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Here I Am
“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ ‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening’” (1 Samuel 3:1-10 NIV).
I think the above passage is one of the more powerful in the Bible. I can close my eyes and imagine the scenario playing out. Here is the young Eli whose mother Hannah had given her son to the prophet Samuel to raise in the tabernacle. Eli does not know much about the Lord, certainly not the Lord’s Voice was calling him. However, with the help of the older and wiser Samuel, he finally answers the Voice.
For me, there are several important lessons here.
First, the Lord can call and use anybody at any time. Eli did not know the Lord, but much more importantly the Lord knew Eli.
Second, our Lord is one of second chances. The Lord continues to give Eli opportunities to respond.
Third, Eli showed wisdom by obeying his elder and appropriately answering the Voice with the words, “Here I am Lord.” This young boy modelled for us today the correct answer to a Calling from God.
As it turns out, several people in the Bible well called by God and answered with either “Here I Am” or “Here am I.” I encourage you to visit the six other examples listed below.
- Abraham — Genesis 22:1 and 11
- Jacob —— Genesis 31:11 and 46:2
- Moses—— Exodus 3:4
- Samuel—– I Samuel 3:4, 5, 6, 8
- Isaiah——- Isaiah 6:8
- Ananias—- Acts 9:10
God is still in the business of Calling people. Through our baptism and public profession of faith, you and I have been called by the Lord into ministry. It may or may not be pastoral ministry but all ministry in the Body of Christ is important.
Let’s now return to God repeatedly calling Eli. We know that repetition is a sign of importance in the Bible. For example, after the death of Moses, God repeatedly instructed Joshua to be brave and courageous in leading the people of Israel into Canaan, the promised land.
Our call to action today is to pray, read Scripture, and invite the Holy Spirit to reveal to us any repeated call from our Lord that we have yet to hear. Be assured, if God called once He will continue to call until we answer on this fallen earth or in Glory.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the examples of Scripture in which you repeatedly call to us. Thank you for giving us confidence in the present because you have used the least of our ancestors in the past. Dear good and gracious God, continue to seek us and call us as we continue to seek You. Grant us the wisdom, discernment, and courage to not only hear Your Voice but to appropriately respond, “Here I am.” Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Certified Lay Minister and Men’s Ministry Specialist through Francis Asbury Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. He is a Board Member for Gulf South Men, an Action Team member for The Kingdom Group, and a Board Member for the Lagniappe Country Walk to Emmaus. Todd is a contributor to Project XII and Baton Rouge Parents Magazine. He is a Past President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and remains active in this and many other local, regional, and international ministries. Additionally, he’s the author of the inspiring book “Fathering A Special Needs Child.” Todd also enjoys filling the pulpit to share the Good News of our Lord and Savior. Todd is the proud father of Emma and Kyle and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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