{"id":15480,"date":"2026-10-07T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/?p=15480"},"modified":"2026-08-28T05:54:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T10:54:07","slug":"a-heart-that-listens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/2026\/10\/07\/a-heart-that-listens\/","title":{"rendered":"A Heart that Listens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two-minute read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u201cBeth, can you hear me?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mother\u2019s frustration came through in her tone. When I had done something to agitate her, the way she said my name told me all I needed to know. With a slight soprano pitch, she would call to me, trying to find my latest hiding place to avoid her wrath. I always knew the sooner I faced the music, the less punishment I would receive. Eventually, with head bowed and eyes diverted, I would reveal myself to her, and we would work through the issue. One thing remained true: I always recognized my mother\u2019s voice; whether angry, glad, or sad, I knew it belonged to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Samuel served in the tabernacle under Eli, messages and visions from the Lord didn\u2019t happen often. During a spiritually difficult time in Israel, people didn\u2019t hear from God as they had in the past. So when Samuel heard his name called one night while sleeping, he assumed Eli needed him. Three times the young boy heard his name, and three times he went to Eli. Finally, the older prophet realized who called Samuel\u2019s name: the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eli instructed Samuel to answer God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the fourth time he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpeak, for your servant hears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samuel didn\u2019t just hear God\u2019s voice; he also learned to recognize it, as I learned to recognize my mother\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must learn the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the myriad of voices we hear daily, we can easily miss the Lord\u2019s. Divine nudges go unnoticed because of worldly distractions. God took the initiative with Samuel and called out to him. The growing prophet and eventual leader of Israel didn\u2019t seek a dramatic encounter with the Lord; he served him faithfully where his Creator placed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And God called out to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes we expect the Lord to speak only during extraordinary spiritual experiences, but Samuel\u2019s encounter happened in the middle of ordinary faithfulness. God knows your name, and he knows your heart. Wherever the Lord places us, we must serve faithfully, as Samuel did. We may not understand why, but God does. By trusting Him, we can glorify Him in the mundane with our faithfulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You never know when God will call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samuel didn\u2019t expect the Lord\u2019s calling that night. And we might not expect ours when it comes. But God designed us for a purpose. He calls us to it and directs our steps to fulfill it. First, we must learn to recognize his voice. When we do, as Samuel did, God will work miracles through us as we trust and follow Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journal Questions:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n