“Samuel! Samuel!”

Samuel^[1] would get up and go to Eli thinking it was the old man who called him. Samuel was just a boy who was assigned to guard the Ark of the Covenant. Samuel was there where God’s presence was also. Yet, being so young, Samuel did not have any knowledge yet about God. This was the reason why Samuel would go to Eli thinking that it was him calling the young boy. 

But thanks to Eli, to that wisdom from an old one who guided the inexperienced young boy to be able to listen carefully to the voice of God.

This only affirms of our need of somebody who can guide us, of those who already experienced life. Thus, Samuel was able to listen to God because despite his young age there was a good advice from an adult.

As Samuel said, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening,” God was allowed to be heard. The conscious actions of Samuel made him familiar also to God’s voice. That was the beginning of God working in the life of Samuel. As a result of Samuel’s conscious listening to God and of allowing God to speak to him, God made him a “trustworthy prophet,” to whom everyone listened.

Samuel spoke with authority and honesty because he allowed the Lord to speak through him, and thanks to that old man who guided him.

This tells that as young people, we do not have all the knowledge of the world despite the advance environment (like for instance, the upsurge of information that we can easily access in the internet) we have compared to those who were ahead of us.

Our parents, grandparents, teachers, and all those who are advanced in age have something to tell us. Their stories, their experiences of successes and failures, of life and of death are also the very ground where we can encounter God.

---

^[1] Samuel means a person who “heard God.”