The Growth I Desired, The Growth God Gave

Every single word in the Bible—every phrase, every pause, even a comma—has weight. Nothing in Scripture is wasted. These are not ordinary writings but God-breathed words (2 Timothy 3:16). The Holy Spirit knew exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. That is why, sometimes in a single verse, God hides treasures for us to discover.

One such treasure is what I want to reflect on today.

From the time we are little, we are asked: “What will you be when you grow up?” At five years old, our answers might sound funny or unrealistic. At ten, the answers change. By twenty, they change again. Because life changes us. Our priorities shift, our dreams reshape, and circumstances push us in directions we never expected.

But one thing remains—our desire to grow. In some way or another, we all want to grow. No one likes to stay stagnant. Whether in our career, family, ministry, or spiritual life, we long to move forward, to feel like we are progressing.

Yet sometimes the painful question rises in our hearts: Am I really growing? Or am I stuck?

The book of 1 Samuel begins with Hannah, a woman of tears. Her story is one of deep anguish. She cried until her voice was gone. She prayed when no one else understood her. She trusted when others mocked her. And God remembered her.

Scripture says:

“And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.“
—1 Samuel 2:21

Here is something beautiful. The verse could have ended with Hannah’s joy—her answered prayers, her children, her laughter restored. But the Holy Spirit adds a detail: “Meanwhile, Samuel grew before the Lord.”

Do you see it? The Bible didn’t forget Samuel. God wanted us to notice him.

Think about Samuel for a moment. A little boy, given away to the temple at such a tender age. While Hannah’s house was filled with laughter, festivals, and the joy of siblings playing together, Samuel was in the tabernacle, wearing a little linen ephod.

Imagine him watching his brothers and sisters arrive during the yearly sacrifice. He might have seen their smiles, their closeness with Hannah, their warm meals together. And perhaps, just for a moment, his young heart wondered: “If I were at home, wouldn’t I also be running and laughing with them? Wouldn’t I also feel this joy?”

That ache is real. And many of us feel it.

You give up a career opportunity for your faith—and watch your friend succeed in the very position you let go. You leave behind something that looked promising because you wanted to honor God—and now someone else is enjoying it. The stories they share sting, because deep inside you think, “That could have been me.”

Samuel too could have thought, “I could have had what they had.” But Scripture reminds us: “Meanwhile, Samuel grew before the Lord.”

The world might think you’re missing out. But heaven is recording your growth.

Now look closer at where Samuel was placed. Eli’s household, the very place Samuel was to be nurtured, was collapsing in sin and judgment. Eli’s sons were corrupt, despising the Lord’s offering (1 Samuel 2:12–17). A prophetic word came that destruction was on its way.

What a contrast! On one side, Hannah’s home was blessed and thriving. On the other side, the house Samuel depended on was falling apart.

Can you picture his confusion? A child caught between two worlds—the blessings he left behind and the chaos he now lived in. He might have asked quietly: “Lord, did You forget me? Why is everything around me breaking? Where is my place?”

Have you ever been there? The things you gave up look better than ever. The things you’re holding onto seem unstable, uncertain, even doomed. You wonder: “Did I make the right choice? Does God still see me?”

And yet, in the middle of all that, the Bible once again says:

“And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.”
—1 Samuel 2:26

Even when the environment was collapsing, Samuel was still remembered. His growth was not stopped by the chaos around him.

So what is real growth?

It is not measured by how much we gain or how happy others look compared to us. Growth is not the applause of the world.

True growth is when God remembers you—whether in a season of blessing or in a season of judgment. Growth is when your name is still written in the verse, when God refuses to let your story go unnoticed.

Growth is when, even in times when visions and revelations are rare, God chooses to speak to you (1 Samuel 3:1–4). Growth is when people come to you and say, “Pray for me, I trust your walk with God.” Growth is when the words you speak echo not only in human ears but also in heaven.

That is growth—the kind Samuel had.

Maybe today you don’t feel like you’re growing. You don’t see the progress you dreamed of. You don’t feel the success others are celebrating. But if you are holding on to God, you are growing.

No blessing can rival the joy of His presence. No punishment can touch the one remembered by God. The most prestigious, the most valuable growth is this: to grow before the Lord.

So let us not measure our lives by the world’s standards. Instead, let us grow in Christ, rooted in Him, remembered by Him, living for Him—until we truly become part of the Quiver of God.