{"id":32835,"date":"2024-10-02T22:00:04","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T05:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/1-samuel-2_27-36-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-09-17T16:33:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T23:33:15","slug":"1-samuel-3_1-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/1-samuel-3_1-21\/","title":{"rendered":"God Is Speaking. Are You Listening?"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 Samuel 3:1-21 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 1 Samuel 3:1-21.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:1\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>The boy\u00a0Samuel\u00a0ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse\u00a01: \u00a0 Why was God so rarely heard (or seen) during this time?\u00a0 Is it because God was not speaking or because the people were not listening?\u00a0 I believe it was the latter.\u00a0 This was a time when hardly anyone truly feared God.\u00a0 As Judges 21:25 tells us, instead of listening to God, “everyone did as he saw fit.” Moreover, the first chapters of\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0show us that the spiritual leaders of the nation were so set in their ways and so engrossed in their sinful practices that they did not hear God’s voice or have any perspective or insight into what God wanted to do.\u00a0 There was no room for God in them.\u00a0 But God was still speaking and waiting for someone to tune in.\u00a0 The question is not so much: “Is God speaking?” \u00a0The question is “Are we listening?”<\/p>\n

Think of it this way: \u00a0Today radio waves penetrate nearly every place we go.\u00a0 Though we can’t see them; they are there.\u00a0 You can be in church, on the road, in your office, at school, or on your bed, and as long as you are tuned in, you can hear someone on the radio.\u00a0 In the same way, God is always speaking.\u00a0 The question is: are we tuned in?<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:2-3\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and\u00a0Samuel\u00a0was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 2-3: \u00a0When verse 2 says that Eli’s eyes were becoming so weak that we could barely see, I believe it’s talking as much about Eli’s spiritual condition as his physical condition.\u00a0 It had been so long since Eli had seen a vision from God or heard from God.\u00a0 But just as “the lamp of God had not yet gone out” (v3), there was still hope: \u00a0Samuel, like a light in the darkness, was lying down in the temple where the ark of God was, and he was about to hear God speak for the first time in a powerful way.<\/p>\n

No matter how dark the situation, when someone is willing to hear from God and answer His call, there is hope.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:4-6 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>Then the LORD called\u00a0Samuel.\u00a0Samuel\u00a0answered, “Here I am.”
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>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.
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And\u00a0Samuel\u00a0got 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.”
\n<\/em>
\nOn verses 4-6: \u00a0Notice\u00a0Samuel’s readiness to serve and submit to his leader Eli.\u00a0 Every time he thought Eli called,\u00a0Samuel\u00a0would be right there, ready to respond.\u00a0 I learn two lessons from this.\u00a0 First, I believe God is pleased when we are responsive and ready to serve.<\/p>\n

Second, at this young age, Samuel still could not distinguish Eli\u2019s voice from God\u2019s voice.\u00a0 Growing up, we tend to project our image of the father figure in our lives onto God and assume the two are the same.\u00a0 In other words, if the father figure in our lives was absent, we assume God is that way too.\u00a0 If the father figure in our lives was mean, we assume God is that way too.\u00a0 Part of growing up is learning to distinguish God from that father figure in our lives, knowing that the two are not necessarily the same.\u00a0 Know that in all the ways that the father figure in your life was deficient, God is not that way, for God has no deficiencies.\u00a0 And in all the ways the father figure in your life was good, God your heavenly Father is that much better.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:7 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>Now\u00a0Samuel\u00a0did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 7: \u00a0Samuel\u00a0had never heard God’s voice before, but he was in the right place: in the temple, in God’s presence.\u00a0 Likewise maybe you have never heard God’s voice.\u00a0 The best thing you can do is spend time in God’s presence.\u00a0 Be in church with God’s people, listening to His Word being spoken.\u00a0 Have your own GAME time with God where you can read His Word yourself and pray.\u00a0 It’s in God’s presence that you can experience hearing God speak to you for the first time.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:8-9 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>The LORD called\u00a0Samuel\u00a0a third time, and\u00a0Samuel\u00a0got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>So Eli told\u00a0Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'” So\u00a0Samuel\u00a0went and lay down in his place.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 8-9: \u00a0As blind as Eli was, Eli still eventually clued in that God may be speaking to young\u00a0Samuel.\u00a0 So here’s a word for pastors, parents and other leaders: one of the best things you can do is to help a younger person identify when God is speaking to them and encourage them to listen.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:10 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel!\u00a0Samuel!” Then\u00a0Samuel\u00a0said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
\n<\/em>
\nOn verse 10: \u00a0I’m so thankful that God is so patient with me.\u00a0 How many times have I missed His calls.\u00a0 Yet He still keeps calling.\u00a0 He never gives up on you or me.<\/p>\n

