Samuel Hears God

By Jimmy Purchase

“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 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. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ 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. 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.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 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. 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. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”—1 Samuel 3:1–10 (NIV)

I’ve always loved this passage of Scripture. Every time I read it, there are three things that always stick out: (1) In times of silence and stillness, God’s still present and still speaks. Something He’s been doing since the beginning of creation. (2) God spoke to Samuel when he was a child, a reminder that we’re never too young (or too old!) to hear from God and be used by God. And lastly, (3) young Samuel’s humble response to God, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

The Christmas season is the busiest time of the year. Our calendars quickly fill up with extended family trips, multiple Christmas parties, holiday overtime, and the seemingly endless Christmas shopping. Every Christmas, I always find myself asking, “When can I get to rest?”

Did you notice in today’s passage that Samuel’s lying down. Things were silent and still. Then the Word comes, “Samuel!” The Word doesn’t come to Samuel during times of activity, when he was helping around the temple. It came to him in silence and stillness.

There’s something about stillness and solitude that allows our hearts to quiet and begin to listen for the voice that’s been speaking to us all along. This reminds me of the repeated line in a famous Christmas carol: “Do you hear what I hear?”

As Christians, we believe God’s omnipresent, which means that God’s fully present in every space at every time. The Westminster Larger Catechism says, “God is . . . everywhere present.” There’s never a moment when God ceases to be fully present, as God’s not limited by time and space. The question is never if God is present or not, but are we aware of His presence? Are we aware of His Spirit’s movement and voice in our own daily lives?

In the noisy world, especially in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, our awareness of God can often be dulled, diluted, and distracted. We rush from one thing to the next and the result often is a tired soul that’s dysregulated and shaped more by our worldly cares rather than the renewing work of the Spirit. And often, our spiritual deafness comes from those times where God seems silent, just as we see in 2 Samuel 3.

If God is “everywhere present,” that means He’s fully present, fully available, and fully at work at all times in all places. Are you allowing the noise and pace of your day to dull your spiritual senses? The only cure to the noise of our environment is the spiritual practice of solitude, stillness.

This Christmas season, let’s practice pressing the pause button to tend to our own heart and soul. God speaks in whispers, and He often speaks the loudest when our souls are quietest. What could it look like for us to sit in stillness and repeat Samuel’s words, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

How silently, how silently,

the wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

the blessings of His heaven.

No ear may hear His coming,

but in this world of sin,

where meek souls will receive Him still,

the dear Christ enters in.

Put It To Practice: Meditate

Biblical meditation is about filling your mind with God’s Word, not emptying it. Practice meditating on Scripture by reading it as a family or with friends, individually, out loud, and quietly. Let God’s Word soak in your mind and heart, and then pray the Scripture. Do this today with this passage: John 10:1–6.

For the Family

Today’s Main Idea: God loves when His people press pause on their day and listen for His voice.

Ask Together:

1. Why do you think Samuel could hear God when everything was quiet and still?
2. What’s one way you can make time to be still and listen for God this week?

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for always being near and for speaking to us, even when we don’t always stop to listen. Help us slow down, quiet our hearts, and hear Your voice. Teach us to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Amen.