Hearing God

1 Samuel 3:4-5

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.

What do you suppose that was like? Do you think Samuel heard Him with his ears, or was it a voice in his head? Do you think His voice sounded to Samuel like Eli's voice? Do you think God sounded like Samuel?

Sometimes, I hear thoughts in my head and I think that perhaps they are not my own. Some of the voices that speak inside me sound very much like my own thoughts, but some are pretty clearly not my own.

I can reconize the voices of evil much more easily than I can the voice of God. When a tempting thought rushes at me at just the wrong moment, I can recognize that as an attack. When I have a thought flitter through my mind, but it is a thought I would not want and would not normally think, I often find myself thinking, "Where did that come from?" And then I think, "Get behind me Satan - the Lord rebuke you!"

But recognizing the voice of God is harder for me. For some reason, I fear being too sure of myself about God's voice - presuming that I hear Him when it is only my own ego I'm listening to. I don't want to be delusional.

But nor do I be hard hearted and miss the call of God.

Eventually, the old man recognized what was happening with the young boy, and told him to ask God what He wanted to tell him. Perhaps we all need an Eli to help us recognize what we are hearing. Monte Cox has helped me listen for God alot. So has Evertt Huffard. Ray Pendleton and Gordon MacDonald too. I pray often that God will send me more Eli's to help me hear Him more easily and clearly.

Something to think about

You know, the word "muffin" never appears in the Bible.

What do you think that means?

Also, earlier today, Wednesday morning, at three seconds after 1:02 in the morning, the date was 01:02:03 04/05/06

There's got to be some spiritual meaning in that too.

Quiet Prayer

Isaiah 30:15 [ESV]

15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

Until a couple of years ago, I thought that the only way to pray was to talk to God. I grew up hearing the old line - God talks to us through the Bible and we talk to him when we pray. It's as if we could expect God to keep his end of the conversation up only through the book, because we know he's got no other way to communicate with us.

Perhaps we think this because we don't let him get a word in. If your taught to talk when you pray, and never to listen, how would you know if God were a talkative person?

I think one of God's primary life-change tools is listening prayer - in being quiet and resting with God, so that he can infuse us with strength. Returning to God's presence and resting there - that's the way to become a different person. I need to talk with him, but there are times when I need to be quiet and listen for Elijah's low whisper. If we trust him and if we are quiet with him, there we will find our strength.