GOD IS CALLING US—ARE WE LISTENING?
The lesson today from 1st Samuel is a message to us.
God is calling us—are we listening?
Samuel is just a boy entrusted to ‘look out for’ and ‘serve’ Eli—an old man losing his sight. They live in the Temple of the Lord.
One night Samuel is in his room and hears his name called. He knows his job so he runs to Eli and says “Here I am, you called me.”
Eli tells him he didn’t call for him and tells him to go back and lie down.
That happens two more times—three in all. Then Eli realized God must be calling Samuel. He tells him to go back and when he is called for again to say, “speak Lord, you servant is listening.”
Samuel does as Eli asks and God speaks to him.
But it took four tries.
God calls for us. Are we listening? Will we recognize it is God calling? How many times will God call before we say, “speak Lord, your servant is listening”?
Nathnael is quicker to hear the voice of God, even though he said, on the way to meet Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
As soon as Jesus tells Nathnael he saw him under a fig tree, Nathnael says, “Rabbi, you are the son of God, you are the King of Israel!”
And Jesus tells him he will see greater thing. He will even see “the heavens opened and angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
God calls to us.
Do we hear him?
I’d say evidence that we do are found in the back of the sanctuary where you bring food and clothing for the ‘least of these in our midst’.
More evidence is your work at Soup Kitchens and Homeless Shelters.
Beyond that is your financial support for Trinity and your attendance at services here.
We may not always recognize the voice of God—but you members and friends of Trinity Church hear it enough to make a difference in the community and the world.
“Speak, Lord, for your servants listen….”
Shalom and Amen
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