Joel M Bradshaw

8And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’”–1 Samuel 3

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

What a fun story for dramatic effect. God’s calling of Samuel was profound and miraculous. It was also in a time without most of the Bible being written down. And frankly, God’s calling of Samuel was actually an indictment against Eli. God was ending one career and beginning another.

Let’s just be direct about this. Many of us want a Samuel moment in our lives. We want to hear God’s direct voice on a matter. That desire to hear God speak to your life or situation is not a bad one. But you are not Samuel.

Open up your Bible and listen to God speak through the written word. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to speak to your thoughts and feelings. He uses the Bible to address your attitudes, words, and actions.

There is a vast difference in having your Bible open and asking God to speak to you and then doing so with your Bible closed. A closed Bible is now a subjective experience relative to just you. An open Bible now provides objectivity.

Say you were walking down the street and you experienced God speaking to only you in side your head. That sounds wonderful, but is dependent solely on your experience. Now imagine you had the same experience but while you were reading or listening to the Bible. At least now you can direct others to Scripture and can invite others alongside your experience.

The Bible is complete. God has spoken. Rather than expecting God to speak audibly outside the Bible, we expect him to use the Bible to speak into our situations. There is a big difference. Stop expecting the Samuel moment.–JMB