Samuel Hears God Call

Have you ever heard someone call your name, but you couldn't tell who it was? That's what happened to a boy named Samuel, one quiet night long ago.

Samuel lived in God's house, in a town called Shiloh. He was a helper to an old priest named Eli. Every morning, Samuel opened the doors of God's house. Maybe he swept the floors too, and fetched things for Eli. Eli was very old now. His eyes had grown so dim that he could hardly see. And in those days, God didn't speak to people very often. Hearing his voice was rare.

One night, it was late and very dark. But the lamp in God's house was still glowing softly. Eli was lying down in his room. And Samuel was lying down in God's house, near the ark. Not Noah's ark, the big boat! This ark was a special golden box, and it reminded everyone that God was with them. Everything was quiet. Then a voice called, "Samuel!"

Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. "Here I am; for you called me." Eli blinked his sleepy eyes. "I didn't call. Lie down again." So Samuel went back and lay down. Then the voice came again. "Samuel!" Up he jumped, and off he ran. "Here I am; for you called me."

But Eli said, "I didn't call, my son. Lie down again." You see, Samuel didn't know yet that it was God. He had never heard God's voice before. Then the voice called a third time. And once again, Samuel ran to Eli. "Here I am; for you called me." Poor Eli! Woken up three times in one night!

But this time, Eli understood. It was God who was calling Samuel! Eli told him, "Go, lie down." And if the voice called again, Samuel should say, "Speak, Lord; for your servant hears." That means, I'm listening, God. Please tell me what you want to say. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. He waited, very still and very quiet, listening with all his might.

Then God came and stood there, and called, just as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" This time Samuel didn't run anywhere. He stayed right where he was, and said, "Speak; for your servant hears."

And God spoke to Samuel. He told him about something big he was going to do, so big that it would make people's ears tingle! Some of it was sad news for Eli's family. Eli's grown-up sons had been doing bad things, and Eli hadn't stopped them.

Samuel lay still until morning. Then he got up and opened the doors of God's house, just like always. But he felt afraid to tell Eli what God had said. Then Eli called him. "Samuel, my son!" And Samuel answered, "Here I am." Eli asked him not to hide anything. So Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him.

Eli said, "It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him." Even with hard news, Eli trusted God.

Samuel grew up, and God was with him. And whenever Samuel told people what God said, it came true, every time. Soon everyone in the land knew that Samuel was a prophet, someone who listens to God and tells others what God says.

This story teaches us that God speaks, and we can listen. God can speak to us through the Bible, in quiet moments when we pray, and through people who love us, like Eli. So when we pray, we don't have to do all the talking. We can be still, and listen, just like Samuel.