{"id":998,"date":"2024-06-27T19:10:10","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T19:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?page_id=998"},"modified":"2025-12-15T19:53:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T19:53:19","slug":"can-you-hear-me-now","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/can-you-hear-me-now\/","title":{"rendered":"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Can You Hear Me Now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Samuel 3: 1-10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do any of you remember the commercials that came out a few years ago where the Verizon<\/strong> guy walked around checking the strength of the signal on his cell phone? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He kept asking the question, \u201cCan you hear me now?\u201d<\/em> Obviously, the point of the commercial was to emphasize just how good Verizon\u2019s<\/strong> signal<\/strong> strength<\/strong> was for their cell phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well here\u2019s a question for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How good is your signal strength when it comes to hearing from God? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have an open line of communication with God? Or are there dead spots? If you were to rate your communication with God, how many bars would you give it? Two bars? Three bars? Four bars? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If God was trying to get through to you, would he be able to say, \u201cCan you hear me now? Good!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRANSITION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Old Testament<\/strong> there\u2019s a story about a boy named Samuel<\/strong>. He had a <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The significant role of Samuel<\/strong> in the history of Israel is often overlooked. He was born at a time when spiritually Israel was still in in a deep descent away from the things of God. The nation was at that time weak  and vulnerable to the attacks of her enemies. And when the voice of God was heard \u2014 which was rare\u2026the people preferred to ignore it and do their own thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most notable verses of scripture on this matter is found at the end of the book of Judges<\/strong>\u2026which says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judges 21:25 (NLT)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might help you to think of the end of the book of Judges<\/strong> and the beginning of the book of 1 Samuel <\/strong>together, because they are pretty seamless in the story they tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MESSAGE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the story of 1 Samuel<\/strong> begins \u2014 Samuel\u2019s mother was barren and without a child. She prayed and asked God to give her a child and he did. Her response to God\u2019s goodness was to give Samuel<\/strong> back to God to serve along side the priest Eli<\/strong>.\u00a0 Samuel\u2019s environment at the Tabernacle<\/strong> had both positive and negative aspects about it. It was positive in that he was able to serve God\u2019s people with the High Priest and learn from him. But, it was negative in that he was also exposed to Eli\u2019s<\/strong> two godless and immoral sons.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In those years it became clear to everyone in Israel that Samuel<\/strong> was uniquely chosen as God\u2019s man. As he would grow and mature \u2014 God would use him to speak to the people as a prophet\u2026and lead them as a Judge<\/strong> (Israel\u2019s last judge). It\u2019s clear in looking back over their history, that Samuel<\/strong> was the key man in holding Israel together during this final season before they would be given a King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before he was the judge and the prophet<\/strong> \u2014 he was a young man who was living in the Tabernacle<\/strong> of God with the Priest Eli<\/strong> and his family. It was here that God made His presence known and changed Samuel\u2019s<\/strong> life. This part of his story is told in 1 Samuel 3<\/strong>. If you will turn there and let\u2019s read together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.<\/em> 2\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. <\/em>3\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle[a] near the Ark of God. <\/em>4\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Suddenly the Lord called out, \u201cSamuel!\u201d<\/em> \u201cYes?\u201d Samuel replied. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d <\/em>5\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>He got up and ran to Eli. \u201cHere I am. Did you call me?\u201d<\/em> \u201cI didn\u2019t call you,\u201d Eli replied. \u201cGo back to bed.\u201d So he did.<\/em> 6\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Then the Lord called out again, \u201cSamuel!\u201d<\/em> Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. \u201cHere I am. Did you call me?\u201d<\/em> \u201cI didn\u2019t call you, my son,\u201d Eli said. \u201cGo back to bed.\u201d<\/em> 7\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. <\/em>8\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. \u201cHere I am. Did you call me?\u201d<\/em> Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. <\/em>9\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>So he said to Samuel, \u201cGo and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, \u2018Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.\u2019\u201d So Samuel went back to bed.<\/em> 10\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>And the Lord came and called as before, \u201cSamuel! Samuel!\u201d<\/em> And Samuel replied, \u201cSpeak, your servant is listening.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (NLT)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This passage in 1 Samuel <\/strong>marks the transition from a time when Israel was not hearing from God to a time when God\u2019s word came freely to all of Israel. So the nation of Israel was in a time of spiritual darkness. The priesthood was corrupt. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. There was no word from God. And it was in this context that God called Samuel.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On that ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of Michelangelo\u2019s greatest works. Along with many other frescoes \u2014 his paintings painting and depiction Adam and God is probably one of the most well known.\u00a0This painting portrays (along with other theological thoughts), the idea that all Adam had to do was lift a finger and he could touch the hand of God.\u00a0Michelangelo sought to convey the idea that God was never far away \u2014 and in fact, that He is always close. And what\u2019s so wonderful, is that this is actually the teaching of Scripture. And it\u2019s this idea that is at the core of the message I\u2019ve been called to proclaim.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet\u2026there are times, when I wish God would make Himself more obvious and present in my life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes when I seek to feel God\u2019s presence or hear His voice it\u2019s more difficult than at other times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes like Adam (in Michelangelo\u2019s picture), I lift a finger; and sometimes do more than that \u2014 all in an effort to sense the closeness of God, and He just doesn\u2019t seem that near.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, this paradox<\/strong> of God\u2019s<\/strong> omnipotence<\/strong> and His<\/strong> abiding<\/strong> presence<\/strong> around me, and within me \u2014 and yet the reality that there seems to be a distance I sometimes feel at times just raises some questions within me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n