Are You Hiding in the Stuff?
by pamela spurling
Lately I have been reading in the book of 1 Samuel during my early
morning quiet time. What amazing things God has recorded in His Word for our instruction!
At that time, Israel was not ruled by a king, but it was, rather a Theocracy---the LORD
actually ruled through the priesthood and by Judges. We see God’s mercy over and over
again as the Children of Israel rebelled in their ways. Samuel was to become God’s
prophet-priest... the LORD calling him from a young age as he served Eli the priest. You
may recall the LORD calling Samuel three different times and Samuel replying each time to
Eli: Here am I. And then the LORD came unto him again saying "Samuel, Samuel."
And Samuel (obeying what Eli had told him to answer when the LORD called again) said:
"Speak; for thy servant heareth."
"And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none
of his words fall to the ground." -1 Samuel 3.19
Did let none of his words fall to the ground... I share these things
with you today because of my continued desire to encourage you, and to live myself, in
such a manner as you and I both do not allow His words to fall to the ground, but that we
would be encouraged, each one, to live in such a manner as to promptly obey what we
consider to be even the slightest command of the LORD, that we would be quick to hear and
quick to respond: Here am I...speak LORD, for thy servant hears.
But, we fear, don’t we... we hide in the stuff. We hide in
the stuff of our past, the stuff of our present, the stuff we fear of our future. We hide
in the stuff of unbelief...
When the children of Israel grew weary or bored with the ways of
God, with Samuel as priest, and the judges (his sons who did wickedly), Israel cried for a
King---they had rejected the LORD once again... seeking their own way. This grieved Samuel
and he called unto the LORD... "And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice
of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they
have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they
have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith
they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore
hearken unto their voice..." (1 Samuel 8.7-9)
And through a series of events, a king was indeed chosen... and
Samuel anointed Saul with oil, and told Saul of the marvelous things the LORD would
do---which indeed did come to pass as the Spirit of the LORD came upon Saul and "God
gave him another heart." Later, for the presentation of the King they cried for,
Samuel assembled the tribes of Israel---many people... and there was much stuff (baggage).
But when it was time for Saul to be presented to the people, he was nowhere to be seen...
Note this next verse---isn’t it amazing the continued patience of the LORD to
continually answer them when they called!?!? (1 Samuel 10.22) "Therefore they
enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered,
Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff." It is supposed that Saul felt unworthy
of the great honour or that he feared the people. He hid in the stuff.
Are you hiding in the stuff of your life? O, sister in the LORD,
come out from among your stuff... and see what the LORD has for you. Many times in my life
the LORD has called or asked something of me but my response was lacking or was
half-hearted because of much stuff or old baggage. Many times I rejected opportunities to
serve Him because of fear... fear of man, fear of rejection, fear of failure. Maybe you
are like this, too---fearing things you do not know because of past failures or
disappointments. All these things are the "stuff" or baggage of our lives that
prevent us from fully maturing into the women God has designed us to be. Now, I know that
being a wife and keeping a home is not on the par of King of Israel... but obedience to
God is the same whether a woman considers her life to be important or valuable or not.
Position in life matters not when it comes to obedience to God. Great or small, obedience
to God will bring you out of your stuff---fear will keep you in it.
Has God called you to do something, call someone, start
something... and you are afraid to step out and do it? Are you hiding in the stuff? Are
you afraid to trust and submit to your husband because of the stuff of the past? Do you
desire intimate love in your marriage but fear giving yourself to your husband because of
stuff in the past? Do you desire to make plans for your homemaking or studying or
ministry, but because of past failure---past stuff, you fear failing again? Do you fear
closeness in friendship? Do you desire to hope for joyful days ahead and yet, because of
past stuff, you dread the days ahead? I ask you all these questions, because all of these
are things that have been "stuff" for me... all of these have been fears for me.
But God...
If you have stuff to deal with today, it’s time to come out
from hiding in the stuff... the LORD has a great plan for your life...He loves you with an
everlasting love and seeks to walk with you and lift you up out of your stuff. He assures
us in His Word that He will never leave us nor forsake us. No matter how big the trial is
that you are facing, no matter how difficult the next hill to climb, you can---you
must---trust in the LORD your God. You may still have a very difficult road to walk, you
may still have many trials to face, you may still face consequences of decisions you have
made... but(!) He says in His Word: "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness,
and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee..." -Isaiah 42.6
I pray for you, sisters in the LORD, that you will join me in not
letting any of the words of the LORD fall to the ground and that you will seek the LORD
and come out from among the stuff.
In Jesus---
pamela spurling - A Christian Home - 2001
