ANSWERING THE CALL
1 SAMUEL 3:10
INTRODUCTION:
I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE CAN RECALL A TIME IN THEIR CHILDHOOD WHEN THEY RECEIVED A CALL FROM FATHER OR MOTHER. FOR SOME, IT WAS LATE IN THE EVEVING WHEN THE SUN WAS GOING DOWN OR SOME CHORE HAD TO BE DONE.
SOME HEARD THEIR PARENTS VOICE AND CAME INSTANTLY, RUNNING THROUGH THE FIELD, DOWN SOME DUSTY ROAD. SOME TOOK SHORT CUTS DOWN THE ALLEYWAY. THERE WERE OTHERS WHO DID NOT ANSWER IMMEDIATELY BUT CHOSE TO LET MOTHER YELL A FEW TIMES, BUT SOMEHOW, THEY ALWAYS KNEW THEIR LIMIT AND SHOWED UP ON TIME.
TODAY AS WE BUSILY PURSUE THE VARIOUS COURSES THAT LIFE TAKES US, GOD CALLS US TO DO HIS WORK AND WHEN THE CALL COMES, WE HAVE TO ANSWER THE CALL. ANSWERING THE CALL MAY CAUSE US TO HAVE TO RESHUFFLE OUR TIME, REAPPLY OUR TALENTS, AND REFOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THE WORKS OF THE KINGDOM.
I AM SAD TO REPORT THAT JUST AS WE REACT TO OUR PARENTS CALL IN THE PAST, BY ALLOWING THEM TO CALL AND CALL AND CALL, SO DO WE ALLOW GOD TO CALL AND CALL. BUT JUST AS WE KNEW WHEN WE HAD PUSHED OUR PARENTS TO THE DANGEROUS POINT, SO ALSO THE WISE KNOW WHEN GOD HAS CALLED FOR THE LAST TIME.
OUR TEXT TELLS US OF A BOY NAMED SAMUEL AS HE IS BEING BROUGHT TO THE TEMPLE BY HIS MOTHER HANNAH WHO HAD PROMISED GOD IF HE WOULD ALLOW HER TO GIVE BIRTH TO A MAN CHILD WHEN HE BECOME OF AGE BEING WEANED, SHE WOULD GIVE HIM BACK FOR SERVICE TO GOD.
AT THE TIME OF OUR TEXT SAMUEL WAS ABOUT TWELVE YEARS OLD. HIS DUTIES WERE TO ASSIST ELI IN HIS PRESTLY DUTIES, AND IT WAS HIS CUSTOM TO SLEEP NEAR ELI JUST IN CASE HE WAS CALLED IN THE NIGHT.
THE TEXT PROJECTS THAT ON ONE NIGHT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, YOUNG SAMUEL HEARD HIS NAME BEING CALLED. ON EACH OCCASION HE AWOKE AND WENT TO ELI AND SAID "HERE AM I" ON EACH OCCASION HE FOUND OUT THAT ELI HAD NOT CALLED.
(RECOGNIZING THE VOICE OF GOD)
FROM THIS TEXT, TWO POINTS CLEARLY GRABS OUR ATTENTION. (1) BE AWARE THAT CONFUSION (WILL) COME WHEN GOD’S VOICE IS NOT RECONGNIZED. YOUNG SAMUEL DID NOT RECOGNIZE GOD’S VOICE SO HE AUTOMATICALLY SOUGHT OUT ELI.
THERE ARE MANY VOICES IN GOD’ HOUSE AND IF YOU DO NOT APPLY GOD’S METHOD OF UNDERSTANDING WHO IS SPEAKING, YOU CAN BE MISLEAD, COMFUSED AND JUST DOWNRIGHT FRUSTRATED. JUST LIKE SAMUEL, THERE ARE THOSE WHO HEAR GOD SPEAK AND THINK IT’S ELI, AND THERE ARE ALSO THOSE WHO HEAR ELI SPEAK AND THINK IT’S GOD.
GOD USES THE MINISTER AS A VEHICLE HROUGH WHICH HE DECLARES THE WORD AND POINTS THE WAY. GOD USES MEN AND WOMEN AS TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, CHOIR DIRECTORS, TRAINING LEADERS, SUPERINTENDENT, DEACONS, TRUSTEE AND MISSION LEADER TO CONVEY HIS WORD. BUT EVERY CHRISTIAN IS ADMONISHED AND WARNED IN (1 JOHN 4:1)TO "TRY THE SPIRIT" AND BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT BUT TEST WHAT IS SAID AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD.
WHEN GOD SPEAKS AN INDELIBLE IMPRINT IS MADE UPON THE SOUL OF MAN. WHEN GOD SPEAKS INDECISION’S CRUMBLE INTO RESOLUTION. WHEN GOD SPEAKS, THE VALLEYS OF DESPAIR ARE EXALTED INTO MOUNTAINS OF HOPE. WHEN GOD SPEAKS, TEARS OF ANGUISH ARE ROLLED AWAY REVEALING JOY, PEACE, CONTENTMENT AND A BRIGHTER DAY.
THE SONG WRITER DECLARED THAT WHEN HE SPEAKS THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE IS SO SWEET, AND HE WALKS WITH ME AND HE TALKS WITH ME AND HE TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN AND THE JOY WE SHARE AS WE TARRY THERE, NONE OTHER HAS EVER KNOWN. WHEN GOD SPEAKS. (2) SECONDLY, THE TEXT POINTS OUT THAT SAMUEL WAS NOT AWARE HOW TO LET GOD TALK WITH HIM. SAMUEL WAS NOT IGNORANT OF THE THINGS OF GOD. HE HAD BEEN RAISED IN THE TEMPLE. HE WAS WELL VERSED ON THE RITUAL, THE TORAH AND OTHER SACRED WRITINGS. HE WAS ACQUAINTED WITH THE SYNAGOGUE HE KNEW THE ORDER OF WORSHIP BUT WHEN GOD GOT READY TO USE HIM IN HIS SERVICE, HE HAD TO BE TAUGHT HOW TO LET GOD LEAD HIM.
ELI SPOKE TO HIM AND GAVE HIM INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO RESPOND WHEN GOD CALLED. ELI INSISTED THAT THE NEXT TIME GOD SPOKE, DON’T JUMP UP, BE STILL AND RECEIVE WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOU. NEVER MOVE UNTIL YOU RECOGNIZE GOD’S VOICE AND HAVE RECEIVED YOUR INSTRUCTION.
CLOSING
SAMUEL TOOK ELI’S ADVICE AND WHEN THE VOICE OF GOD WAS HEARD, HE ANSWERED "SPEAK LORD,FOR THY SERVANT HEARTH". SAMUEL HAS LEARNED SERVANTHOOD AND SUBMISSION WELL. AS HE HAS BEEN IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE TO ELI, HE IS NOW IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE TO THE LORD.
OFTEN WE JUMP QUICKLY TO ACCEPT A "CALL" TO SERVICE WITHOUT PAUSING TO SAY "SPEAK LORD, SHOW ME THE WAY". SAMUEL HEARD THE CALL AND AFTER PAUSING LONG ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND, "ANSWERED THE CALL".
BE READY TO OBEY THE WORDS. THE LORD SPEAKS TO YOU, KNOW THAT GOD ONLY CONTINUES TO SPEAK TO THOSE WHO DO WHAT HE SAYS.
