Tuesday, July 1, 2025

New Testament Reading Plan: Galatians 3

As a young kid, it drove me crazy when my parents repeated the same information over and over. Whether it was telling me and my siblings to get in the car or reminding us of the instructions for the fifth time in a row, it was boring, and I felt like they didn’t trust me.

Now that I regularly volunteer with preschoolers, I understand.

No matter how often I tell them to use walking feet, pick up dropped crackers, and keep their hands to themselves, the kids still race around the room, grind crumbs into the carpet, and wrestle during the Bible lesson. I love all of those preschoolers, but they have demonstrated how hard it is to follow instructions. Until I see signs that they are actually listening, I’ll keep repeating our rules, for as long as it takes.

In the Bible, there is a story about God reaching out to a boy, probably about twelve, named Samuel. Three times, God called out to Samuel, and each time, Samuel mistook God for Eli, the priest.

1 Samuel 3:8-9
So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

We can struggle to recognize God’s voice when we aren’t expecting it. Whether we doubt that God would be interested in talking to us, mistake him for the voices of people in our lives, or aren’t interested in what he has to say, these beliefs can get in the way of receiving God’s message.

Even if you have been overlooking or intentionally ignoring what God is telling you, he isn’t giving up on you. As he did with Samuel, or as any good teacher or parent would do with young children, God continues to reach out. He pesters us until we can no longer deny his voice, giving us the Holy Spirit to help us through our confusion.

We might not understand or have complete clarity, but when we expect God to answer, it allows us to invite him in and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).

Questions:
Is there anything you believe God might be trying to tell you? How can you open your heart this week to receive his message?

Next Steps:
Take time to pray and be alone with God. This might be in your car on the way to work, while on a walk, drinking your coffee in the morning, or right before bed, whenever you have a moment between you and God. Invite him into your space, and ask him where he is guiding you. If you have your hands available, write down what you hear, or send it to yourself in a text.

Prayer:
Father, I’m sorry for all the times I’ve been distracted or have overlooked or ignored your voice. Right now, I am choosing to be still. Please, come into my heart. Open my ears to hear your words, and give me understanding to know what you mean. I believe that you are here with me, that you love me more than I can imagine, and that you have an incredible plan for my life. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Psalm 85:8
I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.

This post was written by Lydia Snyder, a South attendee and regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.