Listening To The Spirt And Doing What He Says To Do By Faith

“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening’” – 1 Samuel 3:10

As is often the case, I woke this morning with something on my mind. Something, that I believe, the Lord wanted me to share. I feel like Samuel in that regard. I have referred to God speaking to Samuel on a number of occasions.  Before you think that I have gone off of the deep end, I do not hear voices – but I do have a thought, an impression, and I know that it did not come from me.

As born again Believers, each of us have the Spirit of God in us.  You already know that.  The Spirit enlivens us, guides us and teaches us. The Spirit is essential to our connection with the Father through faith in the Son.  That is why Paul encouraged the church at Thessalonica writing:  

“Do not quench the Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:19

We can do that – like throwing water on fire or snuffing a candle.  We can make a decision to ignore the influence of the Spirit and go our own way.  There is a constant tension between our sinful nature and our spiritual nature – fueled by the Holy Spirit. I have often thought that writing these devotions was more trouble than it is worth.  Maybe there is better use of my time – or maybe I could just get more sleep – nothing inherently wrong with that – unless – unless it is the Lord directing me. Then it is disobedience not a simple choice like what I will eat for breakfast – although that is how we often treat choices that we make everyday when, in fact, those choices directly affect our relationship with God and witness to the world.

This devotion will be number 2,000.  2,000 times I have written something and posted it for others to read.  Like John Wayne would say, “That is not brag, just fact.” It is an amazing fact to me. Each time I have thought, “That is enough. Who reads these anyway?”  The Lord reminds me by someone asking, like they did yesterday, “Is everything OK? I didn’t see your devotion today.” Then I am reminded of the lost sheep. What am I willing to do for the one.

And so to the real point of this devotion.  Are you willing to spend yourself – give up your time – your energy – your wealth – for the sake of one lost sheep? I don’t know who needs to be encouraged by what I write – but I know that some have been.  We don’t have to be perfect. There can be and are many typos in my devotions. They are not grammatically correct at times. But that is not the point.  A pastor friend says “God can hit straight with a crooked stick!” God can use us – not because we are not flawed, but because we are submitted to the Spirit and humble before our God.

“I [Paul] planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” – 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

A word of caution.  The one who plants may never see the fruit – but then that belongs to God and not the planter.  The seed comes from God. Don’t make “visible results” be the requirement for your serving and doing what the Lord has called and equipped you to do. Listen, I have been tempted to “number the people (or readers)” like David did. (2 Samuel 24) David was trying to take credit for something that God did and it angered God.  And me thinking that somehow I am the source of this work and any fruit that is produced would be the same sin.  

The Westminster Shorter Catechism says the chief end of man is to “Glorify God and enjoy Him forever”.  We need to keep that as our focus and keep our hands to the plow as we labor in the Lord’s field. And let the Lord bring the increase.