Skip to main content

God’s Intervention


             In 1 Samuel chapter one, we meet a lady named Hannah.  She wanted to have a baby, but was unable to and, in those days, that was a big problem.  Women were valued for their ability to produce children so that the family line would carry on.  If you could not have children, it was considered a curse. 

            So Hannah prays for God’s help.  In fact, she promises that, if she is blessed with a baby boy, she would give him back to the service of God.  In due time, her prayer is answered.  She has the baby and names him Samuel which, in Hebrew, sounds like the phrase “God heard me” (verse 20).

            Now, I have always thought of this chapter as “the story of Samuel’s birth”.  However, re-reading it, I noticed that Samuel really is not the focus of this passage.  Look at these references: “Worshipping the Lord Almighty (verse 3)… Priests of the Lord (3)… The Lord closed her womb (5 and 6)… Prayed at the house of the Lord (7)… The Lord’s temple (9)… Prayed to the Lord (10)… Addressed the Lord Almighty (11)… Vow to the Lord (11)… Praying to the Lord (12)… Pouring out her soul to the Lord (15)… Worshipped before the Lord (19)… The Lord remembered her (19)… Because I asked the Lord for him” (20).

            Fourteen times in seventeen verses “The Lord” is mentioned.  Not only is he mentioned, he is actively doing something.  God is not a bystander in this story.  He is involved, listening and, eventually, he intervenes.  This is not a chapter about “The birth of Samuel”.  Rather this is a chapter about “What God was doing in the life of Hannah”.

            We do ourselves a great disservice when we convince ourselves that God is not really at work in our lives.  When we live as if we are on our own and that God is a far way off somewhere, we lose the blessing that we are supposed to have.  The fact is that we serve a God who knows us and sees us.  In speaking of God’s closeness to us, Jesus says, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid!” (Luke 12:7).

            Hannah did not let her pain and struggle make her bitter and she did not give up on her faith in God.  Though she could not see it at the time, even in her pain, God was writing a beautiful ending to her story.

            God did an amazing thing in Hannah’s life. 

            What can he do in yours?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: Twenty-three Descriptions of God (Psalm 145)

  Let’s play a quick game.  Take 10 seconds and list 5 or 6 words to describe God.  Got your words?  Good!   Here comes the game part.  I will list twenty-three ways that David describes God in Psalm 145, and we will see how many of his words match yours.   David says that God is, the king, great, majestic, wonderful, powerful, awesome, abundant in goodness, righteous, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love, good to all, glorious, mighty, trustworthy, faithful, supporting, generous, providing, near, saving and watching.     How did you do? This is not a useless exercise.  The words we use to describe God not only indicate something about how we see him, but they also influence how we interact with him.  For example, if I know that God is “Gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (verse 8), I will not fear him, and I will not assume that he is against me.  When I remember that...
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants.  Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do.  Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most.  In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks.  However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like!  Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites.  That is not true.  They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...
Post a Comment
Read more