Daily Devotional

“And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favour both with the Lord and men” (1 Samuel 2:26). 

Sultan Kösen from Turkey is the world’s tallest living man. He was born on December 10, 1982, and began rapidly growing in height at the age of ten because of a pituitary problem. On February 8, 2011, he measured eight feet, three inches. In 2009, he passed up a man from China who held the record for twenty years. Sultan underwent surgery in 2010 to halt a tumour affecting his overactive pituitary gland. 

Mr. Kösen explains that there are advantages to being tall, like helping his mom change light bulbs in their home. He does complain about finding clothes (his feet measure fourteen inches). He also has a difficult time fitting into regular-sized cars. In October 2013, his wish to get married came true when the thirty-year-old was wed to twenty-one-year-old Merve Dibo, who is five feet, nine inches. 

The height of one of the tallest men in the Bible could not be measured with a yard stick. Samuel, who was dedicated to the Lord as a child by his God-fearing mother, “grew in stature, and in favour both with the Lord and men.” While the world is fascinated by world records that measure human bodies, God is most interested in the character of a person. 

There is no doubt that Hannah, who prayed earnestly for a baby, care- fully guided her growing boy in the right direction. Her motherly influence left a spiritual impression on the mind and heart of this gift given to her by the Lord. 

Samuel was only a child when he began serving in the temple with the elderly high priest. Eli had failed in raising his own sons, and it encouraged his heart to have this helpful assistant. Even as a young boy, Samuel was an influence for good. In the Lord’s eyes, moral stature exceeds physical height. 

O God, thank You for the example of Samuel who stood tall for You even as a child.