Discerning God's Will

Discerning the call of God can often be a difficult task.  It would be nice if the call of God could always be heard loud and clear, but that simply is not the case.  Often God speaks in subtle ways that require our utmost attention to hear and respond.  However, there are some things that we can do that will put us in a place to more effectively hear what God is saying to us.  1 Samuel 3 records the story of God’s call to a young Samuel.  In this story there are at least five practices we can commit to that will put us in a place to more obediently respond to God.

1.  Surround yourself with godly people.   

1 Samuel 3:1 says, “Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli.”  Samuel had the age and experience of Eli to lean upon.  In fact, it was Eli who told Samuel how to respond when the Lord repeatedly called out to him (9).  Surrounding ourselves with godly people will allow us to hear their wisdom, experience, and counsel related to the call of God.

2.  Cherish the word of God.   

Verse 1 continues to say, “And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.”  We cherish things that are rare, be it an old car, coins, stamps, or any other number of collectibles.  Any word from the Lord would have been greatly cherished in Samuel’s time for it was rare.  We on the other hand have incredible access to the word of God.  We must be careful not to become complacent but to place great value on God’s word and the study of that word.

3.  Learn the voice of God.   

We are told that “Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him (7).”  Samuel would soon learn the voice of God as God calls out to him four separate times.  In our lives we must learn what the voice of God sounds like.  This is often a challenge because the voice of God is primarily a “still small voice” at work within our hearts.  We have to learn to determine the difference in God’s voice, our desires, and impressions that we have as a result of others talking to us.  Learning the voice of God primarily happens over time, through prayer, the study of the word, and obedience.

4.  Respond positively to God’s call.  

 Eli gives Samuel instruction as to how to respond if he hears the call of God again (9).  God does indeed call a fourth time and Samuel responds just as he was told; “Speak, for your servant hears.”  This was Samuel’s way of saying, “I am available to do whatever you want of me.”  No other response to the call of God is acceptable.

5.  Be courageous.   

God tells Samuel what He is about to do to the house of Eli, not a pleasant message in the least.  How do you tell your mentor, the one who has poured into your life, “God is about to destroy you and your whole household”?  However, though he was afraid (15), he was honest (18).  Samuel told Eli all that the Lord had shown him.  Did this courage make a difference?  Look at what verse 20 says of Samuel, “And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.”  In the context of a single chapter Samuel goes from one who “did not yet know the Lord” to one who the entire nation of Israel knew was a prophet.  When you obey the call of the Lord progress can happen rapidly.

Many times the call of God is difficult to discern.  And while no one can give a set of easy steps for discovering God’s intent, there are certainly things we can do to align ourselves in such a way as to catch the wind of what God has to say.  Be prepared, when you make yourself available, God is certain to move in a big way.