Racing to the Altar

“The boy Samuel served the LORD. Then the LORD called Samuel…He ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. Once again, for the third time, the LORD called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’” 1 Samuel 3:1-7.

I am sitting here with a smile on my face as I am picturing myself as a young 8-year-old girl in our small church in Graham, NC. Every Sunday the preacher called out to the congregation to give our hearts to Jesus and follow Him. These calls always felt very personal to me, as if that man behind that stand knew every wrong thing I had done or thought that week. When he would call out for the opportunity the weight of that calling was always heavy on my heart. More times than not (almost every week) I would bolt down the aisle to give my heart to Jesus…again…and again. Like little Samuel, I really didn’t know who Jesus was at that point or to where I was following Him. My Jesus lived on a felt board in Sunday School, but His Dad called out to me every Sunday to come to the altar. My mother still says that the people in that congregation must have wondered what on earth I was doing away from church to have to run down to the altar weekly.

Samuel eventually grew into a man full of the Lord and was used divinely as a prophet. God had big plans for Samuel through their fellowship, and He has big plans for each of us. We tend to be like the boy Samuel, running towards the things of this world as they beckon our name. We tend to be unable to recognize what God is saying to us as the world screams something different. But thankfully, we have a Father who is relentless in His pursuit of us, motivated by His lavish love for us. He will continue to call out to us until we recognize His voice. He is both consistent and persistent so that we don’t miss His urging and inklings through the gentle nudge of His Spirit. We must take the time to posture ourselves in a position of listening so we can recognize when Jesus is calling.

Some days, I still feel like that little 8-year-old child running towards the altar, needing God to forgive me for unlovely thoughts or behaviors. But that is the beauty of the cross…Jesus went to the altar for us once and for all. For that, my heart is full and our eternity is guaranteed. Oh, what a Savior!

“Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’" John 19:30.