During the Advent season, it was a joy to share the Christmas story with many of my friends here in the Middle East. I love seeing the light dawn in their eyes as they grapple with this Good News for the first time.
In Samuel’s day the Word of the Lord was rare (v. 1). What a dark time.
At the beginning of our passage the Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to Samuel. But then God speaks his name and everything is changed! It takes a while for Samuel to figure out that it was God reaching out to him and not man, but the first word that God spoke to him— Samuel, his name— was like God’s first words of creation— Let there be light. And there was light!
The task given to Samuel, the message for Eli and his sons, was not necessarily good news. But for Samuel it was, for from that moment on the Lord was with him and never let his words fall to the ground (v. 19).
For Samuel it made all the difference to have Eli recognize God’s calling and direction to listen. Might we have friends who are walking in the darkness, to whom the Word of the Lord has not been revealed, yet? Could there be someone that just needs another person to recognize God’s call, reach out to them, and help them to listen?
Let us share with confidence the hope that we have in Christ, for the Light has come for all peoples!