Child-like???

While I was doing my Bible study yesterday morning, I was reading a new book that our Sunday school class is starting. Well, while reading through it, the first chapter stirred up more questions in me than answers. Which for me, God uses to cause me to dig deeper. This book is about hearing God's voice, and the author begins with 1 Samuel 3, where Samuel as a boy hears God call his name. Well, the author gets hung up on "the boy" part of verse 1, using the reference of childlike to hear God. She goes into obedience and humility as child-like characteristics that make you more able to hear God. I don't know about the rest of you, but my children are not obedient or humble by nature. That is not the nature of a child.


So anyway, here are some of my questions that I ask myself and God. By the way, I still have not found the answers. The author makes the assumption that Samuel as a "boy" feared or reverenced God. So the first question was: "Where does it say in the Bible that Samuel as a child "feared God" equalling reverenced God? That is an assumption that I am not following when God spoke to Samuel in this account." I can't think of any place in scripture that says as a "boy" Samuel feared God. Is she making the assumption, based on the fact that Samuel was basically raised by Eli. If so I will give her that, but the assumption that the obedience of children makes us able to hear God. Don't get it. By nature, children are not obedient, therefore; being childlike in obedience would be a contradiction. I see obedience and reverence as essential to knowing and developing a relationship with God, but not in a childlike manner. Do your children listen to you, do they reverence you, are they obedient?


I quote the author saying, "People who have a childlike relationship with God listen to Him and accept His revelation however it comes." I agree with the statement if and only if, she is referring to a childlike characteristic of dependence and trust, not in obedience which is her take. She references Matthew 19:14 where Jesus is telling the disciples who will be the greatest. "The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these," referring to children. I truly believe that a childlike manner of trust and unpretentiousness, but not obedience. If you are following my point, and have some in site to either side I would appreciate the comments.


I know and trust my Heavenly Father to show me the right answer, for right now I just don't agree with the author and maybe God wants me to disagree. I will discover the answer he has for me.