Also, notice that God didn’t tell\u00a0Samuel\u00a0everything at once.\u00a0 God started with calling\u00a0Samuel’s name, and waited to see how\u00a0Samuel\u00a0would respond.\u00a0 Likewise, if you want God to speak more to you, ask yourself: what have you done with what He has already spoken to you?\u00a0 Have you responded with a humble, obedient heart, hungry to hear Him more?\u00a0 If you come to God with a hungry, humble heart, you will hear more from Him in no time.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:11-14 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>And the LORD said to\u00a0Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family–from beginning to end.
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.'”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 12-14: \u00a0Notice that the message God spoke to\u00a0Samuel\u00a0was the same message God spoke to the unnamed man of God earlier in\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a02:27-36.\u00a0 Both of them were messages of rebuke and warning to Eli and his family.\u00a0 Both touched on how Eli’s sons had sinned and how Eli had failed to be a good parent and restrain them (v13).\u00a0 God was using different people and different ways to speak to Eli’s heart.\u00a0 What can we learn from this?\u00a0 When God is speaking to you, He will often confirm His Word in different ways through different circumstances and people.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:15-18 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>Samuel\u00a0lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”\u00a0Samuel\u00a0answered, “Here I am.”
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>“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.”
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>So\u00a0Samuel\u00a0told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 15-18: \u00a0Notice\u00a0Samuel’s humility; he hesitated to tell Eli the difficult message God had spoken to\u00a0Samuel\u00a0about Eli until Eli asked him to.\u00a0 What’s the lesson here?\u00a0 When you have a difficult message to bring to someone, do so humbly and with gentleness, giving considering to your relationship with that person.<\/p>\n

Another lesson we can learn is this: \u00a0like Eli, be open to the feedback of other people, including those younger than you, even when their message is not easy to hear.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:19-20 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>The LORD was with\u00a0Samuel\u00a0as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that\u00a0Samuel\u00a0was attested as a prophet of the LORD.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 19-20: \u00a0Samuel\u00a0didn’t become a famous prophet and an able leader overnight.\u00a0 Rather, it was a journey consisting of thousands and thousands of babysteps.\u00a0 Before a nation recognized the gifting and calling on\u00a0Samuel’s life, it began with one man, Eli, who encouraged\u00a0Samuel\u00a0and spoke into his life. \u00a0 Don’t underestimate the impact that your words can have on a young person to launch them toward their God-given destiny.\u00a0 May you be a launchpad for the Samuels in your life.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:21 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to\u00a0Samuel\u00a0through his word.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 21: \u00a0Notice that God revealed Himself to\u00a0Samuel\u00a0not so much through circumstances, feelings or big events, but “through His word”<\/em>.\u00a0 If you will humble yourself and dedicate time to draw close to God and listen to His Word consistently, He will continue to appear to you, just as “He continued to appear to\u00a0Samuel\u00a0at Shiloh”.\u00a0 And like\u00a0Samuel, you will grow into your God-given calling.<\/p>\n

Father, I pray that everyone reading this message would be increasingly tuned into You.\u00a0 May we have hearts to submit to You and ears to hear You, and as You moved powerfully in\u00a0Samuel’s life, bringing breakthroughs, come and do the same with our church family as well.\u00a0 In Jesus’ name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 1 Samuel 3:1-21.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\n1\u00a0Samuel\u00a03:1\u00a0(NIV)
\n1\u00a0The boy\u00a0Samuel\u00a0ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nOn verse\u00a01: \u00a0 Why was God so rarely heard (or seen) during this time?\u00a0 Is it because God was not speaking or because the people were not listening?\u00a0 I believe it was the latter.\u00a0 This was a time when hardly anyone truly feared God.\u00a0 As Judges 21:25 tells us, instead of listening to God, “everyone did as he saw fit.” Moreover, the first chapters of\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a0show us that the spiritual leaders of the nation were so set in their ways and so engrossed in their sinful practices that they did not hear God’s voice or have any perspective or insight into what God wanted to do.\u00a0 There was no room for God in them.\u00a0 But God was still speaking and waiting for someone to tune in.\u00a0 The question is not so much: “Is God speaking?” \u00a0The question is “Are we listening?”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32837,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32835"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32838,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32835\/revisions\/32838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}