May 8: Of Hearing His Voice

1 Samuel 2:22-4:22

John 5:24-47

Psalm 106:1-12

Proverbs 14:30-31

I heard the story of Samuel in the temple maybe 50 years ago, and I was fascinated with the story of a young boy who gets to hear God speak with him ever so clearly - so clearly, in fact, that he can recount everything he heard to Eli the next morning.  How did he do it, and why do I struggle so much and never seem to hear anything quite so clearly spoken?  Three things come to mind.

1. Samuel was in God's presence.  "The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was."  In Old Testament Israel, you couldn't be closer to God's presence than where Samuel was.
   
2. Samuel was listening, and he was prepared to respond.  As soon as he heard someone - the Lord, it turns out - call him, "Samuel answered: 'here I am'".  And he didn't just sit back when he heard the call - he stood up and responded, running to Eli, whom he thought had called him. 
   
3. Samuel had someone to point him to the Lord.  Eli could have just as said "it wasn't me - go to bed" the third time Samuel came.  Or he could have been jealous of Samuel, or angry at God for what He had said He would do to Eli and his family, and told Samuel to ignore the voice.  He didn't.  As sinful as Eli was, he pointed Samuel in the direction of God.

This is how Samuel was ready to hear the Lord when the Lord spoke.  Which makes me ask myself a few questions.  If I really want to hear the Lord, (1) how often do I put myself in His presence?  (2) How hard am I listening…and if He were to speak to me, how prepared am I to respond to Him?  And (3) when I am heading in the wrong direction, who do I have in my life to point me back to Him?

Father, like Samuel, may we always be ready to hear You when You speak, and respond to Your Word.