Samuel was God’s chosen prophet in Israel and was used mightily by Him to fulfill His desire of establishing His chosen people in a wonderful way.
His mother Hannah was a prayerful woman who longed to have children but her womb was closed up. In the book of 1 Samuel we can read about how she cried to God in the temple for a child and her prayer was answered in the form of Samuel.
Here are 5 Lessons from The Book of 1 Samuel that will be a blessing to the body of Christ:
1. Sacrifice leads to blessing
The teaching is taken from the passage of 1 Samuel 1.1-28 where Hannah desperately wanted a son. She told God that if He gave her a baby boy, she would dedicate him to His service.
God heard her prayer and answered it. It must have been heartbreaking for Hannah to keep her word but she took Samuel to Eli the priest. She did not cut off herself from him but stayed in close contact with him. However, she dedicated him to the service of the LORD and He gave her many more sons.
2. Thank God for everything
Hannah always praised God for being good and unchanging in her prayers. How do we start our prayers to God? Do we come with long lists and forget to praise Him.
We must show our gratitude to God and praise Him for who He is. We must appreciate His love, power, goodness, strength, and justice.
3. God is our helper
The Bible tells us that the Lord helped Samuel as he grew up. We read that in 1 Samuel 3.19-41 where Samuel grew up to become a famous prophet of the LORD. As a parent, you may be feeling anxious about your child, but remember that you are only a steward and the Lord is the father of the child.
Go in prayer to God and ask Him to take care of your children. When you are not able to get through to them, God will help you and all you need to do is ask Him.
4. Keep your focus on God
From 1 Samuel 8.4-22 we read that the people wanted a king but it wasn’t pleasing to God, because He wanted to be their king. But looking at the hard hearts of His people, He told Samuel to tell them that their king would make them into slaves one day, but they didn’t heed to him.
God wants us to be different and not like the unbelievers. He wants us to live according to his Word and so we need to stay focussed on God and His word to overcome the pressures of the world.
5. Stay humble
In 1 Samuel 9.15-21 we read how Saul was from the smallest tribe in Israel and when Samuel told him that God had chosen him to be king he couldn’t believe it. Saul began his reign in modesty and dependence on the LORD, but later changed and became proud and arrogant.
But God spoke to Samuel about Saul and told him that he would give his kingdom to another person and that was David- a man after God’s own heart who was chosen by God to rule over His people.
Let’s stick with God’s word and learn from the life of Samuel the lessons we have listed down today and see how wonderfully He will start a new work in our lives.
Image credits: Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing