Hannah

Today I read 1 Samuel, chapter 1. This is the story of Hannah, and it is a good lesson for everyone. Hannah had a serious problem with herself. She was married to a man called Elkanah who had a second wife, Penninnah. Penninnah had given Elkanah many children, while Hannah remained childless. Yet Elkanah loved Hannah deeply, and he really didn't care that she was childless. However, Penninnah was relentless with her teasing and taunting of Hannah for being barren. Many times Hannah would be reduced to tears and couldn't eat- despite the reassurances from her husband.

So what did Hannah do about this? First of all, she prayed. She went to the tabernacle and prayed to God and asked him for a son. She completely unloaded on God and shared herself with him. And then she made a promise. She promised that if God gave her a son, that son would have his life dedicated and devoted to God. God remembered her and her promise, and with time, she gave birth to Samuel. Now while Hannah could have disregarded her promise to God, after all, she had the son she wanted, yet her and her husband agreed and left their young son in the care of the priest. In chapter 2, Hannah says

“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because you rescued me."

That's a long way from the tears and weeping she had before isn't it! God rewarded her heart with joy and happiness. God provided a depressed and distraught woman with a never ending source of joy. All because Hannah turned to God in the first place. She went to him and asked him to ease her pain with a child, and he rewarded her faith with a son. That is an amazing reward. It is a great reminder to me that there may very well be rewards for my faith. I know I will be rewarded with an eternity in Heaven, And that right there is the best reward possible.