I Samuel 3
The concentration for the week is on us, ourselves before God. Unless we allow God to speak to our hearts we’ll have no revival. We may like the evangelist and the singers but God will speak to his people. Are we listening? The prayer we must make is “Lord, speak to me.” The Lord spoke to Samuel at an early age. He spoke at night. Eli, the High Priest, had lain down too. In the dark, a voice spoke Samuel’s name. He thought it was Eli. Finally Eli perceived it was the Lord and told Samuel what to say. This week the Lord will speak and it’s up to us to listen. As we look at the revival and the rest of our lives be thankful the Lord speaks to us.
These days are like the days in Samuel’s time, empty and hollow feeling, as if this world system has gone so far into blasphemy that there seems to be silence on God’s part. Verse 1 tells us and the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. No one silences God. He speaks but people don’t listen. Churches aren’t listening. Many are evolving to a politically correct system that doesn’t listen to God. Some don’t even call themselves churches anymore. They don’t want to name the Bible. Some people don’t want to go to church so they lie in bed and stream it in and then turn over and go back to sleep. We have a spot in the house of God. If our place at church is empty we have no business asking God to be in our home. The Word is precious and there is a famine of hearing it today. It’s our daily food and guide. It’s the living Word of God. We need it. God knows we need him to speak to us. If you’ve lost your vision, don’t blame God. Blame yourself. God wants us to see ourselves the way he sees us. We can’t look at the world and say anything about the sinner until we see ourselves as God sees us. Eli had let God down. If we let down, the devil will move in. Eli wasn’t listening to the Lord but the little boy Samuel was. Train the children. They will remember it. Yours and my faithfulness to God will help convict others.
Verses 2-4 state and it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. Do you want to hear the Lord call your name? I’m glad he’s speaking. What are you and I doing with it? When we don’t understand, stand still and wait on him. Samuel went to Eli thinking it was he who was speaking to him. How many times does the Lord have to call our name? Eli perceived it was the Lord. We need that perception. We should be far enough along in our Christian experience to recognize God’s voice and tell it from the voice of Satan. The devil is clever but we don’t have to be deceived. Some lower their guard and are focused on the idea of religion. We need the old time, undefiled religion. God is speaking and will do so all week. He won’t stop at the end of the Friday. That’s the beginning. He wants to do great things and it hinges on if we will listen to him and say ‘speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.’
That’s what Samuel did in verse 11. And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. That opened the gate. This week are you really going to listen to God? A revival can be church wide, county wide, worldwide, but first we have to listen to God individually. We must show ourselves people who listen to God. Are we willing to pay the price of listening? It may be higher than we like. We’ll have to put priorities in line. We can’t hear God for gossiping or trying to tell him what to do. Give him some respect. It is he who made us and not we ourselves. We can never pat ourselves on the back. Our only part is to believe, trust, and listen to what God says.
The Lord told Samuel in verse 11 behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. God told Samuel his ears might tingle. His toes might be mashed but something was going to happen. I need the Lord to do something for me and the church. Are we going to listen to what God wants? It’s easy for God to do it. We are his mouthpiece, his arms and legs. Let’s answer him. Let’s admit we’re not listening. Do what he says and he can accomplish what we think can’t be done.
The Lord will speak this week. Write it down. Tell him to speak on. Keep listening. Do what he says. Then the gates of hell cannot prevail against revival.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 