Growing Up

I Samuel 2:21 says And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

Hannah was a barren woman, and she asked God for a son, and God granted her desire. Out of that answer to prayer, out of that destitute cry for a son, Hannah raised her son to know the presence of the Lord.

He must have known that he was an answer to his mother’s prayer.  Perhaps she told him this, often.  I’m sure she spoke of God’s goodness to her in earshot of her son, who realized the power of a loving God who visited his people.

Samuel, as we read later, was a little boy who heard God’s voice speak to him and call him to serve him.  And it’s because he learned to recognize the presence of the Lord, even over the voices of his family.

Isn’t that what we want for our kids?  We want them to know that God’s presence has visited us and blessed us, and we must tell them about it.  We must vocalize his blessings to our kids and let them hear of his goodness and glory in our lives.

It’s then and only then that our kids will grow up in his presence and hear his voice at an early age, and walk with Him.