Samuel Is Born to Hannah
19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah [g]had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about [h]in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”
21 Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best [i]to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. 26 She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 So I have also [j]dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is [k]dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
Though Samuel was literally dedicated to the service of God directly in the tabernacle with the priests, all of our children ought to be dedicated to God. In fact, all of US are called to live lives dedicated to serving Him.
Whatever our vocation, from engineer to doctor, trash collector and waiter, we are called to give glory to our God. Paul would later tell the early Christians, “whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord.”
So whatever you are doing now, and in the future, do it like you’re doing it for God!