I was reading this weekend from the book of 1 Samuel, verses 1-21, regarding the young boy Samuel. What an incredible encounter he had with God! I so want an encounter like that!!! Well, I kind of had one like that, but rather than with God, it was with my 11-year old daughter, Danielle. Have you been sleeping soundly when suddenly you become startled and wake up? I have numerous times, but this time was just plain weird. I was sleeping soundly and something startled me. I turned my head to the right and there looking at me was the face of Danielle. I thought I was going to come out of that bed and hug the ceiling. “Dani, what do you need?” I asked. All she could say was, “I just needed you, mommy.” And all you moms said, AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Well, at the moment, I couldn’t believe I was awakened by someone calling my name and staring at me, but now that I think about it, I love it! Even in the middle of the night, she needed me and she wanted me to know that. She waited patiently and watched me, until I recognized her presence there beside my bed.
God longs to be in a relationship with us. He will go to extreme measures to get our attention, and He will be very patient. Have you heard from God lately? When was the last time you were “still” and heard His voice?
If you recall the story in the Bible, Samuel was living in the temple, having been separated from his family. Hannah, his mother dedicated him to work in the temple with Eli. As Samuel was sleeping, he kept hearing his voice, “Samuel”. And of course, Samuel thought it was Eli calling his name, and responded with “Here I am”. This happened a couple of times. It wasn’t Eli calling for Samuel, it was God himself. When God spoke the final time, Samuel responded with “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
So I will ask it again, are you ready to hear God’s voice?
How do we do that? By being ready and prepared to HEAR his voice. And we do that by spending time with Him in prayer and in the Word. Through His Word, we can learn to be faithful, obedient, humble and willing to serve. God revealed himself to Samuel through His Word and I KNOW He will do that for us today!
Psalm 84 says,
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.“
I would encourage you to humbly invite God to speak to you – but be ready, because it will bless you more than you can imagine! Desire to dwell within the sound of His voice. Better is one day in His Presence…… be ready, be prepared, because when you least expect it, God will call your name. SHHHHH! – Are you listening?
Loving you today and praying for you -
Debbie Carr
