Thought for the Week - 8th March
Pastor Gareth WatkinsSamuel 3: 1-11
And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place,
and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see,
3 and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down,
4 that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”
5 So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.
6 Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli,
and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”
7 (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli,
and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy.
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel:
“Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.’’
The above passage tells of the calling of God on a boy named Samuel.
Samuel was in training under Eli but did not yet know God when He called him by name. God calls us by name also. We are not called by someone else’s name; He calls you by name to your specific purpose. Samuel did not recognise the voice of the Lord calling his name three times, only responding after the priest, Eli, recognised the call of the Lord on him. Although Eli knew the Lord was calling Samuel, it was Samuel that had to respond as it was his name being spoken by the Lord.
How many times does the Lord call your name with plan and purpose before you respond?
‘’Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord’’…
Samuel was in training; he would have known scripture and studied the words and yet he did not know the word of God. He did not yet know the Lord and until it was revealed to him, he did not recognise it. He was led by the drive of himself to get up daily for the priest’s teachings and was living to the power according to himself, until we read he came to know the voice of God for himself. Samuel became a great man of God, he grew and developed into a mighty warrior in spiritual places, but it took time for him to come to this, and he had to begin somewhere. Samuel began by responding to the call of his name, he listened, learned and grew to know the One who called him.
We read that Samuel responds saying ‘‘Your servant is here’’… he came in humility before God, not boasting in his authority or his own strength, but humble and in servitude. Samuel became a great prophet, anointed by God and according to the power at work within him.
The calling of God gives you a plan, a purpose and a future. He gives you power to help you achieve that to which you have been called, and He gives you hope. Hope not just for today but hope that continues, carrying forward blessing into the next generation. God equips us for what He calls us to do. He has plan and purpose for our futures.
Sometimes we continue to walk in our past, continue to look back and be held back, wearing our grave clothes and believing that we can’t achieve what God calls us to do. Sometimes we think we can’t be used or are not good enough to respond to the calling on our lives. This is simply not true and lies of the enemy. Everything we need comes from the love of Christ. He loves us, nurtures us and does not want us to live in a half light.
Would you come to Him, step out into His full light, shake off those grave clothes and respond in humility and servitude to the Lord who calls you by name?
Amen.
Loved reading this word. So full of truth, so encouraging.