The Word of the Lord

I certainly want to emulate 1 Samuel 3 in that aside from Samuel, “The Word of the Lord” seems to be most prevalent. I certainly know what it feels like in my own life to have “the word of the Lord” be rare with no widespread revelation.

But there is much to take heart about.

1) Look at how many times it takes Eli and/or Samuel to realize “God is talking!”

A woman shared at Bible Study this morning that “if you don’t think God speaks, you won’t hear Him when He does speak to you!” That seems to be Eli’s problem in today’s passage.

And yet, as I’m beginning to see a little more clearly, God is ever patient with him, and keeps calling ole Eli until he finally gets it (I’m so thankful He gives me more than one chance to follow His calling)!

2) As I attempt to go through the 3-Year Bible Reading Plan with St. Philip’s a little more faithfully than I have other reading plans, I’m encouraged by verse ten where it connects knowing the Lord with the Word of the Lord:

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.

I so desperately desire to know the Lord, to go from a personal relationship with God to an intimate relationship with Him. And this blog has been a GREAT aid for me in that regard.


3) The word of the Lord had not been revealed to Samuel prior to this. This was a new thing for him. So it is excusable that even though Eli gives him a script to say, Samuel neglected a word in the excitement of it all.

• Eli’s script, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.”
• Samuel recites, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

But it is a very key word, at least in my life. That is one area I don’t want to mess things up. I don’t want to forget the Lord in whatever I am doing. I need Him to be in, and central to, everything I do.

4) Oh what faithfulness Samuel demonstrates in this chapter. I am such a banana-back that I don’t know if I could have spoken all the words from God to Eli like Samuel did. He was a faithful messenger, even when the news was difficult or confrontational.

“Samuel told everything and hid nothing…so Samuel grew.”

5) Repeats the encouraging tidbit found in #2, namely, the Lord reveals Himself by the Word of the Lord. And it has proven true that the Word of God leads to The Living Word of God Jesus Christ.

Thank You dear Lord, for Your precious, revealing Word. It is indeed eternal life to intimately know You. I desire to have ears to hear, and a heart that knows You do communicate!