Speak, Lord, For Your Servant Listens

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.

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.

And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

                                                                           (1 Sam 3:1-10 KJV)

Three times the Lord called out to Samuel. But, Samuel did not recognize the voice until Eli told him that it was the Lord trying to speak with him. 

How often does the Lord speak to us and we do not hear him? Too much noise; too many distractions; too much of everything going on to be still and listen to Him? Maybe you don't listen for His voice because you don't believe that He will actually talk to people in this day and age. 

Praying is not just about telling God what your "give me this list" is. It is not just about thanking him. It is both of those things. But, it is also about listening to Him; listening for God to whisper your name and to affirm that He truly loves you and is with you.

There's a lot of prophecy flying around on the internet these days. I've heard many "prophets" say the Lord told me this or that is going to happen. It can be difficult to know what is real prophecy from God and what is not.  I haven't really seen much, if any, of it come to fruition. The word of the Lord, coming to us in the form of prophecy, does not usually tell us what is going to happen as many of these prophets have been telling us. Prophecy, the word of the Lord, does not work like a fortune teller; it is not like a crystal ball. He does not  tell us the future, especially not in full detail. He has given us free will, so the future can change. As in the days of Jonah, prophecy is most often a warning that there will be consequences if we don't change our ways; if we don't repent of whatever it is that we are doing that we ought not be doing. 

God does speak to us. He speaks to us through the word found in the Holy Scriptures.  He speaks to us through others who know Him. He speaks to us in the stillness of our hearts. But, we can't hear that voice unless we slow down and listen. A little warning here... Have you noticed that many of the prophecies have done nothing more than cause you to be a bit or a lot anxious about the future?  The devil and his minions have no problem with pretending that they are the Lord speaking to you. Make sure the whisper that you hear is from the Lord and not some other entity trying to stir up trouble and that the word you hear is supported by the word found in the  Holy Scriptures.  

In the darkness and the quiet of his room Samuel heard the voice of God call to him. May God help us to change our ways and take the time in prayer to really be still and ask Him to "Speak Lord, for your servant listens." Then listen! Listen to His promise that He loves you and is with you always to comfort and guide you in the way of our Lord Jesus the Christ. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Time With God

Woe unto them that join house to house!

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! (Isa 5:8 KJV)

Isaiah makes it sound like it's a good thing to be alone and for some of us it is. Others, for some reason unknown to me, enjoy living side by side. I've tried it. It was bearable most of the time. I have also lived in places that were not quite so bearable. 

I am still trying to adjust to our latest home. It is a humble home on almost two acres. We really can't see any neighboring houses. The area surrounding our property is wooded areas and we have a small pond in the middle of it. I definitely appreciate those things! Yet, I find myself missing our home in Michigan. There is nothing expansive or extravagant about our property there, either. Yet, it is also mostly surrounded by a cedar swamp except for the bay that connects to Lake Superior in the backyard. There will probably never be anyone building in the swamp to the north of us as the Ojibway Tribe owns hundreds of acres there.  

I miss our secluded place in Michigan; but, when I consider the cold they are experiencing right now and the very slow economy that seems to be terminal there, I can really appreciate our home in Florida. We may not be as secluded as I like; but, it is secluded enough and I do not have to live on top of or below anyone in an apartment or condo. I do not have to live ten feet from my neighbor or contend with an HOA.

There is a time and a place for everything. There is a time and a place to be social. It is a very good thing to be in the company of others. But, there is also a need to be alone at times so that we can find rest in the company of none other than Almighty God. 

We; after all, need some quiet and alone time in order to hear God whisper. When Elijah was on the run and seeking to hear from God, he did not hear Him in the noise. In the sheer silence, he heard His whisper.

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12)

There may be many who can shut out all the noise of living house to house. They may actually enjoy it. I am not one of them. I need the quiet presence of God to keep my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. I thank God often for the homes He has provided me with and for the opportunity to spend time alone with Him.

May God grant you enough quiet to spend quality time with Him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Quiet Hum

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?                                                                                                                                                           (1 Kings 19:11-13 KJV)

I woke up yesterday morning to the quiet hum of distant neighbors' generators. The power was off. It was off for over twelve hours (the reason for no blog yesterday). I spent a lot of time with quiet hums and not just due to generators. As my husband got moving we realized that I need to bring him to the emergency room. (He is fine - probable stomach virus) Since no one except the patient is allowed in the hospital I sat in the truck in the parking lot waiting for about six hours mostly in sheer silence except for the hum of the truck's engine and the air conditioner now and then when it got too stifling sitting there. 

