When God Speaks to Your Child

July 2, 1992

I Samuel 3:1-11

[Children's Story may precede this— the story of how Samuel heard God speaking to him, and thought it was Eli, the priest. Finally Eli told Samuel to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant hears You!" And then God could talk to Samuel, which He did for the rest of Samuel's life!]

Introduction:

Listen!

What do you hear? There is a difference between hearing and hearing!

Sometimes we hear only what we expect to hear— or what we want to hear!

Do you think that maybe God has a problem 'getting our attention?" How do we hear?

How do we get our children to listen for God's voice?

I. ONE WAY WE CAN ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN TO HEAR IS TO LISTEN OURSELVES!

Thankfully, children are not limited to the spiritual sensitivity of their parents! But a child who has believing parents can be grateful—

There is a recurring theme in scripture and in life: faith is more "caught" than it is "taught." The teaching is important— but the teacher is more important than the lesson, usually!

II. WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM ONE MAN'S UPBRINGING: SAMUEL

1. We would NOT want to try to adopt Samuel's families' life-style or methods. But by the same token, it is sort of silly to refuse to see the good side because of old or ancient customs. Polygamy / the actual rearing of Samuel from a pre-teen in the Temple; hardships of separation, perhaps overcome by the special circumstances.
2. But there ARE several things about the Samuel story that greatly impress, even today:
   1. Samuel was very much wanted. He was deeply loved.
      1. Every child ought to have this luxury! But because children are by nature very demanding as a responsibility; and so unless we deliberately choose to love them with God's help we will probably err in either resentment which a child can/will feel, or in indulgence, where we trade quality investment of ourselves for things that money can buy. Children do not become people of integrity by having money thrown at every problem!

         As a matter of fact— money, or lack of it, does not really affect this basic love and esteem in the parent-child relationship!

      2. What our children need is the assurance that they have parents that love them! Ideally there is a father and a mother; when that is not the case - as it is not in many, many homes, - a Christian single parent can and will find God's help, and can be a godly example. When there IS a father and a mother in the home the greatest gift they can give their children is (1) a genuine love and kindness and consideration for each other!; and then, also (2) a respect and sense of self-worth for the child!
      3. We shape our children by our attitudes! If we take delight in them, they will learn that they have worth! If we consistently demean them, and tell them of their inadequacy they will reward us by becoming fulfillment to our prophecies! (Never "You are bad!" always "What you DID was bad! YOU are good! I love YOU!")
   2. Samuel was "given to the Lord!" Here is another basic principle: Our children "do not belong to us!" They are NOT property! They are NOT an extension of our ambitions or careers. We DO have a God-given AUTHORITY which we must lovingly exercise; but that authority diminishes year by year as the child develops. We are parents, NOT God!
   3. Samuel was cared for and prayed for faithfully! His physical needs were met. There was no doubt as to the love and the esteem and provision that was made for him.

      The single most important inheritance we may give our children is earnest, diligent, often importunate INTERCESSION! Like a hammer striking a rock, it must finally yield!

   4. Samuel was in God's house when God finally spoke specifically to him.

      When a family builds its life into the church their children get the idea that God is really important. Why do we have to be head-in-the-sand Fundamentalists in order to see that God is, and must be, the most important thing in our lives if we are Christians?

      We are so sophisticated that we think that being Christian is a HEAD THING! Intellectually conceived! If we understand it, then we ARE it!

      WRONG!

      Being God's people is a head thing and a heart thing and a sit-down thing and a stand-up thing and a Monday thing and an all-the-time thing! We do it best by building our lives into the church!

      God will speak beyond the regular services of the church, certainly! BUT THE REGULAR SERVICES ARE THE HEART-LINE, THE MAINSTREAM! IF WE TAKE THAT AWAY FROM OUR CHILDREN, WHERE WILL THEIR CHILDREN GO TO HEAR ABOUT GOD?

      [There is a difference between religion and spiritual life. But religion is the conduit, usually, and certainly there is a need for religion, the Christian religion—]

   5. (Finally) When God goes looking for a man or woman of God, He often starts by speaking to a girl or a boy! But I know boys and girls— no one here of course, — that seem to me to be so busy keeping a non-God schedule that they don't have time to breathe, let alone listen to God speak in the quiet of their heart.

III. GOD IS ALWAYS SPEAKING IF WE CAN GET QUIET ENOUGH TO LISTEN

1. As we listen right now God is saying to YOU: I LOVE YOU! "Troubled Christian, I know— and I care!" "Sinner person, I love YOU— and not just your 'soul.' You are GOOD! You are worth saving! I died on the cross for you— to make you good— to lift you up to be clean and pure and to walk with Me right down here on this earth!"
2. As we listen God is saying to all of us:

   "I really want to have you walk with Me! I really want to be your best Friend! I want you to share every part of your life with Me!"

Conclusion:

God is speaking just now!

But we need to stop and listen! We need to deliberately listen! If WE try, then perhaps we will be able to encourage our children to hear God's voice, too.

Prayer

#338 (Last two verses) Lord, Speak to Me that I May Speak