Speak, I'm Listening

Transcript

Hello, my friend… so glad you're with me today. This is By God's Call — day 80, Speak, I'm Listening.

1 Samuel 3:10: "And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant hears.'"

Right before this verse, Scripture says something that stings to read: in those days the word of the LORD was rare; there was no frequent vision. It was a season of spiritual silence. A time when it felt like God had stopped speaking. And it is exactly in that setting — in the middle of the silence — that God chooses to speak again. And He chooses to speak to a boy. Not to a seasoned priest, not to a respected elder. To Samuel, a child sleeping in the temple, serving there, with no idea what was about to happen.

The voice calls: "Samuel! Samuel!" And the boy, naturally, runs to Eli — because that's the only adult voice he knows in that place. "Here I am, you called me?" Eli says he didn't call. It happens again. And again. Three times. Notice this: Samuel doesn't recognize God's voice right away. And that's alright. Recognizing God's voice is not instant — it is learned little by little, with repetition, with patience, often with the help of someone who has walked that road before.

And here is where Eli comes in. A tired man, with known failures, who had already made serious mistakes as a father and a priest. But even so, on the third time, he understands what is happening and teaches the boy: "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.'" An imperfect man still prepares another heart to listen to God. That should give you hope — God uses real people, with real history, to point you in the right direction.

And then comes Samuel's answer — simple, with no condition, no negotiation: "Speak, for your servant hears." He doesn't say "speak, if it's good news." He doesn't negotiate the terms before listening. He simply opens up. That is the posture every soul who wants to hear God needs to learn: openness before guarantees.

That night looks small — a boy, a bed, a voice in the dark. But it marks the beginning of an entire lifetime. Samuel becomes one of Israel's greatest prophets, the bridge between the judges and the kings, the man who will anoint both Saul and David. It all began with one simple yes in the middle of the night.

So today, choose a quiet moment — it could be early morning, it could be in the car, it could be right before sleep — and say out loud: "Speak, Lord, your servant hears." And then wait. Stay quiet for one full minute before you rush off to your next task. God still speaks. The question is whether we stop long enough to listen.

Stay close to God. Pray — then act. I'll see you tomorrow, my friend.