“Knowing The Voice Of The LORD!”(I Sam.3:1-10)[29/12/2024].
A long time ago, someone coined this idom: “The nearer the Church, the farther from God.” We single these two interpretations of the idiom:
- The higher up someone is in the Church hierarchy, the more likely they are to be corrupt, immoral, or sinful.”
- “Those who are most involved in any religious system, its organizers and high priests, are in danger of separating themselves from God.”
These interpretations are somehow biased. We think it can also mean that our deep involvement in churchianity without commensurate spiritual growth means being in God’s house without any effort at knowing God. For this reason, we want to take some time to explain how conversion takes place. We had done so a few times in the past, but let us do so again.To a few people, conversion happens suddenly, but to the majority, conversion is a slow, long, and winding process. Again, conversion may happen before baptism, at baptism, but in the majority of cases, conversion takes place a long time after baptism.
Christian conversion is turning towards Christ. Turning towards Christ is in the general sense a long and winding process because in our lives there are many things that have to be turned towards Christ. We may know when the process of conversion begins in our lives, but it may be difficult to know where and when it ends.
The apostle Paul has often been presented as a model of sudden conversion, but Paul himself states otherwise. Paul says, “I want to know Christ more and more and the power of his resurrection.”
From the day Samuel was given to the service of God, he served God in the temple. One day as “Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was…” God called, but Samuel thought it was Eli, his master calling him.
Samuel missed to know it was God calling him because he “did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.”
Yes, it is more likely to be in God’s house, lying quite close to the ark of God but not yet knowing the voice of the LORD.
To grow in the knowledge of Christ, we are urged to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God as a spiritual act of worship. We no longer have to comform to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by renewing our minds and thinking lowly of ourselves (Rom.12:1-8).
My friend,it was said of Samuel that he “continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men”(I Sam.1:26). And of Jesus it was said he “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men”(Lk.24:52).
May God in Christ help us to grow in his presence with wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man as a sign of spiritual maturity.
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit, dwell in me and make me to grow with spiritual maturity. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you! Merry Christmas and a prosperous and happy new year 2025!
Rev Babila Fochang