.

Sermon Transcript

I could tune out any adult-toned voice, especially my parents’. Maybe I was the only one, but I can remember—time and time again—my parents looking at me square in the face and asking, “Tyler! Are you listening?” And I would bald-faced lie: “Absolutely, Mom, absolutely!” She’d tell me something important, like what to do, and I’d say, “Okay, great!”—and I’d go off and do something entirely different! And what I thought was really Padawan skills turned into a Jedimaster as I grew older.

Not only did my ability to not listen not go away as I grew older, it got far better–to where I can look somebody in the face today, and they can ask, “Tyler, are you listening?” And I can pay attention to what you’re saying: “Absolutely, I am listening!” Not to a word! I’m actually in a happy place somewhere else in my mind, doing something else.

Sadly, I think it’s a genetic disease, because I’ve seen this same skill set in my kids. I have a five-year-old son, Jax, and I have a two-year-old daughter whom we call Baby Girl. Now, Jax was pretty rough with listening. We would say, “Jax, you shouldn’t do that. You don’t put the screwdriver in the socket!” And he would just shove it in. Now, Baby Girl, she takes it to a whole ‘nother level! She’s three years behind Jax and she just multiplies what he does. Which is great for her–rough on us! So, when I think about now, “Are you listening?”—I know what my parents felt. I feel the pain they felt.

And as I look at my kids—at Jax and at Adalie (which is my daughter’s real name), I over and over and over again want, more than anything, for them to hear what I’m saying! Not just hear the things they want to hear, like, “It’s dinnertime.”—but to hear the things that will benefit them: “Jax, Adalie, please don’t do this. Please don’t do that.” If I’m honest, Janelle does a way better job at this than I do. But, when we see our kids listen, man, it’s like watching Michael Phelps win his eightieth gold medal! It’s amazing! We applaud and we cheer and we get excited, because they finally grasped what we’re sharing with them. They are listening!

As we look at 1 Samuel chapter 3 today, we’ll see God challenging us to listen. So I’m going to ask you to put on your “listening ears” (I don’t know if parents still do this; I don’t, but my parents did: “Tyler, put on your listening ears!”), and I want us to cue in for these few moments to hear how God speaks to us. Where going to look at 1 Samuel chapter 3, and we’re going to see four different checkpoints and our response to hearing God speak. God is asking us to listen! But are we? Hopefully, this morning, we are.

We’ll read 1 Samuel 3, the first ten verses to start. The Bible says: “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.”

            “Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, ‘Here I am!’  and ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.”

            “And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘“Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’” [1 Samuel 3:1-10 ESV]

 

  1. Checkpoint 1: Calling. (1-10)

 

So, if we are to listen to God, the first checkpoint that we see is that God is calling us. God is calling us, much like He was calling Samuel.

In the first verse of chapter 3, we see the unique setting of Samuel’s calling: “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” So, Samuel is ministering to the Lord. He’s serving in the temple under the high priest, Eli. And the Bible makes an amazing statement. It says the word of the Lord was rare; there was no frequent vision.

The word the Bible uses for “rare” is a unique word. It’s a word that means “precious,” or “noble,” or “scarce.” It would be as if you walked into your back yard and you found the most beautiful diamond in the world, just sitting there. I don’t know about you, but I don’t live in that place. And if I found that, I’d think, “This is rare! This will not happen again!”

The word of the Lord was rare, it wasn’t prevalent. Samuel is called by the Lord in the midst of a spiritual drought. God was not communicating to His people, but not because He didn’t have anything to say. If you look back at chapter 2, it’s because His people had turned away from Him. And Samuel is called, and, God overlooked the likely candidate. Samuel’s about twelve or thirteen years old, at this moment in his life, and he’s ministering with Eli. And God doesn’t call Eli, the high priest. He calls Samuel, the boy.

So, Samuel is in this unique setting, in a culture that isn’t pursuing God—in a culture that’s forgotten what God has commanded them—and He comes and He calls Samuel. We see some unique, specific characteristics between Samuel and Eli in verses 2 and 3: “At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.”

Eli Samuel
Unholiness Holiness
Blindness Sight
Darkness Light
Distance from God Closeness to God

 

Eli had been pursuing an unholy life.

Again, if you look back at 1 Samuel 2, you’ll read the account of Eli’s sin and the sins of his family. But we see Samuel, this unique boy, set apart by birth for service to the Lord. We see him set apart for holiness.

