devotions and reflections

What I like about Hannah’s story was her selfless yearning to have a child. She penitently prayed for God to grant her a child and she vowed if God would answer her prayer she will let the child serve in the temple.

For me it was an incredible faith at work and selfless devotion. After all those years being childless, a mother wuold surely cling to her long-awaited baby and not let go. But not Hannah.

The priest, Eli, saw her genuine penitence and predicted that at the same time next year she would have a son. And so she had a son and named him Samuel.

For the next twelve years, Hannah mothered Samuel and prepared him for his duty to serve in the temple. Although it would mean getting separated from her son, Hannah kept her vow and sent the boy to the temple.

But it must have been joyful and rewarding for Hannah to see her son serving God. The way she brought him up was remarkable in comparison to Eli’s own sons who grew up in the temple themselves.

Truly God uses and enable people to serve Him in any way even as simple as mothering.