Caribbean Moravian Devotions

Â…The Lord has granted me the petition that I made to him. 1 Samuel 1:27.

Hannah gave up what she wanted the most- her son. She presented him to Eli to serve in the house of the Lord. Hannah did what she had promised in vs.11. In dedicating her only son to God, Hannah was dedicating her entire life and future to God. Because SamuelÂ’s life was from God, Hannah was not really giving him up. Rather, she was returning him to God who had given Samuel to Hannah in the first place. These verses illustrate the kind of gifts we should give to God. Do your gifts cost you little (Sunday or Saturday mornings, a comfortable tithe) or are they gifts of sacrifice? Are you presenting God with tokens, or are you presenting him with your entire life?

Although the events leading up to the birth of Samuel primarily involved Hannah, both Elkanah and Peninnah played significant roles. PeninnahÂ’s competitiveness and derision drove Hannah to prayer; ElkanahÂ’s simple love allowed Hannah to entrust their child Samuel into GodÂ’s care. The glimpse God gives us of that tense household provides a helpful backdrop for GodÂ’s purposes, which are not thwarted by human shortcomings. When our relational systems and petitions seem too snarled to be unraveled or salvaged, we need to remember that God not only displays his creativity by making things from scratch, but also by bringing order and beauty out of our mess.

Br. Patrick Coke.