Speak, for thy servant heareth

“And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”1 Samuel 3:10

Reflection

Samuel was still a boy serving in the temple when God called him for the first time. And there is a revealing detail in the story: the first three times God called him, Samuel did not recognize the voice — he thought it was Eli, the priest, and ran to him. The text explains: "Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him" (v. 7). God was speaking, but the boy did not know whose voice it was. How often does God speak and we attribute the voice to something else — coincidence, intuition, chance — simply because we have not yet learned to recognize Him?

It was Eli, the old priest, who discerned what was happening and taught the boy to answer: "if he call thee, thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth" (v. 9). Note the value of someone more experienced in faith to help us recognize God’s voice. Samuel needed a mentor to learn to listen. No one is born knowing how to distinguish God’s voice among so many voices; that is learned, often with the help of those who have walked further.

The answer Samuel finally gave is a model of an available heart: "Speak; for thy servant heareth". Notice the order of the words — and what it reveals. Most of us pray the opposite: "hear, Lord, for thy servant speaks". We arrive full of requests, lists and outpourings, and reserve little or no time to listen. But Samuel reversed it: first he fell silent to listen. Prayer is not only speaking with God; it is also — and perhaps mainly — listening to God. And listening requires silence, something increasingly rare in a noisy life.

Pay attention also to the word "servant": "thy servant heareth". Samuel did not say "speak, and I will consider it", "speak, and I will decide later whether to obey". He placed himself as a servant — ready to listen AND obey. Because it is no use hearing God’s voice if there is no willingness to do what He says. Many want God to speak, but only to confirm what they have already decided. Samuel offered himself with an open heart, even if the message was hard (and it was — God gave him a harsh word about Eli’s house). Today, in the midst of the noise, try Samuel’s prayer: stop speaking for a moment, quiet the heart and say sincerely "speak, Lord, for your servant heareth" — and be willing to obey whatever He says.

Bible text: King James Version (public domain).