Hearing and Listening

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”  1^st Samuel 3:10

When I was in grade school, I discovered to my dismay the vast difference between hearing and listening. I was a daydreamer, and many were the times when my teachers would give class assignments and my mind would be away walking in meadows of afterschool fun. When the fog cleared, I would be in a panic and turn to my classmates and whisper, “What am I supposed to do?” The word had been set forth. I had heard, but I had not listened.

Before the Philistines were victorious over Israel God called a new national leadership who would be faithful to what He commanded for His people. This was in the young boy Samuel. He grew up and worked in the tent of meeting (tabernacle) at Shiloh, as a Levitical apprentice under Eli the high priest (v 3:1). He was assigned various duties in line with his age and physical abilities, yet in training in the priesthood, he had not yet encountered God on a personal level.

One night after everyone had gone to bed, the LORD spoke in an audible voice calling Samuel’s name. Samuel thought it was Eli calling him and went obediently to Eli’s bedside to inquire of him. After the third time the old man realized it was the voice of the LORD the young man heard and instructed him to say next time, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel had not been seeking selfish ambition nor walked in vain conceit, but in humility (Philippians 2:3). He was not even looking for the God of Israel to put a special appointment upon his life. He was simply serving where he found himself and he did so faithfully. To Samuel’s credit when he heard the voice of the Lord, he listened. He followed the leading and will of God in his current circumstances.

Be greatly encouraged if God has you only tending the tent of meeting and not working in the spotlights, for wherever it is you find yourself it is by His will and desire for your life. If just a cup of cold water is all you are commanded to give, you shall not lose your reward for doing so (Matthew 10:42). Be open and receptive to His word for you, whether in circumstances high or low. In his life Samuel was not looking to hear anything from the LORD but when he did, he listened.

Be faithful and humble yourself under His mighty hand in all that you do that He may exalt you at the right time (1^st Peter 5:6). When God speaks you will know it and He will always direct your way. Patience is a virtue and listening a skill we learn through practice.

When His word comes to us in our current circumstances, let us say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening,” no matter what we might be experiencing in our lives. It is always easy to hear, and His benefit is always bestowed when we listen.

Ken