“Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:9

We learn that young Samuel was ministering under the leadership of Eli. The bible tells us that “Samuel did not yet know the LORD” vs7. But God was speaking to him. Three times young Samuel mistook God’s voice for the voice of Eli.

In our women’s bible study, I challenged our ladies to lean in to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. His Spirit communes with ours. God spoke to young Samuel and He speaks to us. He wants us to recognize His voice.

When God speaks to us it is so He can reveal His Truth to us, draw us closer into a relationship with Him, and invite us to participate in His work. When God speaks to us He also expects our obedience.

One morning while I was settling in for my quiet time with God I saw the verses that would introduce the devotion I was about to read. With no excuses, my quiet time has consisted lately of the devotion from a godly woman and four verses that go with it. My soul has thirsted for God’s Word but my flesh continued to sprinkle it with someone else’s words. **I am NOT saying devotionals are bad or wrong and should not be used, but when your soul thirsts for God’s Word then saturate it with God’s Word.

I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to set down the devotional and pick up God’s Word, turn to Psalm 139 and soak in what God had for me that morning.

Vs 1-“You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.”

Vs 2-“…you perceive my thoughts from afar.”

Vs. 7-“Where can I go from your Spirit?”

Vs. 10-“even there your hand will guide me,”

Vs. 12-“even the darkness will not be dark to you;”

Vs. 13-“For you created my inmost being;”

Vs. 14-“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Vs. 16-“all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Vs. 23-“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

Vs. 24-See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

God indeed knows me and all my brokenness. He knows my thoughts. I cannot hide my brokenness from Him. No matter where I try to run or how I try to “hide” it or cope with it He sees and His hand will guide me. My brokenness is not brokenness to God. He created me and I can praise Him for that, for ALL of His works are wonderful. Everything I have gone through, am going through or will go through was written down before any of them came to be. He already knew. He already had a plan. My favorite verse and my prayer is search me God and know my heart.

I could have ignored the Holy Spirit’s prompting that morning and continued on to read the devotion and the four verses laid out for me, but I would have missed the filling of my soul with God’s Word.

Do you know God so intimately that you recognize His voice when He speaks and can respond like Samuel did, speak LORD for Your servant is listening?