1 Samuel 3:2-10: Listening

One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 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. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel, it doesn't seem, was used to listening to God. He didn't recognize His voice when God was calling him. Eventually someone else had to tell him it was the Lord speaking to him and what to say.

Samuel was asleep, Samuel was young, Samuel was away from his parents' home. There was lots going on in his life being raised by a foster-type family with two older foster-type brothers who were not all that great.

It was in this context that the Lord called to Samuel, like He may call to each and anyone of us. But, because of all this or for some completely different reason, Samuel did not recognize the Lord.

My question for us today is what are some of the things in our life that get in the way of us hearing from the Lord?

My encouragement for us today is this: even in the midst of everything, the Lord did not give up calling Samuel. He will not give up calling us; so as there is something that He is trying to talk to us about, next time you hear His prompting let us say, 'yes Lord your servant is listening'

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Originally presented to River Street Cafe, 16 June 2017

https://salvogesis.blogspot.ca/

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