Useful Bible Studies > 1 Samuel Commentary > chapter 2

A child who chooses to serve God

1 Samuel 2:26

There is something wonderful about the attitude of a child who sincerely wants to serve God.

In his body, that child becomes stronger. However, he is not like other children, who may use that strength to please themselves or even to serve the devil. That child gives his strength to God, and with it he gladly works to help other people.

At the same time, the child’s mind develops as he learns new things. However, such a child does not waste his thoughts with efforts to imitate evil behaviour or to make evil schemes. Instead, he learns so that he can become wise. That child’s first lesson in wisdom is to respect God (Proverbs 1:7). His next lesson is to refuse to do evil things (Job 28:28). God’s word, the Bible, is that child’s best teacher; God’s law is the child’s most precious possession (Psalm 119:97-100).

People may be unkind to that child. His sensible behaviour may cause them to feel foolish; his right behaviour may cause them to feel guilty. They may say that he is wasting his life. Really, however, it is they themselves who may be wasting their lives.

However, God approves of such a child, and God’s people should approve of that child too. That is what happened to the boy Samuel. The people were watching him; they wanted to see what God would do by means of that child. The Bible uses very similar words about the boy Jesus (Luke 2:52).

Samuel, of course, was not perfect. Like other children he would have done many wrong things. However, his attitude towards God was right. The boy Samuel truly wanted to serve God.

Next part: God’s message to the priests (1 Samuel 2:27)

 

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© 2014, Keith Simons.