The Story: Listening to God
As we move into chapter 10 of The Story we meet with four main characters: Hannah, an unhappy wife longing to be a mother; Eli, a priest who seems to have done an awful job as a father but who gets a second chance; Samuel, a boy who grew up in a religious family and whose whole life becomes committed to doing God’s work; and Saul, a shy, handsome man who becomes a king.
In this chapter of The Story we meet four totally different people and yet I believe all four individuals have at least two things in common.
Firstly all of them realise their need for guidance from God for their role in life. As you read through the chapter in The Story, or the corresponding chapters in the first book of Samuel in the Bible, you will discover the kind of prayer life each of them has. Each encounter with God that they have teaches us important lessons for our own lives and communication with God.
The second thing that they have in common is that the decisions they make affects the lives of others. The poet John Donne wrote,
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea
Europe is the less…..
Scary thought but true. From Eli and Hannah we see the effect that parenting has on children’s future life choices. Samuel, as a religious leader, influences the entire nation for the next few decades helping people learn to listen and obey God. Saul, as newly appointed King, has a massive influence on the Israelite nation.
Why not read the stories for yourself, learn from the successes and mistakes of others and enjoy the difference God can make in your life when you spend time listening to, and talking with Him.
