Please bear with me as I think out loud for a few moments. In America we have unfettered access to God's holy word. Although many are seldom used, perhaps dust covered or in an unknown location, multiple bibles can be found in our homes. The Bible is on our computers, our media players, our phones, etc. Christian bookstores are filled to the rafters with all kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction. There are books about the Bible, its passages, its authors, its origin, its prophecies, etc. If you look hard, you can even find various translations of the Bible in a small section of the bookstore. Christian books and/or Bibles can be found in some secular bookstores, department stores and even your local grocery or convenience store.
Some churches will be full this coming Sunday while others will have only a handful in attendance. The numbers, large or small, will not necessarily be indicative of the truth being proclaimed or tell you if the congregation is walking in love. Some will be preaching the gospel of Christ while others will be perverting the Gospel. Some will be striving to teach the whole counsel of God's word while others will be mishandling the work of life.
I was recently reading in 1 Samuel and a portion of the first verse in Chapter three caught my attention and is the cause of this "thinking out loud". Most of us know the story. Hannah's prayer to the Lord has been answered and she has given birth to Samuel. As she had given her word to the Lord, Samuel had been dedicated to the Lord and was in the care of Eli the priest and being raised in the temple. In Chapter two we find Samuel being described as one "growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men". And then in 1 Samuel 3:1 we read, "Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent."
"And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent." As I considered these words written so long ago, I could not help but wonder at their relevance for today. Oh, I know they are words that were not to the Church or its members directly. But I have often asserted the biblical truth that all scripture is profitable although it may not be directly applicable.
As indicated above, the word of the Lord is not rare in our day but I must ask if "word from the Lord" is? I fear that much of what is said to be from the Lord is not from Him at all. On any given Sunday many will stand in the pulpits of American churches preaching and teaching things that cannot stand the test of careful scriptural examination. It seems as if more time is spent reading what men have said about the inspired word of God than is spent reading the word itself. The Church needs humble men who have a desire to be vessels of His truth. To hold His word up as the highest authority in all matters. To be good stewards of the Gospel and of the doctrine of grace. To preach Christ and Him crucified. To be messengers of a "word from the Lord" as established in His written word and revealed by His Spirit.
In regards to that portion of 1 Samuel 3:1 where we read, "visions were infrequent", I would simply say the following. Our vision should be narrowly focused and it should be on Christ. Our vision ought to be His will as revealed in and through His infallible word. May we share this vision together.
We must not forget another part to this story of Samuel. In the 9th verse of 1 Samuel 3, we see Samuel responding to a "word from the Lord" as instructed by Eli. "Speak Lord, for Thy servant is listening." May each of us respond in kind as God speaks to us through His word and through His servants. May we boldly ask that He speak to us and that He instill in us a desire to listen with eager anticipation. And then may we dare ask the Helper to empower us to be "doers of the word, and not merely hearers".
As I conclude this "thinking out loud" I will share a final thought. Perhaps it is the dust on my bible that God is speaking to me about. Perhaps it is my vision. Perhaps it is my focus that needs adjusting so that my eyes may look on the glorious Christ and His will for my life. Oh, that we might humbly and boldly speak the word of truth, eagerly listen to the Lord as He speaks to us through His word and His people and have as our vision His will for our lives. By His grace, may a word from the Lord, spoken or heard, be a regular occurrence in our lives. And may a correct vision of Christ and His will for our lives be frequent in our walk of faith.
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