In our story of the Samuel, the Lord does not call Samuel once, but three times. The Lord did not give up with just one or two calls but continued to call Samuel until he responded.
1 Samuel 3:2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did. 6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!” Again, Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.” 7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy.[1]
What does this tell us about the Lord? He is persistent! He does not give up because He wants His plans to be fulfilled in our life. He does not give up on you either. When did the Lord call you to faith? If you are not a believer in Jesus yet, the Lord is calling you right now as you read this.
How many people are in heaven today because the Lord persistently pursued them? He may have prompted people to pray for the person in question for years before they would respond to the voice of the Good Shepherd. In 2004 I heard the testimony of six Russian men who came to faith as adults. Before they knew Jesus, they were crude, and many pursued a life of crime. But each person had one thing in common and it was someone was praying for them. God prompted another believer to pray and keep on praying and one day each person responded to the Lord’s call on their life.
God persistently pursued the Apostle Paul before he was a believer. He knocked him off his horse and blinded him to get his attention and then spoke to Him. Paul, known as Saul, responded to God’s call and became a hero of faith. Ref. Acts 9:1-17. How is God pursuing you? What is the next call God has for you?
To hear more about the call of Samuel, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/the-call/the-call-samuel
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Sa 3:2–8). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.