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Day 74, or March the 15th. Here am I, but choose

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him if you want. Our thoughts today are from

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1 Samuel 3, verse 9. So Eli told Samuel, Go and

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lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, Lord,

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for your servant is listening. So Samuel went

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and lay down in his place. First, the big picture

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surrounding this verse. Today we are looking

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at another child who is dedicated to God as a

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Nazarite by his parents. His name is Samuel.

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Eli is the priest together with his worthless

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sons, and baby Samuel is given to him to raise.

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A call comes to Samuel from God whilst he's still

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a child, but he thinks it's from Eli. At Eli's

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instruction, he responds to the call by offering

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himself to do whatever God wants. In their ongoing

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war, the Ark of the Covenant is taken into battle

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against the Philistines and captured by them.

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In the battle, both sons of Eli are killed, and

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the shocking news results in Eli's death. This

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leaves Samuel as the leader of a nation which

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has just lost its symbol of God's presence. The

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ark. And Philistines are still a powerful enemy,

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right on their doorstep. And now, our action

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step for today. By rights, the call of God should

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have come to Eli, but it came to Samuel. At least,

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that's how it appears on first reading. Eli must

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have felt hurt, but it never showed. Do you sometimes

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feel cheated when someone else is called instead

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of you? I have to admit I have felt overlooked

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on occasions. I think we all have. I remember

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the first time I stood as a deacon and being

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genuinely afraid of not being elected. I have

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wondered many times since how I would have reacted

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if the vote had not gone my way. Check your attitude

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now. Use a hypothetical example using someone

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who is not your best friend at church. Could

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you take God choosing them instead of you? Why

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not ask God to prepare you now just in case it

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ever happens to you? If it's happened already,

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ask God to help you cope with humility and dignity

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to the glory of Jesus.