[Today I invite you to put yourself in place of Samuel as you read the following, and hear God speak to you: ]

“Every day of my life was recorded in your book
before one of them had taken place.
How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God!
How vast in number they are!” (Psalm 139:16-17 GW)

The child Samuel was serving the Lord under the spiritual leaders above him.

My beloved child, thank you for serving me in the ways and places you do. Thank you for remaining under the spiritual authorities I have set over you. Thank you for choosing to be my child. I love you.

In those days a prophecy from the Lord was rare; visions were infrequent.

Child, you may feel like my Voice is hard to hear in the clamor of this world. You may think that my Word and my visions are infrequent. They are not. I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. I cannot fail. My Voice is powerful and my Word will accomplish what I have sent it to do.

One night the guardian was lying down in his room. His eyesight had begun to fail so that he couldn’t see well.

Do you feel like those who have spiritual authority are blind and failing? Some are. Those who have chosen to abandon my Ways, to ignore my Voice, and to sidestep my Plans are blind and failing. Do not follow them. But others are genuinely seeking Me, my Voice, my Plans, and my Ways. These are the ones who are not blind, the ones who are not failing. Ask me and I will help you know who are those who are worthy of the role of spiritual leader in your life.

The lamp in God’s temple  hadn’t gone out yet, and Samuel was asleep in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was kept.

I love it when you curl up next to my Light and just rest in my presence. I am your Guardian and I never sleep or abandon you. Even as I watch over the whole earth and each of her people, I see YOU, I protect you, I guard you. I love you. Stay in this place of trust and peace in me. Rest in my Presence.

Then the Lord called Samuel. “Here I am,” Samuel responded. He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back and lay down.

The Lord called Samuel again. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I didn’t call you, son,” he responded. “Go back to bed.” Samuel had no experience with the Lord, because the Lord’s word had not yet been revealed to him.

Have you noticed that sometimes you mix up my Voice with someone else’s voice? My Voice can be as powerful as an earthquake, a fire, or a great wind. But, often, I choose to whisper. Often I choose to call out to you from within your spirit – the deep places in my Spirit call to the deep places in yours. Sometimes you struggle to hear me amidst the other voices in your world, but when you tune them out and tune into me, you will hear me. I will be found. As you grow in your experience with me, your ability to tune into my Voice grows and we can commune more and more deeply. You are precious to me and I always want to speak with you.

The Lord called Samuel a third time. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. “Go, lie down,” Eli told Samuel. “When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I’m listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his room. The Lord came and stood there. He called as he had called the other times: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak. I’m listening.”

My child, I love when you repeatedly seek me out. I love when you approach me, ready to listen. I want to tell you how I love you. I want to show you my delight in you. You are precious to me. I want to hold you in my arms of love. I have much I want to say to you, to show you, to share with you. Follow the spiritual leaders I have raised up to lead you. Rest in my presence. Trust the Spirit that I have placed within you. Open your spiritual eyes and heart to my Voice. My Goodness and Mercy will be close to you all of your life when you remain in my Love.

God,

May we have hearts like Samuel to seek you, hear you, follow you, and love you.

Amen.

The boy Samuel was serving the Lord under Eli. In those days a prophecy from the Lord was rare; visions were infrequent. One night Eli was lying down in his room. His eyesight had begun to fail so that he couldn’t see well. The lamp in God’s temple [a] hadn’t gone out yet, and Samuel was asleep in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was kept.

Then the Lord called Samuel. “Here I am,” Samuel responded. He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back and lay down.

The Lord called Samuel again. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

“I didn’t call you, son,” he responded. “Go back to bed.” Samuel had no experience with the Lord, because the Lord’s word had not yet been revealed to him.

The Lord called Samuel a third time. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. “Go, lie down,” Eli told Samuel. “When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I’m listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his room.

10 The Lord came and stood there. He called as he had called the other times: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak. I’m listening.” (1 Samuel 3:1-10 GW)

“The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is majestic.” (Psalm 29:4 GW)

“My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow.
It will not come back to me without results.
It will accomplish whatever I want
and achieve whatever I send it to do.” (Isaiah 55:11 GW)

“My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not let you fall.
Your guardian will not fall asleep. Indeed, the Guardian of Israel never rests or sleeps.” (Psalm 121:2-4 GW)

“As the Lord was passing by, a fierce wind tore mountains and shattered rocks ahead of the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lordwasn’t in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire there was a quiet, whispering voice. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave.” (1 Kings 19:11-13 GW)

“Certainly, goodness and mercy will stay close to me all the days of my life,
and I will remain in the Lord’s house for days without end.” (Psalm 23:6 GW)