1 Samuel 3:10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
I love Samuel’s reply here: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” I wish I could say that my replies to God are always as eloquent, but they aren’t. Sometimes I snap, “WHAT?!?” Sometimes I am distracted, “Hmmm?” Sometimes I think *I* have the situation in hand, so my response is more, “Hey, God, I know You have a plan, but here’s what we need to do here….”
1 Samuel 3:10b Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
As a people, we are bad about speaking to respond instead of speaking to listen. Many times, we aren’t actually listening. We latch on to one point in the conversation to formulate our reply instead of actually listening. We are so busy trying to get our point across that we don’t actually hear what’s being said.
1 Samuel 3:11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.
Precious Savior, Help me to listen with the sole purpose of hearing. Help me to listen when You speak. Help me to listen when others speak. Help me to listen to hear not simply listen to respond. Help me, Jesus. Amen.
1 Samuel 3:12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end.
Have a blessed day.