Being the Church #26

In I Samuel 3, young Samuel is serving in the house of Eli, the Judge and Priest. One night...

4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Samuel, in a sense, was a model disciple, an example to us as members of the Body of Christ, the Church.  We need to learn to listen for the voice of God.  As a servant he was constantly exposed to the Word of the Lord, but he needed to learn for himself what it meant for God to lead Him.  Though we may not hear an audible voice, God does still speak through His Word and His Holy Spirit, and we need to develop a sensitivity by shutting up and asking Him: Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.  Notice as well that it took Eli, the old, experienced servant, a little while to figure out what was going on.  Sometimes we get so wrapped up in life and what we think we know that we stop listening and stop asking. Let's listen today.