Don’t you hate when the phone rings, and you actually get up to answer it, but no ones there? Maybe it’s worse when you answer and it’s a telemarketer. That’s kind of like what happened to this boy Samuel in the Bible.

Samuel heard a voice calling him during the night. So he got up and went to his boss (who he was living with) and said here I am (i.e. what do you want??) But the boss said he didn’t call him. This happened three times! Finally the boss realized that God must be the One calling Samuel. He told Samuel to stay in his bed next time he heard the voice and to ask God what He wanted.

I wonder how many times we do the same thing as Samuel. We hear a “voice” and turn to who we think is “calling.” Maybe it’s not always a voice or a phone ringing, maybe it’s a crisis. Maybe it’s losing a job or a loved one. Maybe it’s a fight with your spouse or an argument with a friend.

Instead of turning to human solutions, maybe God wants to use this event in your life to get you to turn to Him.

Turn to the Lord in prayer, in reading the Bible, in going to church. Ask God why He has allowed this crisis. Ask God to be your strength. For wisdom and peace when you’re fighting. For comfort and hope despite loss.

You can try to solve things and live life in your own power but you’ll continue to fail. Turn to Jesus who is the source of hope, peace, and love. He heals the brokenhearted. He comforts the weary. He takes away your burdens and gives you peace.

If you’ve never called out to God its not too late to start. He says “call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and marvelous things” (Jeremiah 33:3). I could use some great and marvelous in my life. I bet you could too.