Samuel Heard God's Voice

1 Samuel 3

"Then Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.'"  1 Samuel 3:10b

We live in a very busy, noisy world.  Usually the radio or t.v. is on, the computer or Ipad is in action, and the cell phone is ringing.  The dishwasher, washer, dryer, or vacuum may be running.  Someone may be mowing a yard or blowing leaves.  There is noise and competition for our attention on all sides.  If God's still, small voice were speaking to you, do you think you would be able to hear it?

God wanted to send a message to Israel, but nobody was listening for His voice.  Because of the lack of men who were waiting  for the Lord to speak, God picked the lad Samuel, who was probably around twelve years old at the time, to be His messenger.

Notice when God spoke to Samuel.  It was at night when everything was still and quiet.  God called Samuel four times.  The first three times Samuel went to Eli, thinking he had called. Then Eli realized that God was calling, and he instructed Samuel to tell God to speak, that he was listening.

God told Samuel that He was going to punish Eli's wicked sons for their sins.  Samuel was reluctant to give Eli God's message, but, when Eli asked about it the next morning, he insisted that Samuel tell him everything God had said.  Eli was teaching Samuel what to do with God's message.  A prophet is to give the whole word of God, no matter how hard it is to tell it.  Kenneth Chafin said, "This may have been Eli's greatest gift, teaching Samuel to be open and honest about God's word; not to try to please people with the message; and to resist the temptation to edit or moderate the word."

Samuel passed the test of speaking the whole truth.  1 Samuel 3:18a says,  "So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him."  Eli took the news well because he realized that his sons deserved the punishment that was coming.

Marilyn Morgan Helleberg said,  "Just as God spoke to Samuel, could it be that He speaks to us too, but that His voice is drowned out by the t.v., by small talk, by all the distractions of daily life, and, most of all, by our own incessant thoughts?"

The psalmist tells us in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God."   J. B. Phillips wrote,  "If the Christian is to maintain the spiritual life within him, he must, by desperate resolution, elbow a space in his daily activities when he can obey the command to 'Be still and know that I am God.'"  If we want to hear God, we must take the time to listen.

Father, it is so important that we hear Your voice, Your directions, and Your encouragement.  I pray that each of us reading this devotional will take time to draw apart, be still, and listen for You to speak everyday.  Amen.

Hannah's Son

1 Samuel 2:12-36

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit."  Judges 21:25

There was a lack of leadership in Israel at the time Samuel was born.  Everybody was just doing their own thing their own way.  This brought a certain amount of chaos and anarchy to the nation.  It is human nature to do what pleases us, but that doesn't make for a stable society.  The books of 1 and 2 Samuel tell of the transition between the time of the judges and the time of the kings of Israel.  They also show how Israel grew from a loosely joined group of tribes into a unified nation under David's rule.  There are three major characters in these two books--Samuel, Saul, and David.

Hannah was focused on how much she wanted a child, and God repaid her sacrifice of Samuel by giving her more children--three more sons and two daughters.  God saw a much bigger picture.  He saw the need for another godly leader for the Israelites.  Warren Wiersbe wrote,  "It's an awesome fact that, humanly speaking, the future of the nation rested with this godly woman's prayers; and yet how much in history has depended on the prayers of suffering and sacrificing people, especially mothers...Never underestimate the home or the power of a little child dedicated to God."

It is interesting that when God gets ready to do something very special in history, the first phase of His plan has often been to send a particular baby.  Several times these babies were sent to women who had been childless for a long time.  That was the case with Samuel.  Eli was old, and his sons were evil.  God wanted a new leader to shepherd His people, and He sent Samuel to the nation of Israel through Hannah.

Old Eli had not been a very good father to his sons.  People told him about the way they disregarded God's instructions concerning the sacrifices and how they seduced women who were helping to serve at the entrance to the tabernacle.  Eli spoke to his sons about their behavior, but he failed to discipline them or remove them from their duties.

Hannah had left her precious son to grow up in this atmosphere.  She had to trust that God would take care of her child, and He did.  Little Samuel thrived in the temple, helping Eli serve God.  1 Samuel 2:26 tells us,  "And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men."

When God gives people the privilege of serving Him, if they are unfaithful and dishonoring to Him, He will raise up someone else in their places.  God's work will go on, but other people will be doing it.  Samuel was God's replacement for Eli's two disobedient sons.

Father, may we be careful to use well the opportunities You give us to serve You.  May we honor and obey You.  Amen.

