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01-16-2008, 06:27 PM
Meditation
1 Samuel 3:1-10,19-20
Readings
As this passage begins, the boy Samuel is living at the Israelite sanctuary at Shiloh and helping Eli, the priest, minister to the Lord. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, had made good on her vow to God that if she bore a son she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service. Now, we read how God called Samuel into an even deeper service than he or his mother had imagined. Counseled by Eli—a man filled with the wisdom of his years—Samuel responded simply, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).
Eli’s words to Samuel are wisdom for us as well. When we begin our spiritual life, most of us are in awe over the fact that we can speak to the Lord and know that he hears and answers our prayers. It’s a blessing to rush to him and tell him of our needs, fears, and problems, as well as our gratitude and joy. When we first discover this, we tend to do a lot of talking and asking. In effect, we say, “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking.”
However, as we grow in our prayer life, we gradually come to a point where we spend less time speaking and more time listening. We let God set the agenda. We trust that he knows our needs, so we don’t keep telling him about them. Instead, we find joy simply from being in his presence; we feel awe and begin to worship him for who he is. We savor his words and ponder them in the depth of our hearts. We let him change us rather than try to get him to change our circumstances.
Try it. Experiment with listening to Jesus as you pray, read Scripture, or listen to a homily. For your prayer and Scripture reading, choose a quiet place where you can calm your mind and spirit. Afterwards, record in a journal what you have heard. Decide how to act on the words God gives you. God longs to speak to us. He is only waiting for us to quiet down enough to listen.
“Lord, I will be still before you and wait patiently to hear your call. Speak your words of truth to me, so that I may know you, serve you, and bear fruit for the kingdom of God.”
Psalm 40:2,5,7-10; Mark 1:29-39
Online Christian Devotion
1 Samuel 3:1-10,19-20
Readings
As this passage begins, the boy Samuel is living at the Israelite sanctuary at Shiloh and helping Eli, the priest, minister to the Lord. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, had made good on her vow to God that if she bore a son she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service. Now, we read how God called Samuel into an even deeper service than he or his mother had imagined. Counseled by Eli—a man filled with the wisdom of his years—Samuel responded simply, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).
Eli’s words to Samuel are wisdom for us as well. When we begin our spiritual life, most of us are in awe over the fact that we can speak to the Lord and know that he hears and answers our prayers. It’s a blessing to rush to him and tell him of our needs, fears, and problems, as well as our gratitude and joy. When we first discover this, we tend to do a lot of talking and asking. In effect, we say, “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking.”
However, as we grow in our prayer life, we gradually come to a point where we spend less time speaking and more time listening. We let God set the agenda. We trust that he knows our needs, so we don’t keep telling him about them. Instead, we find joy simply from being in his presence; we feel awe and begin to worship him for who he is. We savor his words and ponder them in the depth of our hearts. We let him change us rather than try to get him to change our circumstances.
Try it. Experiment with listening to Jesus as you pray, read Scripture, or listen to a homily. For your prayer and Scripture reading, choose a quiet place where you can calm your mind and spirit. Afterwards, record in a journal what you have heard. Decide how to act on the words God gives you. God longs to speak to us. He is only waiting for us to quiet down enough to listen.
“Lord, I will be still before you and wait patiently to hear your call. Speak your words of truth to me, so that I may know you, serve you, and bear fruit for the kingdom of God.”
Psalm 40:2,5,7-10; Mark 1:29-39
Online Christian Devotion