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Day 74, or March the 15th. Here am I, but choose him if you want.

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Our thoughts today are from 1 Samuel chapter 3 verse 9. So Eli told Samuel, Go and lie

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down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. So Samuel went

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and lay down in his place.

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That's the big picture surrounding this verse.

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Today we are looking at another child who is dedicated to God as a Nazarite by his parents.

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His name is Samuel. Eli is the priest together with his worthless sons, and baby Samuel is

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given to him to raise.

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A call comes to Samuel from God whilst he's still a child, but he thinks it's from Eli.

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At Eli's instruction he responds to the call by offering himself to do whatever God

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wants. In their ongoing war the Ark of the Covenant is taken into battle against the

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Philistines and captured by them. In the battle both sons of Eli are killed, and the shocking

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news results in Eli's death. This leaves Samuel as the leader of a nation which has

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just lost its symbol of God's presence.

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The Ark. And Philistines are still a powerful enemy, right on their doorstep.

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And now our action step for today. By rights the call of God should have come to Eli, but

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it came to Samuel. At least that's how it appears on first reading. Eli must have felt

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hurt, but it never showed. Do you sometimes feel cheated when someone else is called instead

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of you? I have to admit I have felt overlooked on occasions. I think we all have. I remember

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the first time I stood as a deacon and being genuinely afraid of not being elected. I have

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wondered many times since how I would have reacted if the vote had not gone my way. Check

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your attitude now. Use a hypothetical example using someone who is not your best friend

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at church. Could you take God choosing them instead of you? Why not ask God to prepare

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you now just in case it ever happens to you? If it's happened already, ask God to help

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you cope with humility and dignity to the glory of Jesus.