Listening to the Voice of God

The first three chapters of 1 Samuel are simply remarkable in their beauty and their message. The emotional and spiritual pain of Hannah over being childless, while being taunted by her rival, Peninnah, is heartbreaking.  We hear her pray through her tears –

O Lord, just take a good, hard look at my pain and remember me! Please don’t forget me, your servant. Please give me a son. I’ll give him completely and unreservedly to you. I’ll set him apart for a life of holy discipline and service. (1:11 -paraphrased)

We see Eli bless her and give her a sense of peace. (1:17) And we see God answer her prayers as she gives birth to Samuel – a name that means “I asked God for him.” (1:20)

Several years later, Hannah is faithful to her promise to God as she presents Samuel at the Lord’s sanctuary at Shiloh. (1:24-28).  There she leaves Samuel under Eli’s care and then she offers one of the most beautiful prayers in scripture (2:1-11) – a prayer that echoes Psalm 113 and introduces themes reflected in Mary’s prayer (The Magnificat) in Luke 1:46-55. 

And then the story continues in chapter 3:1-10 where God calls to Samuel.  Only Samuel assumes it is old Eli calling to him. Three times, Samuel runs to Eli’s bedside asking if he had called him.  And it finally dawned on Eli what was happening. He tells Samuel to go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak Lord. Your servant is listening.’

Sure enough, God spoke exactly as before. And Samuel answered as Eli had instructed: “Speak. Your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

Samuel’s call was an important one for all of Israel.  Samuel led Israel faithfully as a priest, prophet, and judge – and anointed both Saul and later David as kings of Israel.

During the season of Lent, our theme is Holy Character as we look at the virtues God desires to form in us as followers of Jesus Christ. We learned from Ruth the virtue of loyalty. And we learn from Samuel’s story the virtue of attentiveness.

The question I asked in the message this past Sunday was this one: How do you listen to God’s voice?

It’s hard not to read these stories from the Bible and wish we could hear a direct address from God – an audible voice telling us what we should do. Wouldn’t things be so much clearer with a booming voice from heaven.

But as soon as we say that, we also have to realize that if the stories told are any indication, that audible voice of God didn’t seem to make that much difference to the ancient Israelites who still found remarkably creative and efficient ways to be disobedient.

Compare those stories to the story in the book of Ruth.  God’s voice is not audibly heard even once, yet Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz all acted in holy and faithful ways in their loyalty, generosity, and love of one another.  There is hope for us yet!

Learning to listen for God’s voice is part of our spiritual growth and maturity.

In our stories from 1 Samuel, we see that hearing God’s voice requires a community to help us listen and discern.  Without Hannah’s faithfulness, Samuel would not have been in the right place to hear God’s call. And without Eli’s wisdom, Samuel would not have known that it was God calling him nor how to respond to God’s summons.

Who have been the Hannah’s and Eli’s in your life?  Who guided and directed you along the way? And in what ways have you been a Hannah or Eli for someone else? In what ways have you provided encouragement and wisdom to others in their spiritual journey’s? You don’t have to have all the answers – just the willingness to help someone along the way.

I do believe that God speaks to everyone. God’s call is not just about becoming a pastor or a missionary. The foundational call to everyone is to be a follower of Jesus Christ. And then throughout our lives, God’s call is made known through the movement of the Holy Spirit within us and around us.

Sometimes the experience is God calling us in a particular direction. Christian writer Frederick Buechner says, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  He is pointing us to one of the key ways God speaks to us – both through our own passions, joys, and deep gladness and through encountering the deep hungers of our world.

Other times God speaks to us words of judgement when our lives are out of line, when we harm others or ourselves, when we are self-indulgent, self-centered, or self-righteous. And when we are willing to confront our own sinfulness with humility, we are also in a place to hear God’s words of forgiveness, grace, and new life.

God speaks to us in all kinds of ways about all kinds of thing.  However, we will never hear God speak if we are not paying attention. Which gets us back to our central question: How do you listen to God’s voice? When do you give God your undivided attention?

We can certainly begin with weekly worship and the daily reading of scripture and of prayer.

And we should be practical: pay attention to the ways and times we feel closest to God – whether it is in meeting with others for Bible study and spiritual conversation, or setting aside time for silent contemplation, or journaling, or serving others in need. Whatever those things are for you – do more of those things. And if they seem to no longer be working in ways they have in the past, then try something else.

If you are interested in learning how to listen more attentively to God and growing in your spiritual life, I recommend the book Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life (Revised Edition) by Marjorie Thompson. I will look for an opportunity in the future to offer this book as a study for our congregation but I encourage you to read it on your own.

God is at work in your life. So listen to your life. Listen for the whispers of the Holy Spirit. Listen to God calling you to come and follow – to come and pray – to come and serve.

Hannah shows us that no one, no matter how small or insignificant, is overlooked by God. And Samuel and Eli show us that no one is too young or to old, to be a part of God’s work.

Let us be attentive to what God is doing.

Let us pray each and every day: Speak Lord. Your Servant is Listening.