You Must!

49 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 3:8,9 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. Then he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Even though Samuel and Eli didn't get it at first, God is persistent in His calling. Are you a believer? Have you ever thanked God and given Him praise for His persistence? He was relentless in His pursuit of you. He keeps calling us until we “get it.” I think of my own conversion experience, and looking back I can see the times in my life that He called, but I, like Samuel and Eli didn't “get it.” I could give a million reasons as to “why” I didn't get it, but I think it's all summed up nicely with Eli's statement, “if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.'" Did you catch that? Eli said “You MUST say, “Speak , Lord, for your servant hears.” Now, it's not that you and I must say these exact same words, but our heart must be in such a “servant” mindset, that we are ready to reply in faith and obedience to what the Lord has to say. We have to be willing to allow Him to be Lord of our lives. Personally, I had come to the end of my own rope. My lordship of my own life wasn't working out very well. I needed a new Lord. I needed THE LORD! By His grace He came to me, assuring me of His forgiveness, and giving me a new start. A start that was marked by a renewed reliance on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me through His Word as I submitted to His lordship in my life. This start is necessary for all followers of Christ and it begins when we say with Samuel, “Speak Lord, for your servant hears.”