I Samuel 3:9
‘And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.’
The last entry in Samuel had to do with hearing God’s voice. We can agree that for us it isn’t an audible one. Well then what is His voice? The loud megaphone message is the bible. We need to be hearing it in from the pulpit and reading it on our own. By doing so, we are planting all sorts of seeds in our hearts and minds. These are time released and mature at different times. They will surface as thoughts, ideas and impressions. Having the bible in us is foundational.
Today’s verse shares the posture of one who wants to hear from God. Eli instructs young Samuel to say, “speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” We are to quiet ourselves and listen. This may be a new skill for some of us. We are so rushed and often have short attention spans.
One of my favorite dialogues in scripture is when Jesus challenges a man about faith. The man responds, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” This was enough for Jesus. The man’s honesty and self awareness was refreshing. I bring this up because we can say the same thing about listening. “Lord, I hear You. Help me to better do so.”
We can listen to Him in many places. We can do this in the car. We can do it on a walk or while sitting. We can listen Him casually. This would be bringing up a prayerful thought as it comes to mind. We can pray in a more planned fashion. We schedule a time where we begin with worship. We might front load the session by fasting. Times like these are typically longer; maybe an hour. We also might have a plan to do this regularly. Maybe 15-20 minutes a day for a week.
Finally, let’s focus on God’s voice and our inner life. Our feelings and present state are at the fore of our attention. God connects with us there. Romans 8:16 says, “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God”. He reassures us that we belong to Him. We are His son or daughter. This meets a fundamental need. He can communicate all sorts of messages to our spirits. It blesses us as we begin to recognize this as His voice.
Lord, thank You for Your voice. Help us to seek it. Help us to recognize it.