The Lord let none of his words fall to the ground

1 Samuel 3 starts by telling the reader that ‘the word of the Lord was rare in those days’ and the section ends with the first verse of chapter 4: ‘And the word of Samuel came to all Israel’.

What has happened between these verses? It is not that God had started speaking! Chapter 2 records the account of a prophet bringing God’s word to Eli. The real change is that someone has started to listen.

We notice too that it is ‘the word of Samuel’ that ‘came to all Israel’. God helps his people by using intermediaries. He knows that there is a risk in this because they may fail. There is plenty of debate about which words of Samuel were also words of the Lord.

It puts us on notice. Where do we hear the word of the Lord? We may be tempted to think it is a simple question because we have our own Bibles. It is not as simple as that because every time we read we bring so much of our own understanding that at times God has trouble making himself clear to us.

It puts us on notice a second time – do others hear the word of the Lord in the things we say?

Heavenly Father, help us to listen for you speaking into our lives, that we may be enriched by your care for us.