by Pat Nordman

There is a philosophical question that if a tree falls and no one is there to hear it, then does it make a sound? The same can be said for our spiritual experiences. God calls us by name but, if we don't listen and respond, then we lose the interest and the principle — and the Principal.

What is so touching in the third chapter of 1 Samuel is that Samuel ran into Eli's room three times, thinking that it was the elderly man who had called him because the voice sounded so human. Sometimes we receive calls and rebukes in the familiar voices of relatives and friends. We would do well to be able to distinguish them as messages from God. God often uses human instruments to bring about Divine results.

"Now get up and go. . .and you will be told what to do" (Acts 9:6). God no longer speaks directly to us as He did to Samuel, but He does speak through the various people and events in our lives. I believe that He gives us new responsibilities each day that give us the chance to serve Him and others. God also speaks to us consistently and insistently in nature, in history, and in the gift of reasoning powers. Best of all, He speaks to us as individuals: "I have called you by name; you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1b).

Yes, Lord, I will listen and I will learn that You are a strong and loving God who wants us to be not just hearers but listeners who learn well what You want for us in our lives. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will pray for the Lord to speak, and they will hear Him.