“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” Psalm 121:2 (NLT)
1 Samuel 3
Hannah was sad because she couldn’t have a baby, so she prayed and asked God for a son. God answered her prayer, and she gave birth to a baby boy named Samuel. When Samuel was a little older, Hannah kept a promise she had made to God and gave Samuel back to Him. Samuel learned about God and served Him with a priest named Eli in the tabernacle. A priest served God and took care of the tabernacle, the special place where people worshiped God.
While Samuel was sleeping, God called his name. The first two times, Samuel thought Eli was calling him, so he ran to Eli. Eli told Samuel to go back to bed because he hadn’t called him. When God called Samuel a third time, he ran to Eli again. Eli realized it was the Lord calling Samuel. He told Samuel to go back to bed and, if someone called again, to say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” Samuel did what Eli told him to do, and God gave Samuel an important message.
Eli’s sons were also priests, but they were disobeying God. God had warned Eli, but he let his sons continue to disobey God. So God was going to punish them. Samuel was afraid, but he told Eli everything God had said. Eli didn’t like hearing this, but he knew that God was doing what was right.
Even when Samuel was afraid, God helped him. Soon all of Israel knew Samuel as a prophet. A prophet is a person God chooses to share His truth and important messages with others. Samuel faced many difficult situations, but he trusted God, and God always helped him.
Whenever we feel afraid to do the right thing, we can remember how Samuel trusted God. We can trust and listen to God by reading the Bible and talking to Him through prayer. He will always help us.
The most important way God helped us is when He sent us His Son Jesus. Our sin separates us from God. Because He loves us so much, God sent us Jesus to save us. When we tell God we’ve disobeyed Him, believe that Jesus died and came back to life, and choose to follow Him, we can be saved!
What can we learn from Samuel’s story about listening to God?
Samuel trusted God. What are some ways you can trust God more?
Thank You, God, for always helping us. We know that You are always with us and that You can do anything. We love You, and we want to listen to You and put our trust completely in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.