Daily Dose of the Word of God - 1 Samuel 3: 15-21

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

Transcript

Gregg DeMey 0:07  

Good Morning and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It's Thursday, October 9. This is Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor at the church, and we are walking through the Bible. Our reading today is from 1 Samuel 3: 15 through 21. It's the end of our main passage this week. Let's notice how God is at work here.

Gregg DeMey  0:26  

Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”  Samuel answered, “Here I am.”  “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”  The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. 

Gregg DeMey  1:23  

So Samuel faced a really difficult test as a young boy, having heard the voice of the Lord, which spoke a message of judgment regarding his mentor and father figure (Eli's family). Would Samuel have the courage to speak up and speak out? Sometimes - most of the times - it's a burden to hear the voice of God and receive the Word of the Lord. But Samuel, encouraged by Eli, does speak up. Eli (to his credit) receives the word and surrenders to the will and the goodness of God. Really hearing from God creates unity in the long term. It creates unity between Samuel and Eli.

Gregg DeMey  2:11  

Samuel grew up and grew into the role of prophet. A prophet is someone who speaks to the people for God and to God on behalf of the people. Jesus' spirit now empowers all of us to do this to one degree or another. When's the last time that you heard from God? When was the last time you received a word of direction, correction, encouragement, challenge or confirmation from your good shepherd? Another question: are you speaking to God on anyone's behalf? That is, are you interceding, praying, pleading for anybody these days? Is God using you to speak or act in some creative way that represents him in the world?

Gregg DeMey  2:56  

Let's pray. God, today, along with Samuel, we say, "here I am." Would you be so good as to speak to us by your Spirit today too, even if it's a difficult or challenging word. we long to hear your voice. We pray in Jesus. Name, Amen. You.