But the prayer of the upright is His delight.—Proverbs 15:8b
But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 “Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”—1 Samuel 1:15-16
Hannah’s Song of Gratitude to God...
And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.—1 Samuel 2:1-3
Beloved...There is so much we can learn from Hannah. As I read the Spirit of God’s words today, not only about Hannah but also through Hannah, I felt trapped and overwhelmed by time constraints. My heart truly wanted to spend hours right there in those first few chapters of 1 Samuel gleaning whatever the Lord had for me in these passages. They were for me! They have been for me (according to the notations in my Bible) since 1998. Sadly, I didn’t have hours, but I was able to spend the remainder of the time I had, writing and meditating on the verses above. I also bookmarked the page in my Bible so I could reread it later this evening...
Lesson 1: Hannah
—Hannah was a woman of great sorrow and in chapter 1 we find her pouring out her soul before the Lord. If we take away nothing else from this humble and submissive woman of God, let us commit to following her example when our own hearts become overwhelmed.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah—Psalm 62:8
