May 11, 2015: 1 Samuel 3:1-10

We encourage you to read this devotion three times a day.  Start in the morning and reflect upon the morning reflection question. Then in the afternoon, read it again and reflect using the noon question for reflection.  For the evening, take time to ponder how this has resonated with you in the day and reflecting using the evening question.  We offer a prayer with each devotion for you to pray or we invite you to pray what is in your heart.

1 Samuel 3:1-10

3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

² At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; ³ the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!”^[a] and he said, “Here I am!” ⁵ and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. ⁶ The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸ The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Reflection
Do you recognize God's voice? In this story Samuel does not recognize God's voice because he had never heard from God before. Sometimes it's hard for us to recognize the voice of God in our lives for many reasons. Maybe we don't take the time to listen to God? Maybe we don't make space for God in our lives? Maybe we need help from a Christian friend that we trust to discern God's voice in our life?

Eli helped Samuel to recognize that God was calling him. Sometimes God's voice comes as a feeling or an inner sense. Sometimes God can speak to us through other people. However God speaks to us we must listen. We must take the time to discern what is being said to us.

Reflection Questions
Morning - How has God been speaking to you lately? What has been laid on your heart? Afternoon - How are you helping others discern God's voice?
Evening - Did you take the time to listen to God today? How can you make more space for that in your life?

Prayer
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. (silence)