The Peace of God
1 Samuel 1:18 Hannah said, “May you be happy with me.” Then she left and ate something. She was not sad anymore.
When you’re carrying a heavy burden, the best thing you can possibly do is to share it with someone. We don’t always feel like doing that. Sometimes our instinct is to curl up in a ball and isolate ourselves. But trust me, the best thing you can do is share your heavy burdens.
Well, it’s been quite the week as we’ve shared in the story of Hannah’s painful journey through childlessness – a hurt so deep that, as a man, I don’t think I can begin to imagine.
And yet, in the middle of all that pain, we saw yesterday that she made the best decision of her life – the decision to share her burden, the decision to pour out her heart, her pain, through tears before God.
1 Samuel 1:9,10 After eating and drinking, Hannah quietly got up and went to pray to the Lord. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the door of the LORD’s Holy Building. Hannah was so sad that she cried the whole time she was praying to the LORD.
Good decision, Hannah. Best decision of her life. Of course, at that point she didn’t know whether God would give her a child or not. She had no idea what the outcome would be.
But look at what happened the moment she’d shared her burden with the King of kings and the Lord of lords:
1 Samuel 1:18 Hannah said, “May you be happy with me.” Then she left and ate something. She was not sad anymore.
God took away her pain. God gave her His peace. God honoured her and blessed her right in that moment, quite apart from the answer to her prayer that would come down the track.
When we pour out our hearts to God, when we share the burden, share the load, share the pain with Him, He honours that. He blesses that.
She was not sad anymore.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you… today.
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