We see Eli being blind, so blind he can’t see, and we see Samuel possessing sight. We see Eli dwelling in darkness, outside of the tabernacle; we see Samuel dwelling in light. Finally, we see a characteristic of Eli where he is far from God, he’s distant from God, but notice where Samuel is. Samuel’s in the temple, sleeping next to the ark, where he’s close to God.

I would venture to say that, thirteen years ago when God initially called me, he called me from an unholy life—pursuing my own selfish gains—to one that fulfills His holiness and the desire to pursue Him. He called me from spiritual blindness and opened my eyes to my sinfulness, and brought me into sight. He brought me from darkness into light, and finally, He brought me from being far from Him to being close to Him. And today, as the Lord calls—as He called Samuel, as He calls you, as He calls me—He’s calling us to embrace holiness, to embrace sight, to embrace light, and to embrace a closeness to Him. He’s calling us!

This morning, I would venture to say that there are probably some of us here who have endured moments—and months and months—of anguish and pain: you’ve lost a spouse, you’ve lost a child, your wife or your husband has told you they wanted a divorce, you failed a class, you failed an exam. You have experienced excruciating pain. And in that moment—hear me when I say it—God is calling you to closeness with Him, not distance.

In our lives, Janelle’s and mine, there were moments, really, about two years ago, when Janelle got really sick. And in that moment, we thought the smart and wise thing to do was to withdraw from community–not from church, not from the Lord. We didn’t turn our backs on the Lord at all, but we withdrew from the community that was around us. Because in our minds, that was the best way to deal with what was going on.

Can I tell you that in the midst of pain and anguish, it would have been so much richer—it would have been so much better for us—to lean into that community than to withdraw from it? In the moments of pain and anguish, it would have been better for us to push in and become more committed, more involved, get more into the community that was around us than to withdraw. So, let me encourage you, if you have endured pain, anguish—excruciating pain and anguish—don’t withdraw from the Lord. He’s calling you. He’s calling you to a closeness with Him.

Some of us, this morning, have heard the Lord’s call. And I love that we had baptisms this morning, because it’s a beautiful picture of responding to God’s call on your life. He’s calling you from an unholy life to one of holiness, from darkness to light. We’ve responded and we’ve placed our faith and our trust and our desires in Jesus, but we have allowed our hearing to become dull. Are we listening? God’s still calling. Are we listening? Don’t allow your hearing to be dulled anymore! Be awakened to the joys and the beauty and the grace that is Christ! Allow the Word of the Lord be a crisp, refreshing wind to your soul. Don’t be deafened anymore. God’s calling you. He’s calling you.

I would also say that there are some here today, that the Word of the Lord has been rare in their life. And it’s scarce; it hasn’t been present. You came to the church on a new time. You didn’t know what you were walking into. Welcome to Harvest! Let me tell you, my hope for you this morning is that you would hear the beauty of God’s Word, and it would no longer be scarce in your life! You would hear God calling you. He’s calling you. He’s calling you from darkness to life. He desires for you to hear His words proclaimed, and for you to respond.  As God calls you, how promptly do you respond to Him?

Look at 1 Samuel 3:4: “Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli…” Samuel’s response is complete, passionate and beautiful. He runs to the one that he thinks is calling him. And, if I’m honest—if I were in Samuel’s shoes—by the third time I went to somebody and woke ‘em up, and they said, “Bro’—I’m not calling you!”—I’d say, “Cool. If it happens again, I’m sleeping through it.” That’s not Samuel, though. Samuel’s listening, and he’s responding. He responds by running fervently, passionately towards the one that he thinks is calling him. How are we responding to God’s call? Are we listening for it?

Verse 6, “And the Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ And look at what the Bible says in verse 7, “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” Do you mean to tell me that Samuel can sleep where the ark of the covenant is and not know the Lord? Do you mean to tell me that Samuel can be the marked difference in a culture and in a society that’s not pursuing the Lord, and still not know Him?

Do you mean to tell me that Samuel—who’s an answer to prayer (read 1 Samuel 1 and 2: his mother pleads to the Lord to have a child, sets him apart to serve Him in the tabernacle)–do you mean to tell me that God hadn’t revealed Himself to Samuel? That’s what I mean to tell you! Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t it beautiful that God calls us even before we know He’s there?

And, praise the Lord, that as a seventeen-year-old punk in Woodstock, Georgia, He called me—before I ever sought Him. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord that God was drawing Samuel to Him. And we don’t have to have it figured out, that we don’t to have the right marks on our sheet in order to turn it into God to be approved. Praise the Lord that He’s drawing, calling and pursuing us far before we ever do Him. Praise the Lord! But, here’s a word of caution from verse 7: Don’t mistake proximity to God with a relationship with God.

