Are You Hearing God? by Donna Avant

At the age of 65 I am struggling to hear others speak.   I have a pretty significant hearing loss which requires hearing aids.  When I do not wear my hearing aids, it frustrates my family.  One of my children said, “Mom, I want a relationship with you.  But if you can’t hear

me, then we can’t talk.”    In other words, our relationship will suffer.  

There are two truths that are very clear in God’s word from Genesis to Revelation.  God desires a relationship with each of us and He speaks.   The question is, “Do we desire a relationship with God and do we hear Him speak?”  

In I Samuel 3 there is a young boy named Samuel, probably about 4-5 years old, who was living in the temple and serving alongside Eli, the current priest.  Samuel was literally prayed into existence by his mom, Hannah.  Out of Hannah’s thankfulness to the Lord, she sent Samuel to assist Eli in his temple duties. Eli’s own sons should have been serving alongside their father in the temple.  However, they refused to hear the truth from their father and their father refused to allow them to suffer consequences for their evil actions.  God needed someone who would hear Him.  

One night as Samuel laid down in the temple, he heard his name being called, “Samuel, Samuel.”   He assumed it was the old priest, Eli.  Samuel immediately ran to Eli to see what he needed. Eli told him that he didn’t call him and to go back to bed.  This happened two more times. 

The fourth time God called out Samuel’s name, Samuel responded to God with the words Eli had given him to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”   What a powerful statement.

Samuel acknowledged that he heard God and he wanted to listen to God.  How often do I just sit quietly and tell the Lord “Speak!”?

Samuel indicated his position in the relationship as well as God’s position.  Samuel called God, "Lord" and referred to himself as “servant”.  When I listen for God to speak do I acknowledge that I am just His servant and He is Lord?

Samuel also said he heard the Lord. The Hebrew word “hear” means to “hear with obedience”. When I hear God speak, it requires immediate obedience.  If obedience doesn't follow, then nothing was truly heard.

After Samuel heard God, he followed through in obedience.  He did a very hard thing.  He had to share with Eli what God had said concerning the consequences of his sons’ disobedience.  To Eli’s credit, he responded by acknowledging it was the Lord and He knew what was best. 

There have been so many times in my life that I have heard God and it was hard.

"Donna, you need to forgive that person." "Donna, you need to share my love with that hard to love person." And the list could go on. Obedience is usually hard.  

Samuel becomes a great prophet, someone who hears God and then shares what He says.  How did this happen?

“And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.”

 I Samuel 3:19

The phrase “let none of his words fall to the ground” is illustrated best by taking your favorite beverage (mine would be iced tea) and pouring it on the ground.  In other words, letting it go to waste.   The primary way God speaks to us today is through His word.  May I never “waste” God’s word by allowing it to fall on the ground. 

I'm so thankful I do not need my hearing aids to hear from God. I just need to open His word with a heart of a servant and ask Him to speak. Then I need to follow through in obedience.

Will you choose in 2026 to hear from God?

“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.” 

I Samuel 15: 22