I had an interesting dream last night. I don't want to bore anyone with the details. Yet, I often wonder if my dreams are stories I should tell. That is for another post...
I woke this morning thinking about Psalm 84:11. That thought reminded me of the story of Hannah. Hannah's story is the classic waiting game story. In addition to that, there's the need vs. want subtext. Let me explain...
Psalm 84:11 reads For the LORD God is our light and protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will the LORD withhold from those who do what is right.
Did you get what you wanted for Christmas or did you get what you needed? What we want and what we need don’t often go hand in hand. There are things that I have wanted for a long time now that apparently the Lord has not seen to be necessities in my life just yet. I know He knows what is best for me, but it is still hard to wait. And it is difficult not to look longingly at what others have received and wonder why I cannot be the recipient of such things as well. This kind of struggle is not new to any of us. And Hannah, who we read about in 1 Samuel, is a great example of how to live when what you want is not yet something God says you need.
For years Hannah had wanted to become a mother. To bear a child. To give her husband, Elkanah, a son—just like his other wife, Peninnah. Being barren was considered a disgrace for a woman in those times, so Hannah most likely felt ashamed and alone and perhaps like a societal outcast. Instead of turning away, though, Hannah took her sorrow and her request for what she wanted to the Lord. We don’t know for sure how long she waited (perhaps years)—and we don’t know the exact purposes of God’s timing in her life—but we can still learn a great deal from Hannah’s example:
1. She was persistent and continually sought the Lord.She did not give up and stop asking the Lord for what she wanted. Like clockwork, Hannah kept bringing her request to God, year after year (v. 7). No doubt her want continued to drive her to the Father and most likely deepened her relationship with Him.
2. She did not give in to ridicule or naysayers. Even when Peninnah, who was fruitful and had children, taunted her because she was barren, Hannah did not add insult to injury (v. 7). She did not retaliate when ridiculed for her condition or her faith.
3. She shared her “want” and was encouraged by others.When the high priest Eli observed Hannah praying in the temple and inquired as to her condition, she shared with him what she was asking of the Lord. Eli encouraged her and asked God to answer her request (vv. 12-17).
4. She gave back to God what he had given to her.When God blessed Hannah with a child, she did not cling tightly to him. She kept her promise, let her son go and dedicated him to the Lord (v. 11, vv.21-28). That is model faith!
Like Hannah, are you waiting on the Lord to give you something you want in your life today? A new job? Reconciliation in your marriage? Blessing in your finances? A cure from illness? To find your soul mate? Victory over an addiction? A baby? Each of us has something we want in our lives. But is up to God to decide if this is something we really need. May we continue to come to Him with joy and thankfulness as we acknowledge that He knows what is best for our lives.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Step Brown
Good one as well. Exactly how old was Hannah when she finally had the baby? How long did she wait? I’m getting ALL of my Sunday School lessons from your ABC’s. Perhaps you should think about creating your OWN Daily Bread like this. It’s much more fun and relatable to read like this. I’m just sayin’! Short and we get the point. (singing) I think you’ve got something here, Steppie!
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Not sure how old Hannah was but you know folks back then lived for hundreds of years. She was definitely over child-bearing years. It reads that Peninnah had a child every year--for years. So Hannah waited quite a while.
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