Do you ever suddenly realize that you are stuck in a rut and wonder how you got there? We all do from time to time. Ruts are part of being human, and most of them are pretty harmless, but sometimes a rut can do serious harm.
In 1 Samuel 3, we read the story of the Lord calling the boy Samuel in the middle of the night. It's an amazing story of God speaking to a young boy and telling him that he is going to use him to turn the nation of Israel back to the Lord. What's more amazing about this story is what we read about Eli, the High Priest. In verse 2 it says, "One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place." The word of the Lord was rare in those days. In fact, it was almost unheard of. So why did God decide to speak to a kid and not the spiritual leader of Israel? I believe it was because Eli wasn't positioning himself to be in a place to hear God's voice. He was just doing the same old thing he had been doing for years. He had become stuck in a deadly spiritual rut. The tragedy was that he was comfortable with the fact that the Lord's voice was absent.
In contrast, we see the boy Samuel positioning himself where God was manifesting himself. He laid down in the temple next to the Ark of the Covenant. This young boy wasn't interested in the status quo and was uncomfortable with silence. Samuel wasn't comfortable unless he was as close to God's presence as possible. In those days, the Ark of the Covenant was as close as you could get. Samuel's position brought life while Eli's position brought death.
If you suddenly realize that God's voice hasn't been as active in your life lately, it's a sure sign that you are in a spiritual rut and you need to make some changes. It's time to reposition yourself in a place spiritually where you are actively listening and pursuing God's voice. God shows up where we are eagerly pursuing him. Change your routine today. Don't lie down in your normal place. God is getting ready to say something to you and he doesn't want you to miss it. It will change your destiny.
Get free updates from The Good Life in your inbox. Subscribe today!