Samuel could have easily—easily!—just said, “I’m serving the Lord in the tabernacle. That’s enough!” Don’t mistake proximity with the gospel, with an understanding and a relationship with Jesus. Don’t do it! God’s calling you. He’s drawing you. He’s begging and pleading and asking you to hear and respond. But don’t let your foolish pride get in the way.

The gospel is clear in God’s Word, that we are sinners, that God is holy, that Christ is our Redeemer. And He calls us to repent and turn away from our sins, and place our faith in Jesus–regardless of how long we’ve been involved in church, regardless of how much we’ve done. Do not mistake proximity with a relationship. Please hear me say that.

After three times of going to Eli, Eli finally cues in: “Hey, if somebody’s calling him—and it’s not me—maybe it’s God!” Way to go. Look at verse 10: “And the Lord came and stood…” I would hate for that to happen. If God’s calling me through His Word, praise the Lord. If He’s standing there, calling me, I’m freaked out.  “…Calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’” So, Samuel’s response to God’s call is so amazing! The word that the Bible uses there for “hears” is unique word which means “to hear with an intent” or “to hear as to obey.”

Again, if somebody’s asking me if I’m listening—you already know I’m not, right? If I’m hearing you, chances are I’m not hearing you as to obey. There’s a low likelihood that I’m gonna do what you’re asking me to do—if we’re in a conversation and you’ve had to ask me if I’m listening. Samuel’s response to God is—before he even knows what God is going to ask him— “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. And I’m hearing to obey. I’m not hearing just to hear.” God is calling you. He’s using His Word to draw and call us towards Himself. Are we listening?

Oswald Chambers made an amazing statement about calling. Referencing the book of Isaiah, Oswald Chambers says, “God did not direct his call to Isaiah. Isaiah overheard God saying, ‘Who will go for us?’ And the call of God is not just for a select few, but for everyone.” Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears. And exactly what I hear depends on my spiritual attitude. Do I have my listening ears on? God’s calling; am I hearing it? Not just hearing, am I hearing as to obey? So, the first checkpoint that we see in listening and responding to God is “calling.”

 

  1. Checkpoint 2: Commissioning. (11-14)

 

The second checkpoint we see is that of “commissioning.” Look at 1 Samuel 1, verses 11-14: “Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.’”

Let’s just pause and feel the weight of what was just told to Samuel. Samuel’s about thirteen or fourteen at this point; Eli’s super-old (that’s biblical for really, really, really old). He’s been serving under Eli for years. And God comes, and Samuel’s response is, “Speak, for your servant hears. I hear as to obey.” And God lays on him the weight of telling Eli that God’s going to destroy his family. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had that message given to me to share with anybody.

When we look at commissioning, the word “commissioning” is rooted in a Latin word, “committere” which means “to entrust.” So Samuel is commissioned—or entrusted—with communicating a compelling message that God had given him.

Now, most compelling messages that I have usually go like this: “Hey, Babe! Baby Girl just went to the bathroom, and she doesn’t want me to change the diaper. So, I think she’s asking for you.” And then I just pause and wait. Or, “Jax, I don’t think we can go to Toys ‘R Us, Barnes and Noble, and every other toy place on the earth today. Maybe let’s just choose one.” The messages I’m entrusted with, most oftentimes in my family, aren’t as weighty or as heavy as what Samuel is given. In fact, if you read through all of Samuel’s life, this is by far the most challenging message he’s given to communicate. . .and he’s thirteen years old.

God is commissioning—entrusting—us with a message, and the question you should be asking is, “What is God entrusting me with? I’ve responded to God’s call. I’ve gone from death to life. I’ve put my faith in Jesus. What is He commissioning me with? What has He given me?” I would say, as believers in Jesus Christ, we’ve been commissioned with specific messages.

The first message with which we’ve been commissioned is the good news of salvation—for the world to hear. If you look at Romans chapter 10:15, Paul makes an amazing statement! He says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who [carry] good news!”

            My feet are ugly! You guys, you can ask my wife. They are not pretty at all…until I carry the good news of the gospel! God has entrusted you, and He’s entrusted me, to be His mouthpieces for a world that needs His good news. He’s entrusted us with that message, He’s commissioned us with that message. Are we communicating it? Are we listening for His calling, to do what He’s told us to do? So, the first thing God has commissioned— or entrusted—us with is the good news of salvation—for the world to hear.            He’s already entrusted us with a message that is grace-filled: the grace-filled news of restoring one another.

