Samuel Ran!

# 47 – # 47 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 3:2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, 3 and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, 4 that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!" 5 So he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down. (1 Sam 3:2-5) “And it came to pass,” is one of the phrases the Holy Spirit uses in Scripture to set the stage for an important event. This particular event would serve as a test for the young Samuel. He would be called upon to share some very unpleasant words of judgment from God with Eli. He will pass the test as we shall see. The Holy Spirit gives us a little background information here to help explain Samuel's initial reaction to hearing his name called in the sanctuary in the middle of the night. Eli was growing old. His eyesight was growing dim. It was nighttime in the sanctuary and the only light available was what was called the “lamp of God.” Now, if you've ever taken care of an elderly person, you know they can have all sorts of nocturnal problems. These problems and poor eyesight are not a good combination. Samuel may have had visions of a missed chamber pot to clean up, but it doesn't matter. What matters was his response to hearing his name. He quite naturally assumes that Eli was calling for help. Please note his reaction. It was instantaneous! He says, “Here am I!” Which is another way of saying, I'm on my way and at your service! Then he RUNS to Eli's side. He RUNS! There is a real sense of urgency here. Kinda makes you wish you could've heard the inflection of God's voice when He called Samuel doesn't it? What level of intensity did God use, to cause such a reaction on Samuel's part? Well, it doesn't matter, what matters is Samuel's willing and prompt response.