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Thou callest?
YOUR THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR OWN
READ THIS STORY AND THE LESSON AT THE BOTTOM AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THINGS FROM A MUCH BETTER PERSPECTIVE.
I SAMUEL 3:1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
1SA 3:2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
1SA 3:6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
1SA 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
1SA 3:8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, `Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
1SA 3:10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
1SA 3:11 And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family--from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, `The guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.' "
Samuel heard a voice and Eli was the only person around and so Samuel obviously didn't understand the Lord was calling him, so he would go to the only person he thought the voice could have come from since this was the only person around. Eli didn't understand this either, however when Samuel had come to him a thris time, Eli knew that Samuel wasn't hearing things and Samuel realized the voice was coming from the Lord.
People don't relize that their thoughts are not their own. Whatever you think was not you that thought it, it was a thought that was given to you. We don't think up thoughts. Thoughts come to us that are both good and evil, we simply get to make a choice as to which ones we allow and or act upon.
For example, if someone cuts you off in traffic, your thoughts will be that of anger and retaliation and the consequences of it, mixed in with you can't get angry or you'll sin and be punished.
When something bad happens to us, this is not what is bad, what is important is, how we respond to the bad that has been done to us. Do we retaliate and be punished further in some way, shape, or form? Or do we simply not get angry and let it go and have peace without the pain of being angry and the further pain of being punished for getting angry?
Trying not to sin has this giant reward. PEACE. TRANQUILITY. CLOSENESS TO GOD WHICH MEANS A LOVE FOR LIFE WITHOUT THE PAIN CAUSED BY SIN.
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