31 Days: It’s only the Beginning of Listening

Today brings us to the end of 31 Days to Listen, and I wanted to finish with the story of Samuel who was born as an answer to prayer and dedicated to serve God (1 Samuel 1, 2). He learned as a young boy to listen to the Lord.

1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-21 (NIV)

The Lord Calls Samuel

The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

…

The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

I love that Samuel is attentive and responsive. I love that the Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and that the Lord revealed himself to Samuel. The Lord of the Universe revealing himself to a man – what an incredible privilege.

The Lord is always looking for someone who will listen to Him. May we continue learning to recognise the Lord when he is calling us, and may we also be the ones who listen and follow Him.

This is Day 31 of 31 Days to Listen. Thank you for joining me on this challenge. I’ll be taking a rest from posting for a few days, but I would love to hear from you if you’ve enjoyed this focussed attention on one subject. If you would like another series (perhaps 2-3 posts each week) please drop me a note in the Comments section below.

31 Days: Who would we rather listen to?

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 20:18-21

We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? Perhaps it’s because we know that when God speaks we know we have only two choices: Either we will do what He asks, or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative.

~Oswald Chambers

 

This is Day 25 of the series 31 Days to Listen.

31 Days: Listening and Doing

James 1:19-25 (NLT)

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Listening is not passive. It should also produce our obedient action. How is the Lord prompting you when you read these verses? What is he asking of you as you listen?

This is Day 13 of the series 31 Days to Listen. Visit Write 31 Days for more information about this challenge and to see what hundreds of other bloggers are writing about.