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Samuel

April 22

1 Samuel 3:1-10

A voice in the night

The boy Samuel served the Lord at the Temple by helping Eli. Eli was almost blind and slept in his own room while Samuel slept in the Temple near the Covenant Box. One night the Lord called Samuel. Samuel got up and went to Eli thinking that it was Eli who had called him.

But Eli said, “I didn’t call you; go back to bed.” A while later the Lord called Samuel again. Samuel didn’t know it was the Lord and went to Eli again. Eli said to him, “I didn’t call you; go back to bed.” The Lord called Samuel a third time. This time, when Samuel went to Eli, Eli realized that it was the Lord and said, “Go back to bed, and if you hear the voice again say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” So Samuel went back to bed.

When the Lord called Samuel again, Samuel answered, “Speak, your servant is listening.” And the Lord spoke to Samuel.

Can I really hear God speaking to me?

You may have heard people say that the Lord spoke to them, or that God has told them to do something. Does God really speak to people the way He spoke to Samuel that night? If not, how can we hear from God if we don’t hear his voice?

Before Jesus came to earth, God used leaders like judges and prophets to give a message to His people. God would speak to them in a voice they could hear, through special dreams, or through an angel that would give them the message.

Then God sent his very own Son, Jesus to speak to us (Hebrews 1:1). Now we have the words and the example of Jesus, and we have the Holy Spirit who was sent to make the words of Jesus real in our hearts. This is the way God speaks to us now.

Verse for today

Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21