Latest / Words of the Living Prophets / Speak, Lord; for Thy Servant Heareth By Elder Gerrit W. Gong

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Speak, Lord; for Thy Servant Heareth By Elder Gerrit W. Gong · Words of the Living Prophets

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  Come follow me, First Samuel, First Kings speak Lord for thy
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  servant heareth by Elder Gerrit W.
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  Gong of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles.
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  The importance of hearing and listening is illustrated in the
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  story I have always loved told by President Marion G Romney,
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  who served as a counselor in the First Presidency for several
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  years. As President Romney and his dear
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  wife Ida grew older, he was concerned she was losing her
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  hearing and he mentioned it to a doctor.
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  He asked me how bad it was and I said I didn't know.
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  He told me to go home and find out.
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  The doctor instructed me to go into a far room and speak to
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  her, then I should move nearer and nearer until she does hear.
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  Following the doctor's instructions, I spoke to her
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  from the bedroom while she was in the kitchen.
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  No answer. I moved nearer and spoke again.
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  No answer. So I went right up to the door
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  of the kitchen and said, Ida, can you hear me?
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  She responded, what is it Marian?
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  I've answered you 3 times as a specialist told a patient who
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  came to have his hearing checked.
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  Your hearing is fine, but you may have a listening problem.
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  In a gospel sense, we each have a listening opportunity as we
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  learn to hear and listen, heed and hearken and willingly obey
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  the Lord. In First Samuel and 1st Kings,
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  we learn about hearing, listening, and hearkening to the
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  Lord's Word, voice, and will. In turn, the Lord hears and
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  intently listens to us, whether our prayers are uttered or
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  unexpressed. And in His infinite wisdom and
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  compassion, He answers across the needs, hopes, and
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  circumstances of our lives in His time and way.
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  In these beloved Old Testament chapters, come see how we can
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  hear and heed the word of the Lord, hear and hearken.
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  As a young boy, Samuel, who became a great prophet, learned
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  how to hear the Lord. When he hears a voice call him.
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  Samuel thinks it is Eli the temple high priest.
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  Three times Samuel responds, Here am I first Samuel 356 and
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  eight. When Eli perceives it is the
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  Lord calling the child, he says to Samuel, Go, lie down, and it
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  shall be, if he call thee that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord, for
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  thy servant heareth. With a child's faith and
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  obedience Samuel went and lay down in his place.
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  And the Lord came and stood, and called, as at other times,
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  Samuel. Samuel.
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  Then Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant heareth first Samuel
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  3, nine to 10. Notice the word stood seemingly
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  Samuel was not hearing a distant disembodied voice, And Samuel
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  grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words
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  fall to the ground. First Samuel 319 Throughout his
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  life Samuel hears the Lord, and so teaches Only fear the Lord,
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  and serve him in truth with all your heart, for consider how
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  great things he hath done for you.
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  First Samuel 1224 Here the phrase fear the Lord seems to
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  include the meaning. Pay heed and reverence to the
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  Lord As our reading continues, we learn an important lesson
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  from King Saul. Instructed by the Lord, Samuel
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  tells Saul and his followers not to take a spoils the enemy's
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  oxen, sheep, camel, and ass. First Samuel 15 three.
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  Yet Saul and his followers rationalize keeping the best of
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  the enemy livestock. They say they will sacrifice the
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  sheep and oxen to the Lord. Samuel then asks, Hath the Lord
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  is great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in
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  obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than
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  sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of Rams.
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  First Samuel 1522 The Lord does not ask us to choose between
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  obedience and sacrifice. Rather, He wants us to recognize
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  that to obey and hearken to His will is better than to make
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  ritual offerings. Hearing and obeying the Lord
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  allows him to bless us. It is always better than
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  following our own rituals or sacrifices, or fearing the
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  people and hearkening to their voice, such as Saul protested he
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  was doing. See first Samuel 1524.
