I have some friends that are ending seasons in their life, such as ending school and graduating from college. My classmates and I are all asking the Lord, “What’s next?” I remember watching a TV show once, and the main character met a famous actress who had her whole life planned out. The main character asked, “How do you decide what to do next?” The famous actress replied, “I already know what I am going to do next, and next to the next, then next to the next to the next.” This made the main character question her plans for the future, and what would be next in her life. She said, “The actress already has a next to the next to the next, and I don’t even know what I am doing later today!” It seems that many of my friends are asking God, “What’s next?”
In one of my classes last Fall, we did personality assessments. One of my personality traits is “Futuristic”. This means that I am always looking towards what is coming next. This makes me better prepared, but I also want to be sure that I am not solely focusing on the future. I want to be able to soak in what is happening in the present. As I am very excited for this summer, I want to remember to enjoy every day while I am there, serving the Lord in Hungary alongside my dear friends. I also want to enjoy the time I have left here in California before I go on the mission trip. I want to be an encouragement to my friends here in California and my friends in Hungary who are moving on to the next stage in their lives, wherever God is leading them.
Many friends of mine, like me, are in a transitional period of life. There are patterns I see in their lives as well as my own. When there are patterns in life, I think they are God trying to tell us something. So I started to do a study to find out what the Bible says about listening to God. One passage that addresses this is found in I Samuel 3:1-21 (NKJV).
1 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. 2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, 3 and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, 4 that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” 5 So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.
6 Then the LORD called yet again, “Samuel!”
So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 (Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.)
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. So 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.
10 Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
11 Then the LORD said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15 So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
17 And he said, “What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” 18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
19 So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD. 21 Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.
6 Then the LORD called yet again, “Samuel!”
So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 (Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.)
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. So 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.
10 Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
11 Then the LORD said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15 So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
17 And he said, “What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” 18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
19 So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD. 21 Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
Eli had to tell Samuel to be still and listen to what God was telling him. I think at times the Lord speaks to an individual about something very personal, to be kept between only that person and the Lord. Other times, when the Lord speaks to an individual it should be shared with others. In the Scripture above, Eli mentored Samuel on how to listen to the Lord, and Samuel shared what the Lord told him with Eli.
As I think of the transitional time in my life and the lives of my friends, I think of a song that a friend of mine that I went to high school with has become a famous singer has on one of her albums. The song is called “I Wonder” by Joy Williams. The YouTube and lyrics are below. I pray that as we all wonder and seek God together and individually, that He will continue to speak to your heart and to mine.
I Wonder
By Joy Williams
Pondering mysteries with a girlfriend over tazoberry tea
And an open Bible
Yeah, there we were
Asking all deep questions about life, and love, and God
And how it all came to be
And why this
And an open Bible
Yeah, there we were
Asking all deep questions about life, and love, and God
And how it all came to be
And why this
And why that
And why me
And why not
And why
Why do I think this way?
I wonder why.....
I wonder, wonder, wonder why
I wonder, wonder why
All of these questions echo in my mind
I wonder, wonder why
Throughout the rest of the conversation
I kept coming back to one thing
Why do I think this way?
I wonder why.....
I wonder, wonder, wonder why
I wonder, wonder why
All of these questions echo in my mind
I wonder, wonder why
Throughout the rest of the conversation
I kept coming back to one thing
I don't understand
Why would God leave all of Heaven’s glory
Just to come and live and die as a man?
And why grace
Why would God leave all of Heaven’s glory
Just to come and live and die as a man?
And why grace
And why mercy
Why give it all for me
And why, why does He love this way?
I wonder.....
I wonder.....
I wonder, wonder, wonder why
I wonder, wonder why
His love is so rich
And deep and strong and wide
I wonder, wonder why
Why does He love me
Oh, He loves me
So I wonder, wonder why
All of these questions echo in my mind
I wonder, wonder why
Every little thing that my mind can question
Just leads me back to one thing
Every little thing that my mind can question
Just leads me back to one thing
God’s love for me
Every little thing that my mind can question
Just leads me back to one thing
Every little thing that my mind can question
Just leads me back to one thing
God’s love for me
I wonder, wonder, wonder why (I wonder)
I wonder, wonder, wonder why
So many questions.......
Yeah, I wonder why Your love is so amazing
I just can't believe it, oh
It's so rich and wide
I wonder why
I wonder, wonder, wonder why (I wonder)
I wonder, wonder, wonder why
So many questions.......
Yeah, I wonder why Your love is so amazing
I just can't believe it, oh
It's so rich and wide
I wonder why
I wonder, wonder, wonder why
I wonder, wonder, wonder why
All of these questions echo in my mind
I wonder, wonder why
Every little thing that my mind can question
Just leads me back to one thing
God’s love for me
Every little thing that my mind can question
Just leads me back to one thing
Every little thing that my mind can question
Just leads me back to one thing
God’s love for me
As I have a "Hungary Heart", a strong desire and hunger in my heart to go to Hungary this summer, may we all have "hungry hearts" for the Lord and listen to what He is trying to say. He loves us, and wants the best for us! Lord, nourish our hungry hearts and my Hungary Heart! <3
