The Story of Samuel
Just like he knew Samuel, God knows your name, and God still calls young and old today saying, "Come, follow me."
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: Worshiping God: God Calls His People.
- In Matthew 4:19 you can read about Jesus calling his first disciples to follow him. All throughout the Bible God calls people to follow him. What do you think it means to be called by God?
- When God calls people to follow him, he calls them to learn from him, to do his will, and to serve him. Sometimes, what God calls us to do can be joy-filled, and other times, it can be very difficult. As you listen to this episode, think about what God called Samuel to do for the rest of his life. How did Samuel respond to the very difficult things that God sometimes told Samuel to do?
After you listen
Memory Verse
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Quiz
A: A new robe to wear.
A: The Philistines.
Reflect
Samuel spent his whole life serving God. When he was very young, his mother dedicated him to God and he lived in the temple. And when he was much older, he anointed Saul as Israel’s king. Most of the things that God called Samuel to do were difficult, the very first of which was to tell Eli that God would punish his disobedient sons. Years later, it would not be easy to tell the whole nation of Israel that they had left God and must return to him. But God was always with Samuel, even during the most difficult things he commanded him to do. And Samuel always listened to God.
Listening to God and doing what he commands us to do isn’t always easy. God might want you to stand up to someone who is doing something wrong, or to be a friend to someone who is lonely. God promises to be with us, especially in the midst of the most difficult things we could ever do.
You can read lots of stories about Samuel and how God was always with him in the book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament. Want to dig deeper and learn more about listening to God? Check out Proverbs 2:1-5, Matthew 4:4, and John 10:27-28.
Challenge
Listening for God to call might not seem as easy as it was for Samuel. We communicate with God through prayer when we talk to him and listen for his answers. Spend a little time in prayer telling God that you are listening for him and are waiting to be called by him to follow. Now, pay close attention to what happens in your life after you have prayed. Listen for him to call you into something that is his will for you. God may not speak to you directly, but you might hear him through the advice of an adult or friend. Or you may hear God while you pray to him or read the Bible. You may also hear him through something that you experience in your life.
Maybe God will call you to stand up for someone who is hurting. Or, maybe he will tell you to stop doing something that is not good for you and to spend more time following him instead. Whatever God calls you to, go for it, knowing that he will be with you every step of the way.
