1 Samuel 3:6-10: a reflection

6The LORD called yet again, “Samuel!” Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.” 7Now Samuel didn’t yet know the LORD, neither was the LORD’s word yet revealed to him. 8The LORD called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10The LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”

When God calls the boy Samuel by name in the night, Samuel does not at first recognize the voice; but once Eli helps him understand, Samuel takes the posture of one ready to listen: Speak, LORD, for your servant hears. Speak, LORD, for your servant hears, Samuel says at last, when he understands it is God calling. His response is the posture of attentive, ready listening: not speaking first, not demanding, but making himself available and attentive, ready to hear whatever God would say. He puts himself in the place of a listening servant, waiting on God's word. This shows the posture of readiness to listen to God, saying, speak, for your servant hears. Take the posture of ready, attentive listening to God. Speak, LORD, for your servant hears: the posture of listening. Make yourself available and attentive to God's word. Readiness to listen to God is a good posture.

Notice the posture Samuel takes once he understands it is God calling: speak, LORD, for your servant hears. It is a posture of attentive, available, ready listening. Samuel does not speak first, does not demand or dictate, does not rush ahead; he makes himself available and attentive, positioning himself as a servant ready to hear whatever his Lord would say. He is ready to listen, and to obey what he hears. This is a good posture for us before God. We can approach God doing all the talking, rushing to speak our own words, our requests, our agenda, without ever pausing to listen; or we can be too distracted, too busy, too full of our own noise to hear God when he speaks. But Samuel's posture is different: speak, LORD, for your servant hears. It is a posture of quiet, attentive readiness to listen to God, to hear his word, to be available to him. God does speak to his people, through his word and his Spirit; and we do well to take the posture of ready listening, making ourselves available and attentive, saying with Samuel, speak, LORD, for your servant hears, and ready to obey what we hear. Take the posture of ready, attentive listening to God's word. Do not do all the talking; make yourself available to listen. Say with Samuel, speak, LORD, for your servant hears. Be quiet and attentive, ready to hear God and obey.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to take the posture of ready, attentive listening to God, saying with Samuel, speak, LORD, for your servant hears. We can do all the talking before God, rushing to speak our own words and agenda without pausing to listen, or be too distracted and full of our own noise to hear him; but Samuel, understanding it was God calling, took the posture of a listening servant, ready to hear whatever God would say. Readiness to listen is a good posture. Do not do all the talking before God; make yourself available and attentive, saying with Samuel, speak, LORD, for your servant hears. Take the posture of ready, attentive listening to God, making yourself available to hear his word, as Samuel, when God called him by name in the night, once he understood it was God calling, said, speak, LORD, for your servant hears, positioning himself as a servant ready to hear and obey; for we can approach God doing all the talking, rushing to speak our own words, requests, and agenda without ever pausing to listen, or be too distracted, busy, and full of our own noise to hear God when he speaks, but Samuel's posture is different, a quiet, attentive readiness to listen to God, to hear his word, and to be available to him, and God does speak to his people through his word and his Spirit, so that we do well to take the posture of ready listening, making ourselves available and attentive, saying with Samuel, speak, LORD, for your servant hears, ready to obey what we hear.

Lord, when you call the boy Samuel by name in the night, Samuel does not at first recognize the voice; but once Eli helps him understand, Samuel takes the posture of one ready to listen: Speak, LORD, for your servant hears. His response is the posture of attentive, ready listening: not speaking first, not demanding, but making himself available and attentive, ready to hear whatever you would say. He puts himself in the place of a listening servant, waiting on your word. This shows the posture of readiness to listen to you. Show me the posture Samuel takes once he understands it is you calling: speak, LORD, for your servant hears. It is a posture of attentive, available, ready listening. Samuel does not speak first, does not demand or dictate; he makes himself available and attentive, positioning himself as a servant ready to hear whatever you would say, and ready to obey what he hears. This is a good posture for me before you. I can approach you doing all the talking, rushing to speak my own words, my requests, my agenda, without ever pausing to listen; or I can be too distracted, too busy, too full of my own noise to hear you when you speak. But Samuel's posture is different: speak, LORD, for your servant hears. You do speak to your people, through your word and your Spirit; and I do well to take the posture of ready listening, making myself available and attentive. Take that to my heart, for I do well to take the posture of ready, attentive listening to you. Keep me from doing all the talking before you, or being too distracted and full of my own noise to hear you; help me take the posture of quiet, attentive readiness, Lord, saying with Samuel, speak, LORD, for your servant hears, making myself available to hear your word and ready to obey what I hear.