How Do I Know?

1 Samuel 3:8-10

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In the Old Testament, we hear a story of a young boy who has an encounter with God from First Samuel, chapter three, we read beginning in verse eight,

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. 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.
Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” (1 Samuel 3:8-10)

How do you know when God is talking to you? I hear this phrase used very frequently in people’s conversations when opportunities arise or even disasters strike. Oh, maybe that’s God telling me to take this new job or that maybe that’s God telling me to move somewhere else. Or maybe that’s God telling me to date such and such a person. How do you know when it’s God talking to you and not someone else? You know, we read our Bibles, we have our devotions fairly often and we study God’s word. And that’s excellent for us to read the Bible and hear God’s speaking to us directly here. That’s really how we know how God is speaking to us.

But also, when we go out into the world, there are other voices coming to us. And often the voice of the devil is right there tempting us, trying to get us to focus on other things. I think of an encounter that the disciple Philip had with an Ethiopian in Acts Chapter eight, and he met this man who is in his chariot reading the scroll of Isaiah. And Philip engaged him in that conversation over the scriptures, and the Ethiopian asked him, How can I understand this? I need someone to explain it to me. And Philip did so, but with a very specific aim in mind. His explanation was pointing directly at Jesus, pointing directly at the fulfillment of all of God’s promises and the forgiveness of all of His sins and the promise of eternal life.

And so you and I need that encouragement and that guidance as well. Like Eli for the boy Samuel, who didn’t know who was speaking to him or what the purpose might be. Eli could direct him how to encounter God, how to speak to God, and how to hear what God had to say. And God has blessed us with our fellow Christians as well, especially your pastor. Go and speak to your pastor after you’ve had your own devotion or even before, and you can pray together and you can have conversations about this and with other fellow Christians as well, have conversations about the Word of God. Because what God will do through your fellow Christians is direct you again to Jesus again and again.

John says in his first letter to test the spirits and to encounter those spirits and examine them to see whether they’re from God or not. Because those who tell you the truth about Jesus, those who direct you to look at Jesus are the true Word of God, are giving you the true message that God would have them speak to you and would have you hear.

So learn about that and go speak to others and learn about Jesus. That’s really this blessed message that you hear when you encounter Jesus with fellow Christians. You really do are gathered in the means of grace and receiving forgiveness of sins. And you have that life and you can be assured of that. There’s so much uncertainty. How do I know when it’s God speaking to me? How do I know what God wants for my life? Read his word and speak with your fellow Christians about that word and see Jesus who took your sin away. And His plan for you is eternal life. God loves you. Your fellow Christians love you. Your pastor loves you and wants you to have that very eternal life in Jesus name.