Samuel . . . was afraid to tell Eli the
vision. —1 Samuel 3:15
When God
speaks, it is never startling, seldom obvious. He comes to us in our
circumstances, moving so subtly and mysteriously through our lives that we
wonder, “Is that God’s voice?” Isaiah said that God spoke to him with a “strong
hand”—the all-encompassing hand of circumstance, holding and guiding him
(Isaiah 8:11). Nothing touches our lives that God isn’t speaking through.
What do
we see in our own circumstances? The hand of God, or simply accidents? When we
begin to understand that there are no accidents, that all is God, life begins
to change. We begin to say, “Speak, Lord,” and to listen. We begin to realize
that difficulty does more than discipline us; it brings us to the place where,
attentive and hungry, we say, “Speak, Lord.” Get into the habit of saying,
“Speak, Lord,” and life becomes a romance.
Perhaps
we’ve already heard the call, but we were afraid to answer, fearing that
answering would hurt someone we love. God called to Samuel, and Samuel
hesitated, wanting to protect Eli. But Eli knew that Samuel must obey; if he
did not, he would turn himself into an amateur providence. As cruel as it may
seem, we must not prevent the gouging out of the eye, the cutting off of the
hand (Matthew 5:29–30). We too are circumstances God is using to speak to
others.
Every
time circumstances press, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen. As you
listen, your ears grow sharp, until, like Jesus, you hear God all the time.
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