When God Doesn't Make SenseSample

Ready To Listen

It’s happened to most of us. We’re on the side of the road with a blown tire, an overheated engine, or a bad starter. The tread was wearing, the thermostat has been hotter than normal, or it’s been starting rough. The issue was obvious, but we learned to live with it. Hold down the gas pedal to start, just add water, rotate the tires—again. What was inconveniently noticeable becomes conveniently normal, until that dreaded day when we find ourselves at the mercy of the local tow company. Our car raised its voice to get our attention.

There’s a Bible story like ours. Eli was a good man who gave his entire life to serve God. He became a high priest and judge over Israel—basically the intermediary between God and His people. He was God’s listener and voice to communicate any vision, law, or prophecy the people needed to hear. He also oversaw the temple which made people able to submit their offerings and requests to God. A woman named Hannah—who was painfully unable to bear children—made the trek to Eli’s temple each year to plead for a child. Despite God’s lack of cooperation, she remained faithful. One year she told God that if He gave her a son, she’d give him back to serve the Lord.

1 Samuel 3:1 NLT says … in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon … Despite God’s direct words being rare, in the second chapter of 1 Samuel, a man of God came to Eli with a flashing service-engine-soon light from God. Eli’s sons were sinning against God and His people by robbing the temple offerings and seducing women at the temple gates. Eli knew, but just scolded his sons and allowed them to remain in their temple roles. His car was overheating, but he just added some more coolant.

Meanwhile, Hannah miraculously gave birth, weaned her son Samuel, and brought him back to Eli’s temple to serve God just as she promised. If Hannah had a car, she’d have probably changed the oil every 3,000 miles. As Eli’s temple helper, Samuel heard a voice call his name three times one night. Despite his role as God’s listener, it took Eli three times of Samuel coming to him before he realized the voice might be coming from God. Finally, Eli seemingly remembered something he had once learned. “Next time you hear the voice, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”’ God spoke to Samuel the fourth time. Sadly, the message he received was doom for Eli’s family.

By the time Eli remembered how to hear, he was on the side of the road, engine on fire, with no way home. Eli’s career was to listen to God. With Jesus as our High Priest, God’s Word as our guide, and the Holy Spirit as our helper, we no longer need an intermediary. We are both Hannah and Eli. We get to hear from God directly and follow Him devotedly. But, when God doesn’t make sense and seems uncooperative, are we like Hannah who remained faithful, or like Eli who became a selective listener?

Pause: Take a look under the hood, open up your ears, speak directly to God, and make sure you’re a servant who’s ready to listen.