Waiting Expectantly For Him
Submitted by Vivian Echegoyen, Patriot Mom
We are all familiar with the portion in Scripture where Samuel is called by the Lord. But let us take a good look again as to WHERE Samuel was when He called him, and why this matters!
“The boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the Word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, his eyes had began to grow so dim that he could not see and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord (where the ark of God was) and while Samuel was lying down there to sleep, the Lord called Samuel and he answered “Here I Am.” (v.5) and he ran to Eli and said “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call, go back and lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
Again the Lord called “Samuel!” and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me”… and he said “I did not call; go back and lie down again”. Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” (1 Sam. 3:1-7).
Samuel heard the voice of the Lord in that place of waiting. Samuel heard the Lord lying down where God’s presence was (represented by the ark of God). The Lord is calling us to seek Him and wait expectantly (Ps. 5:3) in His presence! That we may minister and seek the Lord by simply coming before His presence, His Glory…quieting our soul, quieting our mind, waiting in Him.
When He calls us, may we be found in that place of waiting, and hear His voice. May the Lord teach us to wait expectantly, and when He calls…and when He calls again…and when He calls again, that we may have ears to hear! That we may not be like Eli whose spiritual vision was failing (1 Sam. 3:2), but that we may minister to the Lord like the boy Samuel: waiting, resting, laying down, listening expectantly.
He is calling, do you hear His voice? Let’s wait with expectation, ready to hear the voice of Jesus when He speaks…maybe through circumstances, maybe through a family member, a friend…importantly He speaks to us through His Word!
God wants to raise for himself faithful servants who will do according to what is in His heart and in his mind! All Israel recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to reveal himself to Samuel through his word. (1 Sam. 3:20-21)
May we learn to hear his voice and obey Him to be a blessing to the new generation (our children) and they may also discern His voice to be a blessing to the entire nation!
