Listen, Really Listen

Young Samuel heard someone calling him in the middle of the night. Thinking it was Eli he got up and asked him what he wanted. Eli said, “I didn’t call you, go back to bed.” Not too much time had passed when Samuel heard the voice again. He goes back and Eli says the same thing, “I did not call you.” Samuel was about to doze off again when he heard that voice for the third time. He must have thought Eli had lost it. Eli was the only other person in the house besides him. This had to be Eli. The scripture says, “So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Samuel was not about to be fooled again. But now wise old Eli had figured out what was going on.

“Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’”

So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

This is a wonderful story about God coming to a child and telling him how he wants to use him to lead Israel. Samuel listened, was available and accepted the task that God had for him. Samuel was one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament.

There was another young prophet who had a different encounter with God concerning his calling. Isaiah saw into heaven and there was God seated on his throne. What Isaiah witnessed was magnificent, and it changed his life. Isaiah saw the pure holiness of God, and he was convicted of his unworthiness, and his sinful nature to the point that he cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Isaiah’s confession prompted God to take away Isaiah’s sin. “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah was told that his sin had been forgiven, taken away, and his life was changed forever. Oh how wonderful it is when we know that we are right with the Holy Father. When God forgives us and saves us he does so because he wants to have a personal relationship with us. He wants us to talk to him and listen to him when he speaks to us like Samuel did. He wants us to spend quality time with him and always be available to serve him.

Look at what happened to Isaiah immediately after his amazing experience with God. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” God was putting out a call concerning a great need. Was there anyone who would be willing to go? Immediately Isaiah acted, and accepted the call he knew was meant for him. He said, “Here am I. Send me!”

He said, “Here am I, not here I am.” There is a difference. Here I am is referring to a location like. “ I’m standing right here by this tree.” Here am I means, “I am available. I am ready. I am willing. So send me Lord to go anywhere and do anything.”

I believe God still calls people today. I think that his voice echoes his call to Isaiah perhaps as never before. “Whom shall I send? Who will go? Are we listening? Are we willing and available? I think we, the baby boomer generation, who are retiring by the thousands, are more available to go than any generation ever. I believe God is calling us not to complain, not to take it easy, not to do as we please. I believe that if we, like Isaiah, say, “Here  am I” we can change the world. We are available, we just have to be willing.