Sleeping Near the Ark

Scripture:

I Samuel 3:3 "The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the tabernacle near the Ark of God".

Observation:

Samuel is such a great character in scripture. Here he is, an outsider because he is officially not a Levite and he shouldn't really even be in the Tabernacle, yet he is so hungry for God that he is sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of the Covenant. This guy wanted to be around the presence of the Lord. When you sleep in the tabernacle, you are hungry to be around the presence of the Lord.

Application:

I want to be so hungry for God that I would do things that may seem strange to others. I want to sleep in the presence of the Lord. In his day, the presence of the Lord was only manifested in one place. Today the presence of the Lord is everywhere at all times. We have a greater opportunity than Samuel to enter the presence of the Lord, yet many times we don't even acknowledge Him. When you are seeking the presence of the Lord, you will begin to hear the voice of the Lord. Samuel was sleeping in the tabernacle when he heard the voice of God for the first time in his life. May we be more cognizant of God's presence at all times and long for it.

Prayer:

Lord, I want more of You in my life. I want to be desperate enough to sleep in Your presence. I want to be sensitive to Your voice and hear it clearly for every area of my life. Help me to remember You when I lie down and when I rise up. I want to live a life that opens the windows of Your blessing. Wake me up tonight and talk to me.

I love you Lord,

Jeff