Strangers In The Night 3/4/2016

Good Morning,

Happy Friday everyone! I can see Saturday just over the rim of my Door County Candy Cane Coffee.
I plan on spending some time doing chores tomorrow and then taking in a Sports Show with Rene on Sunday. I am looking to purchase a one man pup tent for my trip to Haiti later this year.

"Strangers In The Night", this was the title to a popular song performed by Frank Sinatra in the 60's. You might be wondering how this could ever be inspirational. Let me try. God desires to have a deep love relationship with us. God does speak, but many people wouldn't know if it was God speaking or the bad burrito they ate. Basically many people have a head knowledge of God, worship Him, pray, but never expect Him to call on them. Basically it's like two strangers meeting in a dormitory on the way to the bathroom. They acknowledge each other in the hall but don't really speak and can't say one thing about the other. Many of us need help believing that God still speaks. I for one believe He does. We need to listen and pray. We need to spend time reading His word. Samuel and God were strangers in the night until Eli intervened and pointed out to the young boy that God was speaking. Some Christians seem so alive and others are not. Those with abundant life usually are in tune with God, listen for Him and obey His call. They know His voice.

1 Samuel 3New King James Version (NKJV)

Samuel’s First Prophecy

3 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. ² And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, ³ and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, ⁴ that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” ⁵ So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”

And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.
⁶ Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!”
So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” ⁷ (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)
⁸ And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.”
Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. ⁹ Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
¹⁰ Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
¹¹ Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. ¹² In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. ¹³ For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. ¹⁴ And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
¹⁵ So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. ¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
¹⁷ And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” ¹⁸ Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
¹⁹ So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

Are you and God on speaking terms? Are you like strangers in the night? Or are you vibrant, just waiting to hear from Him so He can work through you? You are as close to Him as you choose to be. You can hear as much as you choose to listen and obey.

God Bless,
Marty