I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Samuel 3. “Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation… So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (Verses 1, 19-21). Did you see the contrast? In verse one these sad words appear, “…the word of the Lord was rare in those days.” There was no revelation of the Lord, no God leading His people to victory. The relationship between God and Israel was so bad, that the line of the Levites (God’s priest and pastors) had been judge by God for it’s wickedness. There was no one living righteous, no one pointing the people to God. Thus, God did not appear before them. This is such a sad picture to me. There are many days (such as yesterday) where without a word from God, I would be down, depressed, and lost. So I can’t imagine the spiritual state of Israel with no guidance from God. Enter Samuel, a child who literally was raised by God… for a such a time as this. Remember Hannah? Remember her willingness to keep her promise? Well this is the fruit of her obedience… “Then the LORD appeared in Shiloh (again)”. Hannah’s obedience opened the door for the people to once again reignite their relationship with God. Here’s the kicker, that’s what we (Christians) are called to do. Our faith is not meant for us, and us alone. Someone took the time to share with us, and now we can enjoy the peace and joy that comes from knowing God. Let’s go out and do the same. Let’s bring God back to America!