So, I’ve had this bible passage in my head for the past week, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” 1 samuel 3:9. I really enjoy Samuel, I think he was one of the most interesting prophets. In this scenario, Samuel did not know he was to be a prophet…..in fact, the bible says that it was uncommon for prophetic communications during those days. During this particular day, Samuel was sleeping near the ark of the covenant with Eli just in the other room. God called Samuel’s name three times and Samuel thought each time it was Eli. Each time he ran to Eli and asked, “Did you call me?”. Finally, Eli gets what’s going on here and tells Samuel to simply say the next time he hears a voice , “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
So put yourself in this situation….. are you more like Samuel… just going about, day to day routine, not really thinking too much about God and missing Him throughout the day. He was just sleeping in the temple as usual…God was trying so hard to reveal Himself to Samuel, but could not grab his attention. For THREE times the Lord tried to call him. How many times does God call us and we simply brush it off or lose his voice in the our own noise. I know myself there are many times when I’m so caught up in the noise of my own life that there’s no way God’s gonna get through…. it’s all about me me me…there’s no “speak, Lord, your servant is listening” when all i’m doing is drowning in my own noise. I really believe that if you lose your life to God, you will find it…..and by getting caught up in your own noise, you are just gonna end up in the middle of nowhere with no map and no direction.
Maybe it’s not the noise that keeps you from God, maybe it’s the sleep like Samuel. He was fast asleep each time when he was awoken by the voice. Are we “fast asleep” in the routine of our daily lives? Do we ever think of God throughout our days? I know it’s been super hard for me lately, being busy and working long hours, then being so tired at night that all i wanna do is just unwind with some tv and fall asleep without opening my bible or without clasping my hands in prayer…..but God wants us to know Him, He wants to spend time with us….you never know when He might be whispering your name.
Or maybe you don’t believe that God would reveal Himself to you in such a way. Like it says in this passage, messages from God weren’t common back in those days. Real prophets are definitely not common during this day and age. But I would tell you to be careful not to let your hardness of heart keep you from feeling God’s love. It’s the most incredible gift we could ever welcome into our lives. Yet, so many disregard the gift. They don’t think God would talk to someone like them, they don’t give God the time of day cuz they have too much stuff to do and think about, they don’t care because God hasn’t revealed himself to them before…why would he now….. but you need to know He loves you….SO much…once you trust in that love, i mean fully trust….fully bow down before the Lord, empty and broken….giving him all of yourself, the sins and the triumphs and laying it all at His precious feet in complete and utter trust and humility, only then will you be truly empty of yourself and filled with His unending love.
The phrase says it all really…”Speak, Lord”….meaning “God, I know you love me, i know you want to reveal yourself to me…please do so, I need to feel you, I need to hear you, I need to be one with you”…..
“your servant”…meaning…”I’m totally and completely yours…I lay my life down at your mercy knowing that by doing so, I will be set free…I will find who i truly am by finding myself in You….I know that they only way to real joy is through serving you”
“is listening”….”yes, Lord, I am here and I am thinking about You……my heart is open to your voice as I attempt to rid myself of all my own concerns, worries and business……you know this is very hard for me, so i pray for your help, but I need you to know that I am listening for you, I am searching for you”…..
so i dunno…..maybe next time spend a few minutes in prayer but only mutter these 6 words.
God Bless!