Those Who Are Listening
"Yes, Lord, your servant is listening." --1 Samuel 3:10
I've been taking meetings this week for a PrayFit project we're working on, and I find myself praying for God's will and protection more than I find myself praying for the project to actually happen. Ever been in such a place? I just want Him to be pleased. If He's not in it, I don't want to be. As I sit around listening to all sorts of voices around the room, all I want to hear is His.
In our amazing passage today, young Samuel was awakened by God three times, but he thought Eli was calling him. And as we learned from the text, when Eli finally understood what was happening, he instructed Samuel to answer God with, "Yes, Lord, your servant is listening."
Makes me wonder: Could we already be as fit as necessary to accomplish God's will for our lives, but so focused on being as fit as possible that we miss it? And if we are as fit as necessary (or as possible), are we listening? Like, really listening?
Anyway, Samuel ended his life as well as he started. His mom, Hannah, had trouble conceiving him but the Bible says that God remembered her. And because of that, she named her baby "Samuel" which means "The Lord hears". Maybe it's just me, but I think it's neat how the very first words from young Samuel (The Lord hears) were, "Yes Lord. Your servant is listening."
--Jimmy Peña
For Discussion: Samuel ended up being one of the most obedient and effective men in the Bible. A priest, judge, a prophet and an anointer of kings. And, appropriate for us at PrayFit, he was the one that God told, "Do not look at his outer appearance...For the Lord does not see what man sees. Man looks at the outer appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Friends, I don't want us to miss what God has for any aspect of our lives. I want us to hear what God wants and for us to put everything we have to use for His glory. For me, I may not have the physical tools I used to, but my heart's ears still work. And God hears those who are listening. Share your thoughts below.
PREPAREDNESS TRAINING
"Faithful warriors are made for hard things…root-down warriors. Be ready to move the good news forward today. Not in your strength, but in His." And so Brooke Boon, founder of Holy Yoga, lays bare the soul of today's new pose. Yesterday, we laid foundations with downward facing dog. Today, she walks us through the nuances of Warrior I, which builds strength in our shoulders, back and core and directs our focus on the importance of physical and faith stability.