Hearing the Voice of God

This post is part of my 1 Samuel series.

I believe this video provides a great perspective on some aspects of what it means to be a mother.

Historically in our church, we have had a woman preach the Saturday before mothers’ day. However, due to COVID-19, I am currently doing live streams from my home. I had a great Mother’s Day sermon that I preached earlier this month entitled “A Mother’s Prayer.” I will be making references to it on this post but If you have not heard or read that message I encourage you to do so. But this message stands on its own just fine.

Living with my wife and raising our children I have gained a new perspective on parenting. I don’t know if these are universal truths or simply my wife’s idiosyncrasies, but I get the feeling that mother’s struggle with an almost overwhelming sense of guilt, blaming themselves for every negative habit and behavior displayed by their offspring. Besides my wife, as I have worked with parents and families, I have witnessed mothers who blame themselves for being too hard on their kids, as well as mothers who lament not being hard enough on their children. Truth is, being a mother is probably the most challenging calling anyone can accept, the most challenging journey anyone can embark on. (see video above)

I don’t know what it is like to be a mother. I consider myself an involved father but I must be honest and admit that my wife does the great majority of the raising of our kids. Research points to a tendency of men/fathers to overestimate their involvement in raising a child. Perhaps this is also why mothers ten to carry the burden of the guilt regarding how their children turn out later on in life.

This post is part of our series on 1 Samuel (chapter 1, Chapter 2A, Chapter 2B), and I would like to invite you to consider with me what might have been going on in the heart of Hannah, Samuel’s mother.

She prayed to God for a child and made a promise.

Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
- 1 Samuel 1:11 NKJV

But imagine how it must have felt for her when the time came to actually drop off her child. I imagine her wondering about Eli’s qualifications. After all, his sons did not turn out well at all (Bad Influences in God’s House). Imagine Hannah wondering if Eli was feeding Samuel organic fruit and veggies. If Samuel was having enough exercise if his education was optimal. Was he progressing in Math, Language Arts, History, Science? Was he going to bed at a decent time? Who were his friends, who were the parents of his friends? Is little Samuel having unsupervised screen time? Is anyone making sure he eats his vegetables and cleans his room?

I know not all those concerns fit the time period. I was just repeating a combination of concerns I hear and read about. I know these are different depending on where and when you grow up, but I believe that worrying about everything might be universal. Or at least something that hopefully many of you who are parents can relate to. We worry about our children. We want to protect them, to control, limit, mold, what they are exposed to and the influences that will contribute to shaping their lives. Mothers can drive themselves crazy with this impossible task. Talk about unrealistic expectations.

It also does not always help when others try to lend a hand. I have read my share of articles and books on how to raise children and my wife has probably read twice as much as I have and we reached the conclusion that nobody seems to know what they are talking about. Every author sites a number of researches, papers, and other sources that support their approach, even if it goes in the exact opposite direction of another “expert.” Some say let your child roam free, others say never let your child out of your sight, and both make compelling arguments.

I wonder if Hannah had to deal with that. Can you imagine her neighbors talking about her? The ladies gathered at the well, judging her, some perhaps saying she is a bad mother for just dropping her son off to be raised by strangers. Perhaps others would come to her defense arguing that she Hannah had not simply dropped Samuel anywhere, she had dedicated him to the LORD and Samuel was ministering before God. Perhaps others countered that Eli had failed at raising his sons and that they would be terrible influences and would ultimately corrupt the innocent Samuel. I can imagine Hannah feeling conflicted. Missing her son, wondering if the had done the right thing, wondering if she was being faithful to God or perhaps being irrational and extreme in her approach.

In observing mothers I have come to realize that there is no clear path to motherhood and that it is perfectly possible for a mother to do her absolute best and still feel like a complete failure.

So where am I going with all of this?

Please open your Bibles with me to 1 Samuel chapter 3.

During this period in the history of the children of Israel God did not speak often to anyone like he had done with Moses or even in the period of the Judges. But all that was about to change. The way I see it, God wanted to communicate with His children, He was just waiting for someone who was willing to listen.

