Today’s Readings: I Sam 3-5, Psalm 77, 2 Cor 8
My verse for the day: I Sam 3:19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.
I love my parents. They’re awesome! And as an adult, their words are important to me. Whether they are meant for guidance, correction or just enjoyment, I hear them. As a teenager, however, I must confess that I rarely listened to my mother. (Sorry, mom, but I have to tell the truth.) Mom was a yeller. When she was mad, she’d let me know with lots of words at a high volume. And the reality is, I’d turn down the volume in my head. She would start yelling, and I’d tune out. That was never the case with my dad. My dad is not a yeller. Even when he was angry, he rarely yelled. When he was disappointed with me, he would simply say, “I’m disappointed in you…” and explain why. Man, those words cut me to the core. I still hate to hear those words. But they were effective! I’d hear what my dad was saying and I’d change my behavior (usually with a good dose of being grounded too).
My mother’s words of correction most often went in one ear and out the other, falling off my shoulder, rolling down my back and falling onto the ground. My father’s were chewed on and reflected on.
Today’s verse says that Samuel did not let God’s words fall to the ground. He meditated on them. He shared them with others, even when they were unpleasant to hear. Samuel valued the word of the Lord.
I’ll confess, in the past, I often treated God’s words as I did my mother’s corrections. In one ear and out the other, falling on the ground. It’s easy to ignore the words you don’t like. I could talk myself into not listening by saying “God’s going to love me anyway,” much as I knew my mother would. The trouble is, God is holy and righteous. He hates sin, it’s abhorrent to him. God doesn’t just gloss over our sin, he’s not just speaking to be ignored, He is holy and righteous and there is discipline coming if I don’t listen and correct. In addition, he is the God of the Universe. Who am I to stand in defiance and say I won’t listen?
My prayer for today is that I will treasure each of his words, pleasant or unpleasant, reflecting on them and letting him change me into the person he wants me to become.
What verse did you choose to reflect on today?
Natalie Ames 