Right Posture To Hear From God

And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 1 Samuel 3:8-9

Why did the Lord call Samuel thrice? Why, on the third time, did Eli perceive that it was the Lord calling Samuel? What is the significance of the Lord calling him three times? Did you ever wonder or thought about this?

Maybe the first time the Lord, as Father God, called Samuel.

The second time the Lord, as Jesus, called Samuel.

The third time the Lord, as the Holy Spirit, called Samuel.

All the three members of the Trinity called Samuel, and because the Holy Spirit is the helper, when the Holy Spirit called Samuel, at the same time, the Holy Spirit also helped Eli recognize that it was the Lord calling him. Eli, with the help of the Holy Spirit, recognized that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel. Eli, with the help of the Holy Spirit, told him how to respond or reply to the Lord. The same Holy Spirit helped both Samuel and Eli. Only the Holy Spirit can help us recognize the Lord's voice and then prepare us to be in a posture to hear, obey, and respond to God.

Samuel was lying down near the Tabernacle when the Lord called him. He was in the right place to hear God. He was asleep when the Lord called him. A sleeping person cannot be woken up with a small voice, but can be awakened with a loud voice. To wake a sleeping Samuel, the Lord spoke with a loud voice rather than a small still voice. The Lord spoke with a loud voice, which woke Samuel up, and Samuel ran to Eli. The Lord woke Samuel up three times with a loud voice. The voice might be coming from the direction of Eli’s place and the voice was similar to Eli’s voice. Imagine how wonderful it would be if the Lord called our name aloud. We need to ask the Lord to call our names one or two times here on earth before he calls on the judgment day.

In God’s tabernacle or house, the Lord speaks with a loud voice rather than a small still voice and it is similar to the shepherd’s voice. If you want to hear the Lord speak loudly, come to God's house. This voice is so loud that it can awaken you from you spiritual sleep, famine, or dryness. During Moses' time, those who wanted to inquire from the Lord went to the tent of meeting. The tent of meeting was a place where people could hear God speak and get clear direction.

But, this loud voice can only be heard with the help of the Holy Spirit. Samuel slept and was woken up three times by the Lord's voice. He did not recognise it until the Holy Spirit helped him through Eli. Eli( through the guidance of Holy Spirit) helped Samuel to be in a right posture to hear from God. Once Samuel was in the right posture, he heard the heart of God. Once the Lord understood Samuel was in a right posture, he spoke about the approaching disaster. The fourth time, the Lord called Samuel's name twice - Samuel, Samuel - as if it was a warning message, and he needed to be attentive to hear it. It was an experience similar to when the Lord called "Moses, Moses" to share a warning message when he was standing on Holy Ground.

In this generation, it is not God who has stopped speaking; rather, there is a shortage of people who are in the right posture to hear from God. God is speaking loudly, but there is a shortage of people who can hear him. It is because there are no people in the right posture to hear from God. Only the Holy Spirit can prepare you to be in the right posture to hear from God. Ask Holy Spirit to prepare you to be in the right posture to hear from God. Once you are in the right posture, the Lord will speak to you his heart. God is speaking loudly in his house, but no one is in the right posture to hear Him.