We sometimes fail to remember that the people whose lives are showcased in the Bible were human just like us — such as Hannah. All of us can empathize with the hard times Hannah faced, even in different circumstances. Haven’t all of us prayed to God concerning our most pressing desires, only to feel our prayers were not being answered? Hannah desperately wanted to bear her loving husband a son, thus removing the shame of barrenness. Haven’t all of us have been provoked by others? Hannah endured the ridicule and abuse of Peninnah. All of us have been misunderstood, even by those closest to us.
The Bible doesn’t tell us how long Hannah had to endure the adverse conditions, but it gives enough details for us to see a woman who desperately clung to her hope in God for a remedy. God not only listens to what we ask of him; he knows when best to answer our prayers. He may be doing a work within the one praying before answering. Undoubtedly, God brought Hannah to the place where she could honestly say to him: “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” From this despairing and yet faithful woman, God would raise up a priest that would be faithful to him, and make a huge difference in the lives of the people of Israel.
What desire have you been bringing to God that remains unfulfilled? When you seek God’s intervention, is it for your own selfish purposes that you pray, or like Hannah, do you cry out to God fully surrendering even his granting of your desire to the dictates of his will? Do you see God’s hand in your circumstances, where he is trying to teach you something or prepare you to fulfill the purpose he has for your life?
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28–31, NIV).
Rev. David W. Davis
