Ask and Wait
May 8th
1 Samuel 2:22-4:22; John 5:24-47; Psalm 106:1-12; Proverbs 14:30-31
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).
I’m not a great listener. I know they say God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason, but I’m a slow learner. Samuel could teach me a thing or two about listening if I would just let him.
After forty years of service, Eli is deeply troubled by the behavior of his sons:
“Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.23 So he said to them, Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours’” (1 Samuel 2:22-23).
“Why do you do such things?” Why won’t you listen? Eli’s sons didn’t listen to their earthly father, but Eli didn’t listen to his heavenly father. And they weren’t the only ones. For “the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation” (1 Samuel 3:1). But God calls the young Samuel three times. And Samuel responds each time, “Here I am” (3:4). Samuel thinks it’s Eli calling, but Eli knows better. He tells Samuel to respond next time like this: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (3:9).
Oh, that I could have the listening posture of Samuel. Oh, that “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” could be my mantra. But it’s not. I’m too busy thinking my own thoughts and giving God the laundry list of what I want or need.
Spiritually speaking, I’m hard of hearing. I say I want to be a better listener, but my hearing’s not improving. Maybe I need to repeat after Samuel, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Maybe I need more than a hearing aid. Maybe my problem lies deeper. In my heart. Maybe I need a heart for hearing.
Justin Early, in his latest book Made for People, offers this simple advice: just ask a question and wait. What a powerful, countercultural, life-altering move. Ask and wait. Imagine a day when we did this for each other. Such a simple principle. “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).
Almighty God, help me ask questions today and wait.