A Rare Word

A Rare Word

1 Samuel 3:1 – Meanwhile the boy Samuel was serving the LORD before Eli. A word from the LORD was rare in those days, and visions were infrequent. 2 – At that time Eli, whose vision was growing dim, was lying down in his bedroom.

Verse 3 – The lamp of God had not yet been extinguished, and Samuel was lying down in the tent of the LORD where the Ark of God was. 4 – The LORD called out to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”

Samuel was dedicated by his mother Hannah to serve God for his whole life. Her vow was to God and to no one else. Samuel went to live at the temple during a time of great spiritual darkness. Eli’s sons Hophni and Phineas served only themselves and were guilty of blasphemy and Eli was found to be negligent in rebuking them.

It was in this setting that messages from God were found to be rare. How would God get a message through when those who should have been recipients were not listening? The flame of the Spirit of God had gone out in the lives of Hophni, Phineas, and sadly, even Eli, and now the physical flame of the lamp of God which should be kept burning always, would soon be put out. But not without God kindling a flame within the heart of a little boy named Samuel. And so God called Samuel’s name and Samuel answered “Here I am.”

Do we hear God’s voice calling to us? Is the flame of the Holy Spirit burning brightly in our lives or is it at risk of being extinguished? Like Samuel, we may be hearing a voice but not know that it’s coming from God. 1 Samuel 3:7 says – Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD and had not yet had the word of the LORD revealed to him.

God called out to Samuel three times and each time Samuel thought it was Eli calling him. Upon the third time Eli said these words to Samuel in verse 9 – “Go lie down, and then if he calls you, answer, ‘Speak, LORD, because your servant is listening.”

We are living in a time when our homes may have multiple copies of God’s Word in it – but it is rare for it to be read. God may be calling our names and we don’t even know it. Let us take the time to pull the Bible off our shelves or install the app on our phones and turn it on and as we read, pray the words for ourselves: ‘Speak, LORD, because your servant is listening.” And let us choose to really listen. We may find that God has a lot to tell us that will change the course of our lives for today and for eternity.