian) to share that message of hope with everyone in the world. My faith will grow as I am obedient to share that message and allow His presence to fill my life. I have several friends in my research group who need to hear the message. I must be faithful to share, even though it will bring friction to our relationship (as Samuel's prophecy brought friction to Eli).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me great boldness to share your message of hope. I pray that you will make me unashamed of the Gospel, because it is Your very power at work - saving people from sin and death. Lord God, please use me as a prophet. May I be faithful and obedient. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment