One of the great stories tucked away in the pages of the Old Testament is the story of young Samuel hearing God for the first time. Three times the Lord called out to Samuel in the night and each time the young boy thought it was his spiritual mentor, Eli. Finally, Eli told Samuel what to do when he heard the voice again, "Go, lie down; and if He calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening." (I Samuel 3:9) With the help of the old guy in the next room, Samuel was able to hear and know the voice of the Lord as it was spoken to him out of the darkness.
Most of us are like young Samuel when it comes to hearing the Voice of God. While we have read the story of Samuel as well as other accounts in the Word that tell of God speaking to His servants, it really seems a bit far fetched to many that such could happen. Maybe there is in us a sense of unworthiness, or maybe there is such a skeptical attitude that hearing the Voice of God seems impossible. What is more than likely true for so many is that we do not have much practice in listening.
Perhaps, the first step in listening has to do with expectations. If we do not really expect to be in the room where God speaks, then we are not likely to hear anything but the noise around us. Learning to listen requires expecting Him to be speaking. No one can be as convincing or as believable as the witness of the Holy Spirit which is found in the pages of Scripture. Anyone who truly seeks to enter into a walk where hearing the Voice of God is a possibility can have no better starting point than reading and studying the Word until there is no doubt that God does not simply stroll silently in heaven, but walks among us on the earth.
Most of us are like young Samuel when it comes to hearing the Voice of God. While we have read the story of Samuel as well as other accounts in the Word that tell of God speaking to His servants, it really seems a bit far fetched to many that such could happen. Maybe there is in us a sense of unworthiness, or maybe there is such a skeptical attitude that hearing the Voice of God seems impossible. What is more than likely true for so many is that we do not have much practice in listening.
Perhaps, the first step in listening has to do with expectations. If we do not really expect to be in the room where God speaks, then we are not likely to hear anything but the noise around us. Learning to listen requires expecting Him to be speaking. No one can be as convincing or as believable as the witness of the Holy Spirit which is found in the pages of Scripture. Anyone who truly seeks to enter into a walk where hearing the Voice of God is a possibility can have no better starting point than reading and studying the Word until there is no doubt that God does not simply stroll silently in heaven, but walks among us on the earth.
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