Here We Are LORD

During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.  One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.  His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see. The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was. 

The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.” Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am.  You called me.” “I did not call you,” Eli said.  “Go back to sleep.”  So he went back to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “You called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.” At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.”

Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.  So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’”  When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening…” (1 Samuel 3:1-10)

Today’s reading has us say: “Here I am. You called me.  Speak LORD, for your servant is listening.”  If only that was our response when the LORD calls.   Many of us go back to sleep and never awake.   Our sleepiness is a result of biases, prejudices, racist behavior, intolerance, and hardened hearts.  The lamp of God is covered with dark cloth.

Let’s rip away the cloth, see the light, and listen – intently.  Our response: "Here we are LORD!"

Deacon David Pierce