| “And she [Hannah] vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, If Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine handmaid … but wilt give unto Thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life … For this child I prayed … therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:11, 27-28). |
| The story of Samuel is a very interesting one for children and young people to read. Samuel’s mother Hannah did not have any children, and she prayed earnestly to the Lord about it. She told the Lord that if He would give her a little boy, she would give him to the Lord all his life. The Lord heard her prayer and gave her a son whom she named Samuel, which means “God’s name,” or “Asked of God.” |
| As soon as Samuel was big enough to live away from home, Hannah took him up to the tabernacle, and from then on, he lived there. His mother saw him only once a year, when she would bring him another coat to wear. Samuel was very small when this happened, possibly not more than four or five years old. He had to live with a very old priest named Eli, and he helped Eli in the service of the tabernacle in a place called Shiloh. |
| How would you like to go away from home at that age, and live with an older man? It must have been hard for Samuel, for later he had some brothers and sisters, and he would never have been able to play with them, or spend time with them. It is doubtful if he had any other children to be friends with; his main companion would have been Eli. |
| Sometimes we feel that we must have other children or young people with whom to spend time, to play, and to enjoy fellowship, and it is nice when this can happen. In the assembly where I live there are quite a few children, and they have a great time playing together. But it is not like that everywhere. Sometimes there are no other children or young people. |
| The story of Samuel shows us that we do not need others in our life in order to serve the Lord. Samuel grew up without other children, and the Lord really used him as a prophet. If the Lord gives us others to encourage us, we can be thankful for it, but if not, let us ask the Lord to help us honor Him wherever He has placed us. |
