Gleanings – Samuel and the Red October

Proper 6, Friday June 21, 2013

1 Samuel 3:1-21

“Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak Lord for thy servant hears.’”

Samuel thought it was Eli speaking to him. Samuel was operating according to a SOP (standard operating procedure). Eli had to reorient Samuel to listen for the voice of God. Hard to hear him if you have not first imagined he might be speaking.

What SOP keeps us from hearing from God? I am reminded of a classic movie, The Hunt for the Red October. Jack Ryan is trying to contact the red October. But first Jack has to find it. Where is Captain Ramius headed? He learns that tons of Russian ships seem to be looking for Ramius and the Red October as well. But an aircraft carrier commander points out these Russian ships are moving at 30 knots. “At that speed they could run over my daughter’s stereo and not hear it.” To which Jack Ryan responds “hounds to the hunters.” They were driving Ramius and the Red October toward the Americans who would destroy them.

Could it be we are moving too fast to hear from God, so fast as to make it all but impossible? Eli would tell us to change our routine, get out of the norm. Slow down lest we run over His voice.

Could it be the enemy is driving us there, hound to the hunter? The enemy is always prowling around waiting to devour us. Perhaps the evil one is setting the pace of our lives so we will miss the voice of God and race to our demise?

Time to dump the SOP!