Read: 1 Samuel 1:1-20
She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. (v. 10)
For a woman of the ancient world, Hannah seemed to be blessed in many ways. She had a comfortable home and a secure position in her family. Her husband, Elkanah, was a God-fearing man and he loved Hannah deeply. But he couldn’t understand the anguish of her heart. No one could; only God knew the pain she lived with because she was unable to have children.
To truly understand Hannah’s brokenness, we must focus on the phrase “year by year” (v. 7). Every year her grief came to a head when the family arrived at the tabernacle for their annual sacrifice. Her childlessness was evident to all, and Peninah, the mother of Elkanah’s children, used the occasion to provoke and shame her. No doubt Hannah had prayed for a child on many occasions, but this time God’s Spirit led her to make a promise: if God blessed her with a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service for his entire life. This heartfelt prayer wasn’t a bargain between Hannah and God; it was Hannah’s acceptance of God’s calling on the life of Samuel, who would grow to be an extraordinary servant of God.
What mother wouldn’t want to hold her long-awaited child closely to herself every day of their childhood? But Hannah’s brokenness allowed her to seek God’s will. He heard her prayer, blessed Hannah, her family, and her people with the gift of Samuel, the prophet of God.
As you pray, ask God for the willingness to be obedient to his will in all things.
Laura N. Sweet is a wife, mother, grandmother, and former Christian school teacher from Midland, Michigan. She writes devotional material for both adults and children, and her work has appeared in more than a dozen publications.
