Psalm 139: 1-6; 1 Samuel 3: 1-10
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
June 3, 2018
You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. - Psalm 139: 1-6
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’
Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ - 1 Samuel 3: 1-10
He was a child of the promise and he was born on the wings of a prayer. His name was Samuel. In Hebrew it means “God has heard.”
And God did indeed hear. God heard Hannah’s cries as she poured out her soul before the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15). She longed to have a son to dedicate to the Lord’s service.
God also heard the cries of Israel as they strived and wrestled to understand their identity as God’s chosen people. Young Samuel received divine and human favor. He was chosen by God to speak truth to Israel’s uncertainty.
Today we see such a tender scene between Eli and Samuel. The two needed each other in a time of transition. Eli had long been a prophet to Israel. And now he was preparing Samuel to carry the prophetic torch next.
Eli was up in his years and as a result his eyesight was growing dim. I know many wise one among us here today who agree with me when I say, “It takes courage to grow older!”
Eli needed to see through young Samuel’s eyes. And Samuel needed Eli’s guidance for he did not yet know the Lord. The text says, “The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7).
We all have life transitions where uncertainty makes our eyes grow dim. It feels like we are walking around in the dark; we are just trying not to stumble.
No matter what age we are or what stage of faith we are in, we are today or will be in a place of not yet knowing. In some way or another, we are all waiting for the word of the Lord to be revealed to us in our daily questions and struggles.
Some days the aches and pains of growing up and even growing older are just plain tough. Other days there seems to be so much conflict and sadness in the world. It makes us wonder if there are no more burning bushes, no more manna falling from heaven, no more rainbows in the skies reminding us of the hidden presence of God. There are days when it is just plain hard to hope. We cannot help but question where is God in the midst of it all.
The stresses of daily life create roller coasters of uncertainty.
The budget that was once steady is now strained by that unexpected change. The door to that job we have been hoping for has not yet opened. Family dynamics have their tug of war in our households and we do not know how to relieve the tension. The balancing act of life is like walking on a tight rope and we question our ability to even out our priorities and commitments. The diagnosis comes and grips the near future in fear.
It is quite a task to navigate through all our questions when life comes at us fast. You see – they’re the big questions with no easy answers.
But we are like Samuel. We all need someone to help guide us. We are trying to listen for God’s still small voice. We are trying to be attentive to where God is leading us to take the next right step. We are eager to listen for hope, but the fear and the doubt of not yet knowing can be louder than God’s whisper of grace.
This is what is called liminal space. It is a space of transition; a space of change; a space of preparing for the unknown.
John O’Donohue is an Irish poet and Celtic priest.
He writes these poetic words of blessing for this in-between space that he calls “Interim Time:”
No place looks like itself, loss of outline
Makes everything look strangely in-between,
Unsure of what has been, or what might come...
You are in the time of the interim
Where everything seems withheld.
The path you took to get here has washed out;
The way forward is still concealed from you.
As far as you can, hold your confidence.
Do not allow your confusion to squander
This call which is loosening
Your roots in false ground,
That you might come free
From all you have outgrown.
What is being transfigured here is your mind,
And it is difficult and slow to become new.
The more faithfully you can endure here,
The more refined your heart will become
For your arrival in the new dawn.[1]
As far as we can, we hold our confidence through this gift of faith. For the liminal space in which Eli and Samuel experienced, their confidence was knowing that the lamp of God had not yet gone out (1 Samuel 3:5).
Despite all that we have yet to know and see – faith gives us hope. God’s light shines in the darkness of uncertainty and that darkness – that uncertainty - shall never overcome it (John 1:5). The light of God’s promised love finds each of us and speaks to us in the midst of all the uncertainty.
It is Jesus Christ who shows up as the light of the world. His light binds us together as a community of faith to mentor and encourage one another. We need each other to see the light.
And so Jesus equips us to follow the light that has come into the world. As we grow in our spiritual maturity, God’s Word is slowly revealed to us through whispers of grace.
Christ speaks into that strained budget: “Do not worry about your life; the Father knows what you need. Do not focus on making ends meet – but strive first for the kingdom of God and everything will fall into place” (Matt 6:25,33).
We wait with confidence for that job opportunity because God know the plans he has for us to give us a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
The fear about the diagnosis is calmed knowing someone is praying on our behalf for the peace of God to surpass our human understanding (Philippians 4:4-7).
As John Donohue says, “The more faithfully you can endure here – in the interim time - the more refined your heart will become.”
The interim places of life challenge us to be faithful to God alone; for our faith does not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:5). We might see uncertainty ahead, but we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light onto our path (Psalm 119: 1-5). As the Lord goes ahead of us, God is working things out.
God takes our suffering and struggles and produces endurance. We endure by God’s grace; for when we are weak that is when we feel God’s strength. That kind of endurance redefines our heart and builds up our character. And godly character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint because if God is for us then who can be against us? (Romans 5:3-5; 8:31).
The Lord God stood in the gap of the unknown between Eli and Samuel and the Lord God stands in the gap our uncertainties too. God not only stands in the gap with us, but also God will lead us through life’s uncertainties.
Scripture says God leads us out of the wilderness into God’s Promised Land. “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). Be still and listen for God tell you when to go forward! (Exodus 14:15).
In all of our various places and stages of “not yet knowing,” God fully knows you and me. The Lord is acquainted with all our ways… The Lord hems us in, behind, and before and lays a hand of steadfast love upon us (Psalm 139: 1-6). And God will bring about God’s purposes in our lives in God’s timing to reveal God’s glory.
God’s Word challenges you and me to trust in the Lord’s presence, to look for the light of hope, and to listen for God’s whispers of grace. Let us hold our confidence by disciplining ourselves to remain in God’s Word.
The Good Book says we need the support of each other to do this. The love of Christ urges us on. And yet when we find ourselves in that interim time, the Spirit will quiet our hearts and help us to let go and let God.
The next time you see uncertainty do not fear. Trust God has got you. And let your prayer be, “Here I am. Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”
For God has heard and God is with us.
In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.
Sources Referenced:
[1] John O’ Donohue, “Blessing the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings” (New York: Double Day, 2008), pp. 119-120.
No comments:
Post a Comment