Hearing the Voice of God

I find verse 7 fascinating. 1 Samuel 3:7 says

(Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)

Here is what I take away from this verse, along with the verses that came before it (1 Samuel 3:1-7). God can speak to us in a way we do not expect. God can speak to us and we can fail to realize it is God who is speaking to us. God can speak to someone who does not yet know Him, someone who has yet to have the word of God revealed to her. Think about this. God chose to speak to a young boy, not the priest, or his sons. God does not mind our status or title. This theme will be repeated in 1 and 2 Samuel.

Now consider this with me. Hannah made a promise to God. She prayer before the birth of her son. When her son was born she faithfully fulfilled her vow. Even though it must have been unbelievably challenging to do so. Later Hannah continues to come once a year and bring Samuel a little robe she prayerfully made by hand. Hannah continues to pray for her son. Hannah did her part, but beyond that, she continues to partner with God. Hannah is aware of the power of prayer. The environment Samuel is in is not perfect, but it is where he needs to be. God will use him there. God will speak to him, and use him in a mighty way. God will use Samuel to guide the nation. But God needed a praying mother. God needed a mother who would always continue to pray for her son. God needed a child who knew that he was alive because of God’s intervention.

Takeaway

We are alive only because of God’s mercy. As parents, we all fall short. We don’t always know what to do, and even when we do know what to do, we don’t always do it. But what we can all do is partner with God. That is why we do child dedications at our church. Because we recognize our desperate need of God. Mothers who are reading or listening to this today, right now. Don’t stop praying for your children. They are alive because of God’s mercy. God has a plan for them. God will answer your prayers. God is able to talk to someone who does not know Him. God can call by name someone who has not yet had the word of the LORD revealed to them. Your part is to continue to pray, especially those of you who have grown children. Satan will try to discourage you, to get you to stop praying, because he is terrified to think what God can do with a generation of Samuels. Satan will do all that he can to get you to be too tired, too fed up, too distracted to pray for your children. Because God is looking for men and women, boys and girls to lead his children, to face these final days, and to win many souls for His kingdom.

I want to do my best for God all the days of my life. But I would not be surprised if God is raising a generation right now to face the final days. Your prayers are more important than ever before. Regardless of the age of your children, if they are alive, pray for them. Maybe you failed, but no one is able to out-fail God’s ability to bless. Nobody can break something beyond God’s ability to fix. The bad environment will not stop God’s ability to speak to your daughter. The negative influences cannot stop God from speaking to your son. Your child has the freedom to reject God’s calling, but I believe that if you continue to pray for your child, God will continue to tug at their hearts and speak to them, even if they fail to recognize His voice. Claim God’s promises, tell God that your child is also His child, and beg the Lord to do all that is necessary to draw your child to him.

Mothers who are reading this, learn from Hannah’s example.

 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.
- 1 Samuel 1:10 NKJV

Hannah prayed so much Eli thought she might be drunk, and she explained her experience to him.

But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”
- 1 Samuel 1:15-16 NKJV

Come to God in prayer. God is calling you to intercede for your child. Do not give up. God is willing to speak to your child.

It hit me as I was reading 1 Samuel 3, that Samuel had not really done anything special. Samuel was not in the best environment and he was being mentored by someone who failed miserably with his own sons. Humanly speaking Samuel had every reason to turn out just like, if not worse, than the sons of Eli. Yet we have God speaking to him. God spoke to Samuel in an audible voice. It was not because of anything special that Samuel did. I see two reasons for God speaking to Samuel. God needed someone to lead His people, and Samuel’s mother was a prayer warrior, she was a mother who understood the limitless power of prayer.

Mothers. I don’t know what it’s like to be a mother. I don’t know what kind of guilt you carry around. I don’t know the details of your life. But I do know that prayer is where everything begins to change. I know that some things cannot be worked up. Some things must be prayed down. So I encourage you, I beg you, I challenge you to continue to pray for your children. It does not matter if you have small children, adult children, or anything in between. Prayer is the best way forward. Prayer is your only hope in a hopeless situation.

I don’t see this world getting any better before Jesus comes back. We need your prayers. The world needs your prayers. Your child needs your prayers. Your prayers are the biggest influence, the greatest impact you will have in the future. You can influence the future, by praying for your child. Only in heaven will you fully grasp the impact of your prayers, and you will wonder why you didn’t pray more. So let’s start praying more. And to all the fathers who are here, join the mothers. Let us spend more time in prayer. Prayers make all the difference in the world.