“Always leave your hands open and your palms up when following the Lord.”
May 21, 2024
Machelle McDowell
A Mother Knows Best
I Samuel 1:11- “And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
I Samuel is my very favorite book in the Bible! I love everything about it. It starts out with the greatest love story of how a mother could give up her only child all the days of his life to serve God!
I love how a mama’s heart loved her son so much that she realized the most important act she could do for her boy was to “give him over” to God.
How hard this must have been for Hannah. You see, she was a barren woman and had prayed for a child for many years. A matter of fact one day in the temple, Hannah prayed from her heart and poured out her soul to God in such a manner that the priest, Eli thought she had been drinking!
Hannah was so confident that God heard her prayer- her countenance changed! She was no longer sad. Hannah worshiped God while she waited!
God heard her prayer and gave her a son….Samuel.
Hannah loved the gift of a son but loved the giver even more. She got it! Everything we have to give has been given to us by God. Hannah loosened her grip on her new baby realizing that giving Samuel back to God was not hers to give anyway…he already belonged to God.
I can’t help but think that Hannah was so thankful for her son that she wanted to share with God some of the overwhelming joy she felt holding an answered prayer in her arms.
He was conceived out of holiness… her heartfelt prayers before a holy God were heard! Little did she know the impact Samuel would have in God’s story of redemption.
She made a vow that her son would work for the Lord all the days of his life. How could she make such a vow? How did she know his calling? She was confident and bold to voice such a promise.
Mamas, have you ever lifted up such a prayer for your child? “Lord, my child will be yours all the days of his/her life.”
This kind of prayer reflects a whole new side of faith. This woman understood the depths of God’s power and wanted her son to be a part of it. This story makes me feel guilty for the weak prayers I have prayed over my grown children growing up.
Are we willing to give our children up to the ministry? Do we pray for our sons to become pastors or our daughters to become missionaries or even for Godly spouses for them?
Do we spend more time praying for out children and their worldly endeavors and accolades than we do for their spiritual growth? Hannah brought a conviction to my heart. I wished I had prayed more specific prayers over our children growing up.
The thought occurred to me that maybe God allowed Hannah to be barren for so long to help prepare her heart for such a prayer. The spiritual growth that took place in the wilderness of a barren womb. She continued to call herself, “a servant” throughout this chapter.
To be a true servant you must be humble. Hannah spent many years in a posture of humility. Month after month unable to conceive but remaining faithful to the God in whom she knew could breathe life into her womb.
We sometimes question why we must endure such suffering- but it is in suffering we are the closest to our heavenly Father. The closer we are to Him the clearer His reflection is in us.
Hannah reflected God’s love when He gave his only son. He did it willingly and so did she. Hannah knew God’s will for her son far outweighed anything the world had to offer.
God did not take Samuel immediately from Hannah. She was allowed to keep him until he was weaned. As a mother, I’m sure she relished every second of her time with her sweet gift from God. She had maybe 2 years/3 at the most with her son.
Then….it came….the day Samuel was dedicated to the Lord!
I Samuel 1:27-28- “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Oh…By the way, let’s skip over to:
I Samuel 2:21- “Indeed the Lord visited Hannah and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.”
God blesses those who find favor in His eyes.