God’s timing.

1 SAMUEL 1:11

Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”  1 Sam 1:11 NKJV

Let’s put this verse in context first and I’m paraphrasing here:

Hannah was one of two wives to Elkanah.  In ancient Israel, the practice of polygamy was common. While Elkanah’s other wife had children, Hannah was barren.  The other wife derided Hannah because of her barrenness.  And while this is cruel and unjust today’s society, in ancient times when a woman was barren, it brought shame to her.

The family had gone to Shiloh to bring a sacrifice to the Lord God which was their custom. Elkanah gave a double portion of blessing (meaning food) to Hannah because he loved her and because she was barren and looked upon with derision. But Hannah wept and would not eat.  She begged God to open her womb.

That’s what this verse is about.  Hannah begged God to give her a child who she promised would be given to Him, consecrated as a Nazarite and set apart for God.

God did open her womb and gave her a son named Samuel. This verse is not about Samuel but about his mother, Hannah, who could only depend on God to fix her circumstances.

What heartbreak the woman must have endured at the hands of not only her husband’s other wife but all the women in her community!  And yet, she went directly to God for help.  It reminds us to look to God when situations are dire.

Some might ask, “Isn’t no even harder to endure?”  I would say, no, because when a no comes, I believe God has a better plan than what I proposed.  Thus, it goes hand in hand with wait.

Do you go directly to God when you are in dire situations or do you go to your friends for counsel?  Who is better prepared to handle your situation?

What are your thoughts? 

 

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