When God Has Been Too Silent

Some of us may be familiar, others not, with the story from the Hebrew Scriptures of the boy Samuel who would grow up to be the nation of Israel’s final “judge” and usher in the time of the kings. This prophet in the making was brought to live and serve under the tutelage of the priest Eli, and when very young, Samuel was woken in the middle of the night by a voice calling him by name. After several times of waking Eli in turn, because Samuel assumed the voice was his, Eli finally realized this must be the voice of God. So he instructed Samuel on how to respond: “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” And speak God does.

Here’s a detail that’s often skipped in retellings of this story:

“In those days the word of the Lord was rare.” (1 Samuel 3:1)

It makes sense to us, doesn’t it, that Samuel doesn’t understand what’s going on - it’s the middle of the night, he’s young and inexperienced… But why does it take Eli so long to figure out who is talking to the boy? Because his expectations were low. In those days the word of the Lord was rare. He wasn’t anticipating God’s voice. He wasn’t listening for it.

Coaching Samuel on how to listen, how to respond to God, is an exercise in hope that God is still with us. And also in humility - in willingness to believe that God would speak to and through even a young child, when the wise and learned, the revered, are not hearing anything.

Have you been in seasons where the word of the Lord - the sense that God is actively speaking into your life and world - is rare? Are you perhaps there right now? How do you sense God nudging you through the story of Samuel and Eli? Are you perhaps in need of more hope or humility?

Talk with Jesus about these things and if it feels appropriate, close your time with the words: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

*****

Our devo’s often continue the musings from Sunday sermons, but we are experimenting with weekly opportunities to listen along to the Scripture our children are exploring in Kid Min. Someone somewhere once said something about the value of a child-like faith, after all! (Yup, Jesus in Matt. 18.) Of course, we may also - as adults - explore some grittier layers.