I was in the sixth grade the first time I felt a desire to open my Bible on my own. I’d had a particularly rough day at school (aren’t middle school girls the worst?), and as I sobbed into my New Kids on the Block pillow, suddenly my pink Precious Moments Bible seemed to call to me from the bookshelf. It wasn’t an audible sound, just a subtle heart tug toward the Word of God I’d never felt before that moment. I didn’t know a psalm from a proverb, couldn’t articulate the gospel, and had no way of knowing how God’s Word would eventually transform me. I just knew I needed comfort and thought the Bible might be a straw worth grasping for.
A tiny spark was kindled, but the ember was enough to keep me reading through middle school and into high school, when I would eventually surrender my life to Christ. The spark is now a bonfire that consumes my life. Like the psalmist, I declare, “Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (Psalm 119:72). God’s Word is my greatest treasure.
The Bible tells us, “Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7). And yet the Lord was clearly speaking to the boy. Though Samuel’s inexperience with the voice of God made him slow to respond, the Lord kept patiently nudging until eventually, “Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied. All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the Lord” (vv.19–20).
He is the hound of heaven. He pursues us when we are still running in glad rebellion. He woos us when our hearts are still turned toward lesser loves. He shepherds before we, His sheep, can distinguish the sound of His voice. Truly, “God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Samuel learned to serve the God who speaks. I have learned to love the One whose story I first glimpsed in the pages of a little pink Bible. It’s true that when we seek, we find Him. And when we knock, He always opens the door (Matthew 7:7–8). But the Lord, in His kindness, also whispers to us before our hearts know how to listen. He loves us, even if our hearts are too broken to love Him back (1 John 4:9). Because He speaks, we can know Him—and that is a reason to rejoice.
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28 thoughts on "Samuel"
I always wonder about Hannah’s promise to God. She was faithful and God blessed her with more children. I just wonder if she and Elkinah only saw Samuel when they made sacrifices. Was he able to know his siblings and his parents, spend time with them? Maybe I missed it, but it seems this was not the case. But, he heard God speak to him and was a faithful servant. Eli’s son’s knew what they were doing was wrong. They were dishonoring Eli, but more importantly God and Eli did not stop them. Thus Eli is punished also. I do believe the atrocities they committed in the position they were in was like spitting in the face of God. Praying my heart would be like Hannah’s and Samuel’s always willing to say Speak Lord, your servant is listening. Please Lord, give me ears to hear.
It’s interesting to me that I Samuel 3:3 mentions “before the lamp of God went out it the tabernacle” as if this was the regular occurrence. Exodus 27:20 gives clear instructions that the lamp of God is to burn continually, tended from evening until morning before the Lord. Samuel was just doing as he was taught, so he can’t be held accountable for the lamp going out. And even though the lamp went out, God still came and called to Samuel, who was not hardened and indifferent to the Lord’s voice. God still calls to us, if we will be still enough to listen. Sometimes he has to shout at us through circumstances, if we are not willing to slow down enough to hear Him. But even if we haven’t exactly “tended our lamps” as we should, He will still call to us, because He never stops loving and pursuing us. Thank God for His everlasting love!
Thank God he still calls never lets
Praise God! He still calls to us! He never lets go!
Love this!
Beautiful writing, Erin. Your images are so strong– that pink Bible, the bonfire. Wonderful!
Yesterday’s reading and today’s are so close to my heart. I have a son we named Samuel, because God answered my prayer for another son, and He graciously answered. And since the day we found out it was a little boy I was carrying, I have prayed he would hear God’s voice and follow Him. He’s still little, just 10, but I still pray this for him every day. That he would grow in favor with god and man and make an impact for the kingdom as he hears how God may use him! Have a blessed weekend ladies!
In today’s reading I see consequences and calling. Eli neglected to discipline his sons. His sons were not wayward children but blatantly disobedient men. They served in the temple but had no respect or regard for the Lord. Their sinful reputation had become known to the people and there was a real danger of it infiltrating and infecting the nation of Israel. God is not to be trifled with and there are severe consequences for having a hard heart towards Him. We see however the tender heart of God in His calling of Samuel. Samuel was young with a yet teachable spirit. God was nudging and Eli recognized it for what it truly was. Samuel responded and God’s nudge turned into a relationship. Samuel’s first prophecy was that the sin of Eli’s sons would no longer be tolerated. God had spoken to Samuel and Samuel delivered that hard news to Eli. Eli’s response leads me to believe that Eli knew how badly his sons had sinned: “He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is good.” It was better for those two sons to die than for their sin to continue and affect all of God’s chosen people. Samuel was God’s mouthpiece to say ‘Enough!’ Today may I ponder my own calling and also any sin that I’m tolerating. May today be a day of confession and correction. May I stay the course of my calling with the integrity the Lord requires and deserves.
Amen.
1 Samuel 3:13. Does God love Eli’s sons? God curses Eli’s sons because Eli didn’t raise them right. God says it is Eli’s fault. 1 Samuel 2:25 They would not listen to their father since The Lord Intended to kill them. God isn’t pursuing Eli’s sons.
I understand Terri. Sometimes it’s really hard for us to process God’s justice. We don’t know how long Eli’s sons disobeyed. It does seem they overtly thumbed their noses at God though doesn’t it? I know our God is long suffering and not willing for any to perish. So I have to think that Eli’s sons had the same opportunity to repent and receive God’s grace that we do. And perhaps after the direct message from God through Samuel they did turn from their sin?, like the people of Nineveh did? Thankfully, the holly spirit does woo and call but if our hearts stay hard and we aren’t willing to listen, it gets harder and harder to hear Him. I also think their is an end to God’s mercy. At some point we all have to make a choice. In the end, God will separate for eternity those who have accepted Jesus’ free gift of forgiveness and those who haven’t. Praying for your heart to have a true picture of God: one that balances His justice with his abundant grace. Keep reading and pondering and asking questions!
Hey Terri! Perhaps it was not Eli’s raising of his sons so much as his response to their sin. Eli’s first responsibility was to God and his house. When his sons disgraced God’s house, Eli should have had a greater loyalty to the Temple but instead catered to his son’s disobedience. I think Cindi said it great- God is long suffering. He desires that all should come to repentance. These OT snippets can be hard, but properly couched in the glorious story of a God who would stop at nothing to save His children, they make a lot more sense. ♥️
What an encouraging post! My kids are also no more living at home and I can only pray. So good to be reminded that God will keep on nudging them and won‘t stop until they answer him.
Erin, thank you for this! God’s Word is your greatest treasure. May the Holy Spirit make His Word come alive for all of us, and may the persecuted church and all that don’t know His Word get hold of His Word and fall in love with Our God and Savior. Everyone, I reread the paragraph that starts with God being the Hound of Heaven. How amazing are the truths Erin shares! He is truly an awe inspiring God! Praise, thanksgiving and Glory be to Him forever and ever. Amen