The Boy Who Heard God's Voice and Obeyed It
When Samuel first heard God's voice he was a boy. One night God spoke to Samuel. When Samuel answered God’s voice, he said this," Speak Lord your servant is listening." Samuel, from then on, knew the voice of God and he obeyed it once he recognized for himself who was speaking. Can we do the same?
Digging Deeper
Samuel's humble journey of boyhood began before he went to live in the tabernacle with Eli -- it started a bit earlier. It started with a woman named Hannah and her pleading request to have a child. God answered her prayer; and she, in return, gave her son, the young Samuel, to the Lord.
One night while Samuel was living in the tabernacle with Eli, God spoke to him. Then next day he told Eli what God said. He told the high priest Eli that God said Eli’s sons were not living right before God.
Since Samuel listened to God’s voice and obeyed it, this led Samuel to grow up to become a judge and become the forerunner of the Israel's very first King, Saul. It was he who anointed Saul as King. Everyone is used differently. The story of Samuel gives hope to those of us wishing to hear from God. Take Samuel’s example, he simply listened when God spoke.
The Anointed One
Anointing was an act of pouring oil over someone's head or entire body. It was a biblical way of telling others that you were chosen. You were God's holy, anointed one.* This then meant that those who were anointed were to be simply and prophetically** used of God.
David was also chosen just like Saul. He was a somewhat better King than Saul -- up until he sinned. So the lesson to be learned here is that we all sin, even those who are being used in a mighty way -- whether big or small. We all need to be forgiven. We all need God in our lives to survive a world full of sin.
~by Katy W.
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*I Peter 2:9,10 “9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
** This does not necessarily mean that the anointed one will be a prophet but that God will use that one in a special way and for the special purpose for which He has chosen him or her.
"Anointing" (or unction) – anointing with oil or ointment… as a symbol of consecration