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  Look on the heart. Hearing and hearkening to the
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  Lord comes in another lesson from Samuel when he was to
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  identify and anoint a new king for Israel as Jesse's sons come
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  forward. 1 by 1. The Lord teaches Samuel look not
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  on his countenance or on the height of his stature, for the
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  Lord seeth not as man seeth, for man looketh on the outward
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  appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
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  First Samuel 16, seven. This is not to say we can
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  neglect personal grooming or hygiene, but especially in our
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  insta perfect world, we can focus less on outward curated
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  names, images and likenesses. The Lord would have us here and
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  hearken to the liberating truth that our most authentic,
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  enduring identity is as a child of God, a child of the covenant,
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  and a disciple of Christ. This truth is not only for how
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  we see ourselves, but also for how the Lord invites us to see
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  and treat each other. Shortly after young David was
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  called and anointed, A Philistine warrior named Goliath
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  challenged the armies of Israel. Goliath was a giant of a man who
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  may have stood over 9 feet tall. You know the story.
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  I hope you share the faith that underlies the story of David and
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  Goliath with your children and grandchildren.
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  David said to Goliath, Thou comest to me with a sword and
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  with a spear and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name
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  of the Lord of hosts. First Samuel 1745.
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  David was courageous not only on the battlefield, but also in how
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  he listened and heard the Lord's word.
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  In his daily living as the commander of King Saul's armies,
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  David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was
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  with him. First Samuel 1814 seek wisdom
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  and understanding. We continue to learn how to hear
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  and hearken to the Lord. In the Book of First Kings,
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  Solomon is given opportunity to ask what he will from the Lord.
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  Of all the things he could choose, Solomon asks for wisdom.
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  And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding, exceeding much
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  and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the
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  seashore. First Kings 429.
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  When we focus on what matters most, we can be instruments in
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  the Lord's hand. The Lord can also then bless us
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  and through US others in many additional ways.
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  See First Kings 312 to 13. By seeking wisdom and
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  understanding, Solomon was prepared by the Lord to build a
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  temple. The Lord said concerning this
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  house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in
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  my statutes and execute my judgements, and keep all my
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  commandments to walk in them, then will I perform my word with
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  thee, and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not
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  forsake my people. Israel First Kings 612 to 13.
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  For us the House of the Lord is ultimately centered in our
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  learning to hear and hearken in essence, to say, Speak Lord, for
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  thy servant heareth assurance, comfort, guidance, instruction.
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  In First Kings we also read that another great prophet comes to
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  Israel, Elijah, at a time of famine and a drought of dew and
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  rain. See First Kings 17 one and of
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  hearing the word of the Lord in the land.
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  Elijah is preserved, and a widow in Zarephath is blessed as both
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  hearken to the Lord amid life's famines and droughts.
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  The Lord's word brings promise of hope and deliverance.
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  In Elijah's time the promise was for a sound of abundance of
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  rain. First Kings 1841.
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  This would be a good title for the blessings that come in the
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  Lord's time and way. When we say, speak Lord, for thy
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  servant heareth. I conclude with another lesson
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  from Elijah. In a dark moment Elijah laments
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  to the Lord, The children of Israel have forsaken my
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  covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain my prophets
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  with the sword, and I even I only am left, and they seek my
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  life to take it away. And the Lord said, Go forth, and
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  stand upon the mount before the Lord, and behold, the Lord
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  passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains,
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  and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord.
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  But the Lord was not in the wind.
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  And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not
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  in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire,
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  but the Lord was not in the fire, And after the fire a still
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  small voice. First Kings, 1910 to 12.
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  That's often where we stop reading with the still, small
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  voice. But while the voice was still
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  and small, the Lord continued to give Elijah the assurance,
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  comfort, guidance, and instruction he sought and
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  needed. See First Kings 1913 to 16.
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  This is the Lord's promise as we seek with genuine intent to
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  listen and hearken. He can whisper by His Spirit to
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  our heart and mind. He can speak through His voice
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  and the voice of His prophets. He can prompt with fresh
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  inspiration in the dreams of the night and in the day's first
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  light. We are His children in infinite
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  and eternal wisdom and compassion.
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  God our Eternal Father and His beloved Son Jesus Christ, love
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  and listen and hear and answer us always, especially when with
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  faith, humility and real intent, we say, speak Lord, for thy
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  servant heareth. This audio was created using
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  artificial intelligence.