Hannah's Prayer

1 Samuel 1:1-2:11

"There was a certain man...whose name was Elkanah...He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah.  Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none."  1 Samuel chapter 1, part of verse 1 and verse 2

This is always an emotional story for me.  I can feel Hannah's pain, and my heart hurts for her.  It was sad enough for Hannah that she had no children.  Barrenness was considered a tragedy and a disgrace for an Israelite woman.  Worse, she had to watch Elkanah's other wife as she became pregnant, then cuddled and nursed her babies and played with her older children.  The rivalry between two wives must have been fierce, and Peninnah made things worse by taunting Hannah.  This went on day after day and year after year.  To top it off, Elkanah didn't understand Hannah's longing for children.  He loved her and was very generous to her, which he thought should be enough.  When he took his wives to Shiloh to worship God every year, Peninnah provoked Hannah until she wept and would not eat.  Elkanah would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping?  Why don't you eat?  Why are you downhearted?  Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"  1 Samuel 1:8

One year when they were at Shiloh, Hannah prayed in deep anguish, sobbing as she prayed.  She made a vow to God that if He would give her a son, she would give him back to the Lord.  After they returned home from this trip, God indeed gave her a son whom she named Samuel.  Imagine how she must have enjoyed this baby for whom she had longed and prayed for such a long time.  But always in the back of her mind must have been her vow to give him back to God, which, for her, meant taking him to Shiloh and allowing him to live in the temple there.

God doesn't require us to make vows to Him, but if we make a vow, He expects us to keep it.  Numbers 30:2,  "When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said."

Hannah kept Samuel at home until she weaned him.  Mothers in her culture often nursed their babies until they were around three years old because of lack of refrigeration for milk, so perhaps Samuel was about this age when Hannah took her precious baby and left him at the temple with Eli the priest.  How hard this must have been but, amazingly, Hannah did not cry but sang a song of praise to the One she loved even more than she loved her little son.  What an example for us.  Hopefully our hearts will praise God in every situation we encounter.

Father, may we always love You more than anyone or anything else.  May we praise You whatever our situation.  Amen.

A Biblical Love Story

Ruth 1-4

"Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.  Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."  Ruth 1:16-17 (King James Version)

The story of Ruth is a boy meets girl love story, a romance.  If a man were watching a movie of the life of Ruth, he would call it a chick flick.

This story took place during the time of the Judges.  Those were dark days filled with chaos, immorality, and depravity in society.  Charles Swindoll wrote,  "Ruth is like a bright, beautiful emerald placed on the black velvet of the times in which she lived."  We are encouraged by Ruth to remember that there are people who choose to walk with God in every generation, regardless of the prevailing culture.

The story opens with a famine in Bethlehem.  A Jew in Bethlehem named Elimelek moved with his wife Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Kiliion, to Moab, a pagan land of idol worshipers and former enemies of the Israelites.  Ironically, Elimelek took his family to Moab to escape the famine and save their lives, but he and his two sons died in Moab.

After several years Naomi heard that the famine was over in Bethlehem, and she decided to return to her homeland.  Her sons had married Moabite women, and they set out to go to Bethlehem with Naomi.  Naomi must have been a wonderful mother-in-law to have inspired such love and loyalty in her daughters-in-law.

Naomi insisted that the girls go back to their own families, and Orpah turned back, but Ruth was determined to go to Bethlehem with Naomi.  They arrived at the beginning of the barley harvest, and Ruth went out into one of the fields to glean, to pick up fallen bits of grain that were left for the poor.  The field belonged to a man named Boaz, and when he came to check the field Ruth caught his eye.  He already knew her reputation and admired her because of it.  He treated her with kindness and generosity.

At the end of the harvest season Ruth let Boaz know that she was interested in him according to the custom of the day.  Boaz was pleased and began at once to make arrangements to marry Ruth.  After they wed, God sent them a son whom they named Obed.  He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David, King of Israel.  What a happy ending!

Maybe you wish you had a romantic story like Ruth's in your life.  If you are a Christian, you do.  The book of Ruth is a picture of the love story between the church, which includes all Christians and is represented by Ruth, and Christ, Who is represented by Boaz.  If we put our hand of faith into God's hand of grace, God will make us the very bride of Christ Himself!

Thank You, Father, for Your love for us and Your wonderful plans for our future.  Amen.

Strong Man Samson

Judges 13-14

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us."  Romans 12:6a

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."  1 Corinthians 15:7

After their last bout with idol worship, the Israelites became very contrite, and God sent them a leader named Jephthah, who rescued them from the Ammonites and ruled over them for six years.  He was followed by three judges, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.  After their rule the Israelites fell back into idol worship.  Would they never learn?  This time God allowed the Philistines to oppress them for forty years, the longest recorded time of oppression.

A man named Samson stepped onto the stage of history at this point.  Charles Swindoll called him "a he man with a she weakness."  Unfortunately, this is a pretty apt description.

Samson had a great start in life.  An angel told his parents they would have a son.  In a time of widespread wickedness, Samson was born to godly parents who were eager to raise him well.  God chose for Samson to be a Nazarite from birth.  A Nazarite was a person who was especially dedicated to God and to God's service.  Judges 13:24-25 tells us that the Lord blessed Samson, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him.  He had  everything going for him.  But Samson failed to live up to his potential.  He used his incredible strength selfishly.  He allowed himself to be distracted by women.  He could have been a much better leader with all the assets God had given him.  Nevertheless, Samson led Israel for twenty years.  He began freeing the Israelites from the Philistines, but their deliverance was continued under Samuel and completed under David.

