Skip to main content

Understanding God's Call

Eli said to Samuel,
 “Go, lie down; and if the Lord calls you, you shall say,
 ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” 
So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 
Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, 
“Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, 
“Speak, for your servant is listening.”

What does it mean to be called by God?

Does God's call happen to just a few, or is it part of our Christian life?

1 Samuel is set in Israel’s early life which had known strong leaders like Moses and Joshua.

After these dynamic leaders, Israel divided into tribes at war with each other requiring a series of judges for these precarious times.

God needed someone to speak because, “The Word of the Lord was rare in those times” and “all the people did what was right in their own eyes”

God’s call begins with Hannah, who is barren, begging God for a child, and while praying, Eli, the priest, enters.

Eli tells Hannah that her prayer will be answered.

Hannah gives birth presenting the child to the LORD, which is similar to baptism or the dedication of an infant

Samuel, is sleeping in the temple with the ark of the covenant when, three times hears a voice calling and each time goes to Eli.

Eli doesn’t get it right away but finally tells Samuel to say, “Speak, for your servant is listening”.

What does Samuel’s story tell us about God’s calling.

God speaks through people. 

We may miss God’s call because we think it’s coming from a person.

Perhaps when some says repeatedly, “Have you thought about feeding the hungry?” it’s God calling you to feed the hungry.

God speaks softly 

It took Samuel going to Eli three times before Eli realized what was happening showing us a call may be a quiet, slow awakening to that call.

God speaks for justice

God’s call often involves working to change broken human systems leading one down difficult paths.

 Think About It: How have you heard God's call? 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ruler of All Earthly Kings

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (from Rev. 1:4-8 ) About 17 years ago I wrote a letter to the people in the United Church of Underhill. The purpose of the letter was to explain I was retiring at the end of the Conference Year. I felt the time had come for me personally to move on and for the church to grow with a new pastor. I secured a moving company while the church formed a search committee as we both prepared for the inevitable. This is the nature of the book of Revelation, as recorded in 1:4: “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia.” This is Revelation’s context: it was written for the benefit of particular people at a particular time for their particular situation. John’s letter narrates a drama about God’s imminent invasion of the “kingdom of this world” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more