Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. ~1 Samuel 3:4–5
The story of the boy in the Bible named Samuel is one of my favorites, and for good reason. First, this was my father’s name. His parents granted it to him when he was born on September 24, 1914. This was his grandfather’s first name. His own dad was “Graybill,” but they mercifully skipped a generation when they named him “Samuel.” Then, on July 31, 1943, my oldest brother was born . . . and he was also named “Samuel.” So, because of this, from the time I can remember being told Bible stories, I loved the one recorded in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel—and, again, because my own father and big brother carried this moniker. If I may say so, they did this with grace and class.
In addition to being able to relate to two real-life Samuels, I also loved the account of God speaking to a young boy who was sleeping in the temple. This was where he called “home” since his mother, Hannah, who had been barren for so many years, gave him to the Lord as a “thank offering” to her gracious Father.
On May 14, 1963, this very same Lord spoke to a little person living in Pennsylvania . . . this time a girl. His voice was clear and strong, similar to how it had been to young Samuel. God spoke. And like the story in the Old Testament, this child replied, “Here I am.”
A couple of years later at the age of seven, this youngster, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, wrote a letter to her parents:
December 4, 1965
Dear Mommy and Daddy,On Saturday I knew that God had touched my heart and wanted me to be a missionary for him and it was just as he had stood before me.
Right then I started to think what and how a missionary would speak to people. I could just tell everybody this wonderful news. I am so happy about it. And just know that God has spoken to me and told me to be a missionary for him. And I think that being a missionary is the best job for me.
And I am so happy that God wants me to be a missionary for him.
I hope that God is going to help me be a missionary. It’s just as God saying to me: Go, Nancy, go Nancy. You can do it. You can do it. Be a missionary for me. Go Nancy go.
Love,
Nancy Leigh
In the year 2001, in answer to her childlike prayer, a women’s ministry called Revive Our Hearts was born. It was Nancy’s dream that this ministry would reach people globally. As of this writing, Nancy is the only Bible-teaching woman in the world with a daily radio program/podcast.
In March 2023, fifty-eight years later, this little girl—now in her sixties—stood before more than eight thousand Latin women, speaking truth from God’s Word. Her mes- sage, taken from Ezekiel 47, talked about how God’s kingdom is advancing across the world in remarkable ways. It starts as a trickle but eventually becomes a raging river—just like a little girl’s faith can become a formidable stream.
Nancy—yes, this Nancy—spoke these words: “Are you looking? Open your eyes. Look at the river of life. See what the Spirit of God is doing in this world and its transforming effects in us and through us throughout the world.”
What a powerful message to you and me. Just ordinary men with our hands in the air, volunteering to serve. When you and I say, “Here I am,” and mean it, as God did with Samuel and Nancy, our Father goes ahead and uses us in ways we cannot imagine.