FRIDAY October 19, 2018
A Servant Who Hears
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
1 Samuel 3:8-9
Notice, God was speaking to Samuel, but why was He not speaking to Eli? How do you think Eli felt after hearing God’s voice for most of his life, and then God was not speaking to him? Eli was too weak to become jealous; he knew why God was no longer speaking to him. It was because of his disobedience. In his life, Eli had no godly character left anymore; he was a poor father and, in the eyes of God, a poor priest.
Eli now recognized that God was speaking to Samuel, and he gave the young boy instructions on what to do. How did Eli know what to do? He was experienced. Eli had once heard the voice of God for himself. God was now beginning to prepare Samuel. God was already looking ahead. Samuel could not look ahead, but the Lord could.
In the future, God would raise up Saul as king. He was the people’s choice, not God’s choice as a leader. God would reject Saul as King because of his disobedience. David, a man after God’s own heart, would become king. Later, King Saul, out of jealousy, would persecute David and try to kill him. David would never raise his hand against Saul. God saw ahead and placed Samuel as a prophet.
Samuel never became jealous of Saul or David in his life. He accepted his position in the kingdom––as a prophet and not as a king.
The Bible reveals the Father’s overall plan for the world and provides general guidelines for life. But how can we know His specific plans for us? Listening to God is essential to walking with God.
~Charles Stanley~
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