1 Samuel 3:1-10 (NRSV)
Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 3Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. Verse 2At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; Verse 3the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Verse 4Then the Lord called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" Verse 5and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. Verse 6The Lord called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." Verse 7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Verse 8The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Verse 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Verse 10Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
Devotion
Children sometimes wake their parents in the middle of the night because of their imagination and fears. The call story of Samuel has a young boy waking Eli the priest multiple times in the night and for a good reason—he hears Yahweh's voice calling him. This hearing seems especially remarkable because, as the story tells us, "Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him." Samuel needs Eli to help him direct his heart towards God with the response, "your servant is listening."
We, too, are often much like young Samuel as God continually reveals new ways in which to speak to us. Many of us would not know how to respond to our baptismal calling if not for the community of the baptized urging each of us to listen. Whether in daylight or darkness, we turn our ears to God asking how might we listen more deeply?
Prayer
God of Grace, just as you called your prophets, may we be attuned to your calling to love and healing of the world through our work in your kingdom. Amen.