The Lord speaks to His children, but we need to discern His voice.

上帝对祂的儿女说话，但我们需明辨祂的声音。

Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10

撒母耳回答说：“请说，仆人敬听！”-撒母耳记上3章10节

I felt like I was underwater, sounds muffled and muted by a cold and allergies. For weeks I struggled to hear clearly. My condition made me realize how much I take my hearing for granted.

我觉得自己好像沉在水里，因为感冒和过敏，我的耳朵像被塞住，听不清楚。几个星期以来，我努力地恢复听力。这时我才明白，拥有敏锐的听力并非理所当然。

Young Samuel in the temple must have wondered what he was hearing as he struggled out of sleep at the summons of his name (1 Sam. 3:4). Three times he presented himself before Eli, the high priest. Only the third time did Eli realize it was the Lord speaking to Samuel. The word of the Lord had been rare at that time (v. 1), and the people were not in tune with His voice. But Eli instructed Samuel how to respond (v. 9).

当年幼的撒母耳在圣殿内，因听到有人呼唤他名字而醒来时，一定很疑惑是谁在叫他（撒母耳记上3章4节）。他三次跑到大祭司以利的面前，直到第三次，以利才明白是上帝在对撒母耳说话。那时上帝的话语十分稀少（1节），人们也不能分辨上帝的声音，于是以利教导撒母耳如何回应上帝（9节）。

The Lord speaks much more now than in the days of Samuel. The letter to the Hebrews tells us, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets . . . but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (1:1–2). And in Acts 2 we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (vv. 1–4), who guides us in the things Christ taught us (John 16:13). But we need to learn to hear His voice and respond in obedience. 

比起撒母耳的时代，主给我们更多的启示。希伯来书记载：“上帝既在古时藉着众先知多次多方地晓谕列祖，就在这末世藉着祂儿子晓谕我们”（希伯来书1章1-2节） 。使徒行传2章提到圣灵在五旬节降临（1-4节） ，引导我们明白基督的教导（约翰福音16章13节） 。但我们需要学习聆听主的声音，并以顺服来回应。

Like me with my cold, we may hear as if underwater. We need to test what we think is the Lord’s guidance with the Bible and with other mature Christians. As God’s beloved children, we do hear His voice. He loves to speak life into us.

有时我们或许像我感冒时什么都听不到，所以我们需要查考圣经并请教灵命成熟的基督徒，分辨我们的思想是否出于上帝的引导。我们是蒙上帝喜爱的儿女，能够听到祂的声音，祂喜爱向我们启示生命之道。

Open our eyes, Lord, that we might see You. 

Open our ears, that we may hear You. 

Open our mouths, that we might speak Your praise.

主啊，求祢开启我们的眼，使我们能看见祢。
开启我们的耳，使我们能听见祢。
开启我们的口，使我们能赞美祢。

1 Samuel 3:1-10New International Version (NIV)

The Lord Calls Samuel

3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

撒母耳记上 3:1-10Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

撒母耳初得启示

3 童子撒母耳在以利面前侍奉耶和华。当那些日子，耶和华的言语稀少，不常有默示。 2 一日，以利睡卧在自己的地方。他眼目昏花，看不分明。 3 神的灯在神耶和华殿内约柜那里，还没有熄灭，撒母耳已经睡了。 4 耶和华呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳说：“我在这里。” 5 就跑到以利那里，说：“你呼唤我？我在这里。”以利回答说：“我没有呼唤你，你去睡吧。”他就去睡了。 6 耶和华又呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳起来，到以利那里，说：“你呼唤我？我在这里。”以利回答说：“我的儿，我没有呼唤你，你去睡吧。” 7 那时撒母耳还未认识耶和华，也未得耶和华的默示。 8 耶和华第三次呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳起来，到以利那里，说：“你又呼唤我，我在这里。”以利才明白是耶和华呼唤童子。 9 因此以利对撒母耳说：“你仍去睡吧。若再呼唤你，你就说：‘耶和华啊，请说，仆人敬听。’”撒母耳就去，仍睡在原处。

10 耶和华又来站着，像前三次呼唤说：“撒母耳啊！撒母耳啊！”撒母耳回答说：“请说，仆人敬听。”

整理：于姊妹