Blog » “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening”

Monday, May 13, 2013 

Jeff Lampl

 

As we prepare for family Sunday, I wonder if there is any greater goal for a parent to pursue for his child than the goal of raising achild to respond to God as Samuel did below. 

“Lord, I pray for every parent reading this passage.   I ask You, Lord, to strengthen them in their walk with you and give them the hunger to see their children walk with You, attentive to you and wanting to know you.  Amen” 

One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.  Suddenly the LORD called out,

“Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?”
 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
 Then the LORD called out again, “Samuel!”

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
 Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before.
 So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy.
 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
 And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”                      1 Samuel 3:2-10 (NLT)