In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.

•  a time when God wasn't speaking much

•  there were few people receiving pictures from God

•  it feels like that was a bad thing

•  this means the Lord WANTS to speak, wants to give us pictures

•  the answer must be in the listeners

•  do we listen to the Lord, are we obedient to Him?

•  am I listening to the Lord? am I being obedient to Him?

•  Lord, please help me to be a listener to you.

Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see…

•  Eli was old and couldn't see well

•  yet we've just heard of people who couldn't see and receive God's visions

•  Eli the spiritual leader wasn't hearing from God or seeing pictures from God

•  the leader before any other should be hearing, should be seeing in the spiritual realm.

•  Lord, keep me hearing and seeing.

… was lying down in his usual place

•  this was clearly a physical thing yet it also seems to be what his state was spiritually

•  he was lying down – in a passive state, doing nothing

•  in his usual place – he's settled for this

•  are we “lying down” spiritually?

•  have we settled for inaction?

•  is this what I'm doing? Lord show me changes you'd want me to make if this is so in any way.

The lamp of God had not yet gone out

•  again this seems to be a physical thing but God's light is about to be represented by Samuel

•  Samuel is about to be God's light

•  we are called to be God's light – Mt 5:14 – you are the Light of the world

•  are we shining? am I shining?

•  is God's goodness and God's truth and revelation shining out through me.

•  Lord, please show me how this may be more fully.

Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was

•  Samuel was a little boy – also inactive spiritually

•  but he's in the place of God's meeting

•  he's about to be “woken up” by God spiritually

•  am I awake to the Lord?

•  am I ready to say “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”?