The Voice
I got to be honest with you. I think one of the most boring things to do right now is to watch television. It’s like the same old thing. Like for instance, there is the reality shows. Every other show is some sort of reality show competition. They’ve practically run out of things to make reality shows out of. It’s pretty annoying. There’s reality show competitions for dancing, cooking, dating, surviving, a cappella and of course singing. It all started with American Idol, right? Well now the most popular singing reality show competition is The Voice. Instead of judges, they have a panel of 4 coaches that listen and chose from each performance, the singer they want to be apart of their team. They coach these singers, while viewers vote, and then they finally come down to a winner. The idea is that the winner has the most talented voice that America wants to hear. So the coaches listen in very carefully, because they want to discern which singer has “The Voice.”
So what voices are you listening to today? Is it a singer? A rapper? An Actor? Or maybe a friend? What messages are they sending you? Is it an encouraging message that builds you up or is it a degrading message, that tares you down and makes you feel insecure about yourself? Today, I’d like to share with you an amazing story about a boy who learned how to listen to The Voice.
He slowly tip toes down the hall, so as not to make any noise. As he goes quietly down the hall he passes Eli, the high priest’s room, were it looks like he is about to fall asleep. Then he passes the place where the ark of God was in the tabernacle, which represented the very presence of God. As he passes the ark with silent wonder, he goes just a few yards from there to where his bed lie. And then the little boy Samuel laid down and tried to get some sleep. While he lie there all of a sudden He hears a Voice call his name…Samuel! So the little boy Samuel got up and ran down the hall to Eli and said “here I am’ for he thought it was Eli who called him. But Eli said, I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down. So Samuel, with a confused look on his face, went back to his bed. Then the Voice called out to Samuel again in the night…Samuel! So again, Samuel ran down the hall to Eli and said “Here I am,” but Eli said once again, I didn’t call you. Go lie down and go to sleep. So Samuel, with an even more confused look on his face, walks back to his bed and lies down. Let’s pick up the story in 1st Samuel 3:8-10...
“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. 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. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.””
What we have just discovered is the story of how God called the little boy Samuel to become one of the greatest prophets in all of Israel. And what we learn from Samuel’s story is…
If you want to be great, you have to listen to the Voice.
Did you know that when you were in your mother’s belly, that you knew the voice of your mother and father? Doctors say that babies actually know the voice of their parents. My wife, Deedré just had a baby and when I would come home earlier in the pregnancy, she would tell me that when the baby heard my voice, he would move around in her tummy. Apparently he gets excited when he hears daddy’s voice.
The same way we learn to know the voices of our mom and dad is the same way we need to learn to hear the Voice of God. Now notice that when God first called Samuel, he thought it was the voice of Eli calling him. Eli was like a father and to him. Eli eventually realized that God was calling Samuel. This is why it is important to listen to the voice of our parents, because they are first ones to show us how to listen to the Voice of God when He calls us. Samuel had to listen to the voice of God and listen to the voice of Eli before he went on to be the last judge of Israel, one of the greatest prophets in the bible and the prophet to anoint the greatest king of Israel, David.
I believe reading this right now are some great future doctors, lawyers, preachers, teachers and musicians, but if you are going to be great you have to first listen to the voice of God. Because Samuel listened to The Voice, he anointed king David, through whose descendants came Jesus, the Son of God!
Jesus said He is the Good shepherd and His sheep know His voice. You know what He is saying to you right now, through His word? I love you. I died to save you at the cross. I have forgiven all your mistakes. I want to live inside your heart through the Holy Spirit, so you start to love others like Me. I have a big plan for your life. I’ve big dreams for you.
However, if you want to be great, you have to listen to My voice, He says. Shhhh. He is speaking to your heart right now. Can you hear Him? Will you listen?
"CJ" CLAYPOLE S. COUSINS JR., IS SIMPLY A MAN WHO IS IN LOVE WITH JESUS. HIS PASSION IS TO LIVE, PREACH AND TEACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. IN ADDITION TO PREACHING & TEACHING, CJ ALSO LOVES TO SING AND WRITE ABOUT JESUS.