Lessons Learned from Hannah

In reading over Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel 1, several things caught my eye this morning.  To re-cap her story, Hannah was one of two wives of Elkanah.  Elkanah’s other wife was named Peninnah.  Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.  Peninnah purposely provoked Hannah because she had no children, which irritated Hannah to the point she could not eat.  Hannah wept until she couldn’t eat.  This went on year after year.

But Hannah never once stopped praying to God.  “Oh Lord, if you will only look upon my misery and remember me by giving me a son, I will give him back to you for all the days of his life.”  She continually prayed in her heart. Her lips moved, but she never made a sound.  Elkanah noticed her and accused her of being drunk.  “I have been praying out of my great anguish and grief,” was her reply.

The Lord heard her cries and Hannah eventually conceived a child, Sammuel.  As Hannah promised God, she took Samuel at the young age of three and left him with the priests to raise him in the Lord’s service.

Hannah then prayed a long prayer, rejoicing in the Lord.  The Lord was again gracious to her and gave her three more sons and two daughters.  And Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.

What did I learn from Hannah?

1.  That suffering can go on for a very long time.  Scripture says that Peninnah provoked Hannah year after year.

2. That we should never stop praying to God, no matter  how worn out and weary we might be.  It’s OK to pray to God out of our misery and grief.

3.  God hears our prayers, even though they might not be immediately answered.

4. When God grants our requests, it’s always to accomplish His purposes, not our own.  Hannah kept her promise to God and gave Samuel to him at a very young age.  Samuel played an important part in Israel’s history.

5.  When we rejoice that God has answered our prayer and has delivered us from our grief and despair, our source of joy is not the answer itself.  It’s God who answers our prayers.

6.  When our joy is in God, He blesses us with even more.

How might this fit into the context of your life at the present time?  I’d love to hear  about it.