Samuel was ministering before the Lord. Hannah knew the work was hard. Each year she brought something new to measure his time in ministering before the Lord. And while some might think the new outfit brought him a memento of the beginning of a new year, I wonder if growing up in faith was on his mind as his mother came each year. Growing spiritually is important. We tend to lose sight of that as we age. And yet, Samuel’s story reflects the benefits of growing in faith. He continued to learn and grow throughout his whole life. He continued to grow to understand God’s plan for his life and his faith. New learnings come to us, as well, throughout our whole lives. We passed another Christmas day, a day to see how God moved through the life of Jesus, bringing us alongside so that we, too, may grow both in stature and in favour with the Lord.
God, you bring us alongside Samuel, who ministered before the Lord. May we experience your presence in our own ministry and grow in faith as the years are measured by our learning of how you continue to work in and through our lives. Amen. —