Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” 1 Samuel 3:8-9.

(Cast) all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 NKJV.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19.

From You Are The Beloved by Henri Nouwen: “Be Alone With God Solitude and silence can never be separated from the call in unceasing prayer. If solitude were primarily an escape from a busy joy, and silence primarily an escape from a noisy milieu, they could easily become very self-centered forms of asceticism. But solitude and silence are for prayer. The Desert Fathers did not think of solitude as being alone, but as being alone with God. They did not think of silence as not speaking but as listening to God. Solitude and silence are the context within which prayer is practiced.”

The final chapter of this book, Zephaniah 3, is directed to Jerusalem. Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law. The Lord within her is righteous; He does no wrong. Morning by morning He dispenses His justice, and every new day He does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame. “I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear Me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all My punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.” v. 1-7. Are we willing to listen to Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit? Do we understand why we should? “Therefore wait for Me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out My wrath on them – all My fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of My jealous anger.” v. 8. Reading his sermon, The Consuming Fire, by George MacDonald, helps me understand that the consuming fire is God’s love that will burn away every evil, consuming everything not of God’s love. The fire of His love will consume our sins; to purify us, not to destroy us. “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder…On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to Me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on My holy hill. But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths…Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, He has turned back your enemy. The Lord, King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm…The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” v. 9, 11-13, 14-15, 17. That time will come in God’s appointed time and wisdom. But for now? For now we can grow in understanding of how very much we, the children of Almighty Creator God, are loved. It’s a lot to take in! I loved how Baxter Kruger put it, that when Adam and Eve fell, Creator God gave a resounding, “No!” When they hid in shame from Him, He clothed their nakedness. He “rolled up His sleeves” and got right into the mess we do. One day “He will stand up to testify”…and what could we possibly answer? I hope and pray…Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!