BE AN EXAMPLE... IN WORD

Truth for Youth

To help us see how young people can be “examples of the believers” in word, conversation, charity, spirit, faith and purity, we’ll see how the prophet Samuel behaved as a boy.

In I Samuel 3, God called the young Samuel, who was a servant of Eli the High Priest in the tabernacle.  It was during the night that Samuel heard God’s voice, and Samuel thought it was Eli that called him, so Samuel went to Eli and asked Eli, “here I am, for you called me.”  After Eli told Samuel to go back to bed, God called again.  Once again, Samuel asked Eli what he wanted, and again Eli sent Samuel back to bed.  After the third time God called and Samuel went to Eli, Eli figured out that it must have been God calling the boy.  Eli told Samuel that if God called again, Samuel should answer “speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.”

Samuel did just that.  When God spoke to Samuel the fourth time, Samuel said, “speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.”    Samuel used very humble and respectful terms when he spoke to Eli and to God.  Samuel loved Eli and honored Eli’s position as High Priest of Israel.  Samuel loved God and never spoke disrespectfully to God.  Instead, he showed reverence and humility to God.  Samuel was an example in word.

Have you noticed that people who use humble and respectful words when they talk to God and to humans in authority generally have little trouble controlling their tongue at all times?  Colossians 4:6 says that our speech is to be “seasoned with salt” (sweet), and James 3:2 tells us that   we are to control our speech at all times.  If God spoke about how you talk to Him, could He say that your speech is sweet?