THURSDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 2025
TEXT:
1 Samuel 1:1-17
1: There was a certain
man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was
Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an
Ephraimite.
2: He had two wives; one
was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had
none.
3: Year after year this
man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at
Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the
Lord.
4: Whenever the day came
for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife
Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
5: But to Hannah he gave
a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.
6: Because the Lord had
closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
7: This went on year
after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival
provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
8: Her husband Elkanah
would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you
downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9: Once when they had
finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was
sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house.
10: In her deep anguish
Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.
11: And she made a vow,
saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and
remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give
him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on
his head.”
12: As she kept on
praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.
13: Hannah was praying in
her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought
she was drunk
14: and said to her, “How
long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15: “Not so, my lord,”
Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking
wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.
16: Do not take your
servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish
and grief.”
17: Eli answered, “Go in
peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
(New
International Version Holy Bible)
TOPIC:
LEARNING FROM THE WOMAN WHO SOUGHT GOD
Hannah is a silent but
powerful character in the Bible. Her character did not come after God answered
her prayers and gave her Samuel.
Humanly speaking, Hannah
had reasons not to be committed to God. The temptation for her to seek a
solution to her problem outside God was rife.
She sought God
regardless. Her husband's love promises, and double portions did not satisfy
her. She longed for God. What many seek God to acquire, she despised in order
to seek God!
Hannah poured out her
heart to God, even in the face of being misunderstood by Eli the priest. Hannah
is a figure we all can learn from.
Do you seek after God
because of a need? Now that your needs have not been met, are you contemplating
another source of help? Do not seek God because of what you get from Him. Seek
God whether in plenty or in want.
QUESTION:
What is your attraction to God?
PRAYER:
Help me to seek You for the right reason, dear God. Let my love for You grow
daily. Amen.
Remain
Blessed
ECWA Food For The Day, 2025.
No comments:
Post a Comment