It wasn't a bad day. I appreciate the quiet. Quiet affords us a time to listen for the voice of Lord. Too much noise around us is a distraction. It is a distraction from being more fully in the presence of God. Being present; being aware of God's presence and His voice is a good thing. It can be a very renewing experience to spend time alone with God. Be still and get to know the Lord. Be quiet and listen to Him.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

                                                            (Psalm 46:10-11)

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

God Speaks To Us

"This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’" (Jer 33:2-3 NIV)

Prayer is not just about talking to God. It is also about listening to him. He promises to speak to us; but, we will not hear unless we take the time to listen. His voice comes to us in many ways: in the reading or the hearing of scripture; through the sermons or teachings that we hear while at Worship or Bible Study; through our neighbors as we spend time with them; and in so many other ways. Yes, we can even hear his whisper in our inmost being if we take the time to be quiet and listen. It is most difficult to hear God with the television or radio blaring. Elijah could not hear God in the chaotic winds or earthquake or fire. He heard God's gentle whisper in the sheer silence. (1 Kings 19:11-18)

But, not everyone wants to hear God speak to them. He may tell us something that we do not want to hear. He may ask us to go where we would not choose to go for ourselves; to do something for others that we'd rather not spend our time or talents on. He might even suggest very strongly that we repent; that we turn our lives around and follow His Son. That would require a sacrifice that we do not want to make. So, we turn on the radio, the television, and whatever other noise we can find to lessen the chance that when God speaks we might hear.

God still speaks to His children. Listen to Him!

God's Peace - Pr. J

What To Wear?

“Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 'Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.'”  (Matt 15:1-2 NRSV)

Over the years I have heard a whisper or two about how someone dresses "for church" or how a child misbehaves in the church. Tradition has taught us that there are certain ways we should dress and act in "church." These are traditions that have come down through the generations. I'm thinking Jesus probably did not change clothes to go to the temple or to preach as he was traveling from city to city. During the time Jesus ministered, here on earth, one of the big "no, no's" was to not wash before you eat. There were whole rituals set up to ensure that hands were washed; rituals that were not to be broken.

We have the religious and we have the faithful. The religious might also be faithful; but, there are also those religious persons who will remind us of the Pharisees and scribes who faithfully accused and persecuted Jesus. The man-made laws and traditions certainly set them apart from other people; but, did they set them apart because of their faith in God or because of the faithfulness to man-made traditions and laws?

I remember, years ago at one of the congregations I was serving, one of the members dropped off her child for Worship. I invited the adult to join us; but, she said she couldn't come in because she was wearing a pair of those pants that sort of look like pajamas. Consider this, who exactly are you dressing for? Who are you afraid of offending? Man or God? Do you not pray at home, in the shower, in your pajamas, in the garden, in your running clothes, at work? Do you change clothes before you go before God to speak with Him, in prayer, on all of these occasions? Personally, I don't think God cares what we're wearing. Although, I really appreciate it when the congregation dresses for worship not quite as casually as they normally would; I am not so sure that God cares. 

It does seem that He did care about what those who were serving at his altar wore though. The description of the clothing to be worn by those who were ministering at the altar can be found in Exodus, chapters 28 through 39. 

I must admit that I have not always dressed for worship as others might wish. During, the winter that I was a snow-mobile trail boss in the U.P. of Michigan, I often went to Worship Services in my snow-mobile suit, simply because I did not have time to change and had to get back out on the trails immediately after worship. It was either not change or not Worship. (I was not serving in any capacity at the altar) Which would you choose? Would God prefer I not gather to worship Him with the local community of saints until I have the time to change my attire?

Consider Adam and Eve in that garden, naked. They were in that garden, naked.  God didn't care that they were naked. (Please, don't show up to worship naked.) After they ate of the tree of knowledge, it was they who cared, not God. Since they were ashamed, God made them clothes to cover themselves with and then closed the garden off to them so that they might not eat of the tree of life and live forever.

I like tradition almost as much as the next person; however, let us be mindful that sometimes these traditions separate us from God rather than bring us (and others) closer to him. It is faith in the One who shed His blood for us and not what we wear that reconciles us to God, our Father, in His eternal kingdom.

"This people honors me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,

    teaching human precepts as doctrines." (Matt 15:8-9)

God's Peace - Pr. J