Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 1 Samuel 3:4-5 HCSB
Unfortunately, the pastor at the first church I served out of seminary died unexpectedly. He was only 46 years old and had four children. The church called an interim pastor to serve while the pulpit committee searched for a new pastor. One of the trademarks of the interim pastor was to stop at some point in his sermon and say, “Are you listening?” That would get everyone’s attention so he could make an important point.
Samuel was listening but did not realize that it was the Lord that was calling him. He immediately went to Eli because he would have been the most logical person to call him. Sometimes God works in mysterious ways. It would have been more logical for the Lord to call Eli since he was the priest, but God is more concerned about one’s faith rather than heritage or position in society.
Challenge: God called Samuel rather than Eli because Samuel had the right attitude and desire. What can you do to become that type of person – the type of person that God calls? How can you better discern when God is calling you? When God calls, will you recognize His voice and follow His direction for your life? God wants people like Samuel who are faithful and committed to living for Him. “Are you listening?”