Marnie sat by her husband’s hospital bed, one hand holding his and the other wiping away tears. “Marnie.” James’ dark brown eyes looked deep into hers. “I know where I’m going. I’m fine. I need you to know you will be fine too. Since I can’t help you see that I want you to go home and work this out with God. Don’t come back until you’ve found peace.”
Marnie did and returned to share her husband’s last days with him in hope and peace. I met Marnie (not her name), after she’d remarried. Her new husband had lost his mother around the time she’d lost her husband James. Her new husband and James’s mother adopted each other. James had been right. God had not abandoned them in their loss.
Sometimes I’ve told myself, “When I get past this, then I’ll quit fretting.” However, if my peace depends on my circumstances or other people, then peace is fragile and illusive. The story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2 shows sorrow and challenges can either rob our peace or push us toward the Source of peace.
When Hannah couldn’t produce an heir, her husband Elkanah, like many men in their time, took a second wife for the purpose of producing children. Peninnah, the second wife, provoked Hannah “till she wept and would not eat” (1 Sam. 1:7 NIV). Elkanah loved Hannah but couldn’t comfort her (1 Sam. 1:8).
How long did Hannah struggle? Long enough for her husband to feel the need to take another wife and for that wife to bear at least four children. Hannah lived with some daunting challenges.
Hannah’s Peace Robbers
- Unanswered Prayer: Each year Hannah returned to Shiloh without a child punctuated another year of unanswered prayer. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Pro. 13:12 NASB 1995). Hannah surely wondered why God ignored her prayers.
- Public Opinion: Israel regarded children as God’s blessing and infertility as a curse (Deut. 7:13–14; Ps. 127:3–5; 20:20–21; Jer. 22:30). What had she done wrong? Had God cursed her?
- Provocation: Infertility had brought Hannah shame and a rival. Each year, Peninnah provoked her to tears. Did Peninnah’s taunts provoke tears because Hannah believed them or because they intensified her sense of loss?
- Wicked Priests: The priests who handled the offerings were wicked (1 Sam. 2:12). This too could have created a wedge between Hannah and God.
- Being Misjudged: The High Priest who witnessed her heart-felt prayer called her a drunk (1 Sam. 1:13).
These hurdles could have pushed Hannah away from God. Instead, she pushed through them. Hannah got alone with God and unloaded the bitter disappointment that had long tormented her. With a cleaned heart, her longing took a new shape.
“O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut” (1 Sam. 1:11 NLT).
Peace Through Surrender
Hannah released her deepest longing to God—and He transformed her heart. If God provided a son, she’d return that son to serve the Lord all his days.
“And the Lord remembered her” (1 Sam. 1:19 NIV). She became pregnant and named her son Samuel. “Because I asked the Lord for him” (1 Sam. 1:20 NIV).
After weaning Samuel, Hannah fulfilled her vow. She brought Samuel to Shiloh and left him to grow up serving God under the high priest Eli. With her history of infertility, Hannah didn’t know if she’d have more children. And it looks like she only saw Samuel annually (1 Sam. 2:19). Yet her prayer expresses only joy (1 Sam. 2:1–11).
Surrendering her deepest longing to God allowed Him to reshape it and her. She no longer needed a son for the joy of raising him. She wanted one for God. God removed her disgrace and granted her not just any son. Samuel became Israel’s last judge and a mighty prophet of God. And God rewarded Hannah with five more children—and joy.
Strength Finder
How does Hannah’s story speak to you?
- What do you feel must change before you can fully experience joy and peace?
. - What aggravations are you listening to? Once Hannah gave her burden to God Peninnah’s taunts lost their power—even before Hannah conceived a child.
. - Whose misjudgment (Eli) of you do you need to reject? Have you confused an authority’s misjudgment with God’s assessment?
. - Has a bad experience in a Christian institution (wicked priests) left a bad taste concerning Christ or Christianity?
. - Where do you go for comfort and perspective? Some sorrows can only be comforted by God (Elkanah).
Peace and joy lay on the other side of surrender. Like with Marnie and Hannah, God wants to take your burden and give you His peace and joy (John 14:27).
Resources
Little Strength, Big God includes a section on Hannah and Samuel.
Give Yourself a Break provides daily interactive reading to help you find peace in your challenges.
How Hannah Found Peace in the Middle of Pain #peace, #faith Share on XClick here to comment.
Blessings,
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Such a timely and needed reminder.
Ann, Scripture always is! Love that it’s living.
The story of Hannah hits so very close – I had secondary infertility and couldn’t have children after the first. The story of Hannah (and all the other mothers who struggled to have children) pulled me close to God – like a fishing rod reeling me in. The lesson in peace came later – one I wish I had known during the Hannah years – but God draws us through all these lessons so uniquely. Each of your questions hits a challenge I’ve experienced – and how grateful I am to have been given those lessons of finding peace in the storm. I’m going to sit with your questions for a bit – to remember and thank.
Maryleigh, oh yes, there are so many lessons I wish I’d grasped sooner than later. I’m thankful God patiently instructs us as we go. Thanks so much for sharing your story and how, like with Hannah, God pulled you to Himself.
A beautiful message of encouragement–persistence is imperative in our walk of faith. Thank you, Debbie.
It certainly is. Thank you, Katherine!
Debbie, it is important to encourage ourselves in the Lord and to hold on to our faith despite our circumstances.
Yes, we can’t look to others to do what only God can do. Thanks, Lisa.
I love this story. So applicable to every day life in 2024. But your questions at the end… fabulous. I’m pondering…
Thank you!!
Lisa
Thank you, Lisa. I love Hannah’s story too.
Surrender – it seems to always come with a struggle. And yet, when we release ourselves to God, He takes care of our concerns in the most tender and perfect way. Great questions to sit and think on. “What aggravations are you listening to? ” Once released, they lose their power over us. Such a good point to remember!
Joanne, I agree. Things that matters to us are often difficult to release.
“ When I get past this, then I’ll quit fretting.”
Oh, what if dear Hannah had resorted to this strategy? I find myself slipping into a similar mindset at times. So convicting!
Michele, I’d hate to count how many time I’ve had those thoughts. 🙂
“If my peace depends on my circumstances or other people, then peace is fragile and illusive.” That’s so true., yet we usually try those things first. I am thankful for the peace God gives in any circumstance.
Yes, Barbara, I’m afraid I can put too much value on those.
This is profound, Debbie: “Surrendering her deepest longing to God allowed Him to reshape it and her. She no longer needed a son for the joy of raising him. She wanted one for God.” As one who dealt with infertility and never did get pregnant, I can testify that holding that desire loosely and trusting God knew best (even in the midst of all the difficult emotions) is what finally resulted in peace. As you’ve shown, it IS possible to stop fretting in the midst of the trial, and it makes all the difference in the world.
Lois, thank you so much for adding your personal experience. There are some things that don’t make sense in this life. But surrendering our longings to God brings peace that surpasses understanding.
Beautiful message Debbie (as always). My peace must depend on God regardless of my circumstances. We need to be reminded of this often because we take our eyes off Christ.
Yvonne, there is so much that clamors for our full attention to rob our peace. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.