Growing Up with God

Read

1 Samuel 3:19 "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground."

Think

Think about a little seed planted in a garden. On day one, nothing looks different. But if you keep watering it and giving it sun, day after day, it grows. First a tiny sprout, then leaves, then one day a big strong plant. The growing happened slowly, over lots of ordinary days.

That is what happened with Samuel. After that big night when he learned to listen, the Bible tells us he kept growing up, and God stayed with him the whole time. Samuel did not just have one special moment with God and then forget about it. He kept walking with God for years and years.

Here is the bridge. Learning to hear God is not a one-time thing you finish and check off. It is more like growing up. It happens little by little, over your whole life, as you keep listening and following. The night God called Samuel was just the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

The verse says God was with Samuel as he grew up. Isn’t that a beautiful promise? God did not call Samuel once and then leave. He stuck with him. And that is exactly what God does with you. As you grow taller and older and learn more, God stays right with you, every step.

The verse also says God let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. That means people could tell Samuel really knew God, because what he said came true and mattered. That happened because Samuel kept listening and following, year after year.

So think of the listening heart you have been building this month as a seed. You just planted it. Now keep watering it. Keep coming back to God, keep listening, keep following. And watch how, over your whole life, God grows something amazing.

The best news is that you never do the growing alone. Just like God stayed with Samuel, he stays with you. A seed cannot make itself grow, and neither can we. But the God who is with you will do the growing, a little at a time, for as long as you keep staying close to him.

Apply

Keep growing – Remember that hearing God grows over a whole lifetime, not one day. Pick one thing from this month you want to keep doing, like quiet listening time, and decide to keep it going.

Pray

God, thank you that you stay with me as I grow up, just like you stayed with Samuel. Help me keep listening and following you my whole life, not just for one day. Grow my friendship with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.