One of the greatest rewards for digging into the word of God is being able to study the lives of those who are portrayed throughout the bible. The word of God has been given to us to be the road map to get to Heaven, and one way we can glean from His word is by studying characteristics of those who served the Lord faithfully. For the sake of this article, I would like to extract the qualities that I see are vital for every child of God from the life of Samuel! In the perilous times we are facing today, I believe if we could get the “spirit of Samuel” on us, it will help us to keep the “spirit of God” IN US!!! This will propel us through any situation life brings our way, and it’s going to ultimately get us to HEAVEN!

To fully appreciate the life of Samuel, one must understand the moral decay of his day! To set the scene, Israel had spent around 500 years being guided by Judges, and over that period of time Israel kept sinking deeper and deeper into a mire of sin. The last verse in the book of Judges sums up the climax of despair Israel found themselves in: Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” I can only think how we face the same situation in 2014; our society simply does what’s right in their own eyes! Just as Israel fell into a state of Apostasy and Idolatry, this world has become such a godless place, it seems only a matter of time before the wrath of God will be poured out! Yet, God still answers the prayers of his children!

The desperate plea from a barren woman by the name of Hannah proved to be one of the greatest cries for help that Israel has ever encountered: God heard her cry, and gave her a child who would change the course of the Apostate Israelites: Samuel was given back to the Lord to be a Man who’s sole purpose for living was to minister unto the Lord and to be the mouth piece of God Almighty!

I want to extract a gold nugget from the forefront of Samuel’s life and tell Parents We can never afford to stop praying for our children. Samuel would never have existed had it not been for a mother’s desperate plea to get the attention of God! To the parent whose children have waivered from the faith or who simply want your child to be blessed of God-Never cease in praying for your children, and give them back to the Lord! Bring them to the house of God, and blanket them with your prayers! Create an environment for your children that will encourage them to live for God, and love the house of God! As parents, it’s our responsibility to train them up in the ways of the Lord, and that’s exactly what Hannah and Elkanah done: They created an atmosphere for Samuel by taking him to the house of the Lord, and allowed Eli the High Priest to raise him. Scripture records that Samuel ministered to the Lord before he had a personal encounter with God! I believe if we create the right atmosphere for our children and keep them surrounded with the things of God, all that hand clapping and worshipping they do as a child, all that singing, Sunday-School lessons, it will collide with a personal revelation and encounter with God that will change their life! There’s no greater joy than to see my two year old girl raising her hands in church, I believe one day she will fully understand why she does that! It’s my responsibility to give her the opportunity to be in that type of atmosphere!

It’s interesting to note in Chapter two of 1 Samuel, it talks about how the two sons of Eli were very wicked and corrupt. They acted as priests, yet they grazed about in arrogance while giving up to their lustful and wicked ways. They had no fear of God, or the house of God! Samuel no doubt saw Hophni and Phinehas commit such vial acts against God, yet the bible say’s “But, Samuel ministered before the Lord…” Even as a young child, Samuel had a spirit about him that looked beyond his surroundings, and kept his focus on His job which was to aide Eli and minister before the Lord.

THE SPIRIT OF SAMUEL-doesn’t look at what’s going on around him and give in to the peer pressure of society and his surroundings. He had a job to do and he done it! The spirit of Samuel will stay focused on the task at hand and not be easily persuaded to partake of sin! The reality is, even some Christians can influence us in a manner displeasing to God! This is where we must stand up for what’s right and not give in! We are living in a day where the “spirit of compromise” is upon us. Those who refuse to be sold out to the truth, and wish to live on the fence post for God will fall prey to compromise. The spirit of Samuel will rise up against this spirit and put it in its place. This is no time to grow relaxed and comfortable in living for God, and it’s surely no time to give up! It’s time we rise up in our spirit and be as Joshua when addressing his fellow brethren: Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. The spirit of Samuel coincides with the spirit of Joshua that say’s no matter what happens, no matter who quits, who falls away, no matter the moral decay that goes on around me-I’m going to serve the LORD!

Even as a child, Samuel stayed focused on the work of the Lord in the midst of corruption that could have easily persuaded him. I believe it goes back to Samuel seeing the devotion of his parents that would visit him yearly, and would make him clothing. No doubt, they kept reminding him that he was the property of the Lord, and I believe that helped him stay grounded to his spiritual heritage.

THE SPIRIT OF SAMUEL– stays connected to his spiritual heritage. If there is one critical error we must avoid as Christians, it’s we can never forget where we came from. We must keep our heritage in the front of our lives to help remind us where we have been, and where we are headed! As the Israelites were finally passing over the Jordan River, Joshua set up a memorial of stones to be a reminder for future generations of where God had brought them from, and where they were going. The “spirit of Samuel” will follow the stones of his heritage. Never forget where we came from because it will keep you connected to the path that has already been set before us! There is no new way, just deceived hearts! Stay grounded in Truth!