1 Samuel 3; 8
In a day when prophets were rare, God raises up Samuel to be his voice before the people of Israel. God calls out to Samuel, and Samuel learns who the Lord is and begins to have a more intimate relationship with him. Samuel would then grow as a prophet among the people. Yet, as he got older & his sons were not serving the Lord, Israel demanded a king. In response, God tells Samuel to listen to the people. God says they will get what they have asked for because they have rejected him as their king.
Now, when God calls Samuel we see something important. There is a difference between knowing about God and actually knowing him. The text says Samuel did not yet know God, anticipating that he would. Yet, he had been in service to the Lord his entire life & knew about God. But, it was not until God called and spoke to him that he knew him personally. The same holds true for us. We can be like Eli’s sons and know about God (1 Samuel 2:12), but it not change our lives. Or, when God speaks, we can listen and let him transform our lives.
Do you just know about God, or do you know him personally?
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