Good Morning Friends,
In the past we have contemplated what it was like to hear from God and today we further explore the problems we have when we do not hear from God as set forth in the book of Samuel. Then we explore the problems of not feeling in the life of a leper for that is a symptom of the disease and finally we touch on the process of Jesus taking on our sins. And we find that both not hearing and not feeling can cause serious and even life-threatening problems of not acting as we should. Friends when we are out of touch with God the results can be disastrous. So, with these conditions in mind, read on even as we ask in discernment today’s question about turning away from rebellion and to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. So, How Will We Respond To God’s Guidance Motivating Us To Love?
Scripture: And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. In those days the Philistines mustered for war against Israel, and Israel went out to battle against them; they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle was joined, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. When the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, so that he may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid; for they said, “Gods have come into the camp.” They also said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, in order not to become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated, and they fled, everyone to his home. There was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
1 Samuel 4:1-11 (NRSV)
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, as on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors put me to the test, though they had seen my works for forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.’ As in my anger I swore, ‘They will not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.
Hebrews 3:7-14 (NRSV)
A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.
Mark 1:40-45 (NRSV)
Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
John 14:23-24 (NRSV)
O Lord, God of my salvation, when, at night, I cry out in your presence, let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help, like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call on you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise you? Selah Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O Lord, cry out to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O Lord, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me? Wretched and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am desperate. Your wrath has swept over me; your dread assaults destroy me. They surround me like a flood all day long; from all sides they close in on me. You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.
Psalm 88 (NRSV)
Message: Today’s Scriptures invite us to reflect on what happens when we stop hearing God and when we stop feeling spiritually—two dangers that can lead us into rebellion, numbness, and disobedience. In 1 Samuel, Israel suffers because they no longer listen to God. In Psalm 88, we hear the voice of someone who feels abandoned and spiritually darkened. In Mark, the leper’s disease has taken away his physical sensation, just as sin can numb our spiritual senses. And in Hebrews, we are warned not to harden our hearts as Israel once did in the wilderness. Both not hearing and not feeling can lead us into serious trouble. When we drift from God, we lose our ability to respond faithfully. When we become numb, we stop recognizing sin for what it is. And when we refuse to obey, we repeat the same mistakes that kept God’s people from entering His promises. The leper in Mark is healed by Jesus, yet he disobeys the Lord’s command—and his disobedience hinders Jesus’ ministry. Healing alone is not enough. Feeling again is not enough. We must hear and obey. God desires hearts that listen, trust, and respond. Obedience is not about fear—it is the expression of love. When we follow God’s voice, the Trinity dwells within us with wisdom, compassion, and strength. When we ignore God, our love becomes empty and our lives drift toward confusion. Today we learn love through gratitude, forgiveness, beauty, community, Scripture, prayer, and service. Love is practiced and awakened—and always begins as a response to the God who loved first.
And So, the message is simple and life-giving: Love God. Love one another. Stay in touch with God so you can hear, feel, and obey. Know that human love, for God and for one another, didn’t appear instantly. It grew slowly through history, story and the human heart. Love takes root where God reveals and where people dare to trust, remember, and respond.It begins with God’s love of us and the astounding uniqueness of the created universe, our planet and our very lives embedded in the intensified love of Jesus. Jesus didn’t just teach love—He lived it: touching the untouchable, forgiving enemies, welcoming outcasts, healing the broken, and giving His life. His resurrection revealed that love is stronger than death and awakened a new kind of love in His followers. The Spirit made love possible from within
“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 5:5) Love became a fruit, a gift, and a sign of God’s presence.
Pray we have compassion for those in need. Pray we hear God’s direction clearly. Pray we learn to love our neighbor by doing good. Pray we trust Jesus to heal us and keep us spiritually awake. Pray we obey the law of love even when it challenges our comfort. Pray we discern God’s will and glorify Him in our actions. Pray we accept God’s healing so we may become instruments of healing for others. Pray we develop a deep love for God’s Word and wait on Him in prayer. Pray we trust God even in the dark and leave the consequences of obedience in His hands. Pray we live faithfully in the tension of life, where God often shapes us most deeply. Pray we see grace at work in others and share the power of love with humility.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 