Session 39

How do I know if God’s calling me?

From 1 Samuel: A 6-Week Devotional

A singular penguin waddles purposefully through the colony. The thousands of seemingly identical birds are easily distinguishable to the penguin as he settles in next to his lifelong mate. Despite the sea of similarity, he knows the call of his family and can identify them without confusion. Just as the penguin is alert and knows what to look for in identifying his family, we need to know when we are hearing from God.

Samuel is a young boy when he first hears from God, and he doesn’t realize it’s God who is speaking. He was not expecting to hear from God, and He did not recognize His voice. It was not until he received the counsel of Eli that he understood what was happening. After Eli’s instruction, Samuel listened with anticipation and answered God when He called again.

We can discern God’s voice and become familiar with His nature when we spend time in His Word.

How do we know when it is God who is speaking? We can discern God’s voice and become familiar with His nature when we spend time in His Word. Like Samuel, it may take a few times before we recognize the Lord’s prompting, but we can distinguish His voice more clearly when we follow the counsel of His Word and expect to hear from Him.

God calls us to action, to further His kingdom and to grow in our faith. The more time we spend in the Bible and in prayer, the easier it will be to know God’s voice and distinguish His call.

Reflect:

• Is there anything you specifically feel God calling you to?
• Is it a call to action consistent with God’s Word? Will it bring honor to His kingdom and help you grow in your faith?
• Spend some extra time this week reading your Bible. What do you feel He is telling you about the direction and call for your life?