I Samuel 1:1-2, 9-18 (NIV) 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. 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon 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 will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of 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." 18 She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
Have you ever been tempted to play “Let’s Make a Deal” with God? Hannah’s example almost seems to encourage this. The point for Hannah is that even before God gave her the gift of Samuel, God delivered Hannah from her hopelessness about not having a baby. What do we do about our afflictions, when we want to have a child and cannot, when life is not fair, when we are passed over for a promotion, when we cannot seem to do anything about a child we love? Afflictions are those problems in life where we do not have control and we do have pain.
What do we do with our afflictions? Do we rehearse them over and over again in our head, trying in vain to figure out what to do? When we do that, we simply inflict ourselves with our affliction, and it takes its toll on our emotions and on our body, and perhaps on our relationships. Or do we share our afflictions with other people, with family, and with friends. Sometimes that is a good and helpful thing to do. Sometimes it is futile.
It is never futile to take our afflictions to God. Hannah took her affliction to God, and before Samuel was born, hope was born in Hannah’s soul. Hope is the recovery of our basic confidence in God. Hope is trusting that God can and will act. Hope is not “trying hard to believe.” Indeed, sometimes we have to rid our soul of wishing. We have to put aside the “if only” prayer before our soul is ready for solid and genuine hope.
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope June 29, 1997
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell Broyles
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