The Servant Hears

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading, titled The Servant Hears, was written by Glenn Pacquium. Had the wireless radio been on, they would have known the Titanic was sinking. Cyril Evans, the radio operator of another ship, had tried to relay a message to Jack Phillips, the radio operator on the Titanic, letting him know they had encountered an ice field. But Phillips was busy relaying passengers' messages and rudely told Evans to be quiet.

So Evans reluctantly turned off his radio and went to bed. Ten minutes later, the Titanic struck an iceberg. Their distress signals went unanswered because no one was listening. In 1 Samuel, we read that the priests of Israel were corrupt and had lost their spiritual sight and hearing as the nation drifted into danger. 1 Samuel 3.1 says, The word of the Lord was rare, there were not many visions.

Yet God wouldn't give up on his people. He began to speak to a young boy named Samuel, who was being raised in the priest's household. Samuel's name means the Lord hears, a memorial to God's answering his mother's prayer. But Samuel would need to learn how to hear God. Speak, for your servant is listening, he says in verse 10. It's the servant who hears. May we also choose to listen to and obey what God has revealed in the scriptures.

Let's submit our lives to him and take the posture of humble servants, those who have their radios turned on. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Samuel chapter 3 verses 1 through 10. The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days, the word of the Lord was rare, there were not many visions.

One night, Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, Here I am. And he ran to Eli and said, Here I am, you called me. But Eli said, I did not call, go back and lie down.

So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called Samuel. And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, Here I am, you called me.

My son, Eli said, I did not call, go back and lie down. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. A third time the Lord called, Samuel. And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, Here I am, you called me. Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.

So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak, for your servant is listening. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, help us to listen and hear your voice when you call.

Often we can get distracted by all that is going on in our lives and allow your voice to be drowned out. Help us to focus our hearts and minds on you at the beginning of each day and throughout our day so that in the midst of our busyness, we're always tuned in to your voice and can hear you above everything else. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries.