Press the arrow to listen to Desperation Band sing Here in Your Presence as you read today’s devotion.

Scripture
Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!” 1 Samuel 3:2-4

Observation
Fresh words from the Lord were very rare.

The high priest of the nation was blind.

The lamp of God was nearly out.

And the future prophet of the land was sleeping.

If the book of Judges is a somber book of the dark ages of Israel, then this moment is both its darkest and brightest all in one. On the one hand, the blackness had nearly swallowed the people. There was no king, everyone did what was right in his or her own eyes and the priesthood was nearly defunct. On the other hand, this the first spark that would become the brilliant light of King David and eventually Jesus all because of one word spoken by God, the name Samuel. That name broke the silence and because of that word all human history was changed. The word of the Lord is powerful and creative.

The word of the Lord came because of a boy who loved the presence of the Lord so much that he snuggled up to the Ark of God at night. There is something touching about the lad curled up in a blanket on the tent floor of the tabernacle as close to the Ark as he could get.  When my son Levi was young, any new gift or purchase would be taken to bed at night to snuggle with. He slept with computer games, a tool box, and even a little saw. On one occasion he slept with the receipt of something he had put on lay away! Children cherish things, and show what they value by what they will curl up with at night. Samuel didn’t have a teddy bear, he curled up in the soft folds of the majesty of God. The Lord looked across the sleeping nation, in the middle of the night, and his tender heart was touched by the sight of a boy who loved his presence. That waiting in the presence is what moved God’s heart to finally speak to his people.

Application
Is there a message for adults in this child’s story? God will speak to us when we want to live in his presence, even in our sleeping hours. How much do we as adults, and me as a grown man, love the presence of the Lord? When I read the story of Samuel I see that I need to love it more. There are moments we know when God draws near. Often TV, internet, and busyness keep us at a distance with our “just a minute” excuses. But the choice to drop what we are doing, to spend time in the presence of the Lord without an agenda will draw the Lord to speak to us as he did to Samuel.

Prayer
Father, I pray that I will prize your presence today. Help me to live like Samuel, taking time for what is most important. Let me live in your presence and when you speak my name may history change. Amen.