How many parents can identify with this story?” The child, Samuel, was in bed for the night, and the old priest, Eli, was almost asleep. Then Samuel came running into the room because he heard something. “Go back to sleep Samuel, it’s your imagination.”

When it happened again and Eli realized that Samuel was hearing from the Lord. He then instructed the young man how to answer God’s call. “You should say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

The Bible reports that the voice of the lord was rare in those days because no one seemed to be listening. Even the old priest did not imagine at first that it was possible that the Lord could be calling Samuel. We too are experiencing days when the Lord’s voice is becoming rare because we are not listening as we should.

God needed to say something to his people, but the messengers were asleep and not hearing. That was when He called on a child in the night. Finally a human voice was heard again in heaven. A tender voice, the sound of a child saying, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” God had something to say, and now He had someone who would listen.

God has something to say, and He called us to hear it from Him. Like Eli, if we fail to listen, God will find someone else who will.

One of my very favorite songs: “You better Hush – Somebody’s calling my name … ‘Crying oh my Lord, oh my Lord What shall I do.”