“And the Lord came and called as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel replied, ‘Speak, your servant is listening’.” 1 Samuel 3:10
Along with modern-day computer and phone technology comes a lot of unwanted phone calls. Marketers are able to “scrape list” for callers’ numbers, load them into computer programs and dial for dollars by the thousands. But, along with those same technological advances we have voice mail, caller ID and the ability to block phone numbers. Without this ability to do some screening and call blocking, we would never catch a break or be able to enjoy a nice dinner with the family, a quiet walk in the park or take in a movie. There is one call and Caller we should never block though, and that’s a call from the Lord.
In 1 Samuel chapter three, the Lord had to call young Samuel three times before he answered. It wasn’t, however, because Samuel didn’t want to take the Lord’s call, but rather he wasn’t familiar with God’s voice because he had never heard God speak to him before. What’s also interesting about this story is that God’s voice sounded a lot like the voice of Eli, who Samuel had heard all of his young life. What also strikes me about this is that because God is a God of order, He will most often speak to us through the ones He’s placed in our lives, and in particular, those whom He’s placed over us.
Also, Samuel didn’t have to chase after the voice of God and go looking and searching for “his calling,” but the call of God found Samuel right where he was serving. We don’t have to worry about God not being able to find us because He already has our number, our email, our Facebook address and so on. Like Samuel, all we have to do is be willing to answer and receive what God is saying.
Today, you and I don’t have to worry about whether or not God will call out to us when He has something to say or something for us to do. The key for us is to be willing to say to our Heavenly Father what Samuel said, “Speak Father, for your servant is listening.” After all, it’s the best call you’ll ever take!