Waxhaw United Methodist Church

Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10
The Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
- 1 Samuel 3:10 (NRSV)

A male cardinal lives in my neighborhood. I hear him far more than I ever see him. Every day I look forward to hearing his distinct call. Surprisingly, I can usually recognize the cardinal’s call despite the morning air’s being filled with the songs of other birds. Yet at times I can barely hear the cardinal, or I miss it altogether because I am involved in another task. Similarly to listening for the cardinal’s song among the others’, I must make the effort to hear God’s voice. The Old Testament passage above shows us how Samuel learned to recognize God’s voice and to listen for it. Our fast-paced world makes it easy to become caught up in our commitments. Perhaps all we hear are the calls of our jobs, our families, and our finances. Where is God’s voice among all these? When I take the time to slow down and still myself, to listen to God in prayer and through scripture, I learn to recognize the voice of God, who has been with me all along. I just need to listen. Read more from June on The Upper Room blog today.

The Author
June L. Kanaski (Arizona, USA)