…And Listen
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 3:10
What you do in your solitude with God will change your life.
Wrestling yourself into a submission of silence is not the end goal, however. Our goal, once we reach that state of humility where we allow ourselves to strip away all outside distractions and selfish ambitions, should be to simply listen.
What does it mean to listen to the Lord and how do we go about accomplishing such a thing?
We must be quiet. For just a moment, stop pleading to God and stop being consumed by the world. Rest and just be.
We must hear the Lord. It wasn’t until the Lord had called him a fourth time, that Samuel finally responded appropriately. Prior to his calling Samuel did not know the Lord and to hear the word of the Lord was rare; despite this, Samuel still heard the Lord’s calling. Is there a possibility the Lord is speaking to you in some manner, yet you are so focused elsewhere you can’t hear Him? The Lord speaks to us in countless ways and shows Himself to us in an unfathomable amount of variety: friends, family, Bible studies, praise and worship, a cardinal on your tree, or even a rainbow in the sky. Hear the Lord when He speaks.
We must attune ourselves to God. Despite not knowing the Lord, Samuel adjusted and attuned himself to His call so that he could properly hear the Lord and respond. We must do the same. If you find yourself struggling to hear God’s calling for you or are wavering in your dedicated worship of Him, begin cultivating a God focused prayer life. To become more aware of God’s presence in your life, I encourage you to genuinely seek God’s will and re-center your life’s focus around God. Has God responded to you and you have heard Him, but you are fighting what He is trying to tell you? Adjust yourself to the Lord’s will and know that His plans will always be greater than your plans.
We must wait. God will not always immediately respond when we desire; nor will He respond every time we sit to engage in a quiet time with Him. We must grow in our self-discipline, hope and patience as we also grow with the Lord. It’s important that we ready ourselves so that we can better hear the Lord when He speaks and be ready to take action if we are called to do so. After going to Eli upon hearing the Lord call a third time, Eli instructed Samuel to go back and wait. Samuel waited and was prepared for when the Lord called to him a fourth time. It’s a startling and humbling thought: This young man who had not known the Lord previously or been exposed to the word of the Lord, was ready to respond when He heard the Lord! Ready yourself so that you too may say, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Could I say the same thing about you? If the Lord were to call to you, would you be ready to receive His message and respond?
To be quiet and listen has become almost unnatural for us. Listening can be the most difficult challenge many of us face in our Christian lives but it is imperative to our growth as believers. I encourage you to follow Samuel’s example and be quiet and focused on God, attune your life to the Lord, be patient as you wait for Him, and hear Him when He calls to you.
Listening for the Lord will change your life.
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