I started reading 1 Samuel last week in my devotions. I've read it once before but I don't really remember most of it.
I was very encouraged by someone in the first chapter. It was a woman named Hannah. She was married to a man named Elkanah who had another wife, Peninnah. Peninnah had children but Hannah didn't. It says that the Lord had closed her womb and that Peninnah would provoke Hannah grievously to irritate her about it (1 Samuel 1:5). Hannah would get so upset that she would cry and she wouldn't eat.
The whole family would go up to the house of the Lord every year to worship God and make sacrifices to Him.
Verses 9b-18 say,
Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She (Hannah) was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your servant and remember me and not forget Your servant, but will give to Your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."
As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, "How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you." But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation." Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him." And she said," Let your servant find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
The Lord ended up giving her a son and she named him Samuel. She gave Samuel to God by sending him to live with Eli to serve God in the temple. Once this happened, she could only see her son once a year when the family would go up to the temple.
Can you imagine? You want a son soo badly that you can't even eat.... you pour out your heart to God asking him to grant this desire..... then God answers your prayer and you give your son away?
I'm so amazed at Hannah's faith in God. I want to be like this. I want to give everything to God. I want Him to have my whole life. Everything He gives me should be used for His glory.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. - Colossians 3:17
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31
Surrender your life to God by letting go of the world and putting your trust in Jesus. Then continue to surrender to Him by living your life to glorify His name.
Take the world and give me Jesus.
