“Speak, Lord”

“Speak, for Your servant is listening.” — 1 Samuel 3:10

The boy Samuel grew up in the house of the Lord, helping the old priest Eli. In those days, God didn’t speak to people very often.

Eli was very old now, and his eyes were so weak that he could hardly see. One night Eli was lying down in his usual place. Samuel was lying down in the tabernacle, near the ark of God. The lamp of God was still burning.

Then the Lord called, “Samuel!”

“Here I am,” said Samuel. And he jumped up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. You called me.”

“I didn’t call you,” said Eli. “Go back and lie down.”

So Samuel went back and lay down.

Again the Lord called, “Samuel!”

Samuel got up again and went to Eli. “Here I am. You called me.”

“My son, I didn’t call you,” said Eli. “Go back and lie down.”

Samuel didn’t know the Lord yet. God had never spoken to him before.

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

Then Eli understood. It was the Lord who was calling the boy! So Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down. If He calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’”

So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Then the Lord came and stood there, and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

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

God gave Samuel a message. It was a hard message, about Eli’s family. Eli’s sons were priests, but they were wicked, and they treated God’s offerings with contempt. Eli knew about it, but he hadn’t stopped them. So God was going to punish Eli’s family.

Samuel lay awake until morning. Then he got up and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli what God had said.

But Eli called him. “Samuel, my son. What did the Lord say to you? Don’t hide it from me.”

So Samuel told him everything, and didn’t hide anything.

“He is the Lord,” said Eli. “Let Him do what He thinks is best.”

Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him. Everything God said through Samuel came true. All the people of Israel, from one end of the land to the other, knew that Samuel was a true prophet of the Lord.

Read it in your Bible: 1 Samuel 3

Dear God, please help me to listen to you, like Samuel did. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Amen.