Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)
Just like his predecessors, Eli’s time as a judge over Israel was a tumultuous one. The Philistines continuously remained a threat and Eli’s sons, anointed priests, were wicked men. While Eli knew everything his sons were doing, he did not bother to discipline them. Because of Eli and his family’s disobedience, “in those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread” (3:1).
Not a lot of people in Israel at this time were interested in listening to God. However, one night, God determined it was the right time to reveal himself and his plans to a young priest-in-training named Samuel.
As seen in verses 9 and 10, it took Samuel three times because he recognized (with the help of Eli) that the Lord was calling him. Samuel’s response, “Speak [Lord], for your servant is listening” serves as an important reminder for you and I. This passage provides an example as prayer being a response to God’s Word.
While God may not directly audibly speak to us today, he has provided a means of communicating with us through the Scriptures. Do you find yourself wanting to know what God has to say to you through his Word or just treating the Bible as a manual on how to become a better person? Do you take time to meditate on the Word or do you rush through it? Does your time in the Word lead you to prayer as a response?
The author of the book of Hebrews describes God’s Word as “living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). The author of Psalm 119 proclaims that God’s Word as sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103), a light (119:105), and more valuable than gold and silver (119:72) While these passages show that we are to highly treasure the Scriptures, it is not enough to just read and/or listen to it.
We are called to apply what we read or hear from the Bible. Those who just simply read or hear the Word for just intellectual purposes are like a person who looks at a mirror and forgets what they look like (James 1:22-24). Jesus compares them to a foolish man who built his house on sand (Matthew 7:26). Scripture is “profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:16). It is only by the grace of God and the work of his Spirit in our lives that we are able to live out and be doers of the Word.
Let it be your aim for God’s voice to be the first to turn to. There are so many different voices in the world (both good and bad) vying for your attention. God is the only person in whom we can have confidence that his word is true, trustworthy and doesn’t change on a whim. Let God’s Word lead you to not just knowing more about him but also to praise and awe.