MODELS OF IMPACT FROM YOUTH (2)

“So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground” – 1 Samuel 3:19

The boy Samuel stands out as one of the youngest among the Bible MODELS of IMPACT from YOUTH: “So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Sam.3:19). Young Samuel serves as a model for how a person can be impactful even at a young age by being attentive and responsive to God's call. While serving the Lord in the temple under the guidance of Eli, and ministering to the priest, the child Samuel received a divine call from God. The encounter highlights the young lad’s receptiveness to God's voice, even when he initially misunderstood it as Eli's call. 

Despite the rarity of divine revelation in that era, God spoke to Samuel, initiating a profound spiritual experience. Initially, the boy mistook God's voice for Eli's, indicating his innocence and unfamiliarity with divine communication. As Samuel’s mentor, Eli provided basic guidance. Recognizing that God was speaking to Samuel, he instructed him on how to respond, manifesting his role as a mentor: “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears’” (v.9). Samuel, now aware that it was God's voice, listened and received a prophetic judgment about Eli's house (vv.10-14).

Despite the difficulty of delivering a message of judgment, Samuel obeyed God and shared the prophecy with Eli at the latter’s enquiry (vv.16-18). Samuel's willingness to respond to Eli's instructions and his subsequent obedience to God's call show his humility and teachable spirit. The passage emphasizes Samuel's growth in favour with both God and man, and his maturing from a young servant to a prophet recognized throughout Israel, demonstrating his spiritual development and ministerial impact: “And ALL ISRAEL from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (vv.20-21).

Notwithstanding his youth, Samuel became a national prophet whose words carried weight. That “none of his words fell to the ground," implies that his prophecies were fulfilled (v.13). The passage also foreshadows a shift in leadership from the flawed Eli to the young Samuel, who would ultimately become a significant prophet and impactful leader for Israel. Samuel was the last judge of Israel, and perhaps the most upright. God can speak to anyone, even the young; obedience and responsiveness are crucial to discerning His Will; and even young people can play significant roles in the fulfillment of God’s divine plans.