Hannah's Promise

1 SAMUEL 1-3

            Once there was a woman named Hannah who wanted very much to have a child.  She went to the city of Shiloh with her husband Elkanah to worship God, and she prayed, “Lord, if you will remember me in my sorrow and give me a son, I will dedicate him to you all his life.”

            Eli, the priest, saw that she was sincere.  “Go home in peace.  I pray that the Lord will give you what you want,” he said to Hannah.

            Hannah did give birth to a son.  She named him Samuel.  When he was old enough, she took him to the tabernacle in Shiloh to live with Eli.  She said, “I asked for a child and the Lord gave him to me, so now I give him back to the Lord.”

            Samuel lived with Eli, and every year Hannah brought him new clothes.  The Lord blessed Hannah and Elkanah with more sons and daughters.

            One night, while Eli slept, Samuel heard a voice call to him.  “Here I am!” cried Samuel, and he ran to Eli, because he thought Eli had called for him.

            “I did not call for you,” Eli said. “Go lie down.”

            So Samuel went back to bed, but soon he heard the voice again.  “Here I am!” he said, and went to Eli.

            “I did not call you,” Eli told him again.

            The voice called him a third time, and Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.  He told Samuel what to say if he heard the voice again.

            Samuel heard God call to him and said, “Speak to me, Lord.  I am your servant and I am listening.”

            Because Samuel listened to God, God blessed him.  Samuel grew up to be a great prophet of the Lord.

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(From Classic Bible Stories, A Family Treasury retold by Lise Caldwell (c) 1998 Standard Publishing.  Used by permission.  This book may be purchased at your local Christian Bookstore or from Standard Publishing (800-543-1301).