Elementary Level, Block 6—Samuel to David
Week 54
Samuel—Caring for What God Wanted
Point to Emphasize: We can care for God’s cares and want what God wants.
Reference Reading: 1 Samuel 8
Memory Verse: …And he who takes care of his master will be honored. (Proverbs 27:18b)
Story Sample
We have been hearing a lot about Samuel these last few weeks. He was offered to God by his mother Hannah (who had prayed to God for a son), chosen by God to be a Nazarite, and trained by the priest Eli. Samuel was one who was raised to care for God and to care for what God wanted. His whole life was spent wanting what God wanted.
Unfortunately, the children of Israel were not the same. They became unhappy with the way things were and decided they wanted a king, just like all the other nations. They told Samuel that he was getting old and it was time for a king. They wanted to be like all the other nations; they wanted a king who would judge them and lead them to fight their battles.
At this time, Samuel was God’s representative on earth. Do you think he didn’t want a king because it would mean that he would no longer be the “boss?” NO! Samuel knew that no king could ever replace God. God should be the highest authority! So he told the people how he felt. He even told them what would happen if someone became king. But they refused to listen. They still wanted a king.
Growing up, there were many times I wanted to do what my friends were doing. They would say, “Let’s go bowling on Sunday. It’s OK if you miss children’s meeting!” But way deep down I knew I cared for the meetings more than being with these other friends that did not care for what God cares or want what God wants. [Storyteller, use your own example to illustrate that choosing what God cares for is more important than what others want.]
Samuel was not pleased with the request for a king. He knew that what God wanted was not that a man would be king. He agreed with God, so he prayed to God about this, wanting to know what God’s heart was. God spoke to Samuel and told him that it was not Samuel they were rejecting but God. He told Samuel to allow them to have a king. God had a plan to have a kingdom and He would use the king for His purpose. God always knows what is best!
We can also be like Samuel, caring for what God cares. The Bible tells of all the things that God cares for. As you learn to read, you should start asking your mom and dad to help you find some simple verses in the Bible. Read them, then one day you will find that you can care for God and you can want the things God wants!