April 9 - Samuel 1:9-4:11

Good morning everyone,

This morning we begin or reading with Hannah in the temple praying to God for a child. Eli the priest observes her there, her lips moving while she is fervently in prayer and assumes she is drunk and calls her out on that. Oh no! she exclaims, explaining to him she had not drank any wine or beer, that she is merely desperate for a baby boy and tells him of the vow she has made to God to turn the baby over to Him if only He would answer her plea positively. Eli answered her by telling her to go in peace, and encouraged her with a blessing. Though Hannah had no real proof her longing for a child would at last come to be, she chose to have faith and believe in what Eli had said to her.

Hanna does, in fact, have a baby boy, names him Samuel and when he is weaned at three years old, takes him back to the temple where after sacrificing a bull she once more has a conversation with Eli reminding him of who she was and presents Samuel to him, giving him back to the Lord, to be in His service all the days of his life.

In chapter two we read the beautiful poetic poem of praise Hannah prayed to God for the opportunity to have had, if even for a short time in her home, Samuel. Please notice though, if you will, Hannah couldn’t resist the less than kind references to Peninnah. Have you ever been in a public prayer setting and heard someone praying in a way to get someone to do something, or perhaps a way of letting you know what is going on in someone else's life in the name of prayer. It could sound something like “Oh Lord please help so and so not be so angry with their spouse for cheating on them.” When really all that need to be said was, “Be with so and so during this hard time in their life, protect them from the attacks of the enemy.” Make sense?

Samuel will grow to be a prophet and the Lord begins talking to him at a time when messages from the Lord were quite rare and visions uncommon. Having said that, one night while Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, the Lord called “Samuel”. Up he jumped thinking it was Eli who was by now nearly blind, in need of assistance. But Eli said it wasn’t him who called Samuel and told him to go lie back down. The Lord called Samuel again and again, and each time he went to Eli looking to help him, each time being told Eli had not called him until after the third time when it dawned on Eli what was going on and told Samuel to say “Speak, for your servant is listening.” the next time he heard his name called. Samuel did just that and God spoke to him about how Eli’s sons were messed up and judgement was coming to Eli and his family. Eli later asked Samuel what the voice had said to him and Samuel, bless his heart, did not want to say for fear of hurting Eli’s feelings, he did however tell him. The lord continued to reveal himself to Samuel through His word at Shilo and we’re told all Israel recognized Samuel as a prophet of the Lord.

In our world today, God typically speaks to us through the voice of our conscience, Bible verses, feelings, and even the positive urgings of other people, but do we listen? Do we slow down enough to even hear? If so, how do you, how do I respond when the Holy Spirit prompts us? Hopefully with patience and love. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of peace, who is gentle and kind. Isaiah 55:12 says, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” Let us take a lesson from Samuel and always deliver even the most difficult of messages God sends us out with in humility and kindness. Amen?

I pray you all have a great day, to God be the glory.

God bless you all …