Mistaken Identity

~~~ 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20 ~~~ Psalm 40 ~~~ Mark 1:29-39 ~~~

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Young Samuel was sleeping close to the Lord in the Ark of the Covenant.
The closer you bring yourself to the Lord
the more likely you are to hear his voice.
God spoke to Samuel in a dream, but the boy was confused.
He was experiencing mistaken identity.
He thought it was the voice of Eli calling him when in fact it was the Lord.

Eli, being a holy man, eventually directed Samuel
 to identify the voice of the Lord.
It is not surprising that Samuel would listen for the voice
of Eli even while sleeping.
He was Eli's devoted servant. Eli was his elder...his teacher.
Samuel had much love and admiration for Eli.
Eli was the mentor, Samuel the apprentice.

Jesus quietly slips away before dawn to pray.
He separates himself to get recharged with the Spirit.
He has been walking, touching, healing, and forgiving all day every day.

“Everyone is looking for you.”

In his slumber Samuel was not looking for the Lord,
but the Lord sought out this young man.

Imagine if everyone was looking for you?
This reminds me of another time in the scriptures where
everyone is looking for Jesus.
The first time he slips away on his own
 and goes to the temple to preach.
Mary and Joseph have no idea where he has gone.
They are frantically looking for their young son.
Eventually he is found in his Father's house where he belongs.

This time the disciples do not know that Jesus
has withdrawn to pray alone.

Jesus is very independent; he does not have
servants that tend to his daily needs.
He has, however, surrounded himself with a few men
who are willing to take a chance and follow him.

Eli has Samuel as his closest companion.
Through Hannah's prayers and through the wisdom
 and guidance of Eli
Samuel grows up in the grace of God.
God sees a potential in Samuel to accomplish
great things later in his life.

God sees potential in you too.
Are you willing to explore your future with him?
Will you respond...here I am, Lord?
Look inside for there your true identity
 is being blessed by God.
Peace.

The Listening Servant

Okay I have a confession to make....I am addicted to the Internet. I was not able to post yesterday due to our modem ceasing to work.

The scripture for yesterday was the beautiful story of young Samuel. So Hannah was indeed blessed with a son...Samuel. It seems she made sure to keep her promise to God and arranged for Samuel to reside in the temple with Eli. How convenient when you have promised to give your child back to God.

Samuel in his youth is unfamiliar with the voice of the Lord. While he is sleeping he mistakenly thinks that Eli is calling him. He has gotten used to being called by Eli. Eli is his teacher, Eli is his mentor in the ways of God.

God is patient with the young boy and calls him not once, but three times. God is often persistent when he calls us too. Through the wisdom and guidance of Eli Samuel answers the Lord with a most profound response.  "Speak Lord for your servant is listening." Those words are so meaningful to me. Whenever I am faced with discerning a choice in my life this short verse comes to mind.

Part of praying is being able to humbly and sincerely speak those same words to the Lord. Once I have committed to listening to the Lord the whole game changes and I become God's instrument. I accept his invitation to "Come follow me". Sometimes listening to the Lord can be challenging, because sometimes he calls you where you do not want to go. Other times I have been listening and God is silent. When God is silent I sometimes get frustrated and confused about where he wants me. It is hard to wait.

I pray that you may recognize the voice of the Lord in your life and that you will respond appropriately. The Lord used Eli to alert Samuel to the voice of God and God can also use people in your life in the same fashion...to help you discern the voice of the Lord.

When you listen to the Lord you are filled with the brilliance of Love.

This image was captured from a glass candle holder etched with the letters

L O V E.