1 Samuel 3:4-10
that the LORD called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.“ Then he 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. The LORD called yet again, “Samuel!“ So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.“ But he answered, “I did not call, my son, lie down again.“ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been revealed to him. So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.“ Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy. 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. Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!“ And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.“
Someone once described an experience from work: every afternoon at 1:37, he would hear the faint beep of a digital alarm clock. He could predict it would sound just after lunch, taunting him in its mystery—and it would always last a solid minute. Though he tried, he simply could not find the source. Perhaps someone in the building took a daily afternoon nap!
This may seem like a silly example, but have you ever heard God speaking like that? Maybe you have heard a gentle whisper in your spirit but dismissed it as your own restless thoughts. Or perhaps you have perceived God’s guiding hand, only to question whether or not it was the Lord at all. At some point, God’s voice has been a mystery to us all.
This is why the story of young Samuel shines so brightly in the pages of the Old Testament. In Samuel, we can see ourselves: he hears a voice, seeks wise counsel, feels a tug at his heart, spends a sleepless night somewhat annoyed by the Lord’s call, and ultimately yields to His master’s will. Who among us has never spent at least one night in that situation?
The key to hearing God’s voice is amazingly simple: just listen. Sometimes He shouts. Sometimes He throws open doors of opportunity. Sometimes He brings the answer right to our door. And sometimes He whispers. No matter how He speaks, what He says is worth hearing.
Invite God to speak to you. Like Samuel, perk up your ears, rub the sleep from your eyes, and say, “Speak, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).
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