Is God Calling Me?

Reading: I Samuel 3:1-10, Utmost 2/13

Are we listening? Do we recognize His voice?

Young Samuel, just a boy, lived in the temple with Eli the priest and ministered before the Lord. One night, in the we hours of the morning, just before the lamp stand exhausted all the oil and burnt out, the Lord called Samuel. Samuel ran to Eli and said "Here I am, for you called me." Eli said, "I did not call you; lie down again. This happened again. Up to this time Samuel did not know the Lord nor was the word of the Lord revealed to him yet. When it happened the third time, Eli perceived it was the Lord calling Samuel and said to him. "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, Lord for Your Servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Now the Lord came and stood
and called as at other times,
"Samuel! Samuel!"
And Samuel answered,
"Speak, for Your servant is listening."
From I Samuel 3:1-10.

Samuel had a special prophetic call on his life, even as child, much like Jeremiah. At first he did not realize it was God calling to him and Eli needed to let him know what was happening. He taught him as a father. We as parents and grandparents have the privilege of helping our young ones learn to hear God speak to them. It says in Joel 2:28 "... I will pour out My Spirit on all people; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy..."

Think of Jesus when He said "... unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven... whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18:1-4 Little children are completely humble and trusting of their parents. They are always aware of where their parents are and want to be near them. In the Chronicles of Narnia, I see Lucy like this. She is always looking for Aslan and aware of every breath of His Spirit. She see's things the older children don't see, because they are caught up in solving problems. In Prince Caspian, the battle was lost when they charged off in a sense of urgency; then later won when little Lucy showed up with Aslan at the bridge. Oh that we as adults would remain humble and trusting of God, desiring to be near Him, aware of His presence and looking to Him in times of need.

In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers' February 13th reading says regarding this passage in 1 Samuel. "If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the Devotion of Hearing. A Flower, a tree, or a servant of God may convey God's message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things... even to service... my own convictions. God may say whatever He wants, but I just don't hear him. The attitude of child of God should always be, "Speak for Your servant hears." If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God's voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things..."

"Have you heard God's voice today?"