God’s Presence Makes All The Difference
The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there, He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word. And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.
I Samuel 3:19-4:1
I Samuel 3:19-4:1
What a difference the Presence of the LORD brings!
Samuel was only a young child when God started speaking to him. Prior to God speaking to Samuel, the Bible records that the word of the LORD was rare in those days. Those were the days of Eli the Priest and his sons. Corruption was rampant in the house of God and the children were scoundrels who had absolutely no regard for the things of God.
But God found a faithful servant in the person of Samuel. Samuel was only a little boy when his mother brought him to the temple of God to serve Him for life. God found him faithful and what was missing was restored: “God revealed Himself to Samuel through His word.”
God was with Samuel as he grew up, “and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground and all Israel ...recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD.”
Nothing sets a person apart as powerfully as the Presence of God. People recognize when a person is walking in the presence. People also recognize when the Presence is absent!
There are two things that established the Presence of God in Samuel’s life:
First: Time with the LORD.
It is evident that Samuel spent an inordinate amount of time in the presence of God. He slept in the house of God where the ark was. The ark signified the very presence of God in those times. No wonder God woke him up one night and spoke to him about impending things that were to happen to Eli. God bypassed Eli and revealed things to little Samuel. Samuel was focused on the things of God which facilitates the Presence.
Second: The Presence of God is established through the word of God. A person of the Presence is a person of the Word! You can’t have the presence without the word.
When God commissioned Joshua, He said to him never to allow the word of God to depart from his mouth but to meditate on it day and night and observe to do according to all that is written in it (Joshua 1:8). God is His Word because the Word was breathed by the Holy Spirit of God. When a person is filled with the word in true righteousness, he is also filled with the God of the word. Samuel was filled with the word and God attested to Israel that he was a true prophet.
It was the Presence of God through the Power of the Word that gave Samuel success in his calling as a prophet. When we are filled with the word in true righteousness the Presence will manifest. May the God of the word manifest Himself with His mighty Presence in you as you fill yourself with His word.
Samuel was only a young child when God started speaking to him. Prior to God speaking to Samuel, the Bible records that the word of the LORD was rare in those days. Those were the days of Eli the Priest and his sons. Corruption was rampant in the house of God and the children were scoundrels who had absolutely no regard for the things of God.
But God found a faithful servant in the person of Samuel. Samuel was only a little boy when his mother brought him to the temple of God to serve Him for life. God found him faithful and what was missing was restored: “God revealed Himself to Samuel through His word.”
God was with Samuel as he grew up, “and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground and all Israel ...recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD.”
Nothing sets a person apart as powerfully as the Presence of God. People recognize when a person is walking in the presence. People also recognize when the Presence is absent!
There are two things that established the Presence of God in Samuel’s life:
First: Time with the LORD.
It is evident that Samuel spent an inordinate amount of time in the presence of God. He slept in the house of God where the ark was. The ark signified the very presence of God in those times. No wonder God woke him up one night and spoke to him about impending things that were to happen to Eli. God bypassed Eli and revealed things to little Samuel. Samuel was focused on the things of God which facilitates the Presence.
Second: The Presence of God is established through the word of God. A person of the Presence is a person of the Word! You can’t have the presence without the word.
When God commissioned Joshua, He said to him never to allow the word of God to depart from his mouth but to meditate on it day and night and observe to do according to all that is written in it (Joshua 1:8). God is His Word because the Word was breathed by the Holy Spirit of God. When a person is filled with the word in true righteousness, he is also filled with the God of the word. Samuel was filled with the word and God attested to Israel that he was a true prophet.
It was the Presence of God through the Power of the Word that gave Samuel success in his calling as a prophet. When we are filled with the word in true righteousness the Presence will manifest. May the God of the word manifest Himself with His mighty Presence in you as you fill yourself with His word.
Prayer: Father, my prayer is that you fill me up with your word and your presence. Amen.