Hearing His Voice #302

Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

1 Samuel 3:10

Samuel did as Eli the priest had instructed. Upon hearing his name again from the unknown voice, he answered with readiness. The Bible uses various words for “hear” and “listen,” and they don’t all mean the same thing. When Samuel asked God to speak, he didn’t just indicate that his ears were open. He expressed a serious intent to listen—to hear with the intent to do what was said. His ears and his heart were already committed to the coming word, even before it was uttered.

We have to hear not just with open ears, but with surrendered hearts. We have to be willing to hear whatever God wants to tell us, even if it doesn’t fit our expectations or our agenda. We love it when He confirms what is already on our hearts, but we need to listen for the unexpected, too. We almost invariably have a preference of what we want Him to say and which direction we want Him to lead. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we need to come to Him saying, “I’ll be okay with whatever You tell me. I just want to know Your will. I’ll accept it with joy, whatever it is.”

When we posture ourselves as the young Samuel did when he was first learning to hear, we need to say, “Speak, your servant is listening”—not just to hear, not just to consider, but to embrace the message. The commitment must come before the information does; that’s how God designs it. He speaks loudest to those who already know they are going to act on what He says.

Lord, I’ve made that commitment. I don’t just listen to You in order to consider my options. I’m not just paying attention out of curiosity. I need Your direction. It is life to me. I have already decided I am going to do whatever You say, no matter how much it defies my expectations. Your will is my food, Your wish my command. Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening.