Thursday, February 21
Read 1 Samuel 3
Think About It:
In the focus text, Samuel lives in a precarious time when “the word of the LORD was rare” (verse 1). The boy, Samuel, hears a voice calling and three times arises and goes to Eli to ask what he wants. Even Eli does not understand what is happening right away. Eventually, however, Eli tells the boy to speak to the Lord. In applying this to our lives we can see how easy it may be for us to miss God’s call or attribute it to a human instead. Samuel needed Eli to explain to him what these stirrings meant. It often takes others in our lives to help us understand the call God places before us.
- If there has been a time in your life when you felt God was speaking to you and placing a call on your life, how did you discern whether it was truly God speaking to you?
- If you determined that you did hear God speaking to you, were you immediately obedient or were you hesitant because what He asked seemed too hard for you to do?
Just as moving into the promised land did not guarantee a perfect life, neither does God’s call to serve. God’s words to Samuel were hard to hear and even harder to speak to others, for they involved judgment against Eli’s own children. Like Samuel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, God’s call often involves working to change human systems that are broken, leading one down difficult paths.
- Has it been, or would it be difficult for you to say or do what God instructed you to do, if you felt it would hurt someone you loved?
Family Time:
- Retell the story of Samuel being called by the Lord in your own words.
- The Lord told Samuel what He was about to do to Eli’s wicked sons for their evil deeds. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord said, but Eli made Samuel tell him. Why do you think Samuel was afraid?
- Have you ever had to deliver bad news to someone? Tell about that experience.
- The Bible says, “the Lord was with Samuel as he grew up and he let none of His words fall to the ground.” Tell what you think that means… or discuss it with your family.
