How to Listen to God
1 Samuel 3:4-10
At 1:37 every afternoon, without fail, I hear the faint beep of someone’s digital alarm clock. It lasts a solid minute every day; I know it will be there, just after lunch, waiting to taunt me in its mystery. Try as I might, I simply cannot find the source. Perhaps someone in the building takes a daily afternoon nap!
This may seem like a silly example, but have you ever heard God speaking like that? Maybe you’ve heard a gentle whisper in your spirit, but dismissed it as your own restless thoughts. Or, perhaps you have perceived God’s guiding hand, only to question whether or not it was the Lord at all. At some point, God’s voice has been a mystery to us all.
This is why the story of young Samuel shines so brightly in the pages of the Old Testament. In Samuel, we can see ourselves: he hears a voice, seeks wise counsel, feels a tug at his heart, spends a sleepless night somewhat annoyed by the Lord’s call, and ultimately yields to His master’s will. Who among us has never spent at least one night in that situation?
The key to hearing God’s voice is amazingly simple: just listen. Sometimes He shouts. Sometimes He throws open doors of opportunity. Sometimes He brings the answer right to our door. And sometimes He whispers. No matter how He speaks, He always has something worth hearing.
Invite God to speak in your life. Like Samuel, perk up your ears, rub the sleep from your eyes, and submit, saying, “Speak, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).
Daily Devotions with Dr. Charles Stanlley, InTouch Ministries