To Be Hannah

Hannah, a woman of the Old Testament, the mother of Samuel. Hannah was a woman of deep conviction, faith, and spiritual character. She was a prayer warrior and loved God. But she was also human. If you aren't familiar with the story of Hannah and how she became the mother of Samuel, give 1 Samuel Chapters 1 & 2 a good read.

You see, Hannah had no children. Her husband had two wives, and the other wife, Penninah, had many children. Not only did Penninah have children, she mocked Hannah for having none. In her desperation to have a child, Hannah made a costly promise - she asked God to give her a child, and if He did, she'd give her child back to Him.

Have you wanted something so badly, needed something so badly, that you 'cut a deal' with God? Did you promise Him something if He would just bless you with that one thing? God is not in the business of bartering. However, He does allow us to make promises to Him, to require something of us, in order to fulfill our request of Him. Perhaps it is to make us recognize the significance of His answer to our prayers, perhaps it's to grow our character, or maybe it is to grow us spiritually. Maybe He allows this so that we recognize that all we are and all we have are His to begin with. Perhaps the answer to that prayer and results of our keeping our promise is designed to bless others as much as, if not more than us. When God answered Hannah's prayer for a son, God delivered on that promise. Samuel was born. When Samuel was weaned (about 3 years old), Hannah kept her promise and delivered Samuel to Eli the priest - thus giving her son over to God. Samuel grew up to become the last judge of Israel, a prophet of God, and annointed two different men as Kings of Israel (Saul, the people's choice, and then David, God's choice). The answer to Hannah's prayer and her fulfillment of her promise worked out not just for Hannah's benefit, but for the benefit of the Nation of Israel...and, incredibly, for us today.

We must be careful in what we promise to God. He may actually take us up on it! So, when we pray, before we promise God anything, we need to make sure we will follow through on that promise no matter how hard or painful it will be for us to keep. And remember, when promising God anything, whatever you promise is already His to begin with.

In His Love,
Cathy