Called

“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.”

1 Samuel 3:1 ESV

There are a few interesting facts about Samuel. First, he was a miracle baby. His mother, Hannah, was barren and wanted desperately to have children of her own. God heard all of her fervent prayers, and along came Samuel. She immediately dedicated him back to the Lord once he was weaned, and he began serving the chief priest in the tabernacle.

During those days, the word of the Lord was scarce, and so Samuel had no real experience with God for himself yet. I imagine Samuel’s life could have gone one of two ways. One, he could have begrudgingly served and spent his days complaining. He could have allowed himself to become frustrated with what seemed to be mundane tasks. Or, as we see in the Bible, he could have faithfully and wholeheartedly served—which is what happened —and led to him hearing God’s voice for himself.

Reading through the life of Samuel, we see that he was the one who anointed the first two kings of Israel, he is the first of the prophets, led the greatest Passovers, and is remembered for his prayers. Why did all of these things happen? Because Samuel, amid silence, understood the call to serve. He had never heard the voice of God for himself, yet he was startled awake when God calls him by name twice.

Samuel answered the call of God that night, and I believe God is still calling people today. What wonders and miracles await those who are surrendered and fully committed to a life of service!

Devotion by Caitlin Walker