26And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men.
Godly character, character that pleases the Lord, does not happen overnight. It takes time for His Word to take root and produce fruit in our lives. This is one of the reasons the New Testament instructs the Church not to raise someone to leadership too rapidly following their conversion. It takes time for character to be formed. In our text Samuel is a miracle baby. His mother could not have children, she prayed, and the Lord answered her prayers. She in turn gave that miracle baby to the Lord and when he was weaned, probably four or five years of age, she presented him to Eli, the Lord’s priest. Eli’s own sons were very wicked and would be punished for their wickedness. Samuel would take their place. But Samuel had to grow and mature. He matured in two ways: physically and in character. His maturity showed and other people noticed it. It is not that he wanted people’s favor, but that he wanted to please the Lord and that made a difference in how he lived. And of course people saw that he was very different than Eli’s sons. He was not self-serving.
The Arnold Journey 