A long time ago, in the land of Israel, there was a woman named Hannah. Hannah really wanted a baby, but she couldn’t have one. She prayed to God and promised that if He gave her a son, she would dedicate him to serve God all his life. God heard Hannah’s prayer, and soon, she had a baby boy named Samuel. Hannah kept her promise and brought Samuel to live in the temple with Eli, the priest.
1. Samuel Listens to God When Samuel was just a boy, something special happened. One night, while he was sleeping, Samuel heard someone call his name. He thought it was Eli, but Eli told him it wasn’t him. This happened three times, and finally, Eli realized that it was God calling Samuel! Eli told Samuel to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Samuel listened to God, and from that day on, he became a prophet, sharing God’s messages with the people.
Lesson: Just like Samuel, we should listen to God. He speaks to us through the Bible, through prayer, and through others. When we listen and obey, God can use us to do great things.
2. The People Ask for a King As Samuel grew older, he led the people of Israel. But the Israelites looked around at other nations and saw that they had kings. They decided they wanted a king too, even though God was their true King. Samuel warned them that having a king might not be a good idea, but the people insisted. So, God told Samuel to anoint a man named Saul to be the first king of Israel.
Lesson: Sometimes, we want things our way, even when it’s not the best choice. God lets us make choices, but He also knows what’s best for us. We should trust His plan.
3. Saul – The First King At first, Saul was a good king. He listened to God and led the people well. But soon, Saul began to disobey God. He didn’t follow God’s instructions, and his heart turned away from God. Because of this, God decided that Saul would no longer be king, and He would choose someone else to lead Israel.
Lesson: It’s important to follow God’s directions and trust in Him. When we do things our own way without listening to God, we can get into trouble, like Saul did.
4. David – The Shepherd Boy Chosen by God God sent Samuel to find a new king, and He led him to a young shepherd boy named David. David wasn’t big or strong like Saul, but God didn’t look at his appearance—He looked at David’s heart. David loved God and trusted Him with all his heart.
One of the most famous stories about David is when he fought a giant named Goliath. Goliath was a huge warrior who scared everyone, but David wasn’t afraid. With just a sling and a few stones, and most importantly, with trust in God, David defeated Goliath! Everyone was amazed, and they saw how powerful God was.
Lesson: God doesn’t care about how big or strong we are. What matters is our heart and our faith in Him. When we trust God, He can help us do great things, even when we face big challenges like David did with Goliath.
5. Saul Becomes Jealous of David After David defeated Goliath, he became very popular, and King Saul became jealous. Saul tried many times to hurt David, but David never fought back. Instead, he trusted God to protect him. Even when David had a chance to hurt Saul, he didn’t, because he knew Saul was still the king chosen by God. David showed kindness and patience, waiting for God’s timing.
Lesson: When people treat us badly, we should follow David’s example and choose to be kind and patient. God sees everything, and He will take care of us.
Key Lessons from 1 Samuel:
- Like Samuel, we should listen when God speaks to us. He can use anyone, no matter how young or small.
- Trust God’s plan, even when we think we know what’s best—God’s way is always the best way.
- God looks at our hearts, not how we look or how strong we are. What matters is that we love and trust Him, like David did.
- We should be brave like David, knowing that God is always with us, no matter how big the challenge.
- When others hurt us or do wrong, we can choose to be kind and trust that God will take care of everything.
The Book of 1 Samuel reminds us that God is always watching over us and that He has a special plan for each of our lives. Just like He called Samuel, chose David, and helped them both through tough times, God loves us and wants us to trust Him with all our hearts.
