1 Samuel 3:9–10: “Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.”’ 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 answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.'”

May 12th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This is the account of the call of one of God’s great prophets, Samuel. In chapter 3 he is about 12 years old, according to the Jewish Talmud. Hannah had given her son back to the Lord at about the age of 2, leaving him to be raised in the tabernacle at Shiloh as she had promised God. After 10 years growing up under the elderly chief priest Eli, God called Samuel. Samuel at first thought it was Eli calling him, but Eli realized it was God’s voice. Eli gave Samuel great advice, and anyone trying to serve God could benefit from following it too. When God speaks, in any way, we should simply respond with these same words: “Speak, for Your servant hears.” “But,” you say, “God doesn’t speak to me that clearly.” No, He doesn’t speak that clearly to most of us. He usually speaks through other people and His Word, the Scripture. So when we read something that strikes a chord in our hearts or we hear someone speak of God and it seems to be “speaking directly to us,” we should whisper this silent pray as Eli suggested.

There is a great old story about learning how to listen. A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square, during the noon lunch hour. The streets were filled with people, cars were honking, taxicabs were squealing around corners, and sirens were wailing; the sounds of the city were almost deafening. The Native American suddenly said, “I hear a cricket.” His friend exclaimed, “What? You must be crazy. You couldn’t possibly hear a cricket in all this noise!” The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across the street to a big, cement planter. He looked into the bushes and sure enough located a small cricket. His friend was amazed. “That’s incredible. You must have super-human ears!” “No,” said the Native American. “My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you’re listening for.” “But that can’t be!” said his friend. “I could never hear a cricket in this noise.” “Here, let me show you,” he replied. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. With the noise of the crowded street still blaring, every head within 20 feet turned to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs. “See what I mean?” asked the Native American. “It all depends on what you’re listening for.” If we are tuned in to hear God, we can hear Him speak in spite of all the distracting things around us.

“LORD, please give us ears to hear and hearts of submission, willing to obey this day.”

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1 Samuel 3 KJV

¹ And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. ² And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; ³ And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was , and Samuel was laid down to sleep; ⁴ That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. ⁵ And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. ⁶ And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.  ⁸ And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. ⁹ Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰ And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. ¹¹ And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. ¹² In that day I will perform against Eli all thingswhich I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.  ¹³ For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.  ¹⁴ And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. ¹⁵ And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. ¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. ¹⁷ And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.   ¹⁸ And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.  ¹⁹ And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to bea prophet of the LORD.  ²¹ And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.