#72 Speak Lord! But will I listen? Thoughts from the Back Deck...

1 Samuel 3:10
And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Samuel was a young boy at this point and was serving Eli, a prophet of God. God called to Samuel a couple of times, but he did not recognize it was the voice of the Lord, but thought it was Eli's voice. 
Finally, Samuel answers as Eli directs the young boy: "Speak, for your servant hears."

It's hard to listen to the Lord.
It's not natural for us.

It's hard to hear the Lord.
The noise of the world is thunderous.

Yet, in our time, the Lord has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us hear. 

The Lord has given us the written word. We can know and follow God's will and experience His peace. 

This week was a particularly rough week for me emotionally. My emotions caught me off guard. Upon hearing that my long-awaited appointment to get the results and know what the next steps were was delayed an additional two weeks as results for a genetic sequencing test were not yet available, I found myself in a mental rut. 

The pancreas, what a weird organ it is, and yet I am reminded we are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

It was hard to remember those words: "Speak, for your servant is listening."  

What is the Lord trying to teach me in this experience? I am not sure. Maybe patience. Maybe not. Regardless, I think I am learning some measure of patience.

Is the Lord trying to teach me anything in this process? That is a reasonable question to ask as well. I am not sure. Sometimes, things happen that remind us of the broken world we live in. 

So what can I say for sure?
"Speak, for your servant is listening."

I can say this for sure...

I am not alone. 

The Lord is with me and His love is a constant anchor in my life. 

Yes there are storms. 

Yes, my world gets rocked. 

Yes, I lose sight of the shore. 

...and yes, the Lord is always there calling my name. Andy! Andy!

...and yes, the Lord is always there calling your name. 

There is comfort in remembering that the Lord knows us! For now, let that be enough. 

Peace out, 

Andy

Stpaullakeland.org

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