Are You Ready To Listen?

It was winter, the buses were on strike. I picked up a student who needed a ride on this cold day. He was from Africa and this was his first experience with a Canadian winter. As we talked I noticed he didn’t have gloves. In that moment, it seemed that God prompted me, “Give him your gloves and tell him I love him.” I hesitated, not because I had a special attachment to my gloves, but because I didn’t know what he would think. As we approached his destination, I surrendered to God’s nudge and gave him my gloves. I told him I was doing this because God loved him. He simply thanked me and got out of the car.
Shortly after I got home, the phone rang. A friend asked, “Do you need a pair of gloves?” Before I could answer, she explained she had purchased gloves for her son but they didn’t fit. For some reason she thought of me. A coincidence?

God had a message for Samuel but it required him to recognize God’s voice. He became a great judge and prophet in Israel. It all started with a willingness to listen and obey. God loves us and desires to speak to us that we might experience his blessing and be a blessing to others. God might speak through an inner prompting, through the words of others, or in our times of prayer or Bible study. It all starts with the same attitude that Samuel exhibited saying, “Speak, for your servant is listening”.

Father God, may my ears be attentive to your voice. May my heart and soul be responsive to your promptings. I confess that I often do a lot of the talking and find it hard to listen to you! God help me to have a willingness to hear your voice and respond. Speak, for your servant is listening. Amen.

Throughout This Day: Add moments of quiet listening to your day. Invite God to, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”