OLD TESTAMENT

– A narrative on 1 Samuel 3

IT can be helpful to picture the Christian life as a journey. Each person’s path is different, even though there are common features, because our personalities, perceptions and circumstances are different.

Christians are not called to be clones. We become “like” Jesus, not each other, as he works on our unique personhood so that it reflects his presence and God-centred nature. We grow in faith, as Samuel did (2:26), who took his responsibility to God and the “church” seriously (3:1), yet “did not yet know the Lord” (v 7).

How can someone believe and serve and yet not know the Lord? It does not mean that he was “not saved” or that he was living a double life. To God, our spiritual journey begins at (or before) human birth, not at the “new birth”. Somewhere along the way, there is an awakening (and for most people, more than one) when we discover God in a new way, see certain beliefs more clearly, and step forward in faith.

It is like human growth. Although the first adult tooth might be a significant step forward in a child’s development, there are many other developments not noted as the child grows; they are only seen in retrospect. Samuel’s experience suggests that it may not be appropriate to demand too much in terms of faith or experience before giving people certain tasks. It is often through executing them that people come to “know the Lord” in fresh ways.

Love and serve the LORD.