God's Grand Story: Samuel Serves
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
1 Samuel 1:10-18, 1 Samuel 1:26-28
10 Hannah was heartbroken and was crying as she prayed, 11 “ Lord All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son. I promise to give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut.” 12 Hannah prayed silently to the Lord for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk. 13 14 “How long are you going to stay drunk?” he asked. “Sober up!” 15 “Sir, please don't think I'm no good!” Hannah answered. “I'm not drunk, and I haven't been drinking. But I do feel miserable and terribly upset. I've been praying all this time, telling the Lord about my problems.” 16 17 Eli replied, “Go home. Everything will be fine. The God of Israel will answer your prayer.” 18 “Sir, thank you for being so kind to me,” Hannah said. Then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better.
1 Samuel 1:10-18
26 “Sir,” Hannah said, “a few years ago I stood here beside you and asked the Lord 27 to give me a child. Here he is! The Lord gave me just what I asked for. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will be the Lord 's servant for as long as he lives.” Elkanah worshiped the Lord there at Shiloh, and
1 Samuel 1:26-28
Memory Verse
Philippians 2:14-15
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing. 15 Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world,
In Israel, there was a woman named Hannah who was sad because she didn't have any children. She prayed for a son at the temple, promising she would return the child to God. Within that year, she had a baby, Samuel. When he was old enough, she took Samuel to Eli, the priest, saying, "Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will be the Lord's servant for as long as he lives” (1 Samuel 1:28).
As a boy, Samuel served God by helping in the temple. Because Eli's sons did not respect God, he was thankful for Samuel's faithfulness. Samuel also "grew in favor" with the people—they liked him because he cared for them (1 Samuel 2:26). Most importantly, from a young age, Samuel served God. God called him in the middle of the night, and although he was confused at first, Samuel listened once Eli explained to him it was God. He did what God instructed, even though it was scary. Because Samuel obediently served God, "the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable" (1 Samuel 3:19).
You can also serve God. One way is to obey your parents without complaining and arguing like Samuel obeyed Eli. Another way to serve God is to be kind and helpful to people around you, shining "as lights" (Philippians 2:15) with kind words and helping hands. Lastly, just like Samuel, you can have listening ears for God's voice. He might not call your name out loud in the middle of the night, but he does whisper in your heart. Ask God what he wants you to do, listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit’s voice, and then do the right thing, even if it feels a little scary.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that I am not too young to serve you. I can start now and serve you as long as I live. Please teach me to hear your voice clearly. Help me obey you and the adults in my life without complaining or arguing, and be a shining light by loving and serving people. Amen.Related Resources
Amanda Smith
Amanda Smith is a high school English teacher, writer, and poet. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children. When she is not teaching or writing, she likes to do pottery, read loads of books, and bike the tree-lined roads of her town. You can find more of Amanda’s writing at https://www.amandasmithwrites.com and her blogs about the craft of writing for children at http://www.24carrotwriting.com.