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6. The third time Samuel goes into Eli to find out why he was being called, Eli realizes who it is calling the boy and simply says – answer! Eli does not feel the need to explain that Samuel is too young to hear God or that Samuel must do x,y,z to hear God – he simply says – “answer Him”. Now think about this – when Samuel is heading back to his room, realizing that God is speaking to him about something – what do you think this boy is thinking? I believe that although Eli was a wretched man and priest with his own sons, Samuel was still exposed to spiritual things in the temple and he was walking back to his room exercising faith. Samuel was planning on answering the Most High God and was willing to listen to anything He had to say to him. Samuel was a child, but he had more faith than we do sometimes. How many times have we prayed never believing that God would answer us? How many times has God clearly told us to move and we stubbornly plant our feet waiting for a “sign”? Let’s train our children to simply answer God and be ready for whatever they hear! How do we do this?

Well, a lot of parents do not know how to hear God! There are so many out there that are waiting for that “sign” that God will speak to them through….or those that respond to something in their lives because they had “godbumps” or “chills”…how can we teach our children to listen for God to speak when we have no idea what we are listening for! Feelings and emotions are from our hearts – and, as we have already seen – our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9) and we cannot trust them! We cannot go on a “feeling of peace” or a tenderness we feel toward something. How many times have we uttered these phrases? God can use our emotions to confirm in us what He has already said or as a result of our move toward obedience, but we cannot rely on our emotions as a guidepost or a map. What is our source of truth? Where can we turn to hear God speak?

We have an entire book of His Words! We have an entire revelation that is complete, inerrant, infalliable and eternal! Why do we expect that God owes us another revelation – just for us – in our methods? He has given us the Word of God AND the Holy Spirit to make it completely applicable and individualized in our lives! The Word of God is clear and complete and, if we would simply absorb it and know it thoroughly – we would have everything we need to know! The Holy Spirit gives us insight into the meaning of the Scriptures and how our lives should conform to what we are reading – but we are not looking for some “extra revelation” or something contrary to scripture! As we read the Word of God and study it each day, we are being prepared for what lies ahead. The Bible teaches us that we will be equipped for everything He calls us to! (2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. ) If we are faithfully studying and learning, we will be ready for what comes our way or, when things still shock us, we will be prepared to respond in a manner that glorifies God. The problem is that too many times, we are “skipping school” when He has prepared important lessons for us! Or, we are approaching the Word of God as a “quick fix” where, instead of reading it in context and consistently, we search for the one verse that says what we want to hear and we apply it to our situations! Now, there is nothing wrong with going to Scripture for encouragement or reassurance in times of need – don’t get me wrong! But if we are faithfully in the Word and learning, then when those times of need come about, many times those verses we need are made readily available in our minds through the work of the Holy Spirit and what we have learned. God does not intend our lives to be spent simply reacting to everything that happens to us and floundering from one crisis to another – He expects us to live by His book on a daily basis and, when we know His Word – we have our guidepost/map to live by!

Samuel was ready to listen – ready to hear from God because He knew His Word…If God had something for Samuel to do, then he was ready to move – he would not run from God, he would not avoid the task set before him, he was simply ready to say “speak Lord, for your servant hears.”