Do you know, in Galatians 6:1, Paul makes another beautiful statement. He says, “Hey, if you catch anybody in sin, you who are spiritual, restore that person.” Pursue them, go after them. They’re your brother, they’re your sister, in Christ. They need to be brought back. Because, if I’m honest, there have been seasons and seasons and seasons—in the last thirteen years—that I have desired sin over salvation. That I have pursued my flesh as opposed to God. And it takes the love and the grace of another brother or sister in Christ to awaken me from my stupor and to say, “Come back to the Lord!”

God has given us a message of grace, to pursue those who are wayward. Are we listening? Are we communicating it? We’re not to go to them and cast shame or angst upon them. We’re not to ostracize them at all. Paul tells us to pursue them. Are we listening?

And then, finally, if you remember, a few weeks ago Pastor Trent spoke so beautifully from Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians 2, we see that we are commissioned for good works that bring God glory! Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us that you have been “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand…” before you even knew it. He’s created you for good works. Are we listening to and doing what God has commissioned us to do?

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. God has commissioned us with so much more, but I think this is a great starting point for us. Are our feet beautiful because we’re bringing the good news of salvation to a world who needs it? Are we pursuing brothers and sisters in the Lord—who have repented of their sins, trusted in Christ, been baptized as a symbol of His resurrection—are we pursuing them with the same fervency that God does? And are our works a reflection of His glory, not our own? God has commissioned us. He’s entrusted us!

But, notice what He says about Eli (1 Samuel 3:12-13): “On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, [Why?] for the iniquity that he knew…” Hear me say, we cannot properly discern God’s commissioning if we allow sin to go unchecked in our lives. The reason God is casting judgment on Eli is because Eli allowed sin to be more reflective of his life and his family’s life than anything else. Look back at 1 Samuel 2. His sons are sleeping with women at the tabernacle; they are abominating his sacrifice—and Eli’s allowing it.

Sin is horrible! And if we allow our hearts, minds and souls to be unchecked by the gospel on a day-to-day basis, we’re not going to be able to hear what He’s calling us toward. We will be deafened by the power of sin. Do not allow sin to go unchecked in your life. Allow God’s Word to pervade it.

So the first checkpoint we see, if we’re looking at responding to God, is calling. He’s calling us: He’s calling us from death to life, from dark to light, from distance to closeness, from unholiness to holiness. He’s calling you, he’s calling you. He’s also commissioning you. He’s entrusted you with a message; he’s given it to you. If you’ve responded in faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ, He’s given you a message. And if you haven’t, God’s calling you to salvation.

 

  1. Checkpoint 3: Confrontation. (15-18)

 

The third checkpoint we see is that of confrontation. Look at 1 Samuel 3:15-18: “Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ And Eli said, ‘What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.’ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, ‘It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.’”

God is calling us and commissioning us with a compelling message, and that message will bring confrontation at times. Just know it. Notice Samuel’s first response in verse 15: “Samuel lay until morning [there’s a low likelihood that he slept; can we just appreciate that?]; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.” I would be scared-out-of-my-mind to tell somebody, “Hey, God’s going to bring judgment on your family, and there’s nothing you can do about it! Nah nah nah nah nah nah.” I would just be petrified! And Samuel is, too. Samuel is afraid. He’s hesitant to tell Eli the compelling message that God has given him.

And the only time in 1 Samuel chapter 3 that we see Eli do something good is when he says, “Hey! Tell me, or may God do it to you!” [Samuel:] “Alright, you motivated me!” “Cause what I’m about to tell you is really rough. You got it! It’s comin’ to ya!” The compelling message with which we’ve been commissioned will lead to confrontation. It will lead to confrontation with friends—at work or at school. It will lead to confrontation with family. Why? Because light looks different than dark; because sin is comfortable and holiness is hard. Because a closeness to God reflects something different upon you. So, it will bring confrontation. It will bring confrontation at work—and it will bring confrontation within your own heart. Because if you allow the Word of God to examine.

Remember, we must remain close to the Lord to discern His call, to discern His commissioning, to see what He’s entrusted us with. We must repent continually of the sins that we harbor in our heart. And God’s Word will bring confrontation to you internally, because you’ll see what you’re called to, and you’ll know where you are. It will bring confrontation.

