Plunge Deeper

As I drove through traffic en route to drop my children off in school, I had tuned in to a Christian radio station where citizens was sharing their perspectives on some pertinent issues in our society today. The children begun whining I. The back getting restless from being in the slow moving traffic. Efforts to keep them calm were not yielding so I decided to focus my energies on getting them to school without feeling flustered myself.

With all the whining, I could barely hear, talk less of follow the discussion ongoing. In my efforts to pay rapt attention to the discourse, I tuned up. It was only after a while that I noticed they had both gone quiet and the volume was too high. Tuning up not only enabled me hear better but also drowned out my distraction and also got me so engrossed that nothing else mattered in the moment. I tuned back down to reasonable volume as a commercial played and I realized a lesson we often take lightly. When you’re listening to something or someone of value you tune up and vice versa.

While I pondered on those thoughts, it dawned on me the scripture that speaks about Samuel and his experience with Eli:

“And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.” 1 Samuel 3:1-10 KJV

Carry out a simple litmus test to ascertain what the state of your heart is. Which voices or things are you highly tuned up on and which others have become a bare whisper. Notice the verse 7 of the above scripture, the Word of God says that Samuel did not YET know the Lord neither was the word of the Lord revealed to him, hence his inability to decipher God’s voice. However after heeding to direction and guidance by digging deep (investigating the source of the voice/ satisfying his curiosity), the verse 10 established that he knew what to do when the Lord came, and stood and called as at other times.

Could it be that your struggle to navigate certain situations you’re having to deal with may be because you’re drifting away from the voice of God? As children of God that should never be our story. Three tools to plunge deeper into the Presence of God and consistently be in tune with the Holy Spirit:

1. Reading and meditating on the word of God. Cultivate the habit of having a quiet time with God daily. It doesn’t have to be hours on end. Spending 15-30 minutes reading/studying the word of God for yourself consistently everyday definitely shifts your spirit man into the right gear.

2. Constantly being in the mode of worship. Surround yourself with spirit filled music. Sing in the spirit in moments when your mind tends to wander. Always harbor a content and grateful heart.

3. Pray without ceasing. 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there certain goes a long way to keep your direction in focus and deliver you from things unseen. As a Christian you cannot depend solely on corporate prayer. That has it’s place but you need to master the art of communicating with your Heavenly Father at a personal level.

Stay plugged in; ensure you are not disconnected (that could be fatal). Plunging deeper into God is a sure way to keep your spiritual antenna alert and guarantee your longevity.

With Love, Esinam.