“Your Servant Is Listening”
The boy
Samuel ministered before the Lord
under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord
was rare; there were not many visions.
One
night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying
down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying
down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God
was. Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I
am.” And he ran to Eli and
said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not
call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
Again
the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and
said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I
did not call; go back and lie down.”
Now
Samuel did not yet know the Lord:
The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
A
third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and
said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that
the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you,
say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay
down in his place.
The
Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times,
“Samuel! Samuel!”
Then
Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Daniel 3:10-25
When
the flames of life test us, may those who observe our
choices recognize our love for each other and for our God.
Trials are the soil in which faith grows.
Our Daily Bread –