"Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children."

1 Samuel 1:1-2

First Samuel opens up with a heartache. Elkanah had two wives. One of them was loved, the other one was not. But, it seems that because of being unloved, the Lord allowed Peninnah to have children and Hannah to be barren.

This story seems very familiar. It was the same way in the life of Jacob. He loved Rachel, however, Leah was the one who had most of his children.

But there was something different about Hannah. She loved her husband, but she also loved the Lord. Daily, her "rival" or Peninnah, would belittle her and tell her how unimportant she was and how detestable she was and how loved Peninnah was because she had children and how hated Hannah was because she did not.

This can get wearisome. It is difficult to deal with not having children, for a woman, but to have someone tell her every day that she is a horrible person and unloved by the Lord and their husband because of it, is just out right unbearable. What did Hannah do that was so evil that God would put her through such a horrible experience? That must have been her question.

However, often times when God is desiring to use someone greatly, He puts them through difficulty. That is what was happening with Hannah. She was destined to greatness and she would have to endure the suffering for a season in order to bring forth the fruit of that suffering.

Well, every year at the appointed time, Elkanah would take his family, Peninnah, her children and Hannah up to sacrifice and worship the Lord at Shiloh. And every year, Hannah would have to deal once again with the pain of knowing that she had no children of her own to bring before the Lord, and every year she would be ridiculed by Peninnah.

But this time was different. She cried before the Lord at the House of the Lord in Shiloh and was in anguish because of the trial she was enduring. She could not handle it any more and so poured herself out before the Lord. She made a promise that if the Lord would allow her to have a son, then he would be "lent" to the Lord. In other words, she would give up her son for service to the Lord.

The High Priest at this time was a man named Eli. He was less than a reputable man and walked so much in the flesh that he could not determine whether Hannah was praying to the Lord or if she was drunk. So he told her to stop being drunk! But she said that she was not drunk, but she was crying out to the Lord, she was praying earnestly that God would hear her and give her relief from this struggle.

Then Eli told her something that seems to be in passing. He says, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." (v. 17) But Hannah held on to this saying as a promise from God! How cool this was! She believed by faith that the God of Israel really was going to grant her request. So, she got up from prayer and she was refreshed.

Well, God granted her request and she had a son named Samuel. At that time it would be very easy to be selfish. Hannah never had children, and here her firstborn son was in her arms. It would be easy to say, "Lord, I was just upset when I made the promise. You don't really expect me to go through with it, do You?" But she did not. She went through with the promise after weaning and brought him to the Lord at Shiloh and he, from his youth, ministered before the Lord. He became one of the greatest Prophets and the last Judge of Israel.

I believe that God often times afflicts those whom He uses the greatest. I believe that it brings Him such great glory to do so. How? Because if a person can endure suffering and trials without losing heart, then others will look at them and say, "Wow, God is real and is working in that person's life." Also, God knows that if they can endure suffering and give glory to God, then they can endure greatness and bring glory to God.

The difference between a person that is mature in the Lord and one who is mediocre is that the mature person is able to endure the trials that would destroy the mediocre person.

May you be blessed this week as you endure.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

Pastor Steve
Calvary Chapel - Fort Smith
smarquez@ccfortsmith.com