later he heard his name being called again:
Samuel . . . Samuel . . .
The boy Samuel thought for sure Eli was calling for him. So again he got out of bed and went to his elder. “What is it, Eli? Why did you call my name again?”
Eli wrinkled his forehead and tugged at his beard. “Hmmm . . . Samuel, my boy, I already told you that I haven’t called your name. Now if you get out of bed again, there is going to be discipline! No more guff!”
Samuel lowered his head, a bit confused. He turned around and did just as Eli told him and went back to bed.
He lay back down and not a single minute passed before he was called yet again:
Samuel . . . Samuel . . .
Samuel did not want to get in trouble, but he sensed in the voice that he had no choice but to listen. Sheepishly, he inched his way toward Eli. Keeping his head low and his eyes directed to the ground, he whispered, “Eli . . .”
He did not even need to say another word. Eli knew that this behavior was so unlike Samuel that something bigger was happening here. He knew at that moment that God himself was speaking into the heart of the young boy.
“Samuel, my dear child, I have not spoken your name at all. Our Father in heaven wishes you to speak with him. Go back to bed and if you hear the voice calling out to you again, simply answer, “Yes, my Lord. What is it you want of me?”
The boy Samuel was nearly shaking in reverence and fear. It was not that he was scared, but he sensed that something great—something new—was breaking into his life. He did exactly as Eli told him.
He lied back down in bed and sure enough, immediately the voice called out again:
Samuel . . .
Samuel was ready and he answered back right away, “Yes, my Lord. What is it you want of me?”
At that moment, God broke into the heart of the young boy Samuel and because he offered himself up, God was able to do many mighty things through him for the rest of his life.
Today is just like those days back in Bible times. God’s spirit is speaking and calling out the names of so many people. Unfortunately, just like in those times, many are too busy with other things to hear his voice. But God loves us—children especially—and he wants us to pay attention and listen to him. Just like Samuel, and Jeremiah, who was also only a young boy, and many others, you too are able to hear God’s voice and respond.
Peter Walks on Water: A Retelling
Have you ever noticed that only one of the four Gospels recounts the story of Peter walking on the water beside Jesus? I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a very good reason for this. Let’s take a minute and really try and imagine the scene as it might have played out two thousand years ago.
It’s a stormy night. Visibility is quite bad and the disciples are out trying to digest what had just happened. A spontaneous gathering of five thousand people set the stage for one of their Master’s quietest, yet most astounding, miracles. The love of this Jesus is a mighty thing. He was no magician. Rather, the way he gave of himself to others inspired them to do the same. And when five thousand people care more about the person sitting next to them than themselves, the kingdom of God comes very near and a little goes a very long way!
But what did it all mean? What was really happening? As the waters became more turbulent, one of the disciples, maybe Thaddeus, spotted something—or was it someone—out in the misty distance.
“It’s a ghost!” someone exclaimed, maybe Andrew.
“I doubt it,” said Thomas.
But sure enough, as the figure drew nearer, it became clear that this was no ghost. It was their Master, walking upon the waters!
Now Peter, drawn to the idea of mastering the elements, moved to the front of the boat.
“Master! If it is truly you, ask that I may come upon the waters alongside you?”
Jesus smiled and gave a chuckle as if to say, “What are you waiting for, kiddo?” And with that, Peter was up and out.
Then the thunder clapped. Lightning struck. A fin strolled by sticking out of the water. And the disciples looked at them both in amazement. So what happened next? You guessed it.
“Help! Dear Lord! Help! What the heck am I doing out here?”
Yes, this poor Peter, with a simple trust in Jesus, was able to do the impossible. It just goes to show what faith can do. But what was it that stood in the way of this faith? Was it the thunder? Was it the darkness? How about the dangerous sea creatures that could have been lurking beneath the surface?
I would venture to say it was none of the above. Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and onto the bad weather and all the danger involved, but really, he was most concerned about himself. When the dark clouds come over us, who can we rely on? When the storms of life overtake us, who can protect us? And when we find ourselves sinking fast, who will rescue us? Peter thought he was something special and forgot that Jesus is the only one that can save him. But when his life was actually on the line, how quickly he remembered!
So, while we can learn a lot in this little story of Peter’s triumph and failure in the Gospel of Matthew, perhaps we can learn a lot more from its absence in Mark, Luke, and John. For as the story itself demonstrates, the last one we ought to be looking at is Peter. Let us turn our eyes only to Jesus!
Come to the Tree
There was once a mighty tree that stood in the middle of a vast field. This tree was strong and firm and it was many hundreds of years old. The trunk was immovable and it was so thick that the children could not get their arms all the way around when they tried to hug it. But even so, this tree was inviting. The trunk split just low enough to allow the young ones to climb up and the branches reached out in every direction allowing them all space to rest on them.
Yes, the tree was simply the best in the world for climbing but the most special part of this grand old tree was its fruit. The shiny fruit was succulent and moist, more sweet and juicy than an apple or pear and less sour and tangy than an orange or grapefruit. Candy was no match for this tasty treat. Whatever it was, the fruit was unlike anything they had ever tasted and it hung from the branches all year round.
But too much of anything, no matter how good, can lead to trouble. The generosity of this grand tree was to be its downfall. It would give and give and the children would take and take until its goodness was no longer savored and the precious fruit was taken for granted. Many became picky, taking only the shiniest, leaving the lesser ones to drop to the ground and rot beneath the branches. Worms and maggots and then flies and bad odors all began to creep in until the children didn’t even want to play there anymore.
Too much dead fruit piled up and disease began to spread into the earth, infecting all of the roots. It didn’t happen overnight, but sure enough, the life
