Be grateful for the Giver (not just the gift).
It always breaks my heart when I hear stories of families who are unable to conceive children. What’s worse is when the wife is taunted or even abused for not producing offspring.
Sadly, that still happens far too often in our society, where women are unfairly blamed and shamed for infertility. And it’s not right!!
That is why Hannah’s story is so special. She and her husband loved each other deeply and feared the Lord. For years, they had been praying for a child, but Hannah remained barren (1 Samuel 1).
To make matters worse, Hannah’s husband’s other wife—who had many children—taunted her relentlessly until she was so distressed she couldn’t even eat.
Hannah promised God that if He gave her a son, she would dedicate him entirely to the Lord.
Finally, her prayers were answered, and God gave her a son, Samuel.
Hannah knew that when Samuel was old enough, she would have to take him back to the house of the Lord so that Samuel would grow up with the priests in the service of God; after all, that was the vow she herself had made.
When the time came, Hannah neither regretted nor resented her promise. Instead, she was deeply grateful. Though she undoubtedly loved her son, Hannah chose to worship the Giver, not His gift (1 Samuel 2:1-10).
In her own words:
My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in Your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; There is no Rock like our God. – 1 Samuel 2:1-2 NIV
Is there something you have been praying for, waiting for, maybe even aching for? Or perhaps God has already given you what your heart longed for.
Don’t forget to thank God—not just for what He has done or will do, but for who He is!
