Today’s scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-20 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):
Nancy Blackwell is one of the consumer hotline operators for McCormick, a company famous for spices. In a recent interview, she talked about her job and the kind of calls she gets. Usually, she hears from people who have forgotten their mother’s dressing recipe, and the turkey dinner won’t be the same without it — all they know is that it was on the back of the old packages of the poultry seasoning mix. But then she talks about a special set of callers. “We have people who call over and over,” she says. “Some say, ‘My mother’s not here anymore, so I’m calling you.’ Or a widower says, ‘I’m doing the cooking now.’ These are very sad calls. People send gifts — zucchini bread, cookies, tomato preserves. It’s nice to know you helped.”
When the human heart is wounded, there is a natural inclination to go talk to someone for healing, to share the hurts and receive comfort. And that deep need for connection will even drive us to the spice lady if she has a listening ear. God places us in each other’s lives to be that listening ear. God places us in each other’s lives to bear each other’s burdens. But in Hannah’s story, we see a dramatic failure — as will often happen. Your friends, your family, your partner will likely let you down at some point along the way.
But God is for “little people”, and even in the midst of pain and loneliness and being let down by those you should have been able to count on, God brings comfort. And in Hannah’s case, the comfort did not come after the child was born; the comfort came simply after her time of prayer and receiving Eli’s blessing. I know that eventually she gets her desire. But I don’t think that this story is teaching that if we beg God and act nicely, then God will give us what we want.
Rather than simply seeing the birth of this child as God’s fulfillment of Hannah’s wish, let’s look at the broader story. This child Samuel would grow up to become the last judge of Israel. He would be the prophet that God would speak through to establish first the kingship of Saul and then the kingship of David. The kingship of David would then eventually culminate in Jesus Christ, the great king. So Samuel is an important player in God’s divine drama of his intent to bless his people.
Now, here’s the point: God could have raised up this important figure from any family. But God chose to raise Samuel up through Hannah.
God’s intent was to raise up a prophet. However, in so doing, God also decided to bless a hurting woman so that all hurting women could have hope. Do you see the difference in perspective? It’s not a hurting woman saying, “God’s going to grant her wish and not mine.” Rather, it’s God saying, “I’ve got something big to do, but I’m going to bless people through the little details as well.”
Thought for the day: God, I choose to “be present, living in the moment” with every person who is a part of my day, every day. You have blessed me beyond measure — in order that I might be a blessing to another!
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.