The right kind of woman can be very good for a man, but the wrong kind can be very harmful.  Samson got mixed up with the wrong kind of women.  Two were Philistine women who were more loyal to their people than to Samson, and they sold Samson out.  Scripture also mentions a tryst with a prostitute.

In Judges & Ruth- Everyman's Bible Commentary, Arthur Lewis says,  "No one could ask for a better start in life.  He enjoyed every endowment a person could hope for...Samson had great potential and many opportunities to use his gifts for God's purpose and glory."  Sadly, his selfishness and his lust for the wrong kind of women kept him from being the leader he should have been.

God has given each of us gifts and opportunities to use our gifts for His purposes and His glory.  Are we living up to our potential?  Are we using well the resources God has given us to serve Him?

Father, may we seek to be all that You have created us to be and do all that You have created us to do.  Amen.

The Battle is the Lord's

Judges 6:36-7:25

"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army [or whatever else you may be facing].  For the battle is not yours, but God's."  2 Chronicles 20:15b

God allowed the Israelites to be in several impossible situations so He could show them both His mighty power and His faithfulness to rescue them.  Remember when they were slaves in Egypt with no way of escape, and God performed miracles that finally persuaded Pharaoh to let them go?  Remember how they were hemmed in with the Red Sea in front of them, mountains on each side of them, and the Egyptian army moving in behind them, and God opened up the Red Sea?  Remember when they needed to cross the Jordan River at flood stage, and God opened up a path through it into the land of Canaan?  God often places us in situations where we are completely helpless.  If we trust and obey Him, He rescues us against overwhelming odds.  Our part is to give Him all the praise and all the glory.  It is our privilege and pleasure to tell others what the Lord has done.

God wanted the Israelites to see His power and His faithfulness again.  Gideon had raised an army of 32,000 men to face a Midianite army so vast that their camels were too numerous to count.  God told Gideon he had too many men and to send those who were afraid home.  22,000 men left, leaving an army of 10,000.  God said that was still too many men.  He told Gideon to take the soldiers to the water and separate those who drank from their cupped hands by lapping the water from those who knelt to drink.  Three hundred men cupped their hands and lapped, and God told Gideon to send the rest home.  Now God had the Israelites right where He wanted them--in an impossible situation.

That night, after the Midianite soldiers had gone to sleep, Gideon and his soldiers quietly surrounded the camp.  They each had a jar with a torch inside in one hand and a trumpet in the other hand.  When Gideon gave the signal, they smashed the jars, releasing the torches.  They blew the trumpets and shouted,  "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon."  God caused such confusion in the camp that he Midianite soldiers began to fight each other and then run away.  God came to the rescue of His people in another impossible situation.  His promise that the battle is the Lord's is a promise for us in our difficult and impossible situations as well, if we will trust Him and obey Him as Gideon did.

Father, nothing is too hard for You.  May we trust you in all the situations of our lives.  Thank You for all the times You have rescued us already.  Amen.

Putting Out a Fleece

Judges 6:1-35

God promised Gideon,  "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive."  Judges 6:16

Are you familiar with the expression "putting out a fleece?"  It comes from the story of Gideon.  It means asking God for a visible sign for reassurance or direction, asking God to guide us in some decision by fulfilling a condition that we make.

The Midianites, Amalekites, and some other eastern soldiers joined forces to create a vast army.  They camped in the Valley of Jezreel, preparing to attack the Israelites.  Gideon gathered his own army, but when he contemplated the upcoming battle, he got cold feet.  He asked God for a sign that the Israelite army would be victorious.  Judges 6:36-40 tells us the story,  "Gideon said to God, 'If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised--look, I will place a wool fleece [a piece of wool] on the threshing floor.  If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.'  And that is what happened.  Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew--a bowlful of water.  Then Gideon said to God, 'Do not be angry with me.  Let me make just one more request.  Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.'  That night God did so.  Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew."

God knew His general needed reassurance, so He did as Gideon asked.  There may be times for us when putting out a fleece is helpful.   However, we have better ways to determine God's leading.  Warren Wiersbe has this to say about putting out a fleece,  "Putting out the fleece is not a Biblical method for determining the will of God.  Rather, it's an approach used by people like Gideon who lack the faith to trust God to do what he said He would do.....Putting out the fleece is not only an evidence of our unbelief, but it's also an evidence of our pride.  God has to do what I tell Him to do before I'll do what He tells me to do."  Gideon should have simply believed God's word to him--God's promise of victory.  That would have shown faith, while asking for a sign revealed Gideon's doubt.

Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding/ in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight."  As we read God's word to understand His will, talk over the decisions we need to make with our Heavenly Father and ask for His guidance, then trust Him to guide us as He has said He would, we can walk with assurance that we are in the center of His will for our lives.

Father, may we talk over the decisions we need to make with You and trust You to lead us in the path You have planned for us.  Amen.