When the Lord speaks and we respond, God fulfills his purposes in us and through us. Samuel’s calling by God is a template for how he still interacts with us today.

God called Samuel in a dark time when "the word of the Lord was rare.” But the Lord called to Samuel who didn’t yet know God. He didn’t realize it was God (Jesus pre-incarnate) until Eli counsels him to respond in humility and submission. Samuel does exactly that, and God revealed the same prophecy regarding Eli from chapter 2. The passage closes with the words that God “let none of his words fall to the ground,” meaning that the Lord worked to fulfill his purpose and all that He called Samuel to do. We live in a time when the Lord speaks all the time, through His word, His spirit, and His people. We respond in humble submission like Samuel when we make ourselves available to listen, and humbly submit to his calling. When we do that, the Lord works, and fulfills his purposes in us and through us. When the Lord speaks and we respond, the Lord works. What does that look like for you and this people called the Tabernacle today?