Samuel responded well to the confrontation. He just kind of lets Eli know, “Hey, this is what’s happening.” And Eli responds beautifully: “Let the Lord do it—because if it’s the Lord, there’s nothing I can do to stop it.” Elsewhere in the Bible, we see beautiful pictures of confrontation.

In the book of Acts, we see this picture of confrontation. Acts 5:27-32 says, “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.” See the confrontation? “The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.’” Confrontation is part and parcel with the gospel, and will always be there, because the gospel is calling us to something greater.

You’ve been commissioned with something more amazing than anything the world can ever offer! There will be confrontation. But as we engage, as we fulfill God’s calling, as we look at what He’s entrusted us with, and as we inevitably enter confrontation.

This beautiful statement was made by Francis Schaeffer (we’re talking about truth being proclaimed)—because this [the gospel] is truth! He said, “Truth carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation.” Now, when we say “confrontation,” my mind immediately goes to 1997—Jerry Springer—anybody else? I think he’s still on, actually. I don’t watch him anymore—praise the Lord. It’s been a solid week.

It’s not talking about that type of confrontation! When we proclaim the truth, we’re not to confront in Jerry Springer fashion. Notice what Francis Schaeffer says: “In reflecting truth, loving confrontation; but confrontation nevertheless.” The gospel is different—it’s different! Remember, he’s calling us, He’s entrusting us with a compelling message. That compelling message brings confrontation. But we must do confrontation well.

So, the first checkpoint we see in hearing God speak is that of calling. The second is that of commissioning; He’s entrusting us with a message. The third is that of confrontation.

 

  1. Checkpoint 4: Commitment. (19-21)

 

The last checkpoint that we see, in hearing God speak (“Do we have our listening ears on?”) is that of commitment.

Look at the latter part of 1 Samuel chapter 3, verses 19-21: And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.”

Samuel’s commitment to fulfill the call and commissioning—and working through confrontation—led to Samuel being synonymously associated with the Lord. The word of the Lord was no longer rare. It was prevalent. Samuel grew, the Lord was with him. He let none of his words fall to the ground: that is a picture of fulfilling the calling God has given to us. Are we committed? Are we hearing what God is saying? Are we understanding what He’s entrusted us with? And are we presenting it in a compelling way, so that people know that something is different?

God’s calling us. He’s given us a message–a message that brings confrontation, and ultimately it takes commitment. The reason the whole nation knew who Samuel was (this was before social media, mind you—he had no Twitter following), was that God was making Himself known. That’s why they knew.

This morning, as we look at the different checkpoints of hearing God speak, chances are we’re somewhere on this diagram. If you’re here this morning, and the word of the Lord has been rare to you—you’ve never heard the gospel—God’s calling you! He’s calling you to repent of your sins, place your faith and trust in Christ alone because He alone is sufficient for your salvation.

If you’ve responded to God before—and you’re a follower of Christ—there’s a high likelihood that you’re in one of these four checkpoints. Do you understand what God’s commissioned you with? You and I are God’s plan for the world! How are we doing at it? How are we working through confrontation? How committed are we to what He’s given us? How is your hearing? Are we listening?

In our lives, Janelle’s and mine, we’ve moved through this circle a few different times. God has called us over and over and over again, to different things.  I can remember, in 2010, God specifically calling us to a church in small, rural southcentral Virginia, where we lived. Man, we were commissioned for that, and there was a lot of confrontation! We were committed, but God ultimately led us, and we discerned that He was calling us somewhere else.

So, as we leave there—we walk into the unknown. No idea where we’re going, five months pregnant with our first son, stepping out—because God’s calling us! Where? I had no idea! Five days later, I got another job, praise the Lord! That led to another cycle. He commissioned me a message of task to do. It led to confrontation, but we were committed. And we ultimately ended here.

God’s calling us. He’s calling you; He’s calling me. He’s asking you to fulfill the commissioning that He’s entrusted you with, regardless of confrontation, and to show your commitment. What is God calling you to today? Could today be the day when God calls you to Himself for the very first time? I hope so! Could today be a day where you have a renewed sense of His calling and purpose in your life? I hope so!

This morning, as we come to our close and time of reflection, let me challenge you to reflect on what God is doing. Has His Word been rare in your heart and in your life? Do you respond to the Lord by laying your anxieties, your burdens, your cares on Him at the altar, renewing your sense of commission? Do you praise the Lord because you’ve been committed to the work He’s given you? As Micah sings, and as we reflect, let me challenge you: What is God is doing in your heart and life this morning?

Share This