Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / December 28 - 1 Samuel 3

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December 28 - 1 Samuel 3 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends. Sean here.
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  It is the 28th of December, it is a Thursday.
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  We are rapidly approaching the very, very end of the year 2023.
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  And as we do that, we are beginning a new story, which is
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  kind of lovely because just as one year ends, the next year
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  begins and life rolls on and God continues to journey with us
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  through it all. And so it seems fitting,
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  friends, that before this year even wraps up, we have begun a
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  new story. And today we will read one of
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  those famous parts of the story where God speaks to Samuel and
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  he has no idea what's going on. And that's fair enough, because
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  if you're anything like me, there are not many times you
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  actually hear God speaking to you.
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  And when it does happen, it can be quite confronting and
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  confusing. So it's good to know we're in
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  good company. Hey, so let us read together the
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  story friends as we put down the business of the world and come
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  before our God Spirit move in us as we hear the story written in
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  First Samuel Chapter 3. Meanwhile the boy Samuel served
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  the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messengers
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  from the Lord were very rare and visions were quite uncommon.
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  One night Eli, who was almost blind by now had gone to bed.
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  The lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was sleeping in
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  the Tabernacle near the ark of God.
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  Suddenly the Lord called out. Samuel.
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  Yes, replied Samuel. What is it?
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  He got up and ran to Eli. Here I am.
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  Did you call me? I didn't call you, Eli replied.
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  Go back to bed. So he did.
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  Then the Lord called out again. Samuel again.
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  Samuel got up and went to Eli. Here I am.
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  Did you call me? I didn't call you my son, Eli
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  said. Go back to bed.
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  Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never heard a
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  message from the Lord before. So the Lord called the third
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  time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli.
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  Here I am. Did you call me?
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  Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy, So
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  he said to Samuel, go and lie down again.
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  And if someone calls again, say speak.
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  Lord, your servant is listening. So Samuel went back to bed, and
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  the Lord came and called as before.
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  Samuel, Samuel and Samuel replied, Speak, your servant is
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  listening. Then the Lord said to Samuel, I
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  am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.
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  I'm going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his
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  family from beginning to end. I have warned him that judgement
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  is coming upon his family forever because his son's a
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  blaspheming God and he hasn't disciplined them.
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  So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be
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  forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.
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  Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened
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  the doors of the Tabernacle as usual.
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  He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him, but
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  Eli called out to him. Samuel, my son.
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  Here I am, Samuel replied. What did the Lord say to you?
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  Tell me everything, and May God strike you and even kill you if
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  you hide anything from me. So Samuel told Eli everything.
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  He didn't hold anything back. It is the Lord's will, Eli
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  replied. Let him do what he thinks best.
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  As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel
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  said proved to be reliable. And all Israel from Dan in the
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  north to Beersheba in the South knew that Samuel was confirmed
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  as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at
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  Shiloh and give messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle.
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  Father, it does just boggle our minds that as an omnipotent,
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  omniscient God who lives outside of time and space, you choose to
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  engage with us people. And here we see more evidence of
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  you stepping into the story of history again and again and
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  again. Thank you that we are your
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  beloved children. Thank you that you invite us to
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  be a part of your story and your family.
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  We are in constant awe and wonder of your majesty and your
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  love for us. Thank you, Father.
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  You have the heart of a good Father with so much love for us,
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  and we love you back. And we thank you for the gift of
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  Jesus that you have given us, so that we know who you are and we
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  know what you're like and you are good.
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  And so we praise you and we pray all these things in that name of
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  Jesus. Amen.