Dedication's what you need…

A former speed eating champion was arrested as he caused a fracas at the annual hot dog speed eating event in New York. Mr Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut was allegedly barred from this year’s event because he hadn’t signed a contract that would exclude him from other speed eating events.

Meanwhile at a sunny SW19, Rafael Nadal notched up a second Wimbledon victory. Having broken the hearts of many full-time (Scottish) and part-time (English) Andy Murray fans, he masterfully won the tennis title.

If we look around the world we'll often find that people’s success, especially in the long term, is down to dedication. A single minded determination to be the best at what they do is evident. Yes, it even takes dedication to eat over fifty hot dogs in a minute, especially if you know the ingredients.

In this week’s WordLive the focus is on Eli and Samuel. These two people lived their lives dedicated to God. In the case of Samuel he had literally been given by his mother to God, to serve him. But the lives of Eli and Samuel turn out differently, as you’ll see.

Despite being handed over into God’s service, Samuel still had to listen for God. Samuel was called and he had to respond. Amongst the ritual and all the religion there is still space to hear from God. But it may take a little dedication.

Darren Hill