If you follow the church calendar, this coming Sunday is the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time. We have made it through Advent and it is not yet time to experience Lent (which starts next month with Ash Wednesday). So now we find ourselves in the midst of ordinary time. One of this Sunday’s scripture readings comes from 1 Samuel 3.
As I was reading this week, I read the 1 Samuel passage (you can read it for yourself here). It is the story of God’s calling Samuel as a boy. One evening God called out to Samuel three times. Each time God called to Samuel, he assumed it was Eli calling from the other room. So he made his way to Eli each time and each time Eli explained that he had not called out for Samuel. Finally, by the third time, Eli realized that it must be God calling the boy. So he instructed Samuel to return to his room and if God called him again to respond by saying, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
The passage tells us that God did call out to Samuel again and he responded as Eli had instructed. And then the passage moves to a wonderfully descriptive summary of Samuel’s life calling and ministry. Verse 19 summarizes the remainder of Samuel’s life by simply stating, “Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.” Some translations render that last phrase as “and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.”
As I read that summary I stopped in amazement. I have heard this story from my childhood. I have read it many times through the years and know the story of the rest of Samuel’s life, but I had never really thought about the weight of this one little verse. In one sentence, the author states something that should be the goal of each of our lives.
Shouldn’t it be possible for our aspirations and passions to be summarized in such a way? Could there be anything more concise?
As a pastor, my desire should be that God be with me all my days and that everything I do and say have lasting impact.
God, may it be so!
Clay in the Hands 
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