Faith like Hannah

"A Heart Like His" is an amazing book by Beth Moore. It studies the life of David and the things we can learn from this man, his strengths, his weaknesses, and his life. I have read this book three times now. I bought it a few years back and no matter how much I read it, it still feels like the first time. I love how God makes this evident to us in a place and time when we can relate and really get the most out of it, if we are open. This is an amazing book and if you haven't read it you have to get it! Not to mention I love Beth Moore.

I was reading the second chapter to Tony last night. I love this chapter. It is David's "back story"... it is the story that we all have. We all have a back story. Our story that lead us to be who we are today, our story that lead us to be where we are today. Makes you think about your own back story.

I was reading about Samuels's mother Hannah. For those of you who don't know Hannah wasn't able to have children. Samuel's father, Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. (Funny to read Beth Moore's commentary on polygamy and her thoughts on Elkanah). Peninnah had children and would provoke Hannah, torture her and her inability to bear children. The story goes on to how Hannah prayed to God to give her a child. She promised that she would give the baby to the Lord "for all the days of his life." The book talks about Hannah "bargaining with God." - "The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you." (1 Chronicles 28:9) God knew Hannah's heart, he knew that she would do what she said she would do.

She then became pregnant, "She named him Samuel, saying, 'Because I asked the Lord for him'" (1 Samuel 1:19-20) What a beautiful story. But it doesn't end there.. Hannah carried for him while he was a baby and then when he was old enough to be weaned, in those times, around age 3, she sent him to live in the house of the Lord. Imagine, promising something like that. Imagine nursing that baby, breathing his breath, looking at his face, touching his skin, knowing that he would only be with you for a short time. 9 months of pregnancy and then three years to bond and attach yourself to this beautiful being and then to keep your word and return back to the Lord who gave him to you. The book notes, and I remember, the first time I took Sophia to Mother's Day Out and sat in my car crying. Hannah was steadfast in her word to God and took Samuel to Eli, where he would live and worship in God's house.

Moore notes,
"God does not ask of us that we take our children to the temple and leave them there to be reared by priests, but we must give them to God in other, equally important ways.
Remember the Faith of Hannah. She sought God in her deep need. She made a vow that, by its very nature, was either a deep commitment or a hollow mockery. Then she fulfilled her vow with a mother's sacrifice.
What a wonderful addendum to the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:21 :
"When Lord was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord." "

Not only is this an amazing story but Beth Moore's way of illustrating this story is so powerful.
I have to quote her one more time....

"Imagine another scene: A tiny three year old boy, still with creases of satiny baby skin around his plump little thighs, bending this knee and bowing before El Elyon, the sovereign God of all creation. how precious this child must have been to God. How in the world could a child that age have such respect for the God of the universe?"

I can't imagine doing what Hannah did. Can you imagine?
The answer to the question.. Samuel learned his faith and respect from his mother.
I hope that I can be an example to my two the way that Hannah was to Samuel. Even though she was only with him for three short years she instilled a reverence for the Lord and a faithfulness that we should strive for and try to be an example for our babies, no matter their age.