Hearing God's Voice

1 Samuel 3:3-9

The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.  Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.  And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”  Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.  And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”  Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.  Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

For Samuel, this holy and sacred encounter marks the beginning of a lifetime of hearing God’s voice. Oh my friend! Holy and sacred encounters are new beginnings and new beginnings matter! They matter for my story with God and they matter with yours too! 

When you wake up each day, see the day as a new beginning to hear and obey the voice of God. When I get lost, recalling those encounters helps me to retrace my steps back to God. When I am discouraged, they remind me of what God has done in the past and what God can do again in the future.

I think about my own early encounters with God. How did they happen? Were they through Scripture grabbing my heart? Was it a sense of God’s presence with me? Words of a sermon or a song that struck a chord in my soul? Whatever it was that I first recognized the reality of God, I recall those moments now - not as nostalgia but as a reminder to seek God in my present situation.

Lord, I am grateful for every encounter we have ever had. Let the memory of those encounters stir my hunger to meet with You again and again and again.

Eli didn’t patronize or dismiss Samuel because he was a child. He took him seriously and encouraged him to grow his own relationship with God.

Did you notice that Samuel heard God’s voice while he was trying to go to sleep. He was free of distractions. I don’t know about you, but my life is full of noise. There is always something clamoring for my attention: people, products, the news, the internet, social media etc. Even when I go to bed, the temptation is to check my phone and fill my head with worries and distractions. If I am serious about hearing God’s voice, do I need to make some changes? Perhaps to spend more time in silence and away from distractions?

Lord God, I choose to step away from distractions and move towards You. Help me to grow in the discipline of quieting myself to meet with You. As I do, speak, Lord. Your servant wants to hear You!  For I yield myself to you for the Lord who loves me says in the book of Jeremiah: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.” Jeremiah 29:13-14a. May Your Word take root in my heart and bear fruit in my life.  I trust in Your perfect plan. In Your holy name, I pray. Amen.