"Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, 'Here I am.' 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." 1 Samuel 3:4-5 (NIV)

When the Lord first calls to Samuel he is a young boy, and he misinterprets God's voice for that of Eli, the High Priest. Samuel had never heard God speak to him before, so it's easy to understand why he was confused. After missing God's voice a few times, and with the help of Eli, Samuel finally understands that God is trying to speak to him.

We live in a world full of distractions and noises, hearing and distinguishing God's voice from all the other things that call out to us can be extremely difficult. Still, we need to understand that daily God desires for us to hear is voice. God wants us to come to a place where we can distinguish His voice from every other voice that calls out to us. And, if we can just tune into God once we will find that His voice sounds different than all the other voices out there! God called out to Samuel during the night when everything had settled down around him. It would be wise for you and I to daily find a place of silence where we can hear the voice of our Heavenly Father as He speaks to our spirit. Take time to listen to God's voice, be able to distinguish it from all the other ones out there, allow your Father to tell you great and mighty things!

"The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." John 10:3 (NLT)