To Bloom Once Again

1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20

Some of the most beautiful flowers in the world grow in the most inhospitable places — deserts, rocky ground, even near ice. They don’t bloom there because conditions are easy, but because they’ve learned how to live with very little.

That is the world Samuel was born into.

Scripture tells us that “revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.” Israel had become spiritually barren. The priesthood was weary, and faith had become routine. God hadn’t stopped speaking, but Israel had largely stopped listening.

And into that thin soil, God planted a child.

Samuel grew up in the quiet and dark of a sanctuary where the lamp of God still burned, but the vision was dim. It’s not surprising that he didn’t recognize God calling him; no one had taught him to recognize God’s voice.

Eli had his problems, and our Lord would soon be dealing with him, but his advice to Samuel was good: ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ And because Samuel took that advice, God’s word began to flower once again in Israel.

That’s good news for us. Maybe we feel spiritually dry sometimes, or think God isn’t answering, which makes prayers hard to do. Maybe many things are going on in our lives and we feel stressed or overwhelmed. Maybe we’re tired and think we can’t give any more. Whatever place we’re in, no matter how inhospitable, the story of Samuel’s calling is there to reassure us that God never waits for ideal conditions. He speaks into every heart no matter how weary, to even the thinnest faith, and is at work in every life, no matter how dry. And He is persistent; no matter what, He keeps calling, keeps inviting us into a deeper relationship.

So today, don’t force an answer or a feeling. Just make room. Repeat Samuel’s prayer — slowly, honestly: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” That simple openness is all God needs to make something beautiful bloom once again.