Your Servant is Listening
Daily Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 3-5
Daily Focus Passage: 1 Samuel 3
The Lord calls and speaks to his children. He leads his followers into places of serving him, and he desires to empower his people to carry out his work of the Kingdom of God. In 1 Samuel 3, the Lord calls Samuel and begins instructing him of what lies ahead. This moment details how we must be servants of the Lord who seek to listen to his call and discern the voice of the Lord.
A READINESS TO LISTEN
Samuel heard the initial call of the Lord and believed the voice came from Eli, the priest. Each time the voice called, Samuel responded to Eli. The priest realized that the Lord was calling Samuel and instructed Samuel on how to respond to the Lord. Ultimately, we find that Eli was training Samuel to be ready to listen to the voice of the Lord. Notice several key characteristics of listening to the Lord.
First, we must acknowledge the Lord's voice. Samuel admits that he heard the calling of the Lord. The acknowledgment means that one is aware that the Lord is calling them to a task and that they are prepared to listen and respond. Thus, we must acknowledge the Lord when we hear our Father’s call.
Second, we must receive the Lord's message. Samuel received the message from the Lord and understood what the Lord declared. To receive the message, we must enter a posture of receiving. This posture includes an openness to the voice of the Lord and an intentional approach to placing the message into the foundation of our lives.
Third, we must dedicate the self to the Lord's calling. Samuel acknowledged the Lord’s calling and placed the message in his heart. These truths become realized as Samuel lives out his life before the Lord. His life was under the control of the Lord, and he submitted all that he was to the Lord. Thus, we must dedicate our lives to the calling of the Lord.
A READINESS TO SERVE
Samuel dedicated himself to the Lord's calling by being ready to serve. When he responded to the Lord's calling, he called himself "servant." The position of readiness came because Samuel identified the Lord as Master and considered himself the servant who must follow the Master. As a result, Samuel readied the self to follow the calling of the Lord and obey the Lord's commands. A heart of readiness to serve means:
· The Heart is Submissive to the Lord – We must submit our hearts to the Lord and commit our lives to his commands.
· The Servant Surrenders Their Desires – We must surrender our desires and sacrifice them at the altar of obeying the Lord.
· The Servant Steps in Obedience – The servant of the Lord hears the calling of the Lord and then fulfills the calling of the Lord. A proper readiness to serve leads to actually serving the Lord.
THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
In 1 Samuel 3:19, we learn that as Samuel grew, the Lord was “with him” and “fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied.” The servant of the Lord must live trusting in the Lord. This trust finds a foundation in the faithfulness of the Lord. The servant trusts that the Lord fulfills his word when the Lord speaks. When we rest in the faithfulness of the Lord, we rest in his mercy, grace, strength, and goodness. Samuel’s life demonstrates that a servant who listens and obeys can live, trusting in the faithfulness of the Lord.
