Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-10
Helmut Thielicke (1908-1986) was a preacher and theologian who endured great opposition from the Nazi regime in Germany during the Second World War period. Yet he remained faithful to proclaiming God’s presence and power in Jesus Christ during a perplexing time. The scholar Robert Smith said that as Thielicke addressed the issues in his sermons, “he sought to answer the question, ‘Is there any word from the Lord?’”
Shouldn’t that be the attitude of us as we seek God today? 1 Samuel 3 describes a period when “the word of the Lord was rare” (1 Sam. 3:1). When God spoke to the boy Samuel, he thought it was the aging priest Eli calling him. Eli told the boy to respond to God’s voice by saying, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears” (1 Sam. 3:9). Samuel obeyed, and he became known as a man who lived faithfully and fearlessly “for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (1 Sam. 3:21).
Whenever we open our Bible, listen to a sermon, or pray, it is a good practice to say, “Lord Jesus, speak to me. I am ready to listen and eager to obey.” If we read His Word with the will to obey, He will show us His way by His Spirit. Remember, God speaks through His Word to those